WTRS

WTRS Press Release - Forecast for ZigBee-based Components Does Not Change

2010-11-09T10:52:00.000-08:00

A new West Technology Research Solutions report evaluates the opportunity for 802.15.4, EnOcean, Bluetooth Low Energy, Dash7, Wavenis, Low Power Wi-Fi, and ZigBee chipsets. The report includes a five-year forecast of dominant technologies.

The newly updated study, “WTRS Wireless Sensor Network Technology Trends, Q4 2010”, reviews and analyzes the available and proposed technology solutions competing for dominance in the wireless sensor network segment.

“The forecast for ZigBee components has not changed significantly over the last year”, said Kirsten West, Principal Analyst with WTRS. “While the ZigBee market survived the generalized market recession, it did not rebound as strongly as it could have. This is in part due to a continued absence of an IP-based stack option for ZigBee.”

The WTRS Wireless Sensor Network Technology Trends Report analyzes and forecasts the market for wireless sensor networks. The report includes a thorough evaluation of emerging Wireless Sensor Network technologies and associated software including ZigBee, Bluetooth Low Energy, Wavenis, IEEE 802.15.4, Low Power WiFi, EnOcean, and others.

The report also

. analyzes the potential market opportunities for Wireless Sensor Networks
. examines near versus long-range drivers impacting the market
. tracks the activities of industry alliances, strategic partnerships, and SIGs
. contains an in-depth assessment and analysis of chipset features
. evaluates energy harvesting technologies employed in wireless sensor networks

The report provides 5-year forecasts of dominant emerging wireless sensor network technologies that detail sales volume, unit shipments, and average selling price by vertical market segment as well as by geography. Applications forecast include Smart Metering, Home Area Network, Residential Health, Building Automation, Energy Management, Facility Medical, Industrial Automation, Consumer, Medical, Agriculture, Security, and Transportation. Historical price and volume data is also included.

Report Title: WTRS Wireless Sensor Network Technology Trends Report Q4 2010
No. Pages: 268 pages
No. Tables/Figures: 219
Publication Date: November 2010
SKU#: WT110810CNTS

More information at www.wtrs.net/wsntechtrends.htm

Energy Harvesting for Wireless Sensor Networks – IP and Patent Issues

2010-07-14T14:46:00.000-07:00

In the area of lighting control solutions there are solutions integrating Energy Harvesting and wireless control technologies available to systems designers that provide a number of customer delighters. These include lower cost of installation due to a reduced requirement to pull power and control cables between switches and lights, a lower requirement for high skilled installers, the flexibility to easily and quickly reconfigure switch locations in response to floor plan changes and the opportunity to create new aesthetic solutions such as switches located on a transparent partition or window.

Given the growing success that EnOcean and members of the EnOcean Alliance are having in both the commercial and residential lighting control market, coupled with the perception that this market segment is ripe for technology-based displacement strategies, the number and focus of new entrants is rapidly growing. When one of the procurement decision check boxes is un-tethered and battery-less operation, then companies without access to these solutions will seek to acquire them.

The technology tripod that these new products will rest upon lies in the integration of three technologies:

1. Energy Harvesting and Scavenging technologies

2. Low power wireless and sensor technologies that can operate with the small amounts of energy available for use in the local environment

3. Low energy consuming communications protocol capable of providing a high degree of link reliability and adequate operational range while likewise sharing the low energy constraints.

The challenge to technology developers is to provide an integrated product incorporating all three of these technologies optimized in such a manner that the system solution itself is somehow optimal for the application use cases and achieving this while navigating the environment of existing prior art without infringing on this prior art.

At this juncture the company having the broadest technology portfolio that most completely covers all three of these requirements is EnOcean GmbH. In addition to this portfolio of intellectual property, EnOcean also holds the advantage as first mover with products in the field, as well as a growing ecosystem of companies creating new applications using and extending the EnOcean technologies. These ecosystem companies include two large US industrial products firms Leviton and Masco; both companies hold intellectual property that references and extends the EnOcean IP in the lighting control applications market.

Outside of the traditional Residential and Commercial environmental control application area is the application of the technology to passenger services in airliners. Here the advantages should be readily obvious: the infrastructure required to provide power to each seat in an airliner impacts the overall weight of the vehicle which directly impacts fuel consumption and hence operating expense for an airline. Boeing holds some interesting IP related to this application.

For more information about IP holdings related to energy harvesting for wireless sensor networks, as well as the rest of the WTRS IP & Patent collection, see www.wtrs.net/ippatent.htm

Bluetooth Low Energy Forecast to Dominate Wireless Sensor Network Market

2010-06-30T09:14:00.000-07:00

Bluetooth Low Energy will be a significant contributor to the overall Wireless Sensor Network market, representing nearly half of all shipments in 2015. Bluetooth Low Energy is designed to compete with protocols like ZigBee in applications which require infrequent and short bursts of data communication. The advantage to this new protocol is that it is totally optimized for low power battery operation.

