Until a year ago, IEEE P802.15 had two projects to standardize Ultra Wideband (UWB): Task Group 3a (TG3a) for high speed and high duty cycle applications and Task Group 4a (TG4a) for low power and low duty cycle applications.  Then, TG3a dissolved after a long struggle between two camps promoting different mdulation approaches: Direct Sequence UWB (DS-UWB) and Multi-Band OFDM UWB (MB-OFDM-UWB). Both UWB technologies have found homes: TG3a gave birth to the WiMedia Alliance, which published Ecma-368 based on MB-OFDM-UWB. TG4a included DS-UWB in the draft IEEE 802.15.4a Amendment to the 802.15.4 standard, promoted by the ZigBee Alliance.

Tonight's presentation will cover several topics in this fertile area, including:

• An overview of wireless transports: UWB, WiFi, WiMax, 3G, Bluetooth
• IEEE P802.15 UWB history & politics
• DS-UWB: TG3a, IEEE 802.15.4a
• MB-UWB: TG3a, Ecma-368
• UWB features: data rate, range, power, QoS, ranging, etc
• UWB applications: device connectivity, A/V distribution, IP connectivity
• UWB protocols: Wireless USB, WiNet, Bluetooth acceleration, etc
• Worldwide UWB regulations: frequency & power limits
• UWB mitigation strategies: (LDC, DAA)

Questions from the audience are encouraged.  If you have any specific issues that you would like to hear about, please contact jdecuir@ieee.org.

About our speaker:

Joe Decuir has a 20-year rap sheet in networking and connectivity standards, including EIA/TIA, ITU-T, ETSI, PCCA and the USB-IF.  For the last three years he has been a technical contributor on UWB in several organizations:

• EEE 802.15 TG3a (ranging) and TG4a (ranging and DAA)
• WiMedia/Ecma-368 PHY & MAC
• WiMedia WiNet (association, Compliance & Interoperability)
• Bluetooth Core Spec Working Group (UWB requirements, HCI).

Joe is a senior engineer at MCCI, focused on standards work.  He loves to change the world by developing and then implementing these
standards.  He has also been a program manager & technical evangelist at Microsoft, and Engineering VP at Everex, and a graphics system designer at Amiga and at Atari.  He has a BSEE & MS from the University of California at Berkeley.  He has been active in IEEE Communications Society, Computer Society and Section activities, currently serving as vice chair of the Seattle Section.