Micrel Semiconductor Corp, the San Jose, California-based analog and power management integrated circuits company, says it has produced a reference design for connecting up wireless peripherals using its QwikRadio technology, as an alternative to infrared.
QwikRadio uses the 900MHz ISM industrial scientific and medical radio frequency band, and can be used for wireless keyboards, mice and other peripherals. The infrared techniques currently in use tend to be highly directional and therefore unreliable, as well as expensive, the company said. Radio waves are basically non-directional. Micrel says this is the first of several reference designs it is planning for the QwikRadio technology. The next will target wireless control of video games.
