Intel, a major WiMAX supporter, is investing heavily in the technology. It
also offers the 5116, a digital baseband chip for fixed WiMAX. Intel's recently
announced Rosedale 2 chip addresses the baseband needs of both the fixed and
mobile WiMAX standards. Already, 10 key equipment suppliers have selected Rosedale
2 for their next-generation equipment. Also, look for a single-chip multiband
Wi-Fi/WiMAX radio code-named Ofer that will facilitate the incorporation of
both wireless technologies into future laptops.
Redline Communications, a maker of pre-WiMAX as well as true WiMAX equipment,
recently teamed up with Intel and system integrator Nomad Digital to install
a WiMAX network in California (Fig.
2). The system is built along 16 miles of the Caltrain commuter line between
San Jose and Palo Alto.
Passengers on the train use Wi-Fi in their laptops to talk to a standard Wi-Fi
router that in turn uses a WiMAX access point for backhaul. Seven WiMAX terminals
along the tracks handle the handoffs and connection back to the server. Nomad,
a U.K. company, has built other successful train systems and is expected to
do many more here and in Europe.
Texas Instruments is a major supplier of WiMAX chips. In addition to the TRF11xx,
TRF12xx, and TRF24xx RF up/downconverters, TI offers the TMS320TCI6482 1-GHz
DSP chip and software library, which covers the physical-layer functions. Also,
TI offers reference designs as well as support with various partners. TI works
with Array-Comm to support the MIMO Smart Antenna technology. And, TI recently
partnered with Wavesat on a Mini-PCI design for 5.8 GHz.
FPGA maker Xilinx is into WiMAX as well. Its Vertex4-SX, popular in implementing
WiMAX baseband solutions, is a flexible base to design with, as today's FPGAs
can handle the adaptive modulation/demodulation, forward error correction and
other coding, basestation power control, and the OFDMA. Xilinx offers reference
designs as well.
COMING TOGETHER
Despite the proliferation of wireless standards, WiMAX fills a need and a gap.
It should succeed in delivering broadband services such as IPTV and VoIP, in
addition to the usual Internet access. And it could become a great 4G cell phone
option. Look for WiMAX in your cell phone, laptop, and set-top box in the future.