1. Worldwide Standards for Gb/s WPAN Using the 60 GHz Unlicensed Band
Bruce Bosco

2. Overview What is a standard ?
What are the types and advantages of various standards organizations (SDOs)?
Why is 60 GHz band generating so much interest?
What are the SDOs presently looking at this space?
Why do we care?

3. Standards: What & Why? Standard (n): “a pattern or model that is
generally accepted”
Standardize (v): “to make things
of the same type all have the
same basic features”
This discussion: Standard (n): “ A technical specification, usually a formal document specifying uniform criteria”
A means to enable interoperability…

4. Types of Standards Open Standard Proprietary Standard
“Anyone” can participate
Implies reasonable and non-discriminatory royalty fees
Proprietary Standard
Privately held by a single entity
“Private/membership” Standard
Consortium of members. Generally requires a paid membership and usually by invitation
De facto Standard
Informally established and accepted over time
As opposed to De Jure, or by decree
Mandatory Standard
Generally Government mandated

5. Proprietary Vs. Standardized Solution
First to market
Minimize technological compromise
Often most innovative
Can be very successful (Microsoft, Apple)
Standard
Slow, often messy process
Always some compromise
But alternate sources usually available
Interoperability increased marketing base
Competition lower product cost & more demand
Takes advantage of economies of scale

6. Economy of Scale Producer:
Lower profit margin/unit but potentially much larger total profit!
Example:
10M $1 net Vs.
10k $100 net

7. Motivation for Gb/s Standards
Ever increasing amount of digital data for consumer applications
High definition uncompressed streaming video***
Interactive gaming
Digital photography
Digital home movies
Data and file transfer***

8. Common Use cases and ECMA-387
Required for proposal evaluation in both c
and ECMA-387

9. Motivation for Gb/s Standards
Present wired standards/data rates
Wired: de facto standard presently for high data rates
Gigabit Ethernet- 1 Gb/s for consumer, typical interoffice
Firewire/IEEE Mb/s to 800 Mb/s (rates up to 3.2 Gb/s defined)
DVI/HDMI – Gb/s to 4.5 Gb/s ( 10.2 Gb/s for versions 1.3a and 1.3b)
USB 2.0 (Hi-speed) 480 Mb/s

10. Motivation for Gb/s Standards
Present deployed wireless WPAN/WLAN standards/data rates
b/g/n –
.11n advertises rates up to 300 Mb/s
Note that these are maximum data rates
Sustained rates are usually ½ or less than the max
Recent benchmarking of several commercially
available systems indicate maybe ¼ advertised
rate is more accurate

11. Motivation for Gb/s Standards
Expectation from consumer is that wireless maintain a quality of service (QoS) very close to that of wired
Deployed systems requirements
Robust
Easy to set up
Cost effective (cheap)

12. Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN)
What is our working definition of WPAN?
Traditionally, less than 10m in radius from user
More recent definition is that range is not key defining factor:
Focus is inward, towards a single user or isolated ad-hoc network

13. Why 60 GHz? Bandwidth, bandwidth, bandwidth… Unlicensed
7 GHz US & Japan
3.5 GHz contiguous spectrum available world wide

14. Why 60 GHz?
Attenuation due to atmospheric absorption and most other materials

15. Why 60 GHz? Relatively high gain antennas required
Limited interference to adjacent link even at same frequency
Spatial and frequency reuse enabled
Multiple users at closely space channels in very near proximity possible
Inherent degree of security
Very difficult to intercept a signal

16. Why 60 GHz? Demonstrated multi-gigabit performance
Motorola, IBM, NEC and others have published results showing sustained rates up to at least 3.5 Gb/s for LOS applications
IBM, Sibeam and others have implemented solutions in low cost SiGE and CMOS technologies
Because of the available bandwidth, very low complexity modulation schemes can be implemented for robust operation and high QoS
Example: Motorola demonstrated over 3 Gb/s at low BER at 10m using OOK modulation (2005)

17. Standards and Alliances for 60 GHz WPAN
IEEE c
ECMA (European Computer Manufacturers Association ) - 387
VHT60/Tgad
WirelessHD
Other SDOs and Alliances

18. IEEE 802.15.3c IEEE “Open” SDO Task Group (TG) formed March 2005
Define an alternate physical layer (PHY) operating in the new and clear US band including 57 – 64 GHz
At least one mode capable of > 1 at least 10m
Key players
- Motorola - Intel
- NICT - IBM
- Panasonic - Sibeam
- Qualcomm - Samsung
- OKI - Phillips

19. IEEE 802.15.3c Notable features and accomplishments:
Media access layer (MAC)
MAC with “enhancements”
Developed for a UWB standard
Enables ad-hoc networks
PHY
Four channels of 2.16 GHz/channel defined
First three for US applications
Common mode is /2 BPSK at 25.3 MHz
Single carrier data rates up to 5.18 Gb/s
Optional single carrier and OFDM modes