The newly updated WTRS Wireless Sensor Network Technology Trends Q2 2010 Report analyzes and forecasts the market for wireless sensor networks. The report includes a thorough evaluation of emerging Wireless Sensor Network technologies and associated software including ZigBee, Bluetooth Low Energy, IEEE 802.15.4, Low Power WiFi, Wavenis, EnOcean, and others.

Is High Definition Video The Only Killer App For High Speed Wireless Connectivity?

2010-06-16T09:14:00.000-07:00

WHDI is positioned as a leader in the market for streaming of wireless video content applications today and is forecast to maintain market dominance through 2015. WHDI is optimized for wireless video applications and has achieved significant growth over the last few quarters. Protocols such as WiGig and WirelessHD are likely to address both streaming video and bulk data transfer in consumer electronics and enterprise applications.

The new market report provides analysis of how emerging wireless technologies will meet the market requirements for Wireless Video Connectivity products and applications. The report includes an evaluation of the dominant technical options to provide Wireless Video Connectivity including UWB, IEEE 802.11 and 60GHz.

Low Power Embedded WiFi Brings Competition to the Wireless Sensor Network Market

2010-05-10T09:34:00.000-07:00

The market for wireless sensor network technologies remains quite fragmented with a combination of open and proprietary approaches used to address a variety of applications. Of these, low power embedded WiFi is perhaps the most interesting due to the adaptation of existing WiFi protocols building on the installed base of WiFi networks that can be used as a connecting infrastructure for low power embedded WiFi installations.

The newly released study, “WTRS Low Power Embedded WiFi Emerging Technology Report”, reviews and analyzes the available and proposed applications for Low Power Embedded WiFi components.

Market For Wireless Sensor Networks On The Rebound

2010-04-08T11:13:00.000-07:00

The market for wireless sensor network components appears to be on the rebound. Companies are back in growth mode and are looking for new opportunities to expand their revenues. Some OEMs are taking an acquisition approach to evolving their product line, while others are integrating emerging wireless sensor network options into their products. New wireless protocols such as Bluetooth Low Energy are emerging and gaining interest among OEMs in the marketplace.

The newly updated study, “WTRS Wireless Sensor Network Technology Trends, Q1 2010”, reviews and analyzes the available and proposed technology solutions competing for dominance in the wireless sensor network segment. Technologies include ZigBee, Bluetooth Low Energy, IEEE 802.15.4, Low Power WiFi, EnOcean, and others.

Wireless Video Connectivity at a Crossroads, Competing Solutions Begin to Emerge

2010-02-10T09:43:00.000-08:00

Wireless video technology is maturing to the point that OEM's are becoming interested in the opportunity. Newer protocols such as Wi-Di and WiGig are joining existing protocols including Wireless USB, WirelessHD, and WHDI to compete for design wins and, ultimately, for market share.

A new West Technology Research Solutions report forecasts the growth and development of the wireless video connectivity technology market, identifying key IP players and alliance activities. The report includes a five-year forecast of dominant technologies.

Report Title: Wireless Video Connectivity – A WTRS Report
Publication Date: February 10, 2010
SKU#: WT020810WVTR
More information at www.wtrs.net/wlsvidconn.htm

Wireless Video

2010-01-19T12:48:00.000-08:00

Wireless video content delivery applications are a focus for many OEMs today. There is an expectation that the consumer will readily accept products which reduce cabling to television sets and which enable new uses, such as streaming of content from laptop computers to HDTVs.

The most interesting recent event in the wireless video content space is Intel Corporation’s release of Wi-Fi Direct (or Wi-Di). Wi-Di is a new development to the IEEE 802.11n Wi-Fi protocol which has been optimized to stream content from computers to HDTVs.
Companies developing Wireless USB have been targeting streaming wireless video content applications for years. However, development of the underlying ultra wideband wireless technology was hampered by regulatory hurdles in order to avoid interference with existing products.
WirelessHD is a standard based on SiBEAM’s 60 GHz wireless technology. The chips are available today and several companies (including LG, Panasonic, Best Buy’s Rocketfish brand, and Sony) are shipping end products based on WirelessHD.
Most of these wireless technologies utilize some form of video compression in order to transmit high definition video content. One protocol, Wireless Home Digital Interface (WHDI), is able to stream uncompressed 1080p content. WHDI is a protocol based on 5 GHz wireless technology from Amimon.
A final method of wireless video content delivery is using a 60 GHz technology that is an extension to the IEEE 802.11n MAC. This technology is being developed and promoted by the WiGig Alliance, a group of traditional WiFi companies including Atheros Communications, Intel Corporation and Broadcom Corporation, as well as a broad range of name-brand end product manufacturers.

