Recent innovations in wireless technology have been rapid, even by the standards of fast-paced electronics development. Across the frequency bands, standards and technologies are evolving, and this looks set continue for the foreseeable future.

Take, for instance, applications working with shorter-range wireless. The emergence of the ultra-wide-band system offers the ability to go wireless with peripherals such as graphics printers and VDUs, instead of being restricted to low-performance peripherals such as mice and pointers. This can now be achieved with a reduced component count and power consumption, using the BGA2714 silicon Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit from NXP Semiconductors (See page 080429). For medium-bandwidth solutions that allow reliable transfer of speech as well as data, Bluetooth has been leading the way, with high levels of adoption in the mobile handset and PDA market, and Bluetooth is also finding a home in broader applications such as the PC market.

To enable these designs, National Semiconductor has introduced two optimised modules, including a command interpreter that removes the need for Bluetooth expertise (See page 080433).

ZigBee™, once seen as a direct competitor of Bluetooth, is now proving its worth in an industrial environment, where it can support robust and low-power data networks. A low costper- node also means that ZigBee is making inroads into cost-conscious products, such as lighting control systems. To accelerate projects using second-generation ZigBee-compliant solutions, Freescale Semiconductor has launched three new reference designs detailed on page 080424.

The next few years will be a testing time for wireless technologies as they struggle for maturity or fall along the wayside. This issue of FTM features a spectrum of the latest wireless components taken from a selection of leading manufacturers. These components will help engineers to adopt emerging standards, optimise their designs and keep at the forefront of wireless innovation.