Synaptics Untethers Users with Wireless Docking
February 08, 2022
Blog
The Holy Grail for mobile workers has always been the ability to dock their laptop (and other mobile devices) wirelessly. Wired docking has been around for decades and provides many advantages to the mobile user. Taking that application one step further and removing the physical connections has many advantages, but admittedly, it’s a non-trivial feat.
Synaptics recently announced a reference platform, dubbed Gemini, that offers a true wireless dock, using WiFi 6/6E. Gemini is a hardware-software solution that can add dual 4K displays in an environment that’s virtually indistinguishable from a wired dock. All the user needs to do is be within range of the hardware to create the desired untethered experience.
The suite of hardware and software elements includes the radio (BCM43752), a video interface IC with DisplayLink dynamic graphics compression (DL-1950), a media-agnostic USB (MA-USB) interface that allows all devices to connect to the dock side while managing messaging over WiFi, and a network processor SoC that manages the radios and performs the MA-USB virtualization.
While Gemini initially focuses on notebook PC docking, the technology is applicable across other devices, such as tablets, gaming, and VR platforms that require point-to-point, high-fidelity, multi-stream video-over-wireless. The Gemini wireless dock reference design is available now.
Rich Nass is a regular contributor to Embedded Computing Design. He has appeared on more than 500 episodes of the popular Embedded Executive podcast series, and is a regular contributor to the Embedded Insiders podcast.
Rich has been in the engineering OEM industry for more than 35 years, and is a recognized expert in the areas of embedded computing, Edge AI, industrial computing, the IoT, and cyber-resiliency and safety and security issues. He writes and speaks regularly on these topics and more.
Rich is currently the Liaison to Industry for the Embedded World North America Exhibition and Conference, and has held similar positions with the global Embedded World Conference and Exhibition.
Previously, Rich was the Brand Director for UBM’s award-winning Design News property. Prior to that, he led the content team for UBM Canon’s Medical Devices Group, as well all custom properties and events. In prior stints, he led the Content Team at EE Times, handling the Embedded and Custom groups and the TechOnline DesignLine network of design engineering web sites.
Nass holds a BSEE degree from the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
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