Fujitsu Microelectronics America and Wi-LAN, a provider of broadband wireless gear, today announced their joint goal to produce the world’s first WiMAX Certified* System-on-Chip (SoC). Engineering samples are planned for the fall of 2004, and the complete system is expected to be available for WiMAX Forum* conformance and interoperability testing in the first half of 2005.

“The timeline that Wi-LAN and FMA have set for first-to-market WiMAX Certified systems dovetails nicely with the WiMAX Forum’s timeline for certification and interoperability testing,” said Dr. Sayed-Amr El-Hamamsy, Wi-LAN’s president and CEO. “In spite of the hype about early equipment availability from other vendors, the fact is that there can be no certified products before WiMAX conformance specifications are established.

Fujitsu and Wi-Lan have been co-developing the 802.16 chipset since September, 2002, far ahead of Intel, so it would be no surprise if Fujitsu beats Intel to the punch.

Wi-Lan reviews developments in 802.16:

• In 2001 IEEE released the IEEE 802.16 standard, the first of several broadband WirelessMAN standards. Since then the IEEE has continued to add to that base standard. It has done so through a set of amendments, each with a different focus.

• In September 2003 during the 27th session of the IEEE 802.16 Working Group, a new project, 802.16-REVd, was approved. Prior to this, the complete IEEE 802.16 standard was comprised of three documents within the IEEE 802.16 group of standards; “IEEE Std 802.16-2001″, “IEEE Std 802.16c-2002″, and “IEEE Std 802.16a-2003″. The standard commonly known as “16a” is in fact an amendment to the “IEEE 802.16-2001″ and is not a stand alone standard.

• The output of project 802.16-REVd, its official designation, will be a new revision of IEEE Std 802.16, incorporating the three pre-existing documents plus work currently underway in the 802.16 Task Group d (802.16d). When it is published, as IEEE Std 802.16-2004, the three currently existing components will become obsolete and will be withdrawn.

IEEE 802.16e is another amendment, which will address adding mobility to the 802.16 standard.

The new revision “D” of the standard brings two key additions to .16a. (1) a sub-channelization scheme that allows chipmakers to use smaller, cheaper power amplifiers, and (2) hooks for using antenna diversity techniques such as multiple input, multiple output antennas. MIMO antennas might double the range or speed.

About five chip makers are currently planning first-generation WiMax chips:

• Fujitsu chipsets will be in Wi-Lan gear
• Intel expects 802.16a chips in the second half of 2004. They’ll be used by Airspan, Aperto and Alvarion.
• Wavesat Wireless will use Atmel’s foundry for 802.16d chips and has signed a cooperative agreement with China Electronics System Engineering Corp.
• At least one Taiwanese company may be planning first-generation 802.16a chips.

The chairman of the WiMAX Forum 2-11GHz technical working group expects to complete conformance specifications in November 2004. Wi-LAN believes it is the only company that has commercially implemented 256 sub-carrier OFDM, which is the physical layer technology supported by the WiMAX Forum. Wi-LAN believes the early 2005 LIBRA broadband wireless system, incorporating the Fujitsu chip will be the first system to be WiMAX Certified.

The first 802.16a-like implementation in the United States was installed last year in Portland, Oregon, by VeriLAN using Wi-Lan gear (which is field upgradable to full 802.16a/d compliance). It is used to feed a Vivato phased array which covers downtown Portland.

Verilan provided DailyWireless with free broadband wireless service for a Wireless Bike Project this weekend. The wireless bike will provide WiFi access at the opening of the 5.8 mile Interstate Max light rail line. Verilan’s 802.11 service, on the KGW television tower, provides a strong signal at the Max northern terminal, some 12-15 miles from the tower.

Posted by Sam Churchill on Friday, April 30th, 2004 at 1:08 am.