UWB Transceiver IC Blows Away Bluetooth on Wireless Data Throughput
The Overview: A UWB Transceiver that Outshines Wi-Fi
With claims of up to 40X better data throughput, 25X lower power consumption, and 60X lower latency, Spark Microsystems's SR1120 UWB transceiver represents a large leap forward over Wi-Fi performance.
Who Needs It & Why: Greater Data Throughput for Gaming, Edge AI, and IoT Apps
Many applications, such as AI glasses for augmented/virtual-reality gaming, edge artificial intelligence (AI), and IoT sensors for industrial systems, robotics, and many others, require greater data delivery capability going forward.
The device is said to be suited for body area networks (BANs) as they evolve to integrate implantable medical devices and sensors that transmit neural activity in real-time. In such applications, wireless data transceivers will need to accommodate exponentially larger volumes of data.
Under the Hood: Speed, Low Power, and Low Latency
It's said that the SR1120 delivers significantly lower power consumption and latency as well as improved interference robustness compared to Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and 2.4-GHz radios. Compared to Bluetooth, the SR1120 doubles Spark Micro’s data-throughput advantage from 20X to 40X higher data rates (40.96 Mb/s) while maintaining its edge over Wi-Fi performance. The SR1120 transceiver achieves these performance metrics at about 25X lower power than Bluetooth and 60X lower latency.
Furthermore, compared to other UWB transceivers, the SR1120 brings competitive ranging capability at approximately 100X lower power consumption in a cost-effective architecture. The device offers about 50% greater range compared to the previous-generation SPARK SR1020 and supports multi-antenna configurations leveraging freely licensed spectrum from 6.2 to 9.5 GHz.
The SR1120 UWB wireless transceivers are available today, as is an evaluation kit (EVK) and software development kit (SDK) to quickly assess, prototype, and integrate designs.
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About the Author
David Maliniak
Executive Editor, Microwaves & RF
I am Executive Editor of Microwaves & RF, an all-digital publication that broadly covers all aspects of wireless communications. More particularly, we're keeping a close eye on technologies in the consumer-oriented 5G, 6G, IoT, M2M, and V2X markets, in which much of the wireless market's growth will occur in this decade and beyond. I work with a great team of editors to provide engineers, developers, and technical managers with interesting and useful articles and videos on a regular basis. Check out our free newsletters to see the latest content.
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In his long career in the B2B electronics-industry media, David Maliniak has held editorial roles as both generalist and specialist. As Components Editor and, later, as Editor in Chief of EE Product News, David gained breadth of experience in covering the industry at large. In serving as EDA/Test and Measurement Technology Editor at Electronic Design, he developed deep insight into those complex areas of technology. Most recently, David worked in technical marketing communications at Teledyne LeCroy, leaving to rejoin the EOEM B2B publishing world in January 2020. David earned a B.A. in journalism at New York University.