We may not be there yet with ubiquitous wireless connectivity. But, the rate at which CMOS RF/analog, mixed-signal and digital signal-processing (DSP) technologies, including smart antennas, are advancing, it will not be long before we can achieve such goals. With such advances, developers can take pride in transceiver solutions that can handle multiple frequency bands and multiprotocols in a miniature semiconductor package. In fact, mobile phones with quad-band capabilities are emerging. While some are even touting septa-band performance (700, 800, 900, 1700, 1800, 1900 and 2100 MHz) with the ability to handle seven different standards.
But, there is still a long way to go for realizing a true universal handset, wherein a single radio platform can process all mobile and cellular waveforms, as well as handle emerging wireless data networking standards like WiMAX and WiFi. Such a handset of the future will be more like a base station capable of processing multiple standards and protocols out there with the ability to tackle emerging new standards with software upgrades.
Realizing such a pervasive wireless communication system would require convergence of multiple disciplines, according to Ahmad Bahai, chief technology officer of wireless communication and fellow at National Semiconductor Corp. and Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. At his keynote talk, “The Roadmap to Ubiquitous Wireless Connectivity,” given at NIWeek's RF and Wireless Communications Summit in Austin, Texas on Aug. 8, Bahai indicated that ubiquitous wireless is a new vision that would require a convergence of RF/analog CMOS processes with DSP technologies, software-defined radio (SDR), cognitive radio (CR) and smart antennas. Plus, it would require a system-level approach to communications design. Rather than using building blocks, future wireless communication systems will be designed from the top down using a systems approach.
In essence, the keynoter stated that the ubiquitous wireless system of the future would exploit the benefits of SDR and CR together to produce an adaptive communication system that could make efficient use of the spectrum available, as well as effectively permit spectrum sharing. It will produce an intelligent radio architecture that can instantly accommodate a waveform as it moves from one radio environment to another. In other words, this intelligent and adaptive communications system will concurrently support multiple radio protocols over multiple frequency bands across multiple wireless networking environments.
RSS
Save to Del.icio.us
Digg This