Due to the conflicting views of numerous vendors, the IEEE hasn't yet established a single, formal Ultra-Wideband (UWB) standard. Even so, companies that support the proposed orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) solution are moving ahead with pre-production of silicon.
The merger of the WiMedia Alliance and Multiband OFDM Alliance (MBOA), along with the FCC's waiver to permit approval of the OFDM UWB solution, has given most silicon vendors the green light to produce their own chips. Wisair has responded with its 502 UWB transceiver, which conforms to the MBOA and WiMedia standards.
Made with 0.18-µm silicon-germanium biCMOS, the 502 replaces the 501, the industry's first WiMedia-and MBOA-compliant transceiver. It reduces the power consumption, size, and overall cost of a UWB wireless solution. Additionally, it supports the multiband-OFDM TFI and FFI modes.
The 502 occupies the frequency spectrum between 3.1 and 4.8 GHz with three 528-MHz wide sub-bands. It provides up to 480 Mbits/s over short distances. Also, it includes an on-chip bandpass filter, a broadband receiver with a wide programmable dynamic range, and an ultra-fast hopping broadband synthesizer with an on-chip voltage-controlled oscillator. Its programmable power amplifier ensures the maximum allowed output power. And, the 502 supports antenna diversity with two antennas. No external matching baluns are needed.
Wisair's 530 UWB baseband chip implements the MBOA standard as well. A development kit is available too. These chips primarily target the growing need for super-fast video and data transfer in consumer electronics equipment. They also suit fast PC peripherals, mobile and automotive products, and other applications requiring very high speeds over short distances. Contact Wisair for price and availability.
Wisair
www.wisair.com