Four years after Huawei was expelled from the Bluetooth Alliance...
Author | Li Jiaman
Source | Blue Blood Study (Lanxueyanjiu)
The wireless short-range communication technology led by Huawei is called StarFlash, and the technology iteration has been so far, and Huawei officially released NearLink on August 4, 2023. Yu Chengdong, Executive Director of Huawei and CEO of Device BG, said: "Starflash technology will enter the Hongmeng ecosystem, inject more powerful connection power into Hongmeng Internet of Everything, and bring users lower latency, lower power consumption, wider coverage, and more secure connection technology, thus completely subverting the ecological pattern of traditional Bluetooth technology.
On September 25, 2023, Huawei held an all-scenario new product launch conference in autumn, and released a number of terminal products using Starflash technology. Huawei FreeBuds Pro 3 was officially released, which has a built-in audio chip that supports Polar code technology (the core technology of Star Flash) - Kirin A2; The new generation of acoustic flagship Huawei FreeBuds Pro 3 was officially unveiled, this headset is equipped with the world's first audio chip Kirin A2 that supports Polar code technology (the core technology of Star Flash); At the same time, Raytheon Technology officially announced that it officially joined the Star Alliance and will launch the world's first e-sports mouse ML903 using the core technology of Star Link, which is the world's first e-sports brand for NearLink technology cooperation; At the same time, Huawei officially released the world's first 13.2-inch flexible OLED tablet MatePad Pro equipped with HarmonyOS 4, the newly upgraded HUAWEI M-Pencil (third generation) with Starflash technology, and a new intelligent magnetic keyboard with PC-level input experience. At the same time, Huawei also released the first M-Pencil third-generation stylus equipped with NearLink technology.
Also on the same day on September 25, the concept of Huawei Star Flash increased, and Chuangyao Technology (688259) soared by more than 8%.
Speaking of the birth of Starlight, we have to start with Huawei's sanctions by the United States in 2019, after which Huawei was revoked its membership in the Bluetooth Technology Alliance. When everyone was ready to accept Huawei phones without Bluetooth, who knew that at that time the honor 20 launched a "super Bluetooth technology", called "Green Fang". Moreover, this "super Bluetooth technology" has a lower delay than ordinary Bluetooth, and the transmission distance is longer and more stable.
Dramatically, the Bluetooth SIA reinstated Huawei's membership.
01
Starflash's "bull breaking" technology disassembly
As a new generation of wireless short-range communication technology, Starflash is newly designed from 0 to 1, driven by the needs of personalized, diversified and innovative experience in the era of the Internet of Everything. Fortunately, this technology is native to China and brings together the collective wisdom of more than 300 leading domestic enterprises and institutions. As a new generation of wireless short-range communication technology, Starflash can meet the needs of multiple scenarios such as smart cars, industrial manufacturing, smart homes, and personal wear, and has the characteristics of low latency, high reliability, accurate synchronization and multi-concurrency.
Simply look at Huawei's "star flash black technology", what is good "cattle"?
1. First of all, Starflash has established its own set of standards to completely unify WIFI and Bluetooth; 2. In terms of transmission range, Starflash is 60 times that of Bluetooth and 2 times that of WIFI; 3. In terms of transmission rate, Starflash is 18 times that of Bluetooth and 1.8 times that of WIFI; 4. In terms of delay, Starflash is only 1/5000 of WIFI and 1/1500 of Bluetooth; 5. In terms of the number of connected devices, Bluetooth is 8, WIFI is 256, and Starflash is 4096 devices connected at the same time; 6. Old equipment compatibility needs to be equipped with Starflash chips, there are currently more than 300 Starflash Alliances, and there will be large-scale needs for Starflash chips in the future; 7. Starflash has broad application scenarios. In the future, the cables in the car will be replaced by star flash sensors; Whole-house smart home wiring will also be replaced with Starlight.
Huawei is to actively develop advanced wireless communication technology to reduce dependence on foreign technology, so Starflash "came into being". Traditional wireless connection technology Bluetooth has various problems in the application process, such as unstable connection, slow transmission speed, high delay, etc., more importantly, Bluetooth technology has dependencies and external restrictions, and these stars are well iteratively solved.
Chasing the past and present of technology, take a good look at what the star flash is?
For example, in short-range wireless communication, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi technology have always been the mainstream, but after more than 20 years of development, these two have carried heavy historical baggage in order to be forward-compatible, and they are gradually unable to meet the needs of the new era. Huawei successively launched Super Bluetooth (X-BT) and Green Tooth technology standards, which were later changed to Starlight. Based on Huawei's self-developed wireless chip, Super Bluetooth technology can intelligently determine environmental factors and Bluetooth signal strength, and has become the world's first Bluetooth technology to achieve a stable connection distance of more than 200 meters. Green Tooth technology further improves the problems of distance, delay and anti-interference ability.
