IBM wants to untangle the cables behind high-definition home theater systems. It is working on a new chip based on the proposed 802.15.3c wireless specification that can handle HD content in consumer living rooms.
The technology is capable of moving HD files and other content at distances of around five to 10m, Brian Gaucher, research staff member at IBM, told News.com. Current samples of the chip now run at more than 600Mb/s he said. The goal is to increase the speed to 1.4- to 1.5Gb/s.
Wireless technology that can transfer files rapidly over short distances has long been a goal of the tech industry, News.com reported. IBM’s technology relies on the portion of the radio spectrum from about 30- to 300GHz.
The report said IBM has sent samples to manufacturing customers who are studying how to integrate the circuits into products. Developer kits contain a unit with integrated antenna and methods to reduce manufacturing costs and power consumption.
Eventually, IBM will either sell the microprocessors or license the intellectual property behind the design.
