Communications/Network Design

Tzero promises demo of 1080p60 wireless HDMI using UWB 12/3/2008

UWB (ultrawideband) silicon provider Tzero Technologies today announced that it plans to demonstrate at a developer's conference in Japan this week a "commercially viable" UWB implementation capable of delivering a 1080-line, 60-frame/sec HDTV signal.

Consolidation among mobile-IC makers squeezes supply chain 11/13/2008

Continuing the considerable consolidation in the mobile-IC supply chain, Freescale Semiconductor announced a planned exit from the cellular-handset-chip-set market. The company in October said that it is exploring its options for the business, including the unit’s sale or the formation of a joint venture, just weeks after STMicroelectronics

Power-stingy digital accelerometers yield benefits in gesture-driven consumer devices 11/6/2008

Features involving a device’s motion, such as a tap-to-mute capability on a cell phone or a user-input feature on a gaming controller, can serve as communication tools.

POE devices cater to higher-powered applications 10/16/2008

Manufacturers of PDs (powered devices) that rely on the IEEE 802.3af POE (power-over-Ethernet) standard rather than ac wall power can shrink board space and the BOM (bill-of-materials) costs.

PicoChip optimizes processor-array chips for femtocells 9/18/2008

PicoChip’s second-generation PC3xx family devices integrate the company’s modem architecture in a form that will increase performance and reduce the bill-of-materials cost for femtocell manufacturers. The first of the new family, the single-chip PC302, for HSPA (high-speed-packet-access) femtocells complies with the TR25.

Power-over-Ethernet chips: to the spec and beyond 10/16/2008

Power over Ethernet allows a basic Category 5 or 6 cable to carry both data and power, enabling simple and inexpensive installations of equipment such as VOIP phones, cameras, and wireless-access points.

DisplayPort versus HDMI: Do we really need two digital-display-interface standards? 9/18/2008

DisplayPort silicon is beginning to appear in PCs, LCD monitors, and graphics cards. But it will probably be at least five years before prices fall and volumes ramp enough to challenge HDMI in consumer electronics.

Bluetooth: Sufficient fidelity even for average listeners? 6/26/2008

Applications require video support and additional audio channels to cope with stereo, driving the need for low-latency codecs. Using a Bluetooth chip set simplifies development and enables the manufacturer to leverage the brand recognition that Bluetooth now enjoys among consumers.

Protocol-stack testing for LTE technology 5/29/2008

Effective test strategies can help transform UMTS into a cellular-wideband system.

Unraveling the dynamic-range specification in modern spectrum analyzers 5/29/2008

Using a relatively simple chart to calculate dynamic range, along with speed and accuracy specifications, ensures that you choose the right spectrum analyzer and make appropriate price/performance trade-offs.

White spaces and black hearts 10/16/2008

Those pushing white-space proposals, including Google's Larry Page, need some lessons in real-world RF interference, and the industry should put white-spaces plans on hold until we see how badly the digital-TV rollout hurts broadcast television.

Voices: GreenPeak Technologies’ Cees Links: wireless-networking visionary 2/21/2008

Cees (pronounced case) Links is an engineer and the chief executive officer at GreenPeak Technologies, an international supplier of low-power wireless-system modules compatible with IEEE 802.15.4 and ZigBee. Based in Utrecht, the Netherlands, Links has been a pioneer in the wireless industry and was involved in the establishment of the IEEE 802.

Open-cellular-network boasts lack substance 1/10/2008

There are dozens if not hundreds of products that might be more compelling if they integrated a cellular radio.

Holiday wishes target technological harmony 12/5/2007

From an accord among the high-definition DVD camps to signs of progress for UWB and Wireless USB, my list highlights technological developments that I believe would be good for the high-tech segment.

Airing problems in wireless 10/9/2007

Breakfast in the Valley:  Rapidly evolving technologies raise questions about data collisions between and within devices; future devices to become aware of what else is on the network.

Achieve simple IR-data transmission from a PC’s serial port 10/11/2007

By transmitting appropriate hex values from a PC's serial port to a pair of IR LEDs, a remote-control IR receiver can enable 38.4-kHz data transmission.