At this week's Intel Developer Forum (IDF), Intel Corp., NEC Corp., Texas Instruments and Wisair showed their products exchanging data with each other in what the developers claim is the world's first multivendor interoperability demonstration of the wireless USB and ultrawideband (UWB) specifications. This demonstration at the IDF was a major milestone for the multiband OFDM alliance (MBOA) as it marks the first time that MACs from different companies have communicated with each other using a common PHY and prototype wireless USB (WUSB) application stack. The wireless USB Promoter Group and the MBOA are committed to producing specifications that will become the wireless interconnect of choice among desktop and mobile PCs, handhelds, and consumer electronic devices, allowing easy connection and high-speed data exchange, said the proponents.

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"This demonstration shows the reality of WUSB and multiband OFDM-based UWB technology, and that these technologies are on track for introduction into the market in 2005," said Jeff Ravencraft, WUSB Promoter Group chairman and Intel technology strategist. The WUSB Promoter Group, consisting of Agere Systems, HP, Intel, Microsoft, NEC, Philips Semiconductor Division and Samsung, are committed to preserving the existing USB devices, class driver infrastructure and investment, look-and-feel and ease-of-use of wired USB. WUSB will maintain the same scalable device performance and capability while also addressing new consumer electronics requirements.

WUSB has a targeted bandwidth of 480 Mbps at launch, which is comparable to the current wired USB 2.0 standard, and will feature wireless high-data throughput with low power consumption for distances less than 10 meters. The WUSB interface will deliver the benefits of high-speed wireless connectivity, security, ease-of-use and backward compatibility to customers. The first WUSB implementations will be in the form of discrete silicon that will be introduced in a number of form factors. These include add-in cards and dongles along with embedding into specific solutions to support the technology's introduction and subsequent rapid ramp-up. Joining the seven promoter group companies as key contributors were Appairent Technologies, Alereon Inc., Staccato Communications, STMicroelectronics, Texas Instruments and Wisair.