Wireless USB

Wireless USB is a short-range, high-bandwidth wireless radio communication protocol created by the Wireless USB Promoter Group. Wireless USB is sometimes abbreviated as "WUSB", although the USB Implementers Forum discourages this practice and instead prefers to call the technology "Certified Wireless USB" to differentiate it from competitors. Wireless USB is based on the WiMedia Alliance's Ultra-WideBand (UWB) common radio platform, which is capable of sending 480 Mbit/s at distances up to 3 meters and 110 Mbit/s at up to 10 meters. It was designed to operate in the 3.1 to 10.6 GHz frequency range, although local regulatory policies may restrict the legal operating range for any given country.

Contents

Uses Development Compatibility options for older hardware

Wireless Usb Topology

Relation to ultra-wideband (UWB) Comparing digital RF systems WiMedia UWB RF band usage by region
o

Problems UWB

Competitors
o

References

Uses

With the growing use of digital media in the PC, consumer electronic (CE) and mobile communication environments, a common standard interconnect is needed to support the ongoing convergence of these environments. The trend toward convenient wireless distribution of digital information provides an opportunity to introduce a single, standard wireless interconnect capable of supporting usage models across all three environments. The CE environment will have high-performance wireless interface expectations. Consumer usage models (Figure ) will center on streaming media distribution that typically uses compression algorithms. The performance objective is to ensure a high quality of service is maintained to meet typical consumer entertainment expectations.

Figure -- Consumer Usage Models

Typical video delivery with standard SDTV/DVD will consume between 3 and 7 Mbps while HDTV will use between 19 and 24 Mbps. A point distribution technology like wireless USB with an effective bandwidth of 480 Mbps could manage multiple HDTV streams. Host buffering could enable a network backbone to effectively distribute content to all distribution hosts, enhancing the quality experience for all users. Business applications for WUSB include a variety of different usage possibilities. Common devices such as printers, scanners, hard drives, and projectors could all be used in wireless scenarios. These devices would function the same way as if they were using wired USB, but without all the cables. Office services on the corporate network could migrate to WUSB and benefit from faster performance than shared network devices offer.

Development
The Wireless USB Promoter Group was formed in February 2004 to define the Wireless USB specification. The group consists of Agere Systems (now merged with LSI Corporation), Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Microsoft, NEC Corporation, Philips and Samsung. In May 2005, the Wireless USB Promoter Group announced the completion of the Wireless USB specification. In June 2006, five companies showed the first multi-vendor interoperability demonstration of Wireless USB. A laptop with an Intel host adapter using an Alereon PHY was used to transfer high definition video from a Philips wireless semiconductor solution with a Realtek PHY, all using Microsoft Windows XP drivers developed for Wireless USB. In October 2006 the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved the first complete Host Wire Adapter (HWA) and Device Wire Adapter (DWA) wireless USB solution from WiQuest Communications for both outdoor and indoor use. The first retail product was shipped by IOGEAR using Alereon, Intel and NEC silicon in mid-2007. Around the same time, Belkin, Dell, Lenovo and D-Link began shipping products that incorporated WiQuest technology. These products included embedded cards in the notebook PCs or Hub/Adapter solutions for those PCs that do not currently include Wireless USB. In 2008, a new Wireless USB Docking Station from Kensington was made available through Dell. This product was unique as it was the first product on the market to support video and graphics over a USB connection, by using DisplayLink USB graphics technology. Kensington's Docking Station enables wireless connectivity between a notebook PC and an external monitor, speakers, and existing wired USB peripherals. Imation announced Q408 availability of a new external Wireless HDD. Both of these products are based on WiQuest technology. On March 16, 2009, the WiMedia Alliance announced it is entering into technology transfer agreements for the WiMedia Ultra-wideband (UWB) specifications. WiMedia will transfer all current and future specifications, including work on future high speed and power optimized

implementations, to the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), Wireless USB Promoter Group and the USB Implementers Forum. After the successful completion of the technology transfer, marketing and related administrative items, the WiMedia Alliance will cease operations.[2] In October 2009 the Bluetooth Special Interest Group has dropped development of UWB as part of the alternative MAC/PHY, Bluetooth 3.0/High Speed solution. A small, but significant, number of former WiMedia members had not and would not sign up to the necessary agreements for the IP transfer. The Bluetooth group is now turning its attention from UWB to 60 GHz.[3] On September 29, 2010 version 1.1 of Wireless USB specification was announced.[4] It delivers several backwards-compatible improvements: UWB upper band support for frequencies 6GHz and above, improved power management and consumption, and support for NFC and proximity based association.

