WiGig shows progress with 60 GHz specs

SAN JOSE, Calif. – The Wireless Gigabit Alliance announced progress setting 60 GHz standards, but its final specifications will not be released for about a month. The group is garnering praise from chip and systems makers as the future for a broad set of applications including Wi-Fi and wireless docking and displays.

WiGig published a version 1.1 of its MAC/Phy specification, cleaning up issues implementers found in the original draft and enhancing its preamble sequence and beam forming technology. The techniques can carry data at rates from 3 to 7 Gbits/second.

The group also published to adopters a so-called WiGig Bus Extension that essentially defines an adaption layer for running PCI Express on top of its 60 GHz technology. It expects to finish before the end of the year an adaption layer for USB it calls the WiGig Serial Extension.

WiGig is hopeful it can forge links with the PCI Special Interest Group and the USB Implementers Forum once the final 60 GHz specs are published in a few weeks. The deals could open the door to creating official certification programs for wireless USB and PCIe.

So far, WiGig has struck a relationship with the Video Electronics Standards Association and become a member of HDMI Licensing LLC so it can eventually release wireless adaption layers for DisplayPort and HDMI.

Last year, WiGig forged a deal with the Wi-Fi Alliance so its 60 GHz approach can be certified as a future generation of Wi-Fi. The group has aligned its technical approach with the existing IEEE 802.11ad standards effort on 60 GHz, said Ali Sadri, chairman of WiGig.

WiGig could have a certification program for its MAC/Phy spec ready in about a year. That would form the basis for certification programs for the higher layer protocols to follow in another six to 12 months.

Eight test companies--including Aeroflex, Hittite Microwave and Rohde & Schwarz--joined the WiGig Alliance in anticipation of the certification programs.