NEC Electronics Announces Availability of First Certified Wireless USB Device

- Host Controller Enables Wireless Data Transfer at Speeds of Up to 480 Megabits per Second -

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NEC Electronics Corporation today began sample shipment of the world's first system LSI chip compatible with the new Certified Wireless USB interface standard. The µPD720170 host controller enables high-speed, wireless data transmission between personal computers, peripheral devices such as printers and external storage, and consumer electronics such as digital cameras. The device is designed to promote new levels of wireless connectivity, with data transfer rates as high as 480 megabits per second (Mbps) at a range of 3 meters, while eliminating the need for cumbersome wires.

The µPD720170 host controller supports eight data tranfer rates from 53.3 to 480 Mbps, four data transfer types (control, bulk data, interrupt data, and isochronous transfer), and can connect up to 32 physical devices at a time. It is compliant with the WiMedia MAC and WiMedia MAC-PHY interface specifications, as well as the wireless host controller interface (WHCI) standard promoted by Intel and other industry leaders. To facilitate development of Certified Wireless USB applications based on the µPD720170 host controller, NEC Electronics will also provide reference boards in collaboration with several ultra-wideband (UWB) PHY chip manufacturers in the second quarter of 2006.

NEC Electronics is a leading proponent of the current USB 2.0 standard, and has played an important role in developing USB technologies and markets as a member of the USB Implementers Forum. Since launching volume production of USB 2.0 devices in 2000, NEC Electronics has shipped an industry-leading 100 million units (*). The company is committed to continuing its development of Certified Wireless USB technology to meet the emerging need for high-speed wireless data transfer, and anticipates that combined sales for its USB devices will reach 6 billion yen by fiscal year 2008.

The µPD720170 host controller and other NEC Electronics solutions will be on display January 5-8, 2006 at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the NEC Electronics America exhibit (Sands Convention Center, booth #70050P).

Samples of the µPD720170 host controller are now available, and volume production is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2006. For more information about NEC Electronics' lineup of wireless USB solutions, please visit http://www.necel.com/usb/en/wusb/.

About Certified Wireless USB
Certified Wireless USB is the new wireless extension to USB that combines the speed and security of wired technology with the ease-of-use of wireless technology. It utilizes the common WiMedia MB-OFDM Ultra-wideband (UWB) radio platform developed by the WiMedia Alliance, which offers high bandwidth with low power consumption and is designed to meet the physical size requirements of next-generation consumer electronic devices. Certified Wireless USB performance is designed to reach 480Mbps at 3 meters and 110Mbps at 10 meters.

(*) Internal assessment as of June 2004.

Related Contents

• USB : Certified Wireless USB
  • µPD720170, µ720180

About NEC Electronics

NEC Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723) specializes in system LSI semiconductor products for a wide range of applications in the computing, networking, mobile, automotive and digital consumer markets. The company was spun off from NEC Corporation in 2002 and listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 2003. NEC Electronics provides design, development and manufacturing support through its staff of approximately 24,000, from its headquarters in Kawasaki, Japan and 26 worldwide subsidiaries. For more information, please visit www.necel.com.