Wireless USB Chip Could Cut PC Cords

Jun 19, 05:18 AM

Current Headlines: NEW YORK -- Chip designer Alereon Inc. said today it is releasing the first chip that uses a frequency band that is legal all over the world for wireless USB connections.

A few wireless USB products are already on the U.S. market, but they send and receive signals over a frequency that isn't legal in most of the world because of potential interference with radar.

USB, or Universal Serial Bus, cables connect computers to mice, keyboards, printers, cameras and external hard drives. An Alereon spokesman said the new chip will show up in external hard drives and cameras this year. They'll connect to computers with optional wireless add-in cards, or dongles that go into USB ports.

The underlying radio technology is called ultra-wideband, or UWB, and uses frequencies far above those usually employed for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular phones and other wireless technologies. In theory, UWB can reach speeds of up to 480 megabits per second, equivalent to USB 2.0 cables, at distances up to 10 feet.

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