Wireless USB 2.0 - Optical!

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Guido Körber
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Wireless USB 2.0 - Optical!

Post by Guido Körber »

In an press conference this morning USB Advanced Projects Research Institute Ltd., did announce a preliminary specification for an optical based successor to the current Wireless USB 1.x standard.

Chief scientist Peter Yro did point out that Wireless USB 1.x faces a couple problems inherent to RF based systems, like security risks, EM interference, and reduced bandwith in colocation situations.

By using a scanning laser system capable of locking onto the endpoint device these issues are adressed. When locking a narrow laser beam between the host and device the risk of anyone listening in on the communication is significantly reduced since the signal would have to be directly intercepted and you should be easily able to see someone sitting next to your desk holding a detector into your USB communication beam. Interference and colocation problems are also solved since the laser beam is basically a private channel, so the full bandwith is available to every individual connection.

According to P. Yro the biggest problem in designing Wireless USB 2.0 was how to handle situations in which there is no direct line of sight between the host and device. But they have been able to solve this by adding a small RF homing beacon to the devices and a special mode to the host laser in which it can emit short pulses of up to 15MJ. This efficiently provides perfect connections in more than 99.9% of the tested situations.

The laser intensity used for normal communication is just 20µW and eye safe. Though for the short time of establishing connection between the host and an obscured device it is recommended not to look into the host laser or stand between it and the device.

P. Yro expects the final specifications to be released as soon as the DoD has agreed on the terms for installing the necessary lasers in home and office environments.

For immediate release

Guido Körber
CHO (Chief Hoax Officer)
USB-APRI, Ltd.
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