heyCoop DON CIO Wireless Brief

© 2009 heyCoop, LLC

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Wireless USB…!and a few other!

PAN Technologies!

Mike Coop!heyCoop, LLC!

mcoop (at) heycoop.com!


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Obligatory Disclaimer Slide!•  Don’t believe anything I say!•  Use this presentation to facilitate your

research, not in lieu of!•  Opinions expressed are solely my own, and

represent no entity other than heyCoop, LLC!


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Obligatory Who Am I Slide!•  20+ years in technology, in roles including systems

engineering, business development, sales, and marketing!

•  Tenure in organizations large (Microsoft, Cisco) and small (Cranite Systems, Tzero Technologies)!

•  Spent 2002-2006 as VP of Consulting Engineering at Cranite, working through various wireless policies, including ASD-NII, Army, Navy, and Marine Corps!

•  Spent 2006-2007 as VP of Strategic Alliances at Tzero, working on ultra-wideband PAN standards and implementation!

•  Launched heyCoop, LLC in 2007, focusing primarily on consumer electronics and digital home standards and implementation—and on information assurance policy!

•  In addition to customer work, heyCoop, LLC is a member of IEEE 1680.3, UPnP Forum, and Bluetooth SIG!


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Topics!•  Data-centric wireless PAN technologies!

–  Certified Wireless USB!–  Bluetooth!–  Cliffside!

•  SuperSpeed USB (one slide, just because)!•  Video-centric wireless PAN technologies!

–  WHDI!–  Wireless HD!–  WiGig!


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What is Certified Wireless USB?!•  Does what you think it does—allows USB connectivity,

wirelessly!•  More than 100 certified devices; mostly silicon, but

numerous hub & dongle sets, laptops, docking stations, and other device categories!

•  Top speed of 480 mb/s; uses 528 MHz channels in the 3.1-10.6 GHz bands!

•  Based on an ultra-wideband specification originally published by WiMedia Alliance!


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What is Ultra-wideband?!•  Ultra-wideband (UWB) is a wireless

transmission technique approved for unlicensed use in 2002 under FCC Part 15 !

•  As defined by the FCC and ITU, UWB is a transmission whose bandwidth is either!–  20% of its center frequency!–  At least 500 MHz wide!


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Where is Ultra-wideband?!


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How is Ultra-wideband?!•  Good news!

–  Wicked amounts of bandwidth!–  Security baked in from the start!–  Second generation products now shipping!

•  Bad news!–  Horrible restrictions on emitted power!–  First generation products kind of sucked!–  Still too pricey compared to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth!–  Industry alliance has shuttered, leaving further

development in doubt!


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Wireless USB Security!•  Initial setup is called “association”!

–  Cable model mandates a first connection via cable; once associated, devices can communicate wirelessly!

–  Numeric model mandates comparison of codes displayed on both devices, or manual entry of a displayed code (similar to Bluetooth)!

•  Well-designed security architecture!–  Mutual authentication!–  4-way handshake!–  Pairwise temporal key (PTK)!–  Group temporal key (GTK)!

•  Data privacy uses CCM—Counter with CBC-MAC!•  Integrity is a 64-bit MIC for entire packet!•  Much more on wireless USB security at

http://tinyurl.com/wusbsecurity!


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Wireless USB’s Future!•  Should you care?!•  Yes and no!•  While possible to have CW-USB products go through

FIPS (due to CCM-based architecture), it’s unlikely!•  Disbanding of WiMedia Alliance, and assignment of

core intellectual property to USB-IF and Bluetooth SIG make further concerted development unlikely!

•  HOWEVER, head-in-sand approach to CW-USB would risk a repeat of other agencies’ hiccups with policies on Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and other technologies!–  USN/USMC has typically led the way on wireless policy!–  Today, CW-USB looks like a dying technology, based on

high prices, low throughput rates, and significant competition!

–  Pundits once claimed Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Ethernet to be dead technologies, too!


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Bluetooth 3.0 + HS!•  Adopted in April 2009!•  Includes 802.11 protocol adaptation layer as an

Alternate MAC/PHY (AMP)!–  Wi-Fi Alliance performed an enormous amount of work to

win inclusion in Bluetooth 3.0!–  WiMedia UWB was originally the AMP for 3.0, and could

still see the light of day!•  Supports data transfer speeds up to 24 mb/s!•  Products expected in early 2010!


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Cliffside!•  Cliffside was the code name for Intel’s My WiFi

technology!•  Uses “split-MAC” technology to enable simultaneous

infrastructure (connection to AP for backhaul) and peer-to-peer (PAN) modes!

•  Enables connection of up to eight devices without an AP or router!

•  Provides 802.11i support on both AP and PAN links!•  Has the potential to be very interesting!•  Much more on Cliffside at http://tinyurl.com/coopcliff!


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SuperSpeed USB (USB 3.0)!•  10x performance of USB 2.0 (4.8 gb/s versus 480 mb/s)

—key for flash-based products!•  Provides backwards…!

–  Performance compatibility with 2.0 devices (at 2.0 speeds)!–  Connectivity capability, both electrically and physically!–  Driver support—things just work!

•  Cables and connectors!–  Standard A cables backwards compatible with 2.0!–  New B and Micro AB receptacles backwards compatible

with 2.0!•  Better power efficiency than 2.0!•  Devices beginning to arrive!•  Requires separate software drivers currently!•  OS integration to appear in follow-on to Windows 7

launch!


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•  Wireless video approach based on 20 and 40 MHz channels in the unlicensed 5 GHz band!

•  Promoter members include Amimon, Hitachi, LG, Motorola, Samsung, Sharp, Sony!

•  Claims!–  30 meter range!–  Through-wall operation!–  <1 ms latency!–  “No compression”!

•  Link security addressed via use of HDCP!•  Best known product at this point is Sony’s wireless video

extender!•  Concern that as more 802.11n high-band (5 GHz) devices

enter homes, performance will suffer!•  Amimon began shipping pre-standard chipsets in April, 2008;

standard (interoperable) products expected imminently!


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•  Wireless video approach based on 2.5 GHz channels in the 60 GHz band!

•  Promoter members include Broadcom, Intel, LG, Panasonic, Philips, NEC, Samsung, SiBEAM, Sony, Toshiba!

•  Claims!–  10 meter range!–  In-room operation!–  <1 ms latency!–  No compression!

•  Link security addressed via use of HDCP!•  Few interference concerns!•  SiBEAM began shipping pre-standard chipsets in fall,

2008; standard (interoperable) products expected imminently!


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•  Wireless video and data networking approach based on 60 GHz transmission !

•  Board members include Atheros, Broadcom, Dell, Intel, LG, Marvell, MediaTek, Microsoft, NEC, Nokia, Panasonic, Samsung, Wilocity!

•  Claims!–  Initial specifications to become available in late 2009!–  Connectivity of up to 6 gb/s!–  Will address not just wireless video, but mobile and CE devices!–  Envision a dual-mode architecture, with Wi-Fi capabilities at 2.4/5

GHz and WiGig capabilities at 60 GHz!•  Link security will need to be addressed via use of HDCP for

video; likely to use variant of WPS/802.11i!•  If specifications arrive in early 2010, and C&I is defined later

in 2010, the market might see products by CES 2011!•  Might!


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Questions!

Want a copy?!mcoop (at) heycoop.com!

Thanks for your attention!!

Technology

heyCoop DON CIO Wireless Brief