The MultiBand OFDM Alliance (MBOA) plans to publish a standard for ultra wideband by May.
Ultra wideband (UWB) is a wireless technology for transmitting data at very high rates while using very low power, such as streaming high-definition video from a set top box to a television, or cable signals from a wall outlet to a TV.
The 50-plus member companies of the MBOA are looking at a specification based on an OFDM approach originally introduced by Texas Instruments in March 2003. According to Texas Instruments, its technology is designed to comply with all existing FCC requirements. High-rate UWB products are expected to hit the market as soon as early 2005.
MBOA membership includes Adamya, Adimos, Alereon, Artimi, Asahi Glass Co, Broadcom, Cypress, Femto Devices, Focus Enhancements, Fujitsu, Furaxa, General Atomics, Hewlett Packard, Infineon, Institute for Infocomm Research, Intel, Jaalaa, Maxim, MCCI, MeshDynamics, Microsoft, Mitsubishi, NEC, Nokia, Panasonic, Philips, Prancer, Realtek, RFDomus, RF Micro Devices, Samsung, SiWorks, Staccato Communications, STMicroelectronics, SVC Wireless, Synopsys, TRDA, TDK, Texas Instruments, TTPCom, TZero, University of Minnesota, UnWired Connect, UWB Wireless, Vestel, VIA Networking Technologies, Wi-LAN, Wisair, Wisme and WiQuest.
ATSC Updates "Guide to the Digital Television Standard"
The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) has published an update of "The Guide to the Digital Television Standard." The revision, known as Recommended Practice A/54A, provides an overview and tutorial of the ATSC digital television system as defined in Standards A/52A and A/53B.
The update was a result of input from four ATSC specialist groups: Video/Audio Coding (T3/S6), Transport (T3/S8), RF Transmission (T3/S9), and Receivers (T3/S10).
Each addressed major components of the system, including:
Video - an overview of the video coding system is given, along with an explanation of the new Active Format Description feature.
Audio - the fundamental principles of the AC-3 coding system are discussed, and guidelines are given for typical use.
Transport - a summary of the transport structure is provided, including an informative discussion of MPEG-2 syntax tables.
RF - the essential characteristics of the DTV RF system for terrestrial and cable distribution are given.
Receiving devices - the general parameters affecting reception of DTV signals are given, along with an overview of the basic Grand Alliance receiver design.
This and related documents can be downloaded from the ATSC Web site at www.atsc.org/standards/practices.html.
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