Real Applications for Wireless USB

2010-01-11T11:46:00.000-08:00

Wireless USB is an application for ultra wideband which went through a series of setbacks, in combination with an increasingly difficult environment for raising venture funding, resulting in the failure of a number of small startup companies and program cuts in large organizations involved in the market. Many declared the market to be dead; however, a few key companies continued to pursue applications for wireless USB. Among them, Alereon and Wisair are actively developing an OEM customer base with real end products shipping to the market.

Wisair was one of the first companies to release wireless USB chip-level product to the market. The company has a number of end product customers covering a wide range of applications, from A/V adapters to wireless docking stations. Wisair made the decision to get to market with pre-standard wireless USB components. This turned out to be a smart move as many of Wisair’s competitors, who waited for the certified wireless USB standard before releasing their products, have since gone out of business.

Alereon is the second chip company to come out with a concerted effort to use ultra wideband wireless technology to approach the laptop-to-HDTV wireless video application. The company was focused on the wireless docking station application initially and has an end product OEM shipping these products to consumers. Alereon recently released its chipset and NoWireTM Laptop to HDTV Extender Kit reference design package for the laptop-to-HDTV end product solution and also has a customer who is beginning to ship end product. The advantages of Alereon’s solution over Wisair’s include no driver installation required for the consumer and world-wide operating capability from a regulatory standpoint (operating in WiMedia band groups 1,3,4,and 6).

Both Wisair and Alereon are currently focused on the laptop to HDTV market, otherwise known as wireless video. The wireless video application is well-suited to UWB, as the radiation limits imposed by the FCC and others restricts the practical signal range to roughly 3 to 4 meters. If a consumer is controlling an application from a laptop as it is displayed on a television, it is likely that the person will have the laptop in the same room as the television.

Energy Harvesting Newsbits

2010-01-06T12:00:00.000-08:00

"Good vibrations mean green power". January 5, 2010. LabNews. An endless supply of free, environmentally sound power could be right under our noses - and all we need to harness it is a rather clever spring.

“Energy Harvesting, Wireless and Next Generation Building Energy Management”. January 2010. Automated Buildings.com. Robert Eckery, Marcom Manager at EnOcean, Inc. provides an in-depth view in this article of EnOcean’s concepts, products and services, including of the EnOcean Alliance.

“Eco Tech: Cornell University researchers create energy-harvesting ‘Piezo-tree’”. December 28, 2009. Ecofriend. Researchers at the Cornell University have created an energy-harvesting tree that uses the flittering of leaves to produce electricity.

“Researchers move human beings one step closer to being walking batteries”. December 24, 2009. DailyTech. Vladimir Leonov and Ruud Vullers of the Interuniversity Microelectronics Center in Belgium have built up on past work and devised an ambitious "energy harvester" -- a device that essentially turns humans into big walking batteries. The research could lead to iPods and cell phones that never lose charge.

“Researchers look to body heat as power source”. December 23, 2009. eWeek. Researchers in Belgium are touting an energy harvesting device that uses heat from human bodies in order to power ultra low power devices, such as a wristband blood oxygen sensor.

“Green silliness – or, ‘there is no free lunch, sorry’”. December 21, 2009. EETimes. The latest energy-harvesting idea from MIT is a bicycle wheel that acts as a source of electrical energy for power-assisted riding as well as for various electronic gadgets. Take a look at "MIT's big wheel in Copenhagen: New bicycle wheel not only boosts power, but also can keep track of friends, fitness, smog and traffic."

“Thompson Announces $2.1 Million in Funding for Defense Projects in Centre County”. December 20, 2009. GantDaily. KCF Technologies receives $1.6 million for further research, development, and delivery of self-powered prosthetic limb technology to develop an energy harvesting device as a component integrated into a lower extremity prosthetic limb to eliminate loss of power because of battery failure.

“Linear Technology has announced an ultra low voltage 20mV step up converter and power manager specifically for energy harvesting applications”. December 12, 2009. NewElectronics. The LTC3108 is an integrated step up dc/dc converter designed to start up and run from low input voltage sources such as thermoelectric generators, thermopiles and small solar cells

“Limitless on-board power for cars and airplanes in the future?”. December 7, 2009. The Independent. A team of researchers from the City College of New York (CCNY) is developing a method of harvesting energy from the movement of cars and airplanes, technology that could have a dramatic effect on fuel consumption in the future.

“Ultralow Voltage 20mV Step-Up Converter & Power Manager for Energy Harvesting Applications”. December 2, 2009. ECN Asia. Linear Technology announces the LTC3108, a highly integrated step-up DC/DC converter designed to start-up and run from extremely low input voltage sources such as thermoelectric generators (TEGs), thermopiles and small solar cells.

“Air Force Center of Excellence awarded in nanostructures and improved cognition”. December 1, 2009. EurekAlert. The Georgia Institute of Technology has been awarded a U.S. Air Force Center of Excellence to design nanostructures for energy harvesting and adaptive materials, and to develop tools to optimize critical cognitive processes of the modern warfighter.

