WSD Update - 11/18/04

============================== Wireless Systems Design UPDATE PlanetEE - www.planetee.com WSD - www.wsdmag.com November 18, 2004 ==============================

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Today's Table of Contents: 1. Viewpoint: Combining Bluetooth And Wi-Fi Makes Sense 2. Off-the-Cuff: Change Is Inevitable 3. Will T-Rays Be The Wireless Of The Future? 4. UWB Reaches 480Mbps In Lab 5. Inexpensive CDMA Handsets Attain Global Reach 6. Verification Program Enhances FPGA Support 7. Swedish Delegates Secure with Wireless 8. World's First Wi-Fi Cell Phone 9. New Books and Reviews > Great Software Debates > Wireless Networks First Steps 10. In-Depth Coverage Links > FPGAs And Virtual Prototypes Share Common Design Space > Oversampling UART Reduces RF Noise 11. Happenings - Conferences 12. Happenings - Webinars

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******************* 1. Viewpoint - Industry ******************* Combining Bluetooth And Wi-Fi Makes Sense By Antonio Salloum, Philips Semiconductor

Nowadays, people are increasingly exposed to wireless technologies that promise to improve life while providing a world of new possibilities. Right now, this trend is spotlighting two technologies: Bluetooth and Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi). Bluetooth... Viewpoint article at --> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eiN20CWyaL0Emn0BM2Z0AJ Philips --> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eiN20CWyaL0Emn0BM2a0AQ

************* 2. Off-The-Cuff ************* Change Is Inevitable By John Blyler, Executive Editor

Philosophers have noted that, while continuity lets us establish roots, change permits us to grow into new areas. I've found this observation to be true in my professional life - especially now.

I have been very fortunate to establish my editorial roots with Wireless Systems Design (WSD) magazine - building on my prior writing experience with the IEEE. Now, it is time for me to grow into new areas, to face new challenges. That's why I'm moving up to an editor-in-chief position with another publication. I make this change gladly, knowing that both WSD magazine and its associated e-Newsletter will be in good hands.

Wireless technology is one of the few markets that continues to shine in the semiconductor universe. Likewise, those publications that faithfully cover the wireless space - in all its diversity - should continue to shine, as well.

I'd like to personally thank all of the loyal readers of this e-letter for their feedback, both the good and the bad. There is nothing a writer enjoys more than to communicate with his audience, even through the vast reaches of cyberspace. Until we meet again ... vaya con dios. - John ( j.blyler@ieee.org )

BTW: Here's the last of reader responses to my most recent WSD magazine editorial, "We Are Fighting A Battle That We Dare Not Lose" (July/August 2004, p. 17). View these letters at --> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eiN20CWyaL0Emn0BM2b0AR

******* 3. News ******* Will T-Rays Be The Wireless Of The Future?

Electrical engineers at Rice University have demonstrated an endoscope for terahertz imaging. This discovery could extend the reach of terahertz-based sensors to applications as wide-ranging as explosives detection, cancer screening and industrial and post-production quality control. The research appears in the Nov. 18 issue of the journal Nature. It presents the emerging terahertz sensing industry with a unique new technology for transporting terahertz waves from a source and directing them at a particular target of interest. Terahertz waves, also known as T-waves or T-rays, fall between microwaves and infrared light in the least-explored region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Rice Univ --> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eiN20CWyaL0Emn0BM2c0AS

******** 4. News ******** UWB Reaches 480Mbps In Lab

Alereon claims to have demonstrated 480 Mbps and 320 Mbps speeds using Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) and the Multi-band OFDM Alliance (MBOA) specification this week in their lab. The company is working in the Wireless USB and UWB worlds, and is creating chips in compliance with the MBOA approach. The MBOA left behind efforts at the IEEE 802.15.3a task group to form an IEEE standard. Freescale (a Motorola spinoff) is pushing the technology behind its XtremeSpectrum UWB acquisition. That technology uses a "classical" UWB approach versus MBOA's integration of a variety of wireless ideas into one standard that they say has a better chance of resulting in higher throughput. Freescale disputes this, and had tried in the past to get the MBOA approach ruled out of bounds by the FCC. The FCC essentially said it was fine. Wi-Fi Net News --> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eiN20CWyaL0Emn0BM2d0AT Alereon --> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eiN20CWyaL0Emn0BM2e0AU

******** 5. News ******** Inexpensive CDMA Handsets Attain Global Reach

Qualcomm Inc., recently announced broad acceptance of its cost-competitive CDMA2000 1X chipset solutions for emerging markets worldwide. To date, more than 40 handsets are commercially available or in design based on the company's Mobile Station Modem (MSM) MSM6000 or MSM6025 chipsets. The radioOne MSM6000 and MSM6025 chipsets already power more than 10 commercially available handset models, with additional handset designs expected to follow. An additional 30 handsets, currently in development, are based on the company's cost-competitive RF CMOS solutions, which further complement the MSM6000 and MSM6025 chipsets. Qualcomm --> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eiN20CWyaL0Emn0Gax0AO ******** 6. News ******* Verification Program Enhances FPGA Support

