DWA Claims First Ultra Low-Power, 1 Mbps Wireless Chip

BERLIN/GERMANY - DWA Wireless has announced the first available design solution that provides up to 1 Mbps in both Sub 1 GHz bands, 868 and 915 MHz, based on Parallel Sequence Spread Spectrum ("PSSS") PHY wireless technology. Original equipment manufacturers ("OEMs") focused on ultra low power wireless applications like sensors, Automatic Meter Reading (AMR), or building automation, now can utilize the advantages of the Sub 1 GHz band such as better coverage, lower power consumption and no interference with Bluetooth and WLAN and still have the same high data rate that today's 2.4 GHz IC solutions provide. PSSS is a purely digital base-band PHY design solution that provides significantly more robustness and that can be combined with various wireless IC front-ends (like DSSS) and Protocol-stacks, e.g., ZigBee or IPv6.

The company is already working with IC manufacturers on the implementation of the IC solution. The first releases of an FPGA based modules and evaluation kits are scheduled for this month.

Today's 2.4 GHz wireless low power IC solutions have the advantage of a worldwide regulated unlicensed band with a wide bandwidth of 80 MHz. However, due to the limited radio propagation of the 2.4 GHz frequency band and the interference with Bluetooth and WLAN, coverage/range and Quality of Service (QoS) have become a major issue for low power 2.4 GHz wireless applications. For example, a typical wireless sensor device operation in the 2.4 GHz band, which is installed near by a WLAN access point (for data or voice streaming), would have significant interference problems because of the much higher power output of the WLAN system. This limitation has motivated the OEMs to work on the improvement of the Sub 1 GHz PHY and MAC performance.

With the introduction of the first worldwide available PSSS/PHY design solution with up to 1 Mbps in the Sub 1 GHz band, OEMs will be able to implement and test wireless IC solutions in their applications, like building automation or industrial control, without having the problems of interference from Bluetooth and WLAN. In addition, much better radio propagation of the Sub 1 GHz solution provides a 2-3 times better coverage compared to 2.4 GHz. On the other hand, a Sub 1 GHz solution could be operated with reduced power (out), but still have the same coverage as a 2.4 GHz solution. This would increase the battery lifetime of the device dramatically.

The PSSS/PHY solution is a purely digital base band coding technology that can be combined with various wireless front-ends (like DSSS or FSK). Therefore IC manufacturers and OEMs are able to improve the performance of their wireless IC dramatically and still use their existing front-end and their protocol-stack of their current IC design.

About DWA Wireless
DWA Wireless is a leading provider of digital wireless technology reference designs based on PSSS/PHY (Parallel Sequence Spread Spectrum/Physical Layer) that facilitates the manufacture of ultra low power digital wireless communications IC (integrates circuit) solutions for use within various market segments, e.g., building automation, home control, and audio & video consumer applications. The product portfolio includes the IP (Intellectual Property) designs as well as SoC (System on Chip) and RF (Radio Frequency) design support. DWA Wireless currently licenses complete design solutions based on the leading edge digital wireless technology PSSS which provides highest spectrum efficiency in a limited frequency band - like the Sub 1 GHZ bands 868 and 915 MHz. It can improve the data rate of an existing wireless IC chip (WPAN or WLAN) by a factor of up to 10.