“New Energy Expands Patent Protection of its MotionPower(TM) Technology for Generating Electricity from Moving Vehicles”. December 1, 2009. RTT News. New Energy Technologies, Inc. files for international patents following recent news that engineers have exponentially increased energy capture of New Energy's proprietary MotionPower(TM) devices - the most important factor in maximizing electricity generation.

“Everyday vibrations could recharge your MP3 player”. December 1, 2009. Mother Nature Network. Researchers at the University of Bristol are working to develop new technology which can harvest energy from the small, fluctuating vibrations which occur haphazardly all around us everyday.

Energy Harvesting and Wireless Sensor Networks

2010-01-06T09:58:00.000-08:00

The challenge to technology developers is to provide an integrated product incorporating energy harvesting and wireless sensor network technologies without infringing on existing prior art.
At this juncture the company having the broadest technology portfolio that most completely covers this area is EnOcean. In addition to their portfolio of intellectual property, EnOcean holds the the advantage as a first mover with products in the field, as well as a growing ecosystem of companies creating new applications using and extending the EnOcean technologies. These ecosystem companies include two large US industrial product firms: Leviton and Masco; both companies hold intellectual property that references and extends the EnOcean IP in the lighting control applications market.
For More Information:
WTRS Wireless Sensor Network Technology Trends Report Q4 09 (pub. Dec. 09)
or
Energy Harvesting for Wireless Sensor Networks, a WTRS IP & Patent Report (pub. Nov. 09)

The Smart Grid Opportunity for Wireless Sensor Networks

2009-10-29T12:56:00.000-07:00

Energy costs are rising, the population in urban and suburban areas is growing, and demand is placing an increasing strain on the antiquated energy infrastructure. In addition, these factors have brought about U.S. government involvement through the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. These mandates are driving adoption of smart meters and the evolution of the smart grid. Utilities, which are regulated at the state level, have been until recently slow to respond to the federal actions. However, there is a general and growing consensus in the industry that now is the time to transform to a smart grid. While this will not happen overnight, the process is definitely in motion.

The impact of smart meter adoption and deployment extends beyond simply the meter itself. Once meters become 'smart', they can act as a gateway into the home in order to automate appliances, HVAC components, thermostats and even lighting. This is where the growth potential becomes substantial, and not only from a semiconductor component perspective. There may be 128 million eligible homes in the U.S. alone which represents a fairly sizable addressable market, and considering that each home is likely to be outfitted with a potential home area network (HAN) made up of thermostats, appliances, and even lighting, the market becomes phenomenally large.

Thus the HAN is an important part of the smart grid of the future. A critical element of this system demands that the utility company have the ability to control, for instance, the thermostat in the house in response to a critical peak pricing event. Although the HAN enables consumer interaction with the utilities, programs like demand response are dependent on the consumer understanding, being willing to, and having access to a means to control their energy use.

The uncertainty to adoption lies in convincing the consumer of the need to transition to the HAN model and also in how soon consumers allow the power use in their home to be controlled in part by utilities. Many safeguards are being built into the architecture of the Smart Grid in order to protect privacy and provide security. But the consumer will likely have a certain level of resistance. Whether or not this resistance can be overcome with financial incentives is yet an open question.

Overall the emergence and growth of the Smart Grid is in a dynamic and critical stage today as protocols are chosen and standards defined in support of the various components. Smart Meters and the HAN represent fundamental components of the overall grid and wireless protocols such as IEEE 802.15.4 and ZigBee could be key players in the market.

Multimedia Adoption Drives Wireless Connectivity in Mobile Communications Sector

2008-11-18T17:20:00.000-08:00

Mobile communication and computing devices are currently the most fertile ground for new business opportunities, with the integration of functionality from a converging stable of applications addressing individual use cases in single products. No longer is it a question of which wireless modality will find the “killer app” in mobile devices.

“The demand for the inclusion of emerging wireless protocols such as Bluetooth, UWB, and WiFi, into handsets remains in spite of current economic conditions,” according to Kirsten West, principal analyst with WTRS. “Drivers for the adoption of emerging wireless connectivity technologies in mobile handsets are in many senses free of economic pressures. Over the last few months, the mobile market has been dampened by the global economic turmoil. However, according to handset manufacturers, consumer demand for multimedia devices has not abated.”

The WTRS Report, “WTRS Emerging Wireless in Mobile Applications Report 2008” identifies other conclusions as well, including:
(1) The Bluetooth-WiFi combination presents a possible near term inhibitor to the adoption of UWB by the Bluetooth SIG which will be overcome only if more end products adopt UWB.
(2) The success of early dual mode cellular products is an indication that the WiFi feature will be a popular one.
(3) The impetus for a WiMAX market development and expansion is the growth of services in end user applications that utilize the expanded mobility and high bandwidth that WiMAX affords.

