WIRELESS USB

(WUSB)

Abhilash.R.Krishna

S1 MBA IB,
Roll No. 1,
School of Management Studies,
CUSAT, Kochi- 22.
E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: Wireless USB is a short-range, high-bandwidth wireless radio

communication protocol created by the Wireless USB Promoter Group.
Wireless USB is sometimes abbreviated as "WUSB", although the USB
Implementers Forum discourages this practice and instead prefers to call the
technology "Certified Wireless USB" to differentiate it from competitors.
Wireless USB is based on the WiMedia Alliance's Ultra-Wideband (UWB)
common radio platform, which is capable of sending 480 Mbit/s at distances
up to 3 meters and 110 Mbit/s at up to 10 meters. It was designed to operate
in the 3.1 to 10.6 GHz frequency range, although local regulatory policies
may restrict the legal operating range for any given country

Keywords: WUSB, USB, wireless networks

1.0 INTRODUCTION
The original motivation for USB came from several considerations, two of the
most important being:

Ease of use and Port expansion.

The lack of flexibility in reconfiguring PC had been acknowledged as the Achilles’

heel to its further deployment. The combination of user friendly graphical interfaces
and the hardware and software mechanisms associated with new-generation bus
architectures have made computers less confrontational and easier to reconfigure.

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However from end users point of view, the PC’s I/O interfaces, such as serial parallel
ports, keyboard mouse interfaces etc. did not have the attributes of plug and play.
The addition of external peripherals continued to be constrained by port availability.
The lack of a bidirectional, low cost, low-to mid speed peripheral bus held back the
creative proliferation of peripherals such as storage devices, answering machines,
scanners, PDA’s, keyboards, mice etc. Existing interconnects were optimized for two
point products. As each new function or capability was added to the PC, a new
interface has been defined to address this need.
Initially USB provided two speeds (12Mbps and 1.5Mbps) that peripherals could
use. But as PC’s became increasingly powerful and able to process vast amounts of
data, users need to et more and more data into and out of the PCs. USB 2.0 was
defined in 2000 to provide a third transfer rate of 480Mbps while retaining backward
compatibility.
Now as technology innovation marches forward, wireless technologies are more
capable and cost effective. Ultra Wide Band (UWB) radio technology, in particular, has
characteristics that match traditional USB usage models very well. UWB supports high
bandwidth (480 Mbps) but only at limited range (~3m). Applying this wireless
technology to USB frees the user from worrying about the cables; where to find them,
where to plug them in, how to string them so they don’t get tripped over, how to
arrange them so they don’t look like a mess. It makes USB easier to use. Because no
physical ports are required, port expansion or even finding a USB port, is no longer a
problem.
Of course, losing the cable also means losing the power for peripherals. For self
powered devices, this isn’t an issue. But for portable, bus-powered devices, Wireless
USB presents some challenges where creative minds will provide innovative solutions
that meet their customer’s needs. USB (wired or wireless) continues to be the answer
to connectivity for the PC architecture. It is a fast, bi-directional, isochronous, low-cost,
dynamically attachable interface that is consistent with the requirements of the PC
platform of today and tomorrow. Wireless USB is used in game controllers, printers,
scanners, digital cameras, MP3 players, hard disks and flash drives. It is also suitable
for transferring parallel video streams.

2.0 WIRED USB

A USB system has an asymmetric design, consisting of a host, a multitude of

downstream USB ports, and multiple peripheral devices connected in a tiered-star
topology. Additional USB hubs may be included in the tiers, allowing branching into a
tree structure, subject to a limit of 5 levels of tiers. A USB host may have multiple host
controllers and each host controller may provide one or more USB ports. Up to 127
devices, including the hub devices may be connected to a single host controller. The
USB Specification provides a selection of attributes that can achieve multiple
price/performance integration points and can enable functions that allow differentiation
at the system and component level.

3.0 REASONS FOR WIRELESS USB

The wired USB is there to help with the PC connectivity problems. We already have
many wireless solutions also, like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth etc. In such a scenario why are we
going for a new technology called Wireless USB. Two things account for this, one is
lack of easiness of use in wired USB the other one is inefficiency of current wireless
solutions.

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 3.1 Issues of wired USB

 Wires are restrictive. Once plugged into a socket we cannot move the device around
like what we can do with wireless or mobile devices. This restriction to free movement
is a hindrance to the modern ideas of mobile offices.
 Multiple wires can be a hassle. No one likes t o see the multitude of wires behind the
PC, some times making knots with each other and causing all sorts of trouble when
we try to remove or reconfigure any component. To remove all these problems with no
loss at all is a good idea, and Wireless USB does that.
 In many situations wireless solutions can easily deliver same speeds that wired
solutions are delivering. So there is a good reason for a shift to wireless solutions.

3.2 Inadequacy of current wireless solutions

 Bluetooth - Bandwidth of 3 Mbps is not enough for most of the applications which
needs very high bandwidth. The applications like video, HDTV, monitor etc. are good
examples.
 Wi-Fi- One of the main disadvantage of Wi-Fi is its high expense to set up a network
and make it working. It is not always feasible to install Wi-Fi for home or personal
networks. Another draw back of Wi-Fi is the higher power consumption. Power
consumption is one of the important hurdles of wireless designers. As the wireless
devices work on their own power, almost always battery power, the high power
consumption becomes a big drawback.

