Sunday, August 17, 2008

Ozmo Devices' Low Power Wi-Fi Pan Attracts Avago and Wolfson

Ozmo Devices, a start-up developing low-power Wi-Fi Personal Area Network (Wi-Fi PAN) solutions, announced design wins with Avago Technologies and Wolfson Microelectronics.


Ozmo and Avago announced a complete optical mouse design kit leveraging Ozmo's Wi-Fi PAN solution. Ozmo Devices' Wi-Fi PAN solution enables connectivity between peripherals such as mice and headsets and Wi-Fi-enabled platforms. The reference design kit, OZMO-AV35-RD, utilizes Ozmo Devices' OZMO1000 IC, and Avago's ADNB-3532 optical mouse sensor.


Ozmo Devices and Wolfson Microelectronics are collaborating to deliver an audio reference design to manufacturers of audio peripherals leveraging Ozmo's Wi-Fi PAN technology. Ozmo Devices' Wi-Fi PAN solution enables connectivity between peripherals such as mice and headsets and Wi-Fi-enabled platforms. The OZMO1000 Audio Reference Design utilizes the Ozmo Devices' OZMO1000 IC and Wolfson Microelectronics' WM8987L low-power CODEC.http://www.ozmodevices.com

  • In June 2008, Ozmo Devices, a start-up based in Palo Alto, California, unveiled its low-power silicon + software solution for Wi-Fi Personal Area Networks (Wi-Fi PANs). The technology extends the existing Wi-Fi ecosystem while providing an alternative to Bluetooth or other short range wireless technologies.


  • The company aims to bring native low-power peripheral connectivity to Wi-Fi platforms. With an estimated 100 million Wi-Fi-enabled notebooks expected to ship in 2008, Ozmo's low-power Wi-Fi chip could enable connected mice, headsets and other personal electronics. Ozmo Devices' approach does not require an additional radio inside the platform or a dongle to communicate with the peripheral. The technology achieves a data rate of up to 9 Mbps and a latency significantly below standard Wi-Fi. Ozmo achieves this using a TDMA-like overlay protocol, however it uses standard 802.11-based packets for native coexistence with Wi-Fi networks. The implementation also supports 802.11-compliant security .


  • Ozmo Devices is headed by Dave Timm, who previously spent 15 years at Maxim Integrated Products, where he was Managing Director of the Notebook Power Business Unit. The company was co-founded by Dr. Katelijn Vleugels (CTO), who previously was with Atheros and who served as a Consulting Assistant Professor at Stanford, and Roel Peeters (Vice President of Marketing), who previously was a senior member of the solutions marketing group at Actuate, a business intelligence software company.