20. IEEE 802.15.3c Notable features and accomplishments: Channel Model
Developed comprehensive indoor model based on measured data for line of sight (LOS) model
NLOS model derived from LOS model and verified through selective measurement
Required an large amount of resources and time to complete
Implemented in MATLAB
Recommended for Tgad 60 GHz model

21. IEEE 802.15.3c Status: In Sponsor Ballot (closes today)
Next to final step
Expected release ~ September 2009
Alternate millimeter-wave PHY for timeline

22. ECMA-387 International, private (membership-based) SDO
Key member companies for this standard
Panasonic
Phillips
IBM
Ericsson
Newlans
GEDC (Georgia Electronic Design Center)

23. ECMA-387 Notable features: MAC PHY
Based on ECMA-368 MAC, with changes to support directional communication in 60 GHz
Uses discovery beacon to establish network
Similar to MAC but appears simpler
PHY
“Homogeneous Networking” - all device PHYs have the same capabilities
On-OFF Keying (OOK) is mandatory for all devices
Type A: SCBT, DBSK, OOK
Type B: DBSK, OOK
Type C: OOK
Other SC and OFDM modes are optional
Very simple compared to c

24. ECMA-387 Status Revision 1 completed and published December 2008
Approved for JTC-1 “fast-track” procedure for approval by IEC and ISO members
Typically ~ six month process, full approval expected by June/July 2009

25. IEEE VHT60/Tgad
Very high throughput (VHT) group - study options for obtaining higher throughput for .11n
VHT 60 – subgroup for > 1 Gb/s using 60 GHz band
Project Authorization Requirement (PAR) approved January 2009
First Task Group meeting January 2009

26. IEEE 802.11 VHT60/Tgad Notable features: MAC PHY
May use n MAC for .11n functions
Could use MAC for high rate/high frequency – hybrid
Or modified .11n MAC for both
PHY
Dual PHYs - .11n and “.15.3c like”
Not set how it would be implemented
Two main points that differentiate from .15.3c
PHY would automatically and quickly fallback from 60
GHz to 5 or 2.4 GHz networks when blockage or other problems occur maintaining quality of service (QOS)
Compatible with existing services, access points and base stations as well as its network management features

27. IEEE VHT60/Tgad
Status
Project Authorization Requirement (PAR) approved January 2009
First Task Group meeting January 2009
Plan to finalize standard through full approval 2012
Periodic conference calls with Tgac (VHT6) and c – on coexistence issues

28. WirelessHD WirelessHD Formed in 2006
Generate next generation specification for consumer targeted A/V applications
Coalition includes: Intel, Broadcom, LG, Panasonic,
Sibeam and others
Lots of press, hype, CES “demos” and so on
Specification released January 2008
First generation production chip set – limited availability and access
Key features: OFDM exclusively, beam steering (low rate PHY only)

29. Other SDOs and Alliances
NGmS
Next generation millimeter-wave specification
Members:
Broadcom, Intel, others
Details
Possibly will leverage work done in c
May focus primarily on OFDM PHY
Little else know at this time
Bluetooth
Still appears to be some interest in order to obtain high speed (not necessarily large file) data transfers
Others?

30. Recent Developments
Gefen reportedly to begin producing WirelessHD compliant adapters with first production available Q Cost is around $700 per link. (Jan 8, 2009)
IBM announces initial results of new chip with hybrid antenna in a single package. Rates up to five Gb/s at five meters were reported. Technology is based on SiGe HBT. (Jan 23, 2009)
IMEC reports on results for several key blocks of a 60 GHz radio based on 45nm CMOS. Results included a power amplifier with 11 dBm 1 dB compression point – right at the requirements for ~ 10m range .(March 2009)

31. Why do we care?
OPPORTUNITIES – still early enough to get into the game…
Integrated semiconductor solutions RF
Baseband
ADC & DAC
Antenna
Packaging
Network architecture
Software
Systems
Consumer products
Enterprise products

32. Summary Standards are needed for interoperability and conformance
Various types of standards each address a specific space
60 GHz band is the front runner for addressing multi-gigabit wireless requirements
Several SDOs are targeting this space
Opportunities to leverage this developing market are emerging presently and could be exploited

33. Acknowledgments Steve Rockwell – SKR Consulting LLC
Abby Mathew - Newlans

34. References
Cambridge Online Dictionary
IEEE website
ECMA website
IEEE website
Wireless HD website
B. Bosco, S. Franson, R. Emrick, S. Rockwell, J. Holmes, “A 60 GHz Transciever with Multi-Gigabit Data Capability”, RAWCON 2004
IEEE Publication “15-09/0245R0 Project Timeline”
IEEE Publication “ c Summary Usage Models”

35. THANK YOU!