More information at www.wtrs.net/mobilecomputing.htm

Strong Opportunity for Consumer Applications of UWB and Bluetooth

2008-11-03T13:35:00.000-08:00

The WTRS Consumer Electronics Application Report 2008 analyzes the consumer electronics applications segments likely to adopt emerging wireless technologies, including UWB, Bluetooth, and the IEEE 802.11 family of protocols. The report forecasts the overall market as well as providing an analysis of the impact of Certified Wireless USB (UWB), Bluetooth, and WiFi on the consumer electronics sector. The report also details unit shipments by specific application and technology including Bluetooth and UWB. This report also analyzes the effects of the current global economic crisis.

“Today market uncertainty is in the forefront of public thought and concern,” according to Kirsten West, PhD, principal analyst with WTRS. “This is the time for companies to invest in research and development of the next emerging wireless technology in preparation for the inevitable recovery of markets. It is not a good time to release consumer products based on emerging wireless protocols that do not satisfy a clear need. In current market conditions consumer delighters will not mean successful strategy, instead meeting essential consumer requirements at the lowest cost will be the winning tactic.”

Key Findings:
(1) Given years of positive growth projections, the faltering economy will overturn consumer electronics manufacturer plans.
(2) Consumers frustrated by cabled connectivity and need education on the value of wireless.
(3) Success in near term markets demands solutions that meet customer requirements.

WTRS (West Technology Research Solutions) is a California based research, publishing and consulting company providing the leading viewpoint on emerging wireless technologies, markets and applications. With a nine-year record of successful growth, we're ready to help your company make market decisions and plan for the future.

Don't Bet Against Ethernet

2008-11-01T15:35:00.000-07:00

This is something that a technically savvy friend advised me during a somewhat freeform discussion of wireless technologies a few years back. For a technology first described in 1977, Ethernet has proved a successful and long-lived technology supporting a broad range of applications with a broad range of performance capabilities.

An Israel based startup Valens Semiconductor recently announced a technology called HDBaseT described as "an innovative PHY that defines a new digital connectivity positioned to be the next HDMI" that is claimed to deliver HDMI 1.3b level performance over standard CAT5e cables at distances up to 100 meters.

Why is this interesting? And more importantly, what is an analyst firm specializing on wireless technologies doing writing about this?

There exist an ever expanding number of approaches utilizing wireless technologies to distribute high quality audio and video content. All of these approaches enjoy varying degrees of technical maturity, and for particular use cases, varying degrees of applicability. WTRS covers many of these technologies as part of our report portfolio:
WTRS Wireless Connectivity Technology Trends Report (published July 2008)
WTRS UWB Emerging Technology Report (published September 2008)
WTRS Wireless Technology Trends Report (published August 2008)

One of the incumbent solutions that must be displaced for these wireless approaches to be successful is traditional cabled infrastructure. This includes HDMI compliant cables, switches and signal boosters. HDBaseT provides another option for wired point to point connectivity that has applicability across a wide range of applications particularly those identified by MOCA, HomePlug and IEEE 802.11n, but while those technologies fail to support uncompressed video HDBaseT can support uncompressed Full-HD resolutions of up to 1080P, 60Hz, 48 bps. HDBaseT also has the ability to support video throughput equal to the HDMI 10.2Gbps, it can send it over a single 100m Cat5e cable.

HDBaseT also expands on the number of available services by making provision for the simultaneous delivery of uncompressed high definition video (HDMI 1.3b equivalent) Audio, Standard 100BaseT Ethernet, Power over Ethernet and support for converged controls (RS232, IR, USB low speed).

The basic underlying technology is described in US Patent application US2008/0187028, "Method and apparatus for communicating different types of data over a same network" as "A method of transmitting a data stream over a communication channel, the method comprising: providing symbol sets having different numbers of symbols; modulating data in the data stream that warrant different degrees of protection against noise onto symbols from symbol sets having different numbers of symbols, wherein which symbol set given data in the stream is modulated onto is independent of symbol sets onto which other data in the data stream is modulated onto; and transmitting the symbols."

It is important to remember that this is a wired point to point technology. The addition of the capability to switch signals will expand the architecture into areas similar to those familiar with networked media applications. In the near term we expect that this will see the most success in application areas without requirements to support mobility.

Will ZigBee Applications run over TCP/IP?

2008-10-24T15:44:00.000-07:00

Arch Rock Corporation submitted a draft specification to the IETF, describing an approach to implement "... a UDP/IP adaptation of the IEEE 802.15.4-based ZigBee Application Protocol that enables IP hosts to communicate using the application profiles and data models described by that protocol, over a wide range of links. This modified version of the ZigBee Application Protocol is named CAP (Compact Application Protocol), and it is intended to provide a complete stack of application profiles, data exchange, binding operations, security protocols, and discovery to IP-networked hosts and embedded devices. The protocol's domain of applicability includes IEEE 802.15.4-based 6LoWPAN devices, but also those on conventional wired and wireless links and emerging powerline communication networks."

