New Chip Family and Prototype Test System Cover All Worldwide Band Groups at All WiMedia Speeds

Consumer Electronics Show

SUNNYVALE, Calif. & AUSTIN, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Alereon, Inc., Austin Texas-based provider of advanced WiMedia and wireless USB silicon solutions; and LitePoint Corp., Sunnyvale California-based leader in wireless test-system solutions, will demonstrate at next week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas today’s most advanced wireless USB reference design and a test capability that spans development, device verification, and high-volume production. Alereon’s AL5000-based reference design and LitePoint’s test system will highlight band-group 6, the only WiMedia band-group currently approved worldwide.

“While the rest of the market is grappling with partial WiMedia chip solutions, and bolted-together test-instruments for design and verification, Alereon and LitePoint are paving the way for worldwide WiMedia and high-volume production of WiMedia-equipped devices,” said Eric Broockman, Alereon’s CEO.

“It’s great to finally have a chip family that covers the full WiMedia specifications,” added LitePoint CEO, Benny Madsen. “Now, we actually have a reference design that supports all six band groups and WiMedia data rates. As a result, we can show our single-box test prototype’s ability to support full development and fast, low-cost, high-volume testing.”

Wireless “connectivity”

The WiMedia standard covers wireless replacement of the cables that connect today’s electronic marvels. It can eliminate the cable between desktop or laptop and printer; the cable between digital camera or camcorder and TV; as well as supporting wireless communications between two personal media players. WiMedia is a worldwide standard that is the underpinning of both Wireless USB from the USB Implementer’s Forum and Bluetooth from the Bluetooth Special Interest Group. Covering a wide swath of frequencies (3.1 to 10.6 GHz), using band-hopping techniques and very low power transmissions (to limit interference potential while preserving the appropriate distance range) the WiMedia radio provides extremely high data rates while remaining the most battery-efficient way to move large amounts of data.

One of the first WiMedia applications is Certified Wireless USB – a wireless analogy to a wired USB, allowing a wide variety of devices to be attached to an appropriately equipped desktop, laptop, PDA, cell phone, set-top box, and the like. Some market analysts have predicted that the ultimate WiMedia Ultra Wideband (UWB) market will be larger than that of Wi-Fi.

The Wireless Value Chain

Wireless devices, from cell phones to Wi-Fi adapters and access points, are the product of value-chained entities. IC makers enable huge volumes of such products with their standards-based silicon chips and reference designs. Original design makers (ODMs) add value by creating the complete product. Contract manufacturers then turn out high volumes of these products. And, all value-chain entities are orchestrated by the product brand owners.

Alereon’s AL5000 Worldwide WiMedia IC family (AL5100 RF transceiver and AL5300 BBP/MAC) is a key first step in a WiMedia value chain. LitePoint’s proven ability to provide single-box test-system solutions for wireless development and production is another key value-chain success factor.

To remain competitive in these highly charged markets, product brand owners depend on such value chains to go from device concept to high-volume production in a matter of months. Thus, the volume production of Alereon’s ICs, slated for Q1 2008, and LitePoint’s system-level test capability are important milestones in the emerging WiMedia market.

LitePoint Corporation, based in Sunnyvale California, designs, develops, markets, and supports advanced wireless test solutions for: developers and marketers of branded wireless products; consumer electronics and contract manufacturers; and wireless IC designers. Through its in-house expertise in the design of wireless systems and ICs, LitePoint has developed innovative test solutions to assure products conform to specifications, interoperate with other compliant products, and perform as described. LitePoint’s test products address both development and high-volume production, providing its customers with superior return on investment, accelerated time-to-market, improved manufacturing yields, improved product quality, and increased profitability. For more information, visit LitePoint at www.litepoint.com.

Alereon, Inc. is a fables semiconductor company using revolutionary Ultra Wideband (UWB) radio technology to develop high-bandwidth, low-power, low-cost Wireless USB and WiMedia UWB chipsets that are ideal for today’s portable products, like digital cameras, mp3 players and cell phones. Alereon’s mission is to replace with wireless links the complex tangle of wires that interconnect today’s electronic devices. For more information, visit Alereon at www.alereon.com.