Wireless USB could be the Future of device communication
Wireless USB is a new technology allowing the speed and security of wired technology with the ease of wireless technology. Much like Wi-Fi was designated to replace the Ethernet cable, Wireless USB is targeted to replace the current USB wired technology. Eventually, you will find Wireless USB implemented in game controllers, cameras, hard drives, flash drives, printers, scanners, MP3 players, and even mobile phones
The wireless USB technology will operate using UWB, or Ultra Wide Band. UWB is a wireless communication technology that allows transmission of large amounts of digital data over a wide spectrum of frequency bands for very low power consumption. This allows for the wireless technology to be freed from the restrictions involved with line-of-sight wireless connections. This means that intervening objects will not adversely affect the wireless connection as greatly as it currently does in some technologies like Bluetooth. Unlike Bluetooth technology Wireless USB won’t require the consumer to struggle with a pairing process and is considered to be more secure. It has also proven to be speedier than Bluetooth. The performance of Wireless USB is targeted at 480Mbps at 3 meters and 110Mbdps at 10 meters. It is designated to operate in the 3.1 to 10.6 GHz frequency range, though local regulations may limit this operating range for a given country or region.
Belkin has developed a Wireless USB combination that requires a USB antenna to be connected to your PC and a separate Wireless USB hub that has 4 regular wired USB ports. This allows the Wireless USB enabled PC to connect and communicate with whatever devices are connected to it. Early 2011, we will begin to see Laptops featuring built in wireless USB antennas for use with Wireless USB devices. Lenovo has announced production of one such unit.
Wireless USB is a fairly mature technology that has seen its early development begun in 2004. At this time the Wireless USB Promoter Group was formed to define the specifications involved in Wireless USB. This group consisted of such organizations as Microsoft, HP, Intel, NEC Corp., Philips, Agere Systems, and Samsung. The specification process was completed by May 2005, with initial test models produced by June 2006. With first models available for testing by the FCC, in October 2006 the first complete Host Wire Adapter and Device Wire Adapter we approved. Surprisingly, the first retail product was release in mid-2007 by IOGear.
One powerful feature designed in the Wireless USB architecture is the ability for a maximum of 127 devices to be connected directly to a host. Wireless USB also supports dual-role devices, or the ability of a device when connected to a PC act as device, and at other times when connected to another device act as a limited ability host. An example of this would be a camera when connected to a PC as device, and yet when connected directly to a printer as a limited host.
It is expected that within the year we will begin to see a large amount of Wireless USB devices hit the market for consumers. This is an exciting technology designed to help consumers become truly mobile, and I, for one am tired of the cables.
About the Author
Joshua Bulman is a full time web designer and IT support technician for a company that provides custom flash drives via the web marketplace. He enjoys reading fiction, writing just about anything, and discovering new technologies.