CAP is intended to extend the scope of the ZigBee Application Profiles beyond IEEE 802.15.4 and ZigBee networks to encompass all IP based protocols. The CAP defines a methodology for devices to run CAP services on an UDP port, and exchange ZigBee application profile messages with any other IP device or server.

Why is it important to provide ZigBee application services on IP networks?

ZigBee Application Profiles are well designed for operation on devices with reduced or limited resources.

ZigBee Application Profiles assume the existence of an underlying ZigBee network only.

With the addition of real-world requirements such as support for mobility, longer range, or integration into an existing IP-based network, a ZigBee-only network may not prove optimal.

Presently this type of interoperability with other networks is accomplished by the use of gateway devices and application compatibility bridging (i.e. BacNet to ZigBee) which can be avoided with the CAP translation to an IP network.

What are the business implications?

By adopting IP as the common transport protocol, CAP simplifies the deployment of large-scale sensor networks and application by reducing or eliminating the number of protocol translation nodes. This in turn enables a wider audience to take advantage of the accumulated knowledge used in the definition of the ZigBee Application Profiles. This approach also frees the ZigBee Alliance to focus on the high-value applications for wireless sensor networks such as Energy management and Industrial control.

While customers may not care how many layers you use, layers help you provide what the customer needs.

For more information about the draft specification, see http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-tolle-cap-00.txt

For more information about the business and market implications, please contact WTRS.

Comprehensive Wireless Market Evolution

2008-10-24T15:42:00.001-07:00

All signs point towards integration of as many wireless protocols as possible into one chipset and thus one device. This is driven in part by semiconductor companies responding to the constant commoditization of chips and elimination of margins by attempting to add as much value as possible into a single RF component and thus stave off the inevitable margin erosion. The massive and single-minded effort to integrate all available RF protocols into the same component is also encouraged by regulatory bodies such as the FCC, who envision an opportunity to charge spectrum licenses not just once, but perhaps multiple times. The US military is also stimulating the effort, in large part as a self-serving means to purchase off-the-shelf parts for its 'Connected Battlefield'.

The primary growth areas for wireless components over the next 5 years are Wireless Broadband and Wireless Sensor Networks. In the Wireless Broadband segment, key emerging protocols to evaluate include LTE, IEEE 802.11n, and IEEE 802.16e (colloquialized as 'mobile WiMax'). RFID, ZigBee, and IEEE 802.15.4 are the standard protocols likely to dominate the Wireless Sensor segment over the next 10 years. In fact, potential cross-over between RFID and ZigBee, as well as possible inclusion of the IEEE 802.15.4a low data rate with location specification into a coming evolution of ZigBee, create a tangled yet very powerful scenario for wireless sensor standards.

For more information about wireless market evolution see our report which analyzes the primary wireless technologies and protocols in place today as well as those emerging through the standardization process.

WTRS study finds Application Developer support & the Bluetooth SIG together stimulate UWB market adoption.

2008-10-24T15:42:00.000-07:00

WTRS has released a new UWB Emerging Technology Report 2008. Findings cover an assessment of market drivers, technology evolution, a 5-year forecast of detailed sales volume, unit shipments, average selling prices, and standards development.

The report contains specific and detailed analysis of data which can be used to build business or product plans, as well as a comprehensive underlying framework allowing participants in this industry to understand the broader picture of competitive challenge and areas of opportunity.

A central question is how significant adoption of UWB will develop and WTRS finds that the importance of Bluetooth applications is fundamental. "The question looming over the emergence of UWB products today is related to the mechanism by which significant adoption will be stimulated. The key to this is strong application developer activity," according to Kirsten West, PhD, principal analyst with WTRS. "Thus we expect that the application of UWB as an underlying protocol for high speed Bluetooth, with its tremendous number of Bluetooth application developers, will quickly dominate new product introductions for UWB technology once the high speed Bluetooth standard is completed."

Detailed information is now available at www.wtrs.net. A descriptive brochure with table of contents and sample data is available upon request.

Companies included in this study: Alereon, Bluetooth SIG, Focus Enhancements, Global Interface Technology, HomeGrid Forum, Icron Technologies, Pulse~Link, Realtek, Sony, Staccato Communications, Tektronix, Tzero Technologies, WiMedia Alliance, Wisair, WiQuest.

WTRS, West Technology Research Solutions LLC, the place for Wireless Research
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A Perspective on the Growth of Broadband Access and WiMAX Development

2008-10-24T15:40:00.000-07:00

President Bush said we'll all be connected by 2007, Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi said Democrats will ensure that will happen within 5 years. Certainly broadband coverage is growing rapidly, but the role of Government seems irrelevant to that "surge." Many technologies, explained and defined in this report, contribute. How they do so, and how quickly we get to "universal" broadband will be driven by usefulness, technological improvement, and (not least) market savvy companies.

