Sony single-wire tech could simplify portable devices
updated 08:05 am EDT, Fri August 20, 2010
Sony single wire puts device data on thin cable
Sony today unveiled an approach to shuttling data through portable devices that could greatly simplify how they are built. The technology would merge both the power and data that normally need a wide ribbon cable into a single copper wire with up to 940Mbps of bandwidth. It would use advanced multiplexing to have data going in both directions for everything from camera to the display.
The shift would reduce the amount of space taken up in a device by basic connections but would also increase the flexibility by allowing more room for devices to bend. It would also be more reliable, as the cable would be less prone to snapping or rubbing against other components.
Sony doesn't yet have a timetable for when the technology could reach shipping hardware, but it's working with partner ROHM to "swiftly" make a real-world implementation of a single chip. It's unclear how readily Sony will license out the technology to other companies.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Apr 2005
Single Wire Really Means Single CABLE!
What a bunch of non news, and a misleading headline to go along with it. This interconnect uses THREE "Wires". 2 for the bidirectional differential signals and 1 for the shield. People (myself included) have been doing this for years, and one implementation is known as RS-485. Even sending power over the cable on top of the signals is not new. I'm baffled as to how this announcement made any engineer even raise an eyebrow.