Dienstag, 27. Januar 2009

Fully Integrated 5.8GHz Transmitter from RFMD(R) to Comply with China's Electronic Toll Collection Standard

Products targeting at Chinese Electronic Toll Collection market emerge... ...

Greensboro, N.C., Jan 20, 2009. RFMD(R) released industry's first fully integrated 5.8GHz transmitter to comply with China's electronic toll collection standard: "GB/T 20851.1-2007: Electronic Toll Collection - Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC) PartI: Physical Layer".

The transmitter from RFMD(R), ML5830, uses Amplitude Shift Key (ASK) and Frequency Shift Key (FSK) modulation schemes and operating on 5.8GHz ISM band for ETC applications including On Board Unit (OBU) and Road Side Unit (RSU). The FSK mode provides selectable data rates of 1 and 2 Mb/s.

Alastair Upton, general manager of RFMD's Broadband and Consumer Business Unit, said, "As the industry's first fully integrated 5.8GHz transmitter to comply with China's ETC standard, the ML5830 significantly accelerates time-to-market for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) while allowing RFMD(R) to participate in a growing market segment for wireless data. Also, with the implementation of our proprietary FastWave(TM) microcontroller technology, the ML5830 delivers incremental benefits to designers and OEMs in time savings and simplified design."

The ML5830 is priced at $5.00 each in quantities of 10,000 units and is packaged in a 6 x 6 x 1 mm, 40-pin QFN package. Samples and pre-production quantities are available immediately, and volume production is expected to commence in the June 2009 quarter.

The original article is located at:
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=95468&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1246252

Montag, 19. Januar 2009

Traffic Information Center in Bangkok

The intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Thailand Association and National Electronic and Computer Technology Center (Nectec) is going to implement a pilot project, namely the Traffic Information Center. The Traffic Information Center is to offer travelers real-time traffic information so they can choose the best routes for city journeys. The center pools, analyzes and sells the traffic-related information supplied by partner organizations, including Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), the Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT), Don Mueang Tollway, the Traffic Police, and the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP).

The processed real-time information will be disseminated by a group of organizations acting as traffic information distributors.

"For example, Taxi radio stations can be one traffic information distributor. Instead of collecting data and developing their own traffic-information systems, taxi radio stations can partner with ITS Thailand to distribute information to their networks of taxi drivers," Passakon said.

Mobile phone operators are also expected to become partners of the new centre, to provide traffic information via cellphones, and newly-established companies providing paid services to drivers with in-car navigation systems are also expected to join the new system.

as stated in the original report: Real-time traffic information to be pooled, analysed and sold

Dash Selects NAVTEQ Traffic (TM) for Dash's Connected Navigation Service

Dash Navigation selected NAVTEQ Traffic(TM) to power the real time traffic application available to current customers of its connected navigator device, the Dash Express(TM).

"Dash Express customers will be able to access NAVTEQ's live traffic data on their devices and receive continuously updated real-time traffic information in more than 75 cities across the U.S., including visual notification of congestion that allows drivers to see potential traffic delays and avoid traffic problems. NAVTEQ Traffic(TM) offers a comprehensive array of proprietary data sources, including probe, sensor, historical, and combined incident and flow information. NAVTEQ Traffic is the recognized leader in real-time traffic, delivering comprehensive, up-to-the minute accurate information to millions of consumers in North America."

Dash Navigation, who introduced the world's first Internet-connected personal navigation device last year, decided in Nov. 2008 to shift its focus from delivering connected navigation devices directly to consumers to licensing its application and service to run on platforms such as onboard navigation systems, smartphones, PDA, and other consumer electronics.

The original release is available at:
http://www.navteq.com/webapps/NewsUserServlet?action=NewsDetail&newsId=690&lang=en&englishonly=false

Sonntag, 18. Januar 2009

21st International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles

The 21st International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV) is scheduled on June 15-18, 2009, in Stuttgart, Germany.
http://www.esv2009.com/
http://www.esv2009.com/fileadmin/esv/images/keyvisuals/pic_safetyStuttgart1b.jpg

WLAN-based RFID and Vehicular Communication Solutions from ARADA System

Arada's solution shows that the hardware solutions for vehicular communication have been very well developed and are flexible enough for both safety critical and intertainment applications.

SUNNYVALE, CA - Jan. 7, 2009 - Arada System announced complete WLAN-based RFID solution featuring Atheros ROCm® Technology.

The Loc-Air complete hardware and software solution from Arada Systems is the world's first RFID 802.11a/b/g solution, which leverages Atheros' ROCm technology for mobile WLAN and delivers the breakthrough low-power. It can deliver up to 10 years of operation on a standard double AA battery, stated by Arada. The design features Atheros' 802.11a/b/g WLAN technology with a tuning range of 2.3-2.7GHz and 4.9-5.95GHz, as well as Atheros' single-chip GPS technology, an accelerometer, and a temperature sensor that can be customized to meet the demands of various market segments.