In this way, it is clear that "star flash" is actually a similar short-range wireless communication technology to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, although it is "similar", but its birth is aimed at the lack of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, so in the architecture design and many technical details, will be more advanced.
For example, the standard between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi is separated, Bluetooth focuses on low power consumption, Wi-Fi pursues high speed, each has its own advantages but is not compatible. The "Star Flash" takes this into account from the architectural design and makes a standard multiple patterns.
Now, Starflash technology is divided into two modes: one is SLB suitable for low-power and lightweight connection requirements, the other is SLE that deals with high-speed, large-transmission, high-quality connection scenarios, SLE benchmarks Bluetooth, SLB benchmarks Wi-Fi, and the basic services and applications above these two modes are integrated and unified, which is equivalent to combining the advantages of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
In SLE mode, the air interface bitrate can reach 12Mbps, which is 6 times that of Bluetooth. In MLE mode, the air interface bitrate can reach 1.2Gbps, which is twice that of Wi-Fi. This means that Starflash technology can realize functions such as lossless sound quality transmission, high-definition video transmission and oversized file transfer.
In terms of latency, Starflash technology has also made significant breakthroughs. The delay in SLE mode is only 1ms, which is one-tenth of Bluetooth; The latency in MLE mode is 10ms, which is one-tenth that of Wi-Fi. This low latency makes the wireless mouse experience comparable to that of a wired mouse.
Among them, SLE benchmarks Bluetooth, and is the same as Bluetooth on the 2.4GHz unlicensed frequency band, but it is more advanced in specific technology, can achieve ultra-low latency and power consumption, and has stronger performance and longer coverage distance than Bluetooth.
For example, in the human-computer interaction scenario of keyboard and mouse, the delay of SLE can be as low as 250us, while Bluetooth can only achieve 7.5ms. Not only that, but it can also bring wireless mice to a 4K refresh rate, and ordinary Bluetooth mice are only 125Hz. This can be done thanks to Starlight's use of a lot of 5G-like technology in air interface technology, and it is more advanced than Bluetooth and Wi-Fi in technical details.
For example, Starflash is very similar to 5G in OFDM and CP design, time domain and frequency domain scheduling particles, and even uses 5G's Polar coding technology, so it also brings sensitivity gain and anti-interference ability.
In terms of anti-interference ability, it is 7dB higher than Bluetooth in SLE mode and 10dB higher than Wi-Fi in MLE mode. In terms of positioning accuracy, it can reach the decimeter level in SLE mode and centimeter level in MLE mode. These advantages make Starflash technology widely used in smart cars, industrial manufacturing and smart homes.
Such a bullish technology, what makes people "arrogant" is that Huawei is the main contributor to the research and standard formulation of Starflash technology, and it is not a follower, but a standard setter and a leader. At the Huawei developer conference HDC, Huawei terminal CEO Yu Chengdong officially announced the combination of Hongmeng System 4.0 and Starflash technology, and brought many application scenario demonstrations of Starflash technology, which was also quite amazing.
02
Star flash "360 degree" experience + application scenarios
Huawei has matured and become the "central point" of industry technologies and application scenarios, so how does Huawei's star flash "360 degrees" create a matrix of all aspects to "link" the use experience and application scenarios of science and technology?
First of all, in the Hongmeng ecosystem, Starflash can bring the following six innovative user experiences:
1. Lower energy consumption: Compared with Bluetooth, Starflash can reduce power consumption by 60% and extend the battery life of the device.
2. Faster speed: Compared with Bluetooth, Starflash can increase the transmission rate by more than 6 times, reaching 12Mbps, realizing the fast transmission of high-definition videos and large files.
3. Lower latency: Compared with Bluetooth, Starflash can reduce the delay to 1/30 of the original, only 20 microseconds, to achieve real-time interaction and synchronization between devices.
4. More stable connection: Compared with Bluetooth, Starflash can improve the anti-interference ability by 7dB, ensure a stable connection between devices, and avoid signal loss and interruption.
5. Wider coverage: Compared with Bluetooth, Starflash can improve the signal coverage by more than 2 times, reaching 100 meters, and realize a longer distance wireless connection.
6. Larger networking: Compared with Bluetooth, Starflash can increase the number of terminal networking by more than 10 times, reaching 4096 units, realizing the intelligent interconnection of more devices.
It can be seen from these parameters that Starflash technology completely surpasses Bluetooth technology in performance, and is also superior to Wi-Fi technology to a certain extent. These advantages make Starflash technology a "central figure" in the field of the Internet of Things, which can link more possibilities and provide a more efficient and stable solution for communication between devices.
