Intel to integrate radio into processors

Intel Corporation outlined its plans to continue to accelerate the convergence of computing and communications through silicon innovation. Speaking at the Intel Developer Forum, Senior VP and Intel CTO, Pat Gelsinger outlined Intel’s ‘Radio Free Intel’ approach for integrating radios into future processors and for developing adaptive radio platforms, making wireless communication ubiquitous. Additionally, Eric Mentzer, Intel VP and CTO of the Intel Communications Group, discussed Intel’s plans to accelerate the deployment of broadband wireless infrastructure worldwide.

Pat Gelsinger

Fueling the renaissance of radios

“Over the next decade, majority of the world will communicate wirelessly,” Gelsinger says. “Intel is accelerating the convergence of computing and communication by bringing the benefits of lower cost, scalability and faster-pace-of-innovation to radio technology. As a result, wireless communication will become truly ubiquitous and transparent to the user, making a flexible, high-capacity, standards-based wireless infrastructure even more crucial.”

Gelsinger indicates that Intel is fueling the ‘renaissance of radios” by making significant progress to develop silicon radios using industry-leading low-cost, scalable manufacturing process technology.

The company has successfully developed core radio components using its 0.18-micron digital CMOS process, including the world’s fastest voltage controlled oscillator (a radio component that determines the frequency at which signals are transmitted and received) in CMOS operating at speeds greater than 75 GHz. By building these and other analog radio components with a digital manufacturing process, Intel aims to lower the cost of adding wireless capabilities to future products.

While silicon radios are at the heart of the Radio Free Intel strategy, Intel is also developing a radio platform that will adapt to its environment and its user. 

It is also playing a significant role in the development of 802.11n, a next-generation WLAN technology with significantly higher throughput. The new WLAN standard would enable approximately three times the performance of current 802.11 solutions, allowing users to transfer more data wirelessly in a set period of time.

In addition, the company is researching adaptive communication technologies for future devices that communicate with each other transparently while also adapting to the dynamic needs of the user. Gelsinger informs that this new class of mobile devices, called “universal communicators” will transparently and seamlessly connect to multiple networks and services.

 DQCI NEWS BUREAU