"Arada Systems' Loc-Air technology platform is enabling a new class of applications that require extraordinarily low power consumption and enable a host of new applications and markets that extend beyond more traditional WLAN applications such as routers and laptops," said Praveen Singh, president and CEO of Arada Systems. "We are pleased to be the first to offer an RFID solution that delivers the benefits of the full spectrum of both the 2.4 and 5GHz wireless bands. With Atheros' market-proven, cost-effective mobile WLAN solution behind us, I am confident that we will deliver a highly reliable technology to satisfy even the most demanding industrial requirements for high-performance RFID." "Arada's entry into the RFID market with its innovative wireless-enabled Loc-Air technology should expand the adoption of WLAN-based locationing applications in a wide array of markets including healthcare, transportation and security," said Amir Faintuch, vice president and general manager of the mobile business unit for Atheros. "We are pleased that Atheros' ROCm technologies for WLAN and GPS will support Arada's RFID platform with unmatched wireless performance and versatility, with a cost structure that meets the requirements of the emerging, low-power, Wi-Fi sensor and location markets."

To be noticed, by adding expanded frequency support, Arada's LocAir system enables 2.3-2.7GHz, 4.9-5.95GHz, channelization from 20Mhz, 10MHz and 5MHz, which covers the Wi-Fi®, WiMAX, Public Safety, Automotive (802.11p) and all proprietary bands all over the world.

The white paper from Arada on High Bandwidth Application over Wi-Fi Connection with IEEE 802.11p, and IEEE P1609 (WAVE) Protocols (pdf) reveals Arada's solutin on solving the chanllenges in physical layer, and MAC layer with special focuses on channel utilization efficiency and synchronization between multiple wireless nodes. More specifically, the strengths of Arada's solution include:
  • Wi-Fi Radio tuning for FCC Class C Spectral mask
  • Consistent channel switching time of less than 3msec
  • Efficient time synchronization between nodes
  • Low propagation delay from transmit application to receive application
  • Less than 2% loss in broadcast messages used for safety
  • Efficient channel utilization, with high TCP/UDP data throughput used in infotainment applications.
"About Arada Systems

Arada Systems is a leader in advanced software solutions based on Atheros' world-class Wi-Fi chipsets. Arada Systems offers a wide array of products, services, testing solutions licensing solutions. Arada Systems provides solutions to customers that are developing leading-edge applications of Wi-Fi in the enterprise, outdoor, automotive, industrial and consumer electronics market segments. Consisting of a versatile team of leading wireless experts from Atheros Communications as well as other Wi-Fi companies, Arada Systems has the expertise to solve complex issues regarding the use of WLAN technology in a variety of applications. Arada Systems is headquartered in Silicon Valley in Sunnyvale, CA with development centers in India's Silicon Valley in Bangalore. For more information, please visit: http://www.aradasystems.com."

Orignial release: http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Arada-Systems-935209.html

Samstag, 17. Januar 2009

Potential of Electronic Toll Collection Market in China

It is undoubted that there will be a huge market potential in China considering the growing vehicle population. According to Mr. Wang, from ISO Chinese secretary office, China started the investigation on the ETC technologies and deployed experimental spots at Beijing and Guangdong Province. However, due to the lack of coordination there is a requirement on a national wide standard for the Chinese ETC market. It is also addressed by Mr. Wang that the 5.8GHz European DSRC standard has been proposed as the basis of the national ETC standard since 1998. Currently, China is working on evolution from passive ETC towards active ETC system. [1]

[1]: Xiaojing Wang, Yi Guo, Strategy of Chinese ETC Standardization. 2009

Mittwoch, 14. Januar 2009

OKI's World's First DSRC Inter-Vehicle Communication Attachment to Mobile Phone for Pedestrain Safety

TOKYO, Jan. 8, 2009 OKI announced the development of the world's first Dedicate Short Range Communication (DSRC) inter-vehicle communication attachment for mobile phones to connect the pedestrian and vehicles for road safety.

http://japantechniche.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/oki_inter-vehicle-communication-system-300x133.jpg
* Picture from OKI

The so named SPAN (Safety Personal Area Network) System utilizing the DSRC inter-vehicle communication with support of cellular system is aiming at improving road safety for the vulnerable road users, e.g. pedestrian and bicycle riders.

* Picture from OKI

* Picture from OKI

Althrough it is the penetration rate of DSRC equippment on market for both automotive users and cellular phone users that determines the performance of the SPAN system, it is a very promissing technology by exploring the way to combine communication sysetm and transportation system, as well as reveal the potential of wireless communication in inter-connecting machines instead of only people.

The original press from OKI can be found at:
http://www.oki.com/en/press/2009/01/z08113e.html