Broadband access in the typical US household is on a steady growth trend. Fueled both by consumer demand for entertainment and communication as well as governmental regulatory and economic incentives, companies at all levels of the broadband services and infrastructure value chain are developing new technologies and enabling new services that will continue to push the US broadband market forward over the next 4-6 years.

The development of wired broadband network infrastructures in fact enable the deployment of wireless technologies. As an example, the development of fiber optic infrastructure offers a market driver for the introduction of WiMAX in developed countries.

There is substantial competition to WiMAX. Traditional, or wired, broadband technologies offer direct competition to fixed WiMAX and are being fueled by governmental encouragement on a global scale. The deployment of IPv6 on a global scale will mark a new era for humanity, at least those connected to technology. In order for various countries to participate in the increased security afforded as a byproduct of IPv6, the internet infrastructure technologies must be in place. These are marketed as broadband services to the consumer and the development of triple- and quadruple-play offerings which combine television broadcast, interactive content delivery, internet services, and voice communications capabilities. In this respect wired technologies such as optical fiber are in fact in competition with mobile WiMAX, in spite of the drastic difference in features each technology enables.

Growth Drivers for UWB Markets

2008-09-10T15:47:00.000-07:00

Over the last year three shifts in the UWB market emerged which indicates a market transition from demonstrations and prototypes to actual shipping products.

(1) An evolution of the Bluetooth SIG into an umbrella organization for multiple connectivity radios, including UWB, all running under the Bluetooth stack,

(2) Pulse~Link achieving customer validation of its CW-UWB products, and

(3) a strong move by CSR towards integrating UWB into its offering.

As the wireless connectivity protocols mature and gain market acceptance, the differentiation between Bluetooth, WiFi, and UWB begin to blur. Many of the same players involved in promoting and developing UWB-based wireless connectivity options are deeply embedded in the furtherance of the IEEE 802.11 family of specifications that drive Wi-Fi as a competitive alternative in the wireless connectivity arena. While each protocol and technology under development today will eventually find its own unique application and niche within the market, the component OEMs are maintaining their stake in the various initiatives as a means to ensure a place in the wireless connectivity market.

Now it is simply a matter of letting the market and equipment manufacturers define the application for the various wireless connectivity options.

The question looming over the emergence of UWB products today is related to the mechanism by which significant adoption will be stimulated. The key to this is strong application developer activity. Thus we expect that the application of UWB as an underlying protocol for high speed Bluetooth, with its tremendous number of Bluetooth application developers, will quickly dominate new product introductions for UWB technology once the high speed Bluetooth standard is completed.

Summary of WiMAX World 2007

2007-10-26T15:50:00.000-07:00

In spite of the recent events surrounding the shift of leadership at Sprint and the resulting uncertain future of Xohm (mobile WiMAX) services, the future for WiMAX remains strong. The WiMAX World show two weeks ago appeared to be the largest yet. There was less hype than at previous events and more real hardware on the show floor. Fujitsu Microelectronics had two demonstrations: one a setup between two laptops simultaneously demonstrating their baseband chip for 802.16d, and a second 802.16e demonstration between a gateway and a television with the Fujitsu components being in the client only. The 802.16e demonstration was not done wirelessly because of the interference on the show floor, but was still impressive. Atmel was showing their RF chips for both AT86RF535B and AT86RF525B MHz for 802.16d. These components are unique because they support IEEE 802.16-2004 (.16d) and 802.16-2005 (.16e) WiMAX applications. Samsung displayed a broad array of 802.16e-enabled mobile devices; from phones to laptop computers. The phones had a combination of three wireless communication protocols running on them: Samsung's WiBRO/802.16e, wCDMA, and the T-DMB broadcast protocol for video content.

It appears that the hurdle standing in the way of Sprint achieving its optimistic WiMAX phone forecast is actually the power-hungry WiMAX chips. Many companies are now developing more linear power amplifiers that will increase the efficiency of WiMAX phones, however much of this work is still in the technology R&D stage. Freescale announced high-power LDMOS chips to aid power amplifier component development, and we expect to see more of these types of announcements over the next 6 months.

It is interesting that companies are implementing power amplifiers in the low data rate wireless world as well. However, these applications require power amplifiers to overcome the ambient noise and increase the range. For these protocols, like ZigBee and proprietary 802.15.4 implementations, power consumption is not the issue that it is for WiMAX, because WiMAX is an OFDM protocol that by default uses more gates for its FFT and thus uses more power to operate.