Secondly, with such a strong technical advantage, in the Hongmeng ecosystem, Starflash technology has achieved the following application scenarios:
1. Audio transmission: Using Starflash technology, users can wirelessly transmit the audio content on the mobile phone or tablet to the headphones or speakers, and enjoy high-quality music and voice experience. At the same time, users can also remotely control headphones or speakers through mobile phones or tablets, such as adjusting the volume, switching songs, etc.
2. Data collection: Using Starflash technology, users can wirelessly transmit data on smart wearable devices such as bracelets or watches to mobile phones or tablets to view their health status and exercise data in real time. At the same time, users can also remotely control the smart wearable device through the mobile phone or tablet, such as setting the target, opening the mode, etc.
3. Wireless screen projection: Using Starflash technology, users can wirelessly project video content on mobile phones or tablets to the TV or projector to enjoy the visual experience of large screens. At the same time, users can also remotely control the TV or projector through the mobile phone or tablet, such as adjusting the brightness, switching channels, etc.
4. Wireless BMS: Using Starflash technology, users can wirelessly connect the battery management system (BMS) on the electric vehicle to the mobile phone or tablet to view the status and performance of the battery in real time. At the same time, users can also remotely control electric vehicles through mobile phones or tablets, such as turning on air conditioning and booking charging.
In addition to these application scenarios that have been realized, Starflash technology has broader application prospects. For example, in the field of smart home, Starflash technology can realize wireless connection and control between home appliances such as lamps, air conditioners, and refrigerators; In the field of intelligent vehicles, Starflash technology can realize functions such as on-board active noise reduction, keyless entry, on-board hands-free call, panoramic surround view, and wireless ambient lights. In the field of intelligent manufacturing, Starflash technology can realize robots, sensors, wireless connection and control; In the field of intelligent medical care, Starflash technology can realize wireless connection and control between medical equipment such as electrocardiograms, blood pressure monitors, and blood glucose meters.
Huawei's plan is that in addition to the Mate 60, all products will be equipped with Starflash technology to create an internal ecosystem. NFC is a very useful basic technology for the Internet of Things, based on it, Starflash can be applied to various industries and fields.
At present, the products that have been formed are:
For example, a wireless mouse used on a computer can take advantage of technology to enable a faster, more stable, and more secure connection. Remote consultation or minimally invasive surgical equipment used in smart healthcare, which requires extremely high precision and extremely low latency data transmission, can also be achieved with technology.
Smart cars and smart wearable devices used in the Internet of Vehicles, these devices can realize the interconnection between people and cars, cars and cars, and people through technology. For example, if you are using a mobile phone equipped with technology, you can wear a smart headset or watch, and then connect to the vehicle's central control system (CDC) through the technology, and then communicate with the mobile phone in the back seat through the CDC. At the same time, it is also possible to interact with the vehicle's central computer (CCU). In this way, intelligent connectivity in many ways is possible. Moreover, there are many sensors on the vehicle, and they can also be transmitted and analyzed through technology. In fact, Bluetooth 5.0 can only connect up to 8 devices, while NearLink can connect 4096 devices. Therefore, in the field of intelligent vehicle connection, its use is very extensive. And Wi-Fi can meet the connection needs, but the power consumption is so large. NearLink can realize the car and mobile phones, watches, etc. at the same time linkage, and the power consumption of the terminal is indeed relatively small, it uses half of the power consumption of Bluetooth 5.0, or even only 1/3 of the power consumption, and then it can reach 6 times the transmission rate, so Starflash can perfectly solve these problems.
The third application scenario is smart home. For example, now watching TV at home, NearLink can support more than 8 handles at the same time, and 10 sensors send and receive signals at the same time. For example, there are 8 people in the family, you can play a VR or MR game at the same time, these sensors can send and receive signals at the same time, and when the error alignment is in the microsecond level, whether it is the action of the head drive, or the subtle movement of any part of the body, it can achieve an accurate capture.
For example, if you use NearLink, within a certain distance, you can project the virtual image directly in front of the eyes, which is equivalent to seeing the virtual image, and carry out an accurate voice capture. Using NearLink's headphones, you can hear no noise when talking on the phone or talking to your family, as shown in the picture to watch a 3D stereoscopic movie.
From emotion to rationality, Huawei can already formulate a new generation of technology universe.
03
Starlight's ambition
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, in fact, the research and development background of "Star Flash" is very sad, in order to prevent the rise of Chinese science and technology, in addition to no longer providing terminal chips to Huawei and no longer buying and selling Huawei products, SD Alliance, Solid-State Technology Alliance, USB Alliance, Bluetooth Alliance, WiFi Alliance also expelled Huawei. At the same time, in the sanctions, the United States stripped Huawei WiFi connection agreement, Huawei can only make a new gesture to fight with international organizations, the result is that Huawei has to concentrate on researching another new technology for the connection of short-range network transmission equipment, so the star came into being.
