First UWB Products Receive WiMedia Alliance Certification Arizona

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Originally published at Internet.com

Last month, the WiMedia Alliance, the not-for-profit industry association that "promotes and enables the rapid adoption, regulation, standardization, and multi-vendor interoperability of ultra-wideband (UWB) worldwide," announced the first silicon products certified on its UWB Common Radio Platform. A total of 12 platforms from WiMedia members, including Alereon, Intel, and Realtek received certification after successfully completing the Alliance's compliance and interoperability testing. This round of certifications lays the groundwork for the introduction of WiMedia-based devices for consumers.

"This is a pivotal development for UWB," said Stephen Wood, president of the WiMedia Alliance, in press release October 8th. "WiMedia Platform Certification ensures a high-level of interoperability among WiMedia-based applications and provides assurance to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that products incorporating WiMedia Certified platforms will operate with minimal interference from other devices, enabling a positive user experience for their customers. With certified platforms available, manufacturers can begin utilizing WiMedia UWB in their consumer products at an accelerated rate."

Among the perks for devices utilizing the WiMedia specifications, are low power consumption, and data rates of up to 480 Mbps in the wireless personal area network (WPAN).

To achieve WiMedia Certified status, platforms undergo two phases of rigorous testing against the Alliance's international UWB standards (ISO/IEC 26907 and 26908). In the first phase, vendors test and "register" Physical Layer implementations (PHYs) based on the WiMedia PHY specification. Registered PHYs are then combined with a Media Access Control (MAC) layer and submitted for certification as a complete platform.

Each platform that successfully completes both levels of certification testing are granted official platform certification, which ensures coexistence with other certified platforms, and uniform performance expectations.

More information about WiMedia Alliance and its certification program is available at www.wimedia.org.

Naomi Graychase is Managing Editor of Wi-FiPlanet and UWBPlanet.