UltraGig：无线标准战场再添新兵

在各种有线、无线家庭网络架构与标准的竞争持续白热化同时，有一种无线应用技术在今年国际消费性电子展(CES)上窜出头──Miracast；该技术可让使用者将智能手机、平板电脑等手持式装置上的内容无线传送至电视机的大屏幕播放，在展场吸引不少参观者驻足。 Miracast展示了一种将个人多媒体档案(或者说是透过移动装置随时可取得的网络内容)投影至大屏幕电视的途径，完全绕过了广播业者或其它服务业者所建立的人为限制──这些业者通常偏好将透过网际网络提供的内容围在高墙里。 市场研究机构IHS资深分析师Brian O'Rourke表示，Miracast其实就是Wi-Fi Display，是一种让Wi-Fi芯片拥有点对点(peer-to-peer)连结功能的软件层；虽然Miracast与传统的Wi-Fi一对多架构不 同，仍是由Wi-Fi Alliance负责其标准的建立与维护。Miracast的特性就是具备能将任何小尺寸屏幕上所播放的内容，映像至较大尺寸屏幕上。

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除了Miracast，另一种无线技术UltraGig 也试图与之互别苗头。UltraGig 是芯片厂商晶鐌(Silicon Image)正在推广的一种专利60GHz技术，该公司的60GHz无线技术是来自2011年收购的SiBeam；后来 Silicon Image赋予了最早是由SiBeam所开发的WirelessHD技术一个新名称，就是UltraGig。 本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载 本文下一页：另一种无线技术UltraGig也试图与之互别苗头

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{pagination} 让我们来复习一下：WirelessHD是频宽最高的无线视频传输解决方案，目前已可商业化量产；O'Rourke表示，该技术针对未压缩1,080p视讯传输最佳化，因此应该不会有封包遗失或采用MPEG等压缩格式后所产生的人为问题。 Miracast 与UltraGig 在CES都透过在客厅使用智能手机的情境，展示了类似的点对点无线连结功能。包括联发科(MediaTek)、Nvidia与博通(Broadcom) 等多家芯片厂商都在CES上推销Miracast技术，Silicon Image副总裁暨无线部门总经理Tim Vehling则是在CES的一场论坛上极力凸显60GHz频段UltraGig技术的优势。 Vehling指 出，UltraGig在实际展示时不会受到任何干扰，但 Miracast 则会受到众多Wi-Fi装置的影响：“人们在CES展示Miracast的唯一方式，就是得离开展场(例如联发科是在饭店的私人展示间)；有些案例则是耍 一些“造假”手段(如使用MHL缆线)。” 另一家市场研究机构 ABI Research 无线连结与半导体市场分析师Peter Cooney同意以上看法，他表示，有部分在CES会场的Miracast展示，可能是采用 802.11n 技术：“所以那并不是一场公平的较量。”而无论如何：“CES展场是一个非常嘈杂的环境。” Wi-Fi无疑仍是家庭内重要的无线宽频技术；根据ABI Research的统计，光是2012年，全球Wi-Fi装置出货量就超过15亿台。然而这样的数字也衍生了对Wi-Fi装置在未来是否会过于拥挤、以及在耐用度上的合理忧虑；这正是Silicon Image挟其UltraGig技术豪赌的负面情况。 除了没有装置拥塞问题，Vehling还强调UltraGig的低延迟与较高视频品质优势：“60GHz的Wireless HD延迟不到5ms，”对游戏应用来说特别重要，再加上：“因为其增加的频宽是在60GHz频段提供，视频品质也较佳；不必使用H.264压缩。” 那么，两种技术的竞争底线何在？当然是有关专利技术与标准规格的经典争议。不用说，UltraGig的缺点正是：“它是专利芯片解决方案，且Silicon Image 是唯一的供应来源；”IHS 分析师O’Rourke表示：“因为如此它的价格相对较高，对消费性电子业者来说是一大风险。” 据 O’Rourke了解，Silicon Image已经开始向OEM厂商推销UltraGig一段时间，但：“到目前为止没有太多成功案例；”他表示，Silicon Image正陷入一种两难境地──该公司需要冲量以压低芯片平均销售价格(ASP)，但OEM客户却希望在大量应用之前就能取得较低价格：“若有另一个 UltraGig芯片供应来源会有一些帮助，也能降低对OEM厂商供应风险。” 不过 UltraGig 与 Miracast 的战争也可能出现意料之外的新转折。 本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载 本文下一页：WiGig与Wi-Fi合并所带来的冲击

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• Marvell率先完成G.hn认证，预测2013实现商用大突破APfesmc