Such a bullish "star flash", is there no ambition? I don't believe it.
Looking at the link is looking at the function, and the function of Starflash unleashes ambition, opens the next era, and provides effective substantive equipment for the Internet of Everything.
Smart home can be controlled without connecting to the network, and the biggest function of Starflash is to form a real-time traffic information network on the future traffic, the signal light will transmit data to tell the vehicle traffic lights, the left front wheel of the front vehicle will tell the right rear wheel of the vehicle behind, please keep a distance, turn signals, brake warnings appear in real time on the display screen of surrounding vehicles, realize the distribution of vehicle and vehicle data, and provide effective hardware support for China's early realization of unmanned driving. With the help of detection equipment, Starflash also reports its location to surrounding vehicles and surrounding transportation facilities in real time, which will make China's smart transportation come earlier than the world, and the huge market of 1.4 billion can give birth to this technology, in Huawei's words, this technology can only be born in China.
Thanks to these features, Huawei's AITO will apply NearLink technology to the Internet of Vehicles. Externally, some industrial manufacturing units, such as SIASUN, want to carry out a wireless synchronous control of NearLink motors, as well as Xpeng Motors and Zhiji, also want to apply NearLink technology to their products, and some domestic industrial groups such as Qianxin, 360 and other large enterprises also want to reach a cooperation with Huawei.
The white paper on the industrialization of Starflash pointed out that according to the progress of standards, commercial chips and modules, the large-scale commercial landing of Starflash is expected to be realized in 2023-2024. At present, more than 320 large manufacturers have joined the Star Alliance, including: China Unicom, China Mobile, China Telecom, BAIC, SAIC and other car companies, Tencent, JD.com, vivo, OPPO, Lenovo, Inspur Information, Huiding Technology, Runhe Software, CATL and other technology manufacturers.
All in all, one good man and three gangs, Huawei has found its own technical aircraft carrier. Founded in September 2020, the Star Alliance is an industry alliance committed to globalization, with the goal of promoting the innovation and industrial ecology of SparkLink, a new generation of wireless short-range communication technology, carrying new scenarios and applications such as smart cars, smart homes, smart terminals and smart manufacturing to meet the ultimate performance requirements. So far, there are as many as 140 member units, covering the entire industry chain, including chips, test instruments, modules, terminals, automakers, etc.
The A-share listed companies involved are: Gaohong Shares, Ronglian Technology, Chuangyao Technology, NavInfo, OFILM, Goertek, Guokewei, Sumavision, BDStar, Inspur Information, Changan Automobile, Dongfeng Motor, Great Wall Motor, BYD, China Mobile, China Telecom, Hikvision, Midea Group and so on. The Star Alliance has also gathered more than 300 members, including domestic upstream universities, research institutes, operators and leading car companies, covering chip design, manufacturing, integration and terminal and other fields.
It can be seen that Starflash technology has been widely recognized and supported.
04
Conclusion
The spark of the stars is about to burn? Huawei's "star flash" technology, is it that the Bluetooth Alliance regrets it? Can Huawei's Starflash technology completely replace Bluetooth Wifi and NFC?
To put it another way, Starflash technology is Huawei's powerful contribution to the era of the Internet of Things and the entire new era. The Internet of Things refers to a network that connects various information sensing devices with the network through the Internet to realize intelligent identification, positioning, tracking, monitoring and management. The Internet of Things is considered to be the third information technology revolution after computers and the Internet. However, for the Internet of Things to be truly intelligent and pervasive, it needs to solve many problems with wireless connection technology. For example, there are great limitations and challenges in the number of devices, transmission speed, signal coverage, power consumption, etc.
Starflash technology is to improve and innovate in response to these problems, providing a more efficient and stable wireless connection solution for the Internet of Things, through Starflash technology, the Internet of Things will be able to achieve larger scale, higher speed, lower power consumption, lower latency, more stable and reliable device interconnection.
Finally, Starflash technology is Huawei's powerful call for global technology cooperation. In today's world, science and technology have become an important force to promote social progress and the development of human civilization, and the development of science and technology is also facing some unfavorable factors, such as geopolitical interference, trade protectionist obstacles, intellectual property disputes, etc.
The Starflash technology is Huawei's powerful counterattack to the "differential treatment" of the United States, Huawei did not succumb to the hegemonism of the United States, but accelerated the pace of independent innovation and self-reliance with a more firm and confident attitude. Huawei has achieved remarkable results in many fields such as chips, operating systems, and wireless connections, and Starflash technology is one of them, which not only surpasses Bluetooth technology, but also establishes its own ecosystem.
At this moment, Huawei has jointly formulated the Starflash standard with all parties through the Starlight Alliance and actively shared Starflash technology, which not only reflects Huawei's openness and inclusiveness, but also reflects Huawei's responsibility and responsibility.