4.0 FEATURES OF WIRELESS USB TECHNOLOGY

Wireless USB will build on the success of Wired USB. An important goal of the WUSB
Promoter Group is to ensure that wireless USB offers users the experience they have
come to expect from wired USB. Toward that end, the Wireless USB standard is being
designed to support the following features.
 Backward compatibility - Wireless USB will be fully backward compatible with the one
billion wired USB connections already in operation. Moreover, Wireless USB will be
compatible with current USB drivers and firmware and provide bridging from wired
USB devices and hosts.
 High performance - At launch, Wireless USB will provide speeds up to 480 Mbps, a
performance comparable to the wired USB 2.0 standard and high enough to provide
wireless transfer of rich digital multimedia formats. As UWB technology and process
technologies evolve, bandwidth may exceed 1 Gbps.
 Simple, low-cost implementation -Implementation will follow the wired USB
connectivity models as closely as possible to reduce development time and preserve
the low-cost, ease-of-use model that has made wired USB the interconnect of choice.

 An easy migration path - To enable an easy migration path from wired USB, Wireless
USB will maintain the same usage models and architecture as wired USB

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5.0 WIRELESS USB TOPOLOGY

The fundamental relationship in WUSB is a hub and spoke topology, as shown in

Figure. In this topology, the host initiates all the data traffic among the devices
connected to it, allotting time slots and data bandwidth to each device connected.
These relationships are referred to as clusters. The connections are point-to-point and
directed between the WUSB host and WUSB device.
The WUSB host can logically connect to a maximum of 127 WUSB devices,
considered an informal WUSB cluster. WUSB clusters coexist within an overlapping
spatial environment with minimum interference, thus allowing a number of other
WUSB clusters to be present within the same radio cell.
Topology will support a dual role model where a device can also support limited
host capabilities. This model allows mobile devices to access services with a central
host supporting the services (i.e., printers and viewers). This model also allows a
device to access data outside an existing cluster it may currently be connected to by
creating a second cluster as a limited host.
Additionally, high spatial capacity in small areas is needed to enable multiple
device access to high bandwidth concurrently. Multiple channel activities may take
place within a given area. The topology will support multiple clusters in the same area.
The number of clusters to be supported is still being determined.

Fig 1.Wireless USB Topology

6.0 PERFORMANCE

WUSB performance at launch will provide adequate bandwidth to meet the

requirements of a typical user experience with wired connections. The 480 Mbps

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initial target bandwidth of WUSB is comparable to the current wired USB 2.0 standard.
With 480 Mbps being the initial target, WUSB specifications will allow for generation
steps of data throughput as the ultra wideband radio evolves and with future process
technologies, exceeding limits of 1 Gbps.
The specification is intended for WUSB to operate as a wire replacement with targeted
usage models for cluster connectivity to the host and device-to-device connectivity at
less than 10 meters. The interface will support quality delivery of rich digital
multimedia formats, including audio and video, and will be capable of high rate
streaming (isochronous transfers).

7.0 SECURITY AND ASSOCIATION

WUSB security will ensure the same level of security as wired USB. Connection level
security between devices will ensure that the appropriate device is associated and
authenticated before operation of the device is permitted. Higher levels of security
involving encryption should be implemented at the application level. Processing
overhead supporting security should not impose noticeable performance impacts or
add device costs.
One of the primary objectives when implementing a wireless interconnect is that it is
easy to install and use. Wired connections provide the user with implied expectations,
that is that the device is connected as specified by the user when they install the wire.
When the wire is installed, the user has basic expectations and when these
expectations do not take place (plug does not fit), there is a known recourse.
Wireless connections, on the other hand, due to environmental characteristics, may
establish connection paths that are not obvious. In fact, it may not be obvious when a
device is connected. So WUSB devices installed for the first time should automatically
install drivers, security features, and so on and associate with systems that they can
interact with. The concepts of 'turn on and use it' with an easy setup procedure will be
employed.

8.0 CONCLUSION

The first Wireless USB implementations will likely be in the form of discrete silicon
that will be introduced in a number of form factors. These may include add-in cards
and dongles along with embedded solutions to support the technology's introduction
and subsequent rapid ramp up. But the wireless future will arrive once WUSB, along
with the common ultra-wide band platform, becomes a standard part of every
processor and chipset and is integrated in CMOS silicon. As the latest iteration of USB
technology, wireless USB (WUSB) will offer the same functionality as standard wired
USB devices but without the cabling. As the new Wireless USB Promoter Group
prepares to develop the specifications that will help standardize the technology, the
industry is planning products that can take advantage of the convenience and mobility
that this new device interconnect will offer

9.0 REFERENCES

1. Wireless USB ,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_USB

2. http://www.usb.org/developers/wusb/
3. http://www.deviceforge.com/articles/AT9015145687.html

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4. http://www.intel.com/technology/comms/wusb/index.htm
5. http://news.cnet.com/Wireless-USB-devices-arriving-by-September/2100-
1041_3-6046560.html
6. http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,2845,2223106,00.asp
7. http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia_term/0,2542,t=wireless+USB&i=5478
6,00.asp
8. http://www2.electronicproducts.com/Wireless_USB_Adding_wireless_witho
ut_pain-article-FAJH_Artimi_Nov2008-html.aspx
9. http://www.everythingusb.com/wireless-usb.html
10. http://www.wireless-usb.eu/wusb/
11. http://gigaom.com/2005/05/24/all-about-wireless-usb/
12. http://www.physorg.com/news4296.html
13. http://www.inno-logic.com/resourcesWUSB.html
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15. http://features.techworld.com/mobile-wireless/2190/why-wireless-usb-
expects-to-win-the-uwb-fight/