OMRON Corporation, a global leader in electronic components, sensing and control technologies, announced that it will launch a new SMD Polymeric Antenna (type:WXA-N1SL) for short-range, wireless Ultra-Wideband (UWB)applications. Product launch is scheduled for 1 June, 2006.

Driven by consumer demand for simple wireless functionality, “point-and-shoot” usability and increasingly mobile lifestyles, the wireless communications market, led by Bluetooth™ and wireless LAN, has shown phenomenal growth over the past few years. UWB is now attracting particular attention as a solution for high-speed, high volume reliable data transmission over short distances.

UWB is a recently commercialized short-range wireless technology, expected to be widely adopted in consumer goods. Applied in dongles, personal computers, printers, mobile telephones, digital televisions and DVD players, UWB functions as a low-power-consuming wireless USB (universal serial bus), allowing users to transfer large amounts of data rapidly between various devices in close range. For example, UWB makes it possible to transmit high definition video data wirelessly between a high definition digital TV and DVD player, thereby eliminating the need for expensive and unsightly wires.

Due to the wide frequency range on which UWB operates, electronic devices need to be equipped with a special ultra-wideband antenna for UWB-compatibility. While various antennae are currently in the market, OMRON’S new SMD Polymeric Antenna (type:WXA-N1SL) combines both compact size with high-performance, utilizing the computer’s proprietary molding technology and dielectic polymer material. As a result, with OMRON’S antenna, ODMs and OEMs deploying UWB can benefit from flexibility of antenna shape design without compromising on size or performance. Capitalizing on its expertise in precision manufacturing OMRON has now succeeded in mass production of the antenna at its factory in Shiga prefecture, Japan.