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News Researchers develop terabit wireless antennas

Discussion in 'Article Discussion' started by Gareth Halfacree, 5 Mar 2013.

  1. Gareth Halfacree

    Gareth Halfacree WIIGII! Lover of bit-tech Administrator Super Moderator Moderator

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  2. SpAceman

    SpAceman What's a Dremel?

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    Getting an IC to send/receive the data is going to be a nightmare.
    Expect silly amounts of buffering.
     
  3. Bede

    Bede Minimodder

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    +1, hard drives of all varieties are still the major bottleneck here - this may be able to transfer at multiple terabits per second, but if there's no memory capable of reading or writing at that speeed this is pretty irrelevant.
     
  4. law99

    law99 Custom User Title

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    It's a bit like saying the wheels on my car are rated to 200mph.

    Yes, that is as much as the tyres can take... but the car won't go past 88mph without setting fire to the ground and causing a whole heap of additional confusion. Got pretty weird between me and my Mum also.
     
  5. CraigWatson

    CraigWatson Level Chuck Norris

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    lol! +rep for the reference ;)
     
  6. Gradius

    Gradius IT Consultant

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    Cancer anyone? I don't like wireless one bit, much less the mobile phones (even more cancer).
     
  7. Gradius

    Gradius IT Consultant

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    Hence, IBM already put information than 1THz = kills and mutate your DNA !
     
  8. Blackshark

    Blackshark What's a Dremel?

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    As the transfer (theoretical) rate increases, the efficiency decreases. Hence our new 802.11AC gear is only 20 to 30% better than the best N gear - but should be 2 to 300% better - at least if I listen to the marketing teams at every single manufacturer.

    So by the time we get up to Terabit connection - it will likely only be 100% better than 802.11N gear (3x3). Ill keep that thanks.
     
  9. Nexxo

    Nexxo * Prefab Sprout – The King of Rock 'n' Roll

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    The only drawback is that if you walk through the beam you spontaneously combust.
     
  10. azazel1024

    azazel1024 What's a Dremel?

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    The heck with main storage being a limitation here, memory interface with be a limitation here. There aren't all that many video cards running GDDR5 that can push beyond 1Tbps data rates, let alone 100+Tbps.

    Your average computer only has around 25GB/sec of main memory bandwidth...roughly 1/5th what this thing is "supposedly capable of".

    I think the other issue you are going to have is this is likely to be ridiculously LoS, not simply uber short range. So basically you are likely to have to line this up pretty precisely AND be at super short range. I guess I could see it as a physical connector, but with no actual electrical contact (IE something kind of like a mag safe connector, but instead of electrical contacts, antennas in the "connector").

    I mean, I guess I can see how it could be super useful...but I also fail to see how fiberoptics aren't potentially as fast or faster (hint, they are, they run at higher frequencies than terahertz radiation) and you basically need a physical connector with this "invention".

    I mean, I can see a handful of applications where you litterally cannot interface directly, but need to have at least a few cm gap. However, as a replacement for wires...it won't be as you'll still be able to push more through a wire probably both in theory and in fact (higher frequencies possible, easier to multichannel it by bundling multiple wires or fibers). And of course the obvious that it only works at roughly a meter or less...and likely you are going to need a surface antenna on receiver and transmitter and likely can't have ANYTHING inbetween as it likely won't be able to penetrate even a piece of paper (maybe glass or another substance that is opaque to terahertz radiation).
     
  11. azazel1024

    azazel1024 What's a Dremel?

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    Well 802.11ac gear is 5Ghz stuff and the best 802.11n 3:3 40Mhz stuff I have seen can only push 180-200Mbps on an ideal day, downhill with a tail wind (the best 2.4Ghz stuff 3:3 40Mhz I've seen something north of 200Mbps, around 240 is the best I have seen...again, downhill with a tail wind). The early 802.11ac 80Mhz stuff I have seen (claimed 1300Mbps speeds) seems to hit roughly 340-360Mbps at best, which is about an 80% increase in speed compared to the best 802.11n 5Ghz routers I have seen with only a claimed increase in speed of 288%.

    So, your comparison isn't completely out, but the gains are somewhat better than what'd you mentioned...and this is also only the first generation of 802.11ac (draft). I'd suspect, even without some of the "exotic" 4:4 and 160Mhz setups future 802.11ac will bring, we will likely see somewhat better routers and clients come down the pike even for just regulary 1300Mbps 802.11ac stuff. I wouldn't expect miracles, but it might push 400Mbps in the end.

    Anyway, you get roughly 1/3rd of the claimed increase in performance (claimed, 288%, actual about 80%).

    Still and all, I'd take over 300Mbps in halfway decent conditions!!! My current 802.11n 2:2 40Mhz router and laptop Wifi card can only hit about 140Mbps actual data rates downhill with a tail wind and I consider that pretty decent.

    I just wish they'd bring some of the improvements of 802.11ac to the 2.4Ghz realm. Sure, you can't do 80Mhz in 2.4Ghz (there isn't enough spectrum), but there isn't really anything stopping you from running 4:4 spatial streaming or doing 256QAM encoding (802.11n is 64QAM). Just 256QAM gets a theoretical bump up from 150Mbps per stream to 200Mbps per stream. I don't know how well that bit tracks on real vs theoretical speeds...but I'll take anything I can get in 2.4Ghz.

    My current spread is a 1 acre property and I need at least 2APs to cover the thing (well, with better APs/Antennas. Currently my 2 cover the house really well, but outdoors the coverage extends to most of my front yard and only about 50% of my rear yard). That is in 2.4Ghz. 802.11ac is supposed to be pretty good with range...but I bet it could be better doing 2.4Ghz and some of the stuff from the 802.11ac specs.

    Though...maybe I am mistaken though. Maybe 802.11ac APs and Wifi cards CAN do some of the 802.11ac trickery in 2.4Ghz (though obviously limited to 40Mhz). Bah. Whatever.
     
  12. abezors

    abezors Lurking since '08

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    Less hating on graphene please! It's turning out to be *the* material of the future. The amount of new and existing roles it can improve or invent are growing every month.
     
  13. ch424

    ch424 Design Warrior

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    ... have you never heard of Moore's law?

    Most modern CPUs push far more than 1Tbit/sec around. Once this technology actually reaches production quality, there'll be no problem saturating it.
     
  14. Glix

    Glix Left Thumb Stick in the mud.

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    My USR 5462 still works. :>

    My biggest gripe is signal fluctuation and crappy aerials. :( What's the point of all of the bandwidth if it drops to 10kb/s because of a dead zone or aerial cable breakage.
     
  15. SlowMotionSuicide

    SlowMotionSuicide Come Hell or High Water

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    I'd be perfectly happy for a wireless technology that wouldn't crap out on me once or twice a day. :(

    As it stands my wireless network coverage and signal strength is excellent everywhere in the household, except where I decide to place the laptop. And the router requires hard reset at least once a day.
     

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