{pagination} WiGig与Wi-Fi合并所带来的冲击 短期看来， UltraGig 与 Miracast是60GHz专利技术与2.4GHz / 5GHz Wi-Fi标准的竞争，但稍早之前， WiGig Alliance (推动60GHz技术开放性标准的组织)与Wi-Fi Alliance宣布合并，有可能出现的发展是：“WiGig会并入Wi-Fi，于是802.11ad就会变成主流60GHz标准。“ABI的Cooney预测。 WiGig 或802.11ad 是采用60GHz频段中800 或1600MHz的超宽频(UWB)技术，传输速率号称最高可达7Gbps；WiGig Alliance与Wi-Fi Alliance两个原本互相竞争的组织合并，显然将会让60GHz技术与2.4GHz/5GHz Wi-Fi标准之间的竞争界线出现模糊。 Cooney表示，WiGig 是一个对所有WiGig Alliance成员开放的标准，而Silicon Image也是该联盟成员之一，因此该公司也能取得WiGig技术内容。当然，UltraGig已经可以量产，Silicon Image的目标是推动60GHz技术的起飞成长，这不会改变今日UltraGig还是专利技术的事实；但在两到三年之后，也许情况会完全不同。 未来UltraGig“可能将拥有Wi-Fi Alliance 与其成员的支持力量，于是另外一种60GHz技术会很难(或是不可能)与之竞争。”Cooney认为。 他 的预测会不会太乐观？也许会，也许不会。根据ABI Research 预测，802.11ad (WiGig)将主要被建置于三频芯片组(也就是同时支持802.11n、802.11ac与802.11ad三种标准的方案)，然后未来移动装置将具备可按照不同使用情况，无缝选择任一种通讯协议的能力。 目前除了Silicon Image 以外，也有其它专攻60GHz技术的厂商。Cooney指出，其中：“Wilocity 跑得最快，该公司在CES的私人展示间展示了60GHz/ WiGig/11ad 解决方案。”这家Wi-Gig技术供货商已经与高通(Qualcomm)和Marvell合作推出三频解决方案。在此同时，戴尔(Dell)率先发表内建 Wilocity与Qualcomm Atheros合作开发的WiGig/80211a方案之ultrabook。 WiGig 对Silicon Image的UltraGig未来发展将产生如何影响尚不可知；再者，Silicon Image是否会将其专利技术化为WiGig解决方案的一部分，还有待观察。至少现在ABI认为，UltraGig不会一直都是完全隔绝于WiGig或 WiFi的专利60GHz无线技术。 本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载 编译：Judith Cheng 参考英文原文：UltraGig: Proprietary blunder or 60GHz future?，by Junko Yoshida

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• Marvell率先完成G.hn认证，预测2013实现商用大突破APfesmc