As the ZigBee ecosystem matured, we began to see companies like Tendril, Atalum, and Synapsense who are focused of node registration and management. This was a signal of the sector's maturity. Similarly we are seeing companies like Bridgewater Systems taking this role in the WiMAX world. Bridgewater actually manages the registration and subscription allowances for companies like Sprint, Verizon, and Bell Atlantic, as well as others. The company's architecture can accommodate mixed networks of 802.16e, 802.16d, CDMA, DSL, cable, and pretty much any communication protocol you can think of. For Bridgewater the addition of WiMAX to its portfolio of capabilities is simply a minor tweak to its protocol. We think that since Bridgewater handles Sprint's services today, they are likely to incorporate the Xohm service as well.

The lingering question of where the radios for 802.16e are remains. Those demonstrating their baseband chip capabilities were not forthcoming as to the source of their radio chips. We maintain that the market for non-WiBro, mobile WiMAX (IEEE 802.16e) is at best two and more likely four years away from really taking hold. The question will be whether more advanced emerging protocols, such as LTE, can be developed quickly enough to offer competition or whether the protocols will segment geographically.

Evolution of Wireless Connectivity Technologies

2007-08-15T15:52:00.000-07:00

Communication today is more inclusive of our environment than ever before; in fact, the line between communication per sé and our daily activities and movements is no longer clearly definable, nor is communication solely about direct human action and interaction.

Over the last year four shifts in the connectivity market emerged. These include (1) an apparent loss of Freescale in the UWB market, (2) a perhaps consequential shift for PulseLink, (3) a strong move by CSR towards integrating UWB into its offering, and (4) the consequences of releasing pre-standard 802.11n to the marketplace. These four shifts are the central theme of our latest wireless connectivity report.

Freescale, having purchased XtremeSpectrum, became the market leader in UWB with products based on the DS-UWB architecture. Freescale was the most significant competition to the Intel-led MB-OFDM UWB group that eventually dominated the WiMedia Alliance. However, Freescale dropped its UWB product line abruptly in 2006. Apparently Freescale made a corporate decision based on risk reduction with its UWB components due to a perceived inability to obtain a timely ROI. According to many in the industry, Freescale was in full production with its UWB chips and in the process of delivering those components to customers like Belkin when the corporate sector of Freescale decided to cut its losses, leaving several customers in the lurch. This opened the market for domination by MB-OFDM-based UWB methodologies.

While there are many companies and organizations with UWB product development strategies, the WiMedia Alliance and the USB I/F are in competition primarily with scattered and incompatible protocols. The primary target application for the WiMedia membership is a wireless bridge for USB, corresponding initially to home and consumer electronics markets. Secondary targets include enterprise and commercial venues.As the wireless connectivity protocols mature and gain market acceptance, the differentiation between Bluetooth, WiFi, and UWB begin to blur. The same players involved in promoting and developing UWB-based wireless connectivity options are deeply embedded in the furtherance of the IEEE 802.11 family of specifications that drive Wi-Fi into a competitive stance in the wireless broadband arena. While each protocol and technology under development today will eventually find its own unique application and niche within the market, the component OEMs are maintaining their stake in the various initiatives as a means to ensure a place in the wireless connectivity market. In fact, nearly every player in UWB and Wi-Fi has legacy participation in Bluetooth applications. Now it is simply a matter of letting the market and equipment manufacturers define the application of the various wireless connectivity options.

Wireless Sensor Networks Lead the Way to Greater Energy Saving

2007-05-11T08:42:00.000-07:00

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) in utility management and home and building control become bright green technologies in the struggle to limit energy use without diminishing the quality of life at home and in the office.

Wireless Sensor Networks will find huge impact in home and building applications. While the usual listing of home security, entertainment and lighting control, automated fire containment and alarm, burglar deterrence, etc. etc. are all important, the application in energy use monitoring and utility management will be immense. In fact, nearly 70% of the average household utility bill could be influenced by WSN application to temperature and lighting.

This is covered in a new report from WTRS. (http://www.wtrs.net/pressrelease_051007.htm)

Ultrawideband on a Stick or WiFi in Your Pocket

2007-04-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

Wireless Connectivity has grown over the last ten years from a technology concept to actual end products. A race between UWB and Wifi is well underway to achieve market predominance in wireless connectivity. Will there be a clear winner or a combination driven by individual application demands?

From new report from WTRS (http://www.wtrs.net/pressrelease_041907.htm)

Bluetooth Out-maneuvers All Competing Wireless Connectivity Technologies

2007-04-16T08:01:00.000-07:00

By incorporating UWB and WiFi radio protocols into the Bluetooth definition, the Bluetooth SIG will have a major impact on the adoption of these technologies. The Bluetooth SIG continues to evolve by incorporating first UWB, and now WiFi as alternative underlying radio protocols. Should these new initiatives within the Bluetooth SIG prevail, they also significantly impact the overall market potential of pure UWB or WiFi and extend the reach of these technologies into nearly every consumer product.

From a report by WTRS (http://www.wtrs.net/pressrelease_041607.htm)