NEC Electronics Among the First in Industry to Deliver Certified Wireless USB Chips

NEC Electronics Corporation today announced that the company’s µPD720170 Wireless USB host controller for PCI interfaces and µPD720180 Wireless USB device wire adapter (DWA) are among the first products to be certified by the USB Implementers Forum, Inc. (USB-IF). NEC Electronics’ USB-IF-certified host controller and DWA make it easy and economical for designers to implement ultra wideband (UWB) wireless technology between USB peripherals and computers or consumer electronics products via a quick relay of data chunks based on Certified Wireless USB technology.

“NEC Electronics is at the forefront of delivering innovative solutions that will help to speed the adoption of the Certified Wireless USB specification, and we are continuing our commitment to the standard by having some of the first products to be fully certified,” said Kunio Mori, general manager, Peripheral Systems Division, NEC Electronics. “These certified chips allow users to leverage the investment they have made in their current USB peripherals to make a seamless transition to the wireless standard.”

“NEC Electronics’ commitment to the Certified Wireless USB specification is a compliment to the importance of the USB-IF’s Compliance, Certification and Logo Program,” said Jeff Ravencraft, USB-IF president . “We are pleased and excited to have NEC Electronics’ Wireless USB host controller and DWA among the first products in the industry to become certified.”

NEC Electronics’ µPD720170 host controller supports all eight data transfer rates—from 53.3 up to 480 megabits per second (Mbps). The µPD720180 DWA chip provides the functionality required by the Certified Wireless USB standard and also enables interoperability with current USB devices. Designers can easily implement a complete system based on Certified Wireless USB technology by combining the two NEC Electronics chips.

Capabilities of Certified Wireless USB
Certified Wireless USB technology from the USB-IF is an extension to the current USB 2.0 standard that has been hailed as the next-generation interface for computers and multimedia consumer electronics. Certified Wireless USB technology delivers data transfer rates up to 480 Mbps, comparable to wired USB 2.0 connections, with a maximum wireless communications range of up to 10 meters. Unwiring the cable connection frees users from having to make cumbersome and unsightly wired connections to enjoy high-speed data access and allows users to connect their devices freely wherever they want to use them. Certified Wireless USB technology will make it possible to expand the range of applications for computers and digital entertainment devices and encourage the discovery of new ways to enjoy digital media.

NEC Electronics has played a central role in making the current USB 2.0 standard one of the most successful interfaces in the history of personal computing. Along with Intel Corporation and other industry leaders, NEC Electronics is a core member of the USB-IF, which developed and supports the USB specification. Since launching volume production of USB 2.0 devices in 2000, NEC Electronics has shipped an industry-leading 100 million-plus units.

Availability
Samples of NEC Electronics’ µPD720170 and µPD720180 Wireless USB devices are available now in sample quantities. (Availability is subject to change.)

More information about the Wireless USB devices and other devices in NEC Electronics’ USB product line-up can be found at http://www.necel.com/cwusb/en/index.html

 

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