A January 26, 2009, ScienceDaily article describes a new CMOS chip capable of transmitting 60 GHz digital RF signals. The new chip enables rapid wireless transfer of a high-definition movie from a PC to a cell phone. It was developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology‘s Georgia Electronic Design Center (GEDC).
There are many potential 60 GHz applications. Some applications are virtually wireless desktop computers, data centers, and wireless home DVD systems. The 60 GHz application would allow in-store kiosks that transfer movies to handheld devices in seconds. It also has the potential to move gigabytes of photos or video from a camera to a PC almost instantly.
Experts believe that this technology could yield high-speed, short-range wireless applications by 2012. According to Joy Laskar, director of the GEDC, “Consumers could see products capable of ultra-fast short-range data transfer within two or three years.” Ann Revell-Pechar, chair of the MIT Enterprise Forum of Atlanta Chapter says “Multi-gigabit wireless technology is widely perceived to bring important new wireless applications to both consumer and IT markets.” Darko Kirovski, senior researcher at Microsoft Research says “Multi-gigabit technology definitely has major promise for new consumer and IT applications.”
Unprecedented short-range wireless speeds
Researchers have already achieved very high data transfer rates that promise unprecedented short-range wireless speeds-15 Gbps at a distance of 1 meter, 10 Gbps at 2 meters, and 5 Gbps at 5 meters.
The GEDC-developed chip is the first 60GHz embedded chip for multimedia multi-gigabit wireless use. According to Ms. Laskar, this new technology “represents the highest level of integration for 60GHz wireless single-chip solutions. It offers the lowest energy per bit transmitted wirelessly at multi-gigabit data rates reported to date.”
Industry group Ecma International recently announced a worldwide standard for radio frequency (RF) technology that makes 60 GHz “multi-gigabit” data transfer possible. The specifications for this technology are expected to be published as an ISO standard in 2009.
Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.