Cadence Design Systems, Inc. recently announced substantial enhancements to its Encounter Conformal technology. This tool helps customers with enhanced verification capability to insure that the tape out accurately reflects design intent. Conformal technology now extends equivalency checking to FPGA prototypes through the Synplicity design flow to Xilinx devices, with support of Altera devices to follow. Cadence's product also addresses the rapid increase in the number and complexity of clock domains with formal verification of clock domain crossings. This release of Conformal features SystemVerilog support, complex datapath verification enhancements, and across-the-board equivalence checking capacity and performance improvements. Cadence --> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eiN20CWyaL0Emn0paF0AF

***************** 7. International News ***************** Swedish Delegates Secure with Wireless

Columbitech recently announced that the Swedish Parliament has chosen its wireless VPN solution to provide all 349 Parliament delegates with high-security, independent online access to the Parliament's corporate network. As the delegates work from their homes as well as from the Parliament premises in downtown Stockholm, the need for secure wireless communications and convenience is high. Delegates are equipped with a notebook PC that includes a smart card reader, a mobile phone that can be used as a GPRS modem, wireless ADSL connection for home use, and access to various hot spots around Sweden, all of which they can now use securely to access the Parliament's network. Columbitech --> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eiN20CWyaL0Emn01th0A4

***************** 8. International News ***************** World's First Wi-Fi Cell Phone

NTT DoCoMo, Inc. just announced the release of the N900iL, a dual-network 3G FOMA(r) handset that runs on both the FOMA network and wireless LANs. The N900iL is specifically designed to support DoCoMo's exclusive PASSAGE DUPLE system for dual-network operation as both a standard FOMA phone and a VoIP mobile phone over a corporate user's internal wireless LAN. The phone and system will be marketed through both DoCoMo's corporate business division and partner companies. Optional settings enable the phone to exclusively receive incoming calls from either the FOMA network or wireless LAN only, or both networks in dual mode. Standard phone functions, such as call hold and call transfer, are possible in the wireless LAN mode. NTT DoCoMo --> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eiN20CWyaL0Emn0BM2f0AV

*********************** 9. New Books and Reviews *********************** Great Software Debates By Alan M. Davis ISBN: 0-471-67523-7 Publisher: Wiley-IEEE Computer Society Press

In this work, the author shares what he has learned about the difference between the theory and the realities of the software business. He encourages the reader to question and think about software engineering in ways that will help you succeed where others fail. Wiley --> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eiN20CWyaL0Emn0BM2g0AW

Wireless Networks First-Step By Jim Geier ISBN: 1-58720-111-9 Publisher: Cisco Press

This book assumes that readers have no previous wireless experience. Accordingly, it provides an overview of wireless networking, along with details of applicable standards and technologies. Cicso --> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eiN20CWyaL0Emn0BCIV0AS

**************************** 10. In-Depth Coverage Links **************************** Hardware-based platforms, such as FPGAs with embedded-processor and DSP cores, offer an IP view of system-level development that can complement virtual software prototyping. To learn more, read: "FPGAs And Virtual Prototypes Share Common Design Space." FPGA story --> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eiN20CWyaL0Emn0BM2h0AX

Reap the benefits of programmable logic by implementing wireless communications based on an oversampling algorithm. To learn more, read: "Oversampling UART Reduces RF Noise." UART story --> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eiN20CWyaL0Emn0BM2i0AY

***************************** 11. Happenings - Conferences ***************************** Software Defined Radio Technical Conference and Expo November 15-18, 2004 Doubletree Paradise Valley Resort, Scottsdale, AZ http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eiN20CWyaL0Emn0BMK10A2

IEEE International Electron Devices Dec 13-15, 2004 San Francisco Hilton and Towers http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eiN20CWyaL0Emn0BDpn0AW

DesignCon Jan 31 - Feb 3, 2005 Santa Clara Convention Center, Santa Clara, CA http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eiN20CWyaL0Emn05cn0Aw

EclipseCon Feb 28 - Mar 3, 2005 Hyatt Regency, Burlingame, CA http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eiN20CWyaL0Emn08hD0AO

************************** 12. Happenings - Webinars **************************

FPGA Design For Complex Products Now available on archive Sponsored by Mentor Graphics and Xilinx Details: Renown author and speaker Clive "Max" Maxfield moderated this timely discussion on complex FPGA designs. The webcast was an interactive event, allowing participants to ask questions - via email or phone calls - of a panel of experts. In addition to Max and the webcast host, John Blyler (Sr. Editor), the webcast featured experts from Mentor (vendor of FPGA design software tools), Xilinx (provider of FPGA hardware chips and IP) and an experienced designer (Tom Dillon, president of Dillon Engineering). WSD Webcast --> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eiN20CWyaL0Emn0BMK20A3

Read past issues of Wireless Systems Design UPDATE e-Newsletter: http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eiN20CWyaL0Emn0BBfz0AW

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