New IBM chip for wireless content sharing
Scientists at IBM have developed a chip set that
they claim is capable of allowing wireless devices to operate more than 10 times
faster than today's advanced Wi-Fi networks.
Scientists at IBM have developed a chip set that they claim is capable of allowing wireless devices to operate more than 10 times faster than today’s advanced Wi-Fi networks.
The chip set, using silicon germanium, is designed to operate in the 60-GHz band, an unlicensed portion of the radio spectrum that can be used to transport data-intensive formats such as HDTV (high-definition television), IBM said today.
Electronics makers have been looking for ways to exploit this portion of the radio spectrum, but previous chips designed to tap that potential were too large, expensive and difficult to integrate with other products, the company said.
The use of silicon germanium technology allows a high level of integration in the chips themselves, according to IBM. Antennas can be embedded directly into the chip set, helping to reduce system costs.
The rumor is that enough of this chipset is off-the-shelf IBM that they can have it rolling to device manufacturers within a year.
Posted: Tue - February 7, 2006 at 06:01 AM