Belkin unveils MIMO products
Belkin Corp. announced a line of MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) products that includes a router, notebook card, and USB adapter. The Wireless G Plus MIMO system provides a wider coverage area (up to 1000 feet), 10 times faster data speeds than 802.11b systems, and improved resistance to interference from neighboring Wi-Fi and other 2.4 GHz devices. MIMO is a smart-antenna technology that uses multiple radios and antennas to transmit separate signals on each radio.
MIMO promises to increase data speed, range and reliability of wireless networks by using multiple antennas on both sides of a communications link to increase spectral efficiency. While a conventional radio system uses one antenna to transmit a data stream, MIMO uses multiple antennas to combat distortion and interference by simultaneously transmitting multiple data streams through the same channel.
The technology also creates multiple parallel independent channels from a base station to the mobile device and recognizes the unique signatures of these independent paths. Knowing the individual path signature allows them to be used as independent parallel highways, carrying much more data than a single link without increasing network power.