Click here for the enhanced PDF version of this article

Wi-Fi is an increasingly popular connectivity technology in games, phones, printers and a host of other platforms that were not contemplated when the original 802.11 standard was specified in 1997. Vendors in these emerging market segments, however, are quickly discovering the complexity involved in incorporating Wi-Fi into a product design, and the difficulties of testing connectivity.

Wi-Fi Alliance certification validates the interoperability of Wi-Fi devices from different manufacturers, ensuring an optimal user experience. It is a critical testing step in bringing Wi-Fi products to market. The Wi-Fi Alliance has recognized the challenges of testing the exploding product category of ASDs and has recently introduced the Wi-Fi Alliance test engine methodology in an effort to address them.

ASDs are non-PC-based devices with embedded Wi-Fi connectivity. According to market research firm IDC, ASD shipments have grown by more than 50% in the past year, and nearly 300 million devices are forecast to sell in 2010 (See Figure 1).

ASDs are not networked devices in the traditional sense and lack a common interface for control, operation or testing. Each device has a unique user interface, without for example, a keyboard or touch screen, and may use different security mechanisms. In addition, these platforms typically do not support “off-the-shelf” traffic generators and performance measurement tools.

These factors make Wi-Fi performance and interoperability measurement complex and costly.

The continued lack of a standard, cost-effective testing methodology can potentially restrict the growth of this device category. Manual testing is often difficult or impossible. Without a methodology to streamline the testing process, testing expenses will be higher, resulting in higher product costs and lower product quality.

1 2 3 4 Next

RSS    Save to Del.icio.us  Digg This