DLNA builds momentum and expands focus to consumers

Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) is an organization that envisions products from different manufacturers interoperating with each other across home networks, making it possible to share and enjoy digital content throughout the home. To achieve this goal the alliance has developed a set of guidelines that utilize Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, UPnP and Ethernet to deliver multimedia content to devices. DLNA is comprised of more than 200 companies from around the world, including heavy-hitters like Cisco, HP, Microsoft, Panasonic, Samsung and Sony.
The organization was established in 2003 and has continued to build momentum; DLNA now touts 5,000+ certified products in the marketplace including:
3,800 PCs
31 A/V receivers
27 digital media adapters/set-top boxes
2 game consoles
423 TVs
114 networked hard drives
23 Blu-ray players
20 mobile phones
4 printers
Six DLNA members recently visited consumer electronics company Crutchfield to demo interoperating DLNA certified products. DLNA was also looking to gain insight into the consumer market, as mentioned on the Crutchfield company blog. Awareness among consumers and retailers has become more important as the number of certified products has grown.
To achieve DLNA certification, you should incorporate DLNA standards into your products and put those products through a rigorous test program to ensure that you have implemented the features necessary to comply with DLNA design guidelines. Allion works closely with DLNA to verify that your products can function appropriately when connected to other DLNA certified devices in a home.
More DLNA News

Comparing USB 2.0 and USB 3.0

The popular USB standard continues to evolve. SuperSpeed USB (USB 3.0) is the next advancement in USB technology. It is similar to earlier versions of USB as it supports data transfer between a host computer and devices. It offers data transfer rates up to 10 times faster than Hi-Speed USB (USB 2.0), backward compatibility with previous generations of USB, optimized power efficiency and increased power delivery. Here is a side-by-side comparison between Hi-Speed USB and SuperSpeed USB.

USB 2.0
Technology name: Hi-Speed USB
Specification released April 2000
Data transfer rate of 480 Mbps, 40 times faster than previous generation
Real-world speed: Downloading a 25 GB HD movie from your home server to your notebook takes about 15 minutes
Contains four wires inside the cable
Unidirectional
Backward compatible with previous generations of USB
Power delivery for Hi-Speed USB Devices: 500 mA.
Power-management mechanisms to allow aggressive management of I/O power consumption
Hi-Speed USB devices do not need to be altered to comply with SuperSpeed USB, because SuperSpeed USB is backward compatible.
Look for Certified Hi-Speed USB logo to ensure USB host or device has passed Hi-Speed compliance tests

USB 3.0
Technology name: SuperSpeed USB
Specification released Nov. 2008
Data transfer rate up to 5 Gbps, 10 times faster than Hi-Speed USB data transfer rates
Real-world speed: Downloading a 25 GB HD movie from your home server to your notebook takes about 60 seconds
Contains nine wires; five additional wires
Bidirectional
Backward compatible with previous generations of USB
Power delivery for SuperSpeed USB devices: 900 mA.
Extended battery life of host; improved power delivery for SuperSpeed USB devices
To achieve SuperSpeed USB data transfer speeds, both host and device must be SuperSpeed USB-enabled and SuperSpeed cabling must be used.
Look for Certified SuperSpeed USB logo to ensure USB host or device has passed SuperSpeed USB compliance tests

Standards Compliance Testing

Testing guidelines and certification programs rarely come handed down by a single company. Most compliance testing is the product of standards organizations that create test specifications and logo certification guidelines to ensure accuracy and fairness for all product developers. These standards organizations are major drivers of product certification.
A standards compliance group consists of at least two individuals, companies or organizations who come together to advance a technology. Unlike proprietary solutions where control lies in the hands of a single owner, standards groups strive for technology advancements and interoperability to benefit all participating companies and ultimately, consumers.
Competing organizations come together for a variety of reasons, from creating guidelines to developing specifications, often addressing the needs of consumers. Standards groups face challenges, and conflicting viewpoints and opinions among group members that can hinder an organization. In order for the standards group to be successful, the group’s efforts must be in the best interest of the technology ecosystem as a whole. The benefits and challenges of standards groups are very succinctly discussed in “Standards Matter: The Battle for Interoperability Goes On,” an article published earlier this year.
Once a company within a standards group begins product development, the product is usually tested to ensure that it has implemented the features necessary to comply with the group’s specification or guidelines. Typically, upon achieving certification, the product can bear the group’s logo.
Testing against these standards are conducted in-house, at independent test labs or at testing events hosted by standards organizations (plugfests). Most logo programs require testing be completed at a third-party test lab or at a sponsored event. Testing with a lab ensures developers as well as consumers that privacy, accuracy and honesty were held up in the process of allowing a product bear an assurance logo.

