WPAN

One Phiar radio has the potential to stream over 50 channels of uncompressed HD video, simultaneously. The same radio could synch the mp3 player in your pocket with 25 GB of media in two seconds as you walk past your PC.

As consumers, we are not likely to need that sort of bandwidth anytime soon. But, consider this: neither 802.11n nor Ultra Wideband—at their most optimistic bit rate projections—is capable of streaming even a single channel of uncompressed HD video. Phiar is working with standards groups at the IEEE to overcome this immediate challenge with a low cost, integrated antenna / analog radio / digital CMOS solution.

Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPAN) are the class of networks that include Ultra Wideband and Bluetooth® standards. Operating in unlicensed spectrum, these networks are distinguished from WiFi and other local area networking technologies by their shorter range. Typically, a WPAN is a single-room network.

The IEEE has created a Task Group to create a standard for WPANs in the unlicensed spectrum at 60 GHz. Phiar is participating in the standards creation process through IEEE 802.15 TG3c.

Although 60 GHz is a relatively low frequency for Phiar’s technology, this is an interesting market because Phiar has an opportunity to save consumer electronics companies money on their 60 GHz radios. Although some believe inexpensive CMOS will be able to stretch up to the 60 GHz, most companies are implementing their 60 GHz radios in more expensive SiGe.
Phiar’s transceiver technology can be directly integrated onto 60 GHz MAC and baseband CMOS dies saving manufactures money will maintaining interoperability with other 802.15.3 radios.

Why does the market care about 60 GHz? The FCC has allocated a 7 GHz-wide swath of unlicensed spectrum centered near 60 GHz. Assuming a 1 bit / Hz data rate, that provides a theoretical potential bit rate of 7 Gbps for streaming HD video around the living room, transferring TV programs between a PC and a DVR, or uploading multimedia files from a media server to a video iPod®.

In 2008, approximately 1 billion consumer electronics devices will ship world wide (not including cell phones).

If your team is interested in exploring an alternative to costly SiGe or risky CMOS for 60 GHz radios, contact us.