The NVM Insider, Issue 6 - Page 5 - Customer Corner

Customer Corner:  WHDI – The New Standard for Wireless Whole Home Uncompressed HD

AMIMON uses OTP memory in implementing the WHDI security layer

Noam Geri, VP Marketing & Business Development, AMIMON Inc.

Wireless Home Digital Interface™ (WHDI™) is the new wireless High-Definition video standard that will change the way people use Audio/Video devices in the home. WHDI is the first and only standard that enables top-quality wireless uncompressed HD video delivery throughout the home, allowing consumers to connect any source in the home to any display.

WHDI is based on a revolutionary video-modem technology operating in the 5GHz unlicensed band in which the wireless transmission is optimized for video delivery. Uncompressed HD streams up to 1080p/60Hz with deep color can be transmitted wirelessly through walls, and with a range of over 30 meters.

WHDI can enable a wireless link between HDTVs and sources such as set-top-boxes, DVD players, gaming consoles and computers. WHDI is also ideally suited for enabling a wireless uncompressed HD connection between TVs and portable devices such as notebook PCs, netbooks and even smart-phones and portable media players. As more and more content is being accessed via the Internet and decoded on PCs, WHDI enables consumers to view this content also on a large screen TV.

WHDI uses Hollywood approved HDCP 2.0 for copy protection and defines an additional WHDI security layer for access control and privacy. The HDCP 2.0 copy protection protocol, which is controlled by DCP LLC, protects the rights of the content owners by preventing copying of the content delivered over the wireless link. HDCP 2.0 uses an RSA key exchange algorithm to establish an encrypted link and requires robust and secure storage of the HDCP keys. AMIMON uses OTP memory in its WHDI semiconductor components to store these keys.

The WHDI security layer is an additional security layer that is intended to prevent unauthorized access to the WHDI home network and ensures the privacy of the wireless transmissions. The WHDI security layer is based on a home domain method in which users will register new WHDI devices into their WHDI home domain. All devices within the home domain are authorized to communicate with each other. The WHDI security layer relies on RSA keys for encryption and certification and these keys are also stored on the WHDI ICs using OTP.

Pre-WHDI standard products based on WHDI’s video modem technology have been in the market since 2008, including wireless HDTVs and accessories by leading TV manufacturers as well professional and medical system manufacturers. The WHDI specification is now available to adopters and WHDI modules by multiple module makers are available now, enabling interoperable WHDI products to be available to consumers in 2010.

For more information please visit www.amimon.com or www.whdi.org or email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it