Cypress Semiconductor Corp. (San Jose, CA) and its WirelessUSB took a step toward standardization, announcing a second source agreement with Atmel Corp. According to the agreement, Atmel will license Cypress' 2.4 GHz technology and algorithms, being capable of shipping compatible devices as of the third quarter in what both companies say is an important step toward open standardization of the technology. The technology will be offered and supported via Atmel's sales and support channels, while also continuing to be offered by Cypress.
"Our target market for WirelessUSB is what we call human input devices," stated Director of Marketing and Applications for WirelessUSB Rich Kapusta. "Historically that market has been served by proprietary solutions. Wireless, if you look at the stores today, is really a market that needs a standard way of interfacing different components. Although WirelessUSB has been very successfully adopted as a proprietary solution, customers are asking for the next step."