Compatibility Options For Older Hardware

The WUSB architecture allows up to 127 devices to connect directly to a host. Because there are no wires or ports, there is no longer a need for hubs. However, to facilitate migration from wired to wireless, WUSB introduced a new Device Wire Adapter (DWA) class. Sometimes referred to as a "WUSB hub", a DWA allows existing USB 2.0 devices to be used wirelessly with a WUSB host. WUSB host capability can be added to existing PCs through the use of a Host Wire Adapter (HWA). The HWA is a USB 2.0 device that attaches externally to a desktop or laptop's USB port or internally to a laptop's MiniCard interface. WUSB also supports dual-role devices (DRDs), which in addition to being a WUSB device, can function as a host with limited capabilities. For example, a digital camera could act as a device when connected to a computer and as a host when transferring pictures directly to a printer.

WUSB Topology
The fundamental relationship in WUSB is a hub and spoke topology, as shown in Figure 1. In this topology, the host initiates all the data traffic among the devices connected to it, allotting time slots and data bandwidth to each device connected. These relationships are referred to as clusters. The connections are point-to-point and directed between the WUSB host and WUSB device.

Figure 1 -- WUSB topology

The WUSB host can logically connect to a maximum of 127 WUSB devices, considered an informal WUSB cluster. WUSB clusters coexist within an overlapping spatial environment with minimum interference, thus allowing a number of other WUSB clusters to be present within the same radio cell. Topology will support a dual role model where a device can also support limited host capabilities. This model allows mobile devices to access services with a central host supporting the services (i.e., printers and viewers). This model also allows a device to access data outside an existing cluster it may currently be connected to by creating a second cluster as a limited host. Additionally, high spatial capacity in small areas is needed to enable multiple device access to high bandwidth concurrently. Multiple channel activities may take place within a given area. The topology will support multiple clusters in the same area. The number of clusters to be supported is still being determined.

Relation to ultra-wideband (UWB)

A common source of confusion is about the relationship between WUSB, WiMedia, and UWB. The UWB and WUSB technologies are not the same, and the terms WUSB and UWB are not synonymous. UWB is a general term for a new type of radio communication using pulses of energy which spread emitted Radio Frequency energy over 500 MHz+ of spectrum or exceeding 20% fractional bandwidth within the frequency range of 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz as defined by the FCC ruling issued for UWB in Feb. 2002. UWB is NOT specific to WiMedia or any other company or group and there are in fact a number of groups and companies developing UWB technology totally unrelated to WiMedia. Some companies[which?] use UWB for ground penetrating radar, through wall radar and yet another company Pulse-LINK uses it as part of a whole home entertainment network using UWB for transmission over both wired and wireless media. WUSB is a protocol promulgated by the USB-IF that uses WiMedia's UWB radio platform. Other

protocols that have announced their intention to use WiMedia's UWB radio platform include Bluetooth and the WiMedia Logical Link Control Protocol.

Comparing digital RF systems

Wireless USB vs. 802.11a/b/g & Bluetooth[5] Wireless USB Specification Specification Rev. 1.1 Bluetooth 4.0 (proposed) Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) 2.4 GHz/5 GHz Max. 600 Mbit/s Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR 2.4 GHz Max. 3 Mbit/s

Frequency band 3.1 GHz10.6 GHz UWB (not decided) Bandwidth 53 - 480 Mbit/s 53 - 480 Mbit/s

1 100 m, Distance 3 - 10 m unknown distance 100 m depending on output DSSS, DBPSK, Modulation MB-OFDM MB-OFDM DQPSK, CCK, OFDM Standardization September 2010 pre-standard September 2009 July 2007 GFSK

WiMedia UWB RF band usage by region Latest WiMedia Regulatory Status Chart Problems There are no major drivers for W-USB.

Competitors

UWB Other forms of USB over wireless exist, such as those based on the competing direct sequence UWB technology by Freescale (Cable-Free USB). The same is also true for other radio frequency based wire replacement systems which can carry USB. The result is that the name 'Certified Wireless USB' was adopted to allow consumers to identify which products would be adherent to the standard and would support the correct protocol and data rates.

References

Wireless Universal Serial Bus Specification, Revision 1.0

1. http://wirelessgigabitalliance.org/ecosystem 2. http://www.usb.org/press/USB-

IF_Press_Releases/WirelessUSB_1.1_TechBulletin_Spec_FINAL.pdf 3. Nikkei Electronics 2007/10/8