IC and Standards Developments
"Yournet" <[email protected]> Sat, 27 Dec 2003 11:33:51 -0800
| Newsgroups | gmane.network.wireless.barwn |
|---|---|
| Message-ID | <[email protected]> |
This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0019_01C3CC6D.4D6DF820 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable There are four major things happening in IC, 802.11 and wireless MESH = standards that will have a big impact on community wireless groups. 1) IC manufacturers are being pushed into single chip wireless designs = that add in as many features as they can think of to get an edge on the = competition. This is typical of ICs in any field but is particularly = true for wireless IC designs because of a number of factors including = the rapid growth of WiFi and stage of IC development that allows mixing = of analog and digital functions on the same CMOS ICs. The SOIC design = environment also makes it possible to use available ARM, MIPs or other = processor cores and on-chip SRAM or FLASH type memory plus standard cell = I/O controllers, etc. =20 2) The 802.11i standard (in development) requires higher security and = pretty well dictates the use of a separate 'encryption engine' and = routing processor. IC manufacturers have already jumped on this = requirement and item #1 competitive pressures to incorporate an ARM = (most common) or MIPs communications processor, a programmable = encryption engine, and some SRAM or FLASH in addition to the usual = Ethernet, USB, external memory and other features. While not available = on all of the new chips (IC customers are given the option to use their = own external processor, etc.), the cost difference of parts with these = on-chip capabilities and without is minor and the trend is toward them. 3) To do wireless MESH and generally provide a higher level of wireless = security, 802.11i is being crafted in a way that end-to-end encryption, = authentication, quality of service and rights management are doable. To = do end-to-end authentication while keeping data secure, even at the = board level of the hardware, the data needs remain encrypted. The high = level of encryption (3DES and similar) takes a significant amount of = processing power. So putting an encryption processor on the wireless = chip rather than offload this to a host processor, assures that data = can't be tapped into and lag time is reduced to a minimum - something = that can be important when the system is used for real time = communications. 4) Intel and Cisco have initiated an IEEE working group (ESS Mesh) for = the purpose of establishing a common standard for wireless MESH = networking. This group will hold it's first meeting at the upcoming = IEEE session in Vancouver, BC on January 20th. What's more, Intel has = announced that it plans to incorporate W-MESH as a standard capability = that is available with it's Centrino products starting around the middle = of 2004. What this boils down to is this: during 2004 hardware will make it = possible to load W-MESH right into the memory and run by the processor = of the WiFi chips on common cards, APs, etc. without the need for a = Sokris, Via-EPIA C3 or other host box. =20 The moves by Intel and Cisco to initiate an IEEE standard and come out = with hardware that incorporates W-MESH might bee looked at with = suspicion by some people . . . but rather than bitch about it, the = thing to do is take advantage of this as a way to get cheap, commonly = available hardware into the market that enables community wireless.=20 Robert Syputa ------=_NextPart_000_0019_01C3CC6D.4D6DF820 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; = charset=3Diso-8859-1"> <META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2800.1276" name=3DGENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>There are four major things = happening in IC,=20 802.11 and wireless MESH standards that will have a big impact on = community=20 wireless groups.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>1) IC manufacturers are being = pushed into=20 single chip wireless designs that add in as many features as they can = think of=20 to get an edge on the competition. This is typical of ICs in any = field but=20 is particularly true for wireless IC designs because of a number of = factors=20 including the rapid growth of WiFi and stage of IC development that = allows=20 mixing of analog and digital functions on the same CMOS ICs. The = SOIC=20 design environment also makes it possible to use available ARM, MIPs or = other=20 processor cores and on-chip SRAM or FLASH type memory plus standard cell = I/O=20 controllers, etc. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>2) The 802.11i standard (in = development) requires=20 higher security and pretty well dictates the use of a separate = 'encryption=20 engine' and routing processor. IC manufacturers have already = jumped on=20 this requirement and item #1 competitive pressures to incorporate an ARM = (most=20 common) or MIPs communications processor, a programmable encryption = engine, and=20 some SRAM or FLASH in addition to the usual Ethernet, USB, external = memory and=20 other features. While not available on all of the new chips = (IC=20 customers are given the option to use their own external processor, = etc.), the=20 cost difference of parts with these on-chip capabilities and without is = minor=20 and the trend is toward them.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>3) To do wireless MESH and generally = provide a=20 higher level of wireless security, 802.11i is being crafted in a way = that=20 end-to-end encryption, authentication, quality of service and rights = management=20 are doable. To do end-to-end authentication while keeping data = secure,=20 even at the board level of the hardware, the data needs=20 remain encrypted. The high level of encryption (3DES and = similar)=20 takes a significant amount of processing power. So putting an = encryption=20 processor on the wireless chip rather than offload this to a host = processor,=20 assures that data can't be tapped into and lag time is reduced to a = minimum -=20 something that can be important when the system is used for real time=20 communications.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>4) Intel and Cisco have initiated an = IEEE working=20 group (ESS Mesh) for the purpose of establishing a common standard for = wireless=20 MESH networking. This group will hold it's first meeting at the = upcoming=20 IEEE session in Vancouver, BC on January 20th. <FONT=20 color=3D#000080><STRONG><EM>What's more, Intel has announced that it = plans to=20 incorporate W-MESH as a standard capability that is available with it's = Centrino=20 products starting around the middle of = 2004</EM>.</STRONG></FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>What this boils down to is this: during = 2004=20 hardware will make it possible to load W-MESH right into the memory and = run by=20 the processor of the WiFi chips on common cards, APs, etc. without = the=20 need for a Sokris, Via-EPIA C3 or other host box. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The moves by Intel and Cisco to = initiate an=20 IEEE standard and come out with hardware that incorporates W-MESH might = bee=20 looked at with suspicion by some people . . . but rather than = bitch about=20 it, the thing to do is take advantage of this as a way to get cheap, = commonly=20 available hardware into the market that enables community wireless.=20 </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Robert = Syputa</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_0019_01C3CC6D.4D6DF820--