HDMI Unveils 1.4 Specification

HDMI has announced the latest version of the HDMI specification. The new HDMI 1.4 specification offers several advancements:
Adding high-speed networking to an HDMI link, making it possible for consumers to use their IP-enabled peripherals without a separate Ethernet cable.
Allowing an HDMI-connected TV with a built-in tuner to send audio data “upstream” to a surround audio system without the need for a separate audio cable.
Establishing an infrastructure for implementing 3D video, making it possible for 3D displays and source devices to communicate through an HDMI link.
Enabling video resolutions higher than 1080p (4K x 2K video support), paving the way for next-generation displays.
Adding support for additional color models used in both digital photography and computer graphics.
Offering a new Mirco HDMI connector designed for small, portable devices such as phones that supports video resolutions up 1080p.
Offering new cables and connectors for automotive video systems, delivering HD quality in the motoring environment.
The HDMI 1.4 specification is available for download at http://www.hdmi.org/. Our Allion team currently offers HDMI compliance tests and looks forward to certifying HDMI 1.4 products when they’re available.

Integrating WHDI and Wi-Fi

EE Times recently ran a piece highlighting how semiconductor company Amimon is striving to make wirelessly running HD video around the house a possibility. With several companies competing for interoperability in the wireless video space, Chairman and CEO of Amimon, Yoav Nissan-Cohen has a unique solution: “to combine wireless HD video and data.” He is aiming for a wireless network that combines IP-based data and video.
Amimon is a developer of Wireless High-definition Interface (WHDI) technology in the 5 GHz frequency band, and Wi-Fi also operates in this band. Wi-Fi technology is driven by the Wi-Fi Alliance, which launched the Wi-Fi Certified™ program in 2000. Allion currently offers Wi-Fi Alliance testing services for Wi-Fi Alliance members.
While Wi-Fi has penetrated the wireless technology market, it lacks the bandwidth necessary to transfer uncompressed video. Ideally, WHDI can enhance Wi-Fi as it can support high data transfer rates in the 5 GHz unlicensed band. The range of WHDI spans beyond 100 feet and through walls, and latency is under one millisecond, which could marry well with Wi-Fi.
The specifics of how Amimon will combine WHDI with Wi-Fi technology have not been disclosed; however, Nissan-Cohen is anticipating that his company can offer silicon integrating the two technologies before the end of 2010.

1394 Certification: Firewire in MacBook Pro

FireWire has made its return on new Macs. Although the FireWire port was not included on the last generation 13-inch MacBook, it has returned to a new 13-inch model. Apple has announced its updated MacBook Pro line which includes for the first time a 13-inch model in addition to the standard 15-inch and 17 inch models – each model includes a FireWire 800 port. The news has sparked discussion of the significance of this interconnect technology as some questioned the viability of the standard as Apple removed FireWire from the MacBook for a period of time.
The 1394 Trade Association (1394 TA) is the organization that advocates the adoption of the IEEE 1394 standard, commercially known by brand names such as FireWire (Apple) and i.LINK (Sony). The organization serves the interest of companies working to develop products and services related to 1394 in technology markets.
Approved by 1394 TA, Allion offers the 1394 TA logo program, which helps products earn a FireWire and/or i.LINK 1394 compliant logo. Products receiving certification are ensured to be compliant with the IEEE 1394 standard and interoperable with other 1394 compliant-labeled products.
Allion performs a series of tests in a prepared test environment for 1394 devices in mass storage, computer host and image device categories. Allion then determines whether or not the device can work in conformance to the criteria defined in the 1394 certification program. Once a developer’s product earns the compliance logo, the product can use the compliance logo and can also be listed on the 1394 TA Web site.

USB Testing: How Compliance Checklists Fit In

The compliance testing process for most devices is rigorous and detailed. Standards organizations and technology designers, with the help of independent test labs, work together to put together tests that can accurately confirm that the device meets the necessary guidelines that will ensure the product can perform soundly out in the ‘real world.’
But not all compliance measurements can be tested easily. That’s where compliance checklists come into play.
Take USB compliance for instance.The USB-IF provides compliance checklists to developers for two major reasons:
1. As a checklist during the design phase to help designers make sure their products are designed to be compliant2. As a self-disclosure statement of the different areas of product compliance to review prior to USB testing. By checking “Yes” for an item, you indicate that your product design strived for and in your estimate, met that requirement.
USB checklists include:
USB Peripheral Checklist: to be used by vendors building end-user USB peripherals
USB System Checklist: to be used by vendors building end-user systems with USB ports (i.e. motherboards and add-in cards).
USB Peripheral Silicon Checklist: to be used by vendors providing USB building-block silicon (controllers, interfaces, etc.)
USB HUB Checklist: to be used by vendors building standalone hubs or compound devices including a hub
USB HUB Silicon Checklist: to be used by vendors providing USB building-block silicon for HUBs (compound devices too)
USB OTG Compliance Checklist
Wireless USB Device Checklist
Wireless USB DWA Checklist
Wireless USB HWA Checklist
Wireless USB WHCI Checklist
For USB compliance, fill out a soft copy of the applicable checklist and submit a soft copy when registering your product online for USB testing. Note that compound devices should submit both Peripheral and HUB Checklists. For more information on the USB-IF compliance program, visit: http://www.usb.org/developers/compliance

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