{pagination} UltraGig: Proprietary blunder or 60GHz future? Junko Yoshida As home networking technology moves to another level, there is a battle brewing between Miracast and Silicon Image's proprietary UltraGig. NEW YORK – While the debate over divergent wired and wireless home networking schemes and standards rages on, one wireless application stood out at the International CES: Miracast. The very idea of being able to wirelessly beam what a user is watching on his or her handheld device (a smartphone or tablet) to a bigger-screen TV struck a chord with a lot of conventioneers. Miracast has shown a path that enables projection of personal media (or Web content readily available on mobile devices) onto a bigger-screen TV. It does so by completely bypassing artificial constraints put up by broadcasters or other service operators who often prefer a walled garden approach to their Internet offerings. Meanwhile, a Miracast vs. UltraGig debate is brewing. As Brian O'Rourke, senior principal analyst at IHS, explains it, “Miracast (previously known as Wi-Fi Display) is a software layer that enables Wi-Fi silicon with peer-to-peer connection capability.” Although Miracast is different from Wi-Fi’s traditional point-to-multipoint architecture, it’s a standard created and maintained by the Wi-Fi Alliance. Miracast’s application has the ability to “mirror whatever is on the smaller screen onto the larger screen." In contrast, UltraGig is a 60GHz technology that Silicon Image is pursuing. Its original 60GHz wireless technology, WirelessHD, comes from SiBEAM, which Silicon Image acquired in 2011. Silicon Image has given WirelessHD technology its own, product brand name: UltraGig. Just to refresh your memory, WirelessHD is the highest bandwidth wireless video transport solution currently available in commercial quantities. O’Rourke explained that it’s optimized for uncompressed 1080p video transmission, so it should not suffer from packet loss or artifacts created by compressed solutions, such as those which use MPEG compression. Both Miracast and UltraGig showed similar demos of peer-to-peer wireless connectivity in a living room using smartphones. Nvidia shows off Miracast. Many chip companies--including MediaTek, Nvidia and Broadcom--touted Miracast at CES. However, Tim Vehling, Silicon Image’s vice president/general manager of wireless division, found CES the perfect forum to pitch and highlight UltraGig’s virtues as it operates on 60GHz. Vehling pointed out that the UltraGig demos “suffered from none of the interference that Miracast has from the many WiFi devices in the market.” He claimed that “the only way people could show Miracast at CES was by doing it off the show floor (a la MediaTek in a private suite at the Sands),” or in some instances, by faking it (using an MHL cable, for example). Peter Cooney, practice director for wireless connectivity and semiconductors at ABI Research, agreed. He said that some of the Miracast demos might have been using 802.11n, “so it would not have been a fair comparison.” At any rate, Cooney said, “it was an incredibly noisy environment at CES.” Wi-Fi: Mega-highway inside the home There is no denying that Wi-Fi continues to be the mega-highway inside the home. More than 1.5 billion Wi-Fi devices were sold in 2012 alone, according to ABI Research. But that, in turn, could give rise to some legitimate concerns over congestion and robustness with WiFi devices in the future. Silicon Image is betting the farm (and its UltraGig) on that side of the argument. Beyond the congestion issues, Vehling offered UltraGig’s low latency and better video quality as advantages. “60GHz Wireless HD offers less than 5ms of latency,” said Vehling, stressing its importance for gaming applications. Further, “due to increased bandwidth offered by 60GHz, video quality is better,” he added. “H.264 compression is not used.” So what’s the bottom line? This, of course, is the classic argument over proprietary technology vs. standardized spec. Undoubtedly, UltraGig’s drawback is that “it is a proprietary silicon solution, and Silicon Image is the sole-source silicon vendor,” said IHS analyst O’Rourke. “This makes it relatively expensive and a risk for CE vendors to offer it.” Silicon Image has been marketing UltraGig to OEMs for a while, “without much success to date,” according to O’Rourke. Silicon Image is “caught in a dilemma – they need increased volumes to drive down chip ASPs, but OEMs want lower ASPs before committing to large-scale integration,” he explained. “Another silicon source for UltraGig would help, as it would reduce the supply risk to PC or CE OEMs of offering UltraGig,” he added. The battle between UltraGig and Miracast could also take a new, unexpected turn, however. Impact of WiGig/Wi-Fi merger Surely, in a short term, this battle is couched as a proprietary 60GHz UltraGig vs. Miracast using a 2.4GHz or 5GHz WiFi technology. But now that the WiGig Alliance (promoting an open standard based on a 60GHz technology) and Wi-Fi Alliance recently announced that they would merge, Cooney predicted, “WiGig will be incorporated into Wi-Fi, and 802.11ad will become the main 60GHz standard.” WiGig or 802.11ad is an ultra-wideband (UWB) technology that uses 800 MHz or 1,600 MHz of spectrum in the 60 GHz band to achieve speeds up to 7 Gbps. The merger of the two competing groups will surely blur the line between 60GHz technology and the 2.4GHz/5GHz WiFi standards. Noting that WiGig is an open standard available to all members of the WiGig Alliance, Cooney explained, “Silicon Image is a member of the WiGig Alliance. So the company does have access to WiGig as well as UltraGig.” Of course, UltraGig is already available, Silicon Image pledges to drive initial 60GHz tech growth. That won’t alter the fact that UltraGig today is still a proprietary technology. But looking into the next two to three years, Cooney sees a very different future. UltraGig “will have the might of the Wi-Fi Alliance and its members behind it. It will be fairly difficult (or impossible) to for another 60GHz technology to compete with this,” he said. Is he too optimistic? Maybe, maybe not. ABI Research’s position is that 802.11ad (WiGig) will be deployed mainly in tri-band chipsets (i.e. 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ad together) and devices will then be able to seamlessly choose which protocol to use depending on the situation. Beyond Silicon Image, other vendors are working in the 60GHz space. Among them, “Wilocity is the furthest down the line and was demoing their 60Ghz/WiGig/11ad solution in their private suite” at CES, Cooney noted. Wi-Gig vendor Wilocity has partnered with both Qualcomm and Marvell to deliver tri-band solutions. Meanwhile, Dell became the first to announce an ultrabook with WiGig/80211ad, developed by Wilocity and Wi-Fi vendor Qualcomm Atheros. How this will affect the future of Silicon Image’s UltraGig is not known. Further, whether Silicon Image will morph its proprietary technology into a part of the WiGig solutions remains to be seen. But at least, for now, ABI Research seems to believe that UltraGig won’t long stay as a proprietary 60GHz wireless technology totally isolated from either WiGig or WiFi.