UWB chipset is made for domestic networking

The CWave UWB solution provides unprecedented whole-home distribution of HDTV content, high quality multichannel audio and high-speed data across in-home coax and wireless networks.

Pulse-Link announces the launch of its complete CWave UWB solution for unprecedented whole-home distribution of HDTV content, high quality multichannel audio and high-speed data across in-home coax and wireless networks.

The CWave chipset will be unveiled at Connections: the digital home conference and showcase (Booth 413), 2nd to 4th May 2006 at the Santa Clara Convention Centre, with demonstrations of the technology's superior performance and versatility.

CWave provides a foundation for whole-home networking with up to gigabit datarates and guaranteed quality of service.

Coax, wireless, and even power line communications are all supported simultaneously from the same chipset radio.

Benefits and applications include the ability to eliminate the "rat's nest" of wiring behind today's home entertainment centres, as well as the ability to connect devices such as set-top boxes, DVD players, personal video recorders, home theatre systems, TVs, PCs and more throughout the entire home.

The ability to support multiple simultaneous HDTV streams from room to room with "trick-play" (for pause, fast-forward and fast-rewind capabilities) can require hundreds of megabits of throughput and has not been achieved by any other coax or wireless networking technology.

The CWave signal traverses existing RF splitters, coexists with all legacy CATV, Satellite and other signals already carried on the coax, and requires no changes to existing in-home coax cable wiring.

Whole-home multimedia networks can be enabled without incurring the heavy costs and trouble of installing new wiring.

By bridging its wireless and wired communications technologies, CWave enables high datarate transmissions to be distributed throughout the home via coax then wirelessly connects peripheral devices in each room.

"The competitive dynamics of the television service provider market serve as a significant driver to next-generation set-top media servers, which will penetrate an estimated 20 million US households by the end of 2010", said Kurt Scherf, Vice President and Principal Analyst at Parks Associates.

"Pulse-Link's focus on next-generation connectivity applications - including the simultaneous streaming of multiple HDTV programmes, high quality multi-channel audio and high-speed data across a common platform for wireless and wired connectivity - is enabling this vision of distributed entertainment in the home".

The CWave PL3100 chipset is a complete solution comprising all RF, analogue, baseband and MAC functions.

It consists of three microchips, the PL3130 baseband and MAC in 0.13um CMOS, the PL3120 RFIC front end in 0.18um SiGe, and the PL3110 UWB LNA in 0.18um SiGe.

The PL3130 baseband and MAC features an IEEE802.15.3 MAC and CWave gigabit performance baseband.

The PL3120 RFIC front-end comprises the transmitter and receiver functions.

The PL3110 LNA is an optional low-noise UWB amplifier that connects to the antenna for extended range and enhanced performance.

The 802.15.3MAC supports both isochronous and asynchronous functionality with a fully deterministic quality of service and additional support for multiple overlapping piconets.

The CWave demonstration at Connections highlights several breakthroughs in performance and connectivity.

The demonstration shows the simultaneous, bidirectional distribution of HDTV content using CWave over more than 60m of coax, including two RF splitters.

Using Smartbits as a third-party throughput measurement tool, more than 400Mbit/s application layer throughput is validated at this distance.

At one end of the coax connection, the same CWave radio used in the coax demonstration wirelessly bridges the HDTV signal to a 50in plasma TV, showcasing the use of a single CWave radio simultaneously supporting both wired and wireless communications.

"CWave is an extremely powerful and entirely different use of UWB communications technology", states Bruce Watkins, Pulse-Link President and COO.

"While the predominant UWB industry focus has been on short-range wireless USB cable replacements and Bluetooth enhancements, CWave has been optimised from the ground up for the distribution of multimedia content throughout the home using both wireless and wired media.

We are pleased to launch the first UWB chipset to enable whole-home connectivity solutions for high definition, multimedia-centric consumer electronics appliances".

"This unveiling marks a proud moment for Pulse-Link", states John Santhoff, Pulse-Link Founder/CTO and EE Times' 2005 Innovator of the Year.

"CWave represents the culmination of our uncompromising vision to develop the highest performance solution available".

"CWave delivers 1Gbit/s wirelessly, over coax cable and in-home power lines for the first multimedia network capable of true whole-home coverage with end-to-end quality of service".

"It is a true testament to the skills, passion and deep personal commitment of our entire team".

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