Product category: Communications ICs (Wireless)
News Release from: Broadcom Corp | Subject: BCM2046
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial Team on 29 May 2007
Single-chip Bluetooth goes further and
faster
Device is the first to combine Bluetooth 2.1 features, EDR technology and a Class 1 RF transceiver in a single, monolithic chip.
Broadcom's latest Bluetooth device is the first to combine Bluetooth 2.1 features, enhanced datarate (EDR) technology and a Class 1 RF transceiver in a single, monolithic chip The new general-purpose Broadcom Bluetooth solution supports the most advanced Bluetooth features to provide superior short-range wireless connectivity for a variety of mobile phones, notebook and desktop computers, PDAs and wireless peripherals
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 19 Oct 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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It is also the industry's most highly integrated Bluetooth solution, which can reduce the external bill of materials by more than 80%.
"The Bluetooth market is entering the next phase of its evolution, with long-awaited enhancements to the current Bluetooth specification and tremendous advancements in the areas of range, connectivity and ease of use", says Scott Bibaud, Vice President and General Manager of Broadcom's Wireless Personal Area Networking line of business.
"By integrating Class 1 radio functionality, Bluetooth 2.1 features and EDR in this device, Broadcom will enable next generation Bluetooth performance in a wider array of applications that will expose a growing consumer base to the power and convenience of wireless personal area networking".
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The Broadcom BCM2046 supports the new Bluetooth 2.1 specifications to extend battery life, simplify pairing and enhance security.
As the latest major revision to the Bluetooth specification, version 2.1 is expected to radically simplify the setup and use of handsets and other products that incorporate Bluetooth, while improving the overall user experience.
In particular, the BCM2046 implements the "simple pairing" and "enhanced inquiry response" elements of the 2.1 specification, which were designed to address difficulties some consumers encountered when configuring Bluetooth devices.
The combination of BCM2046 silicon with Broadcom's BTW, BTE-Mobile and BTW-CE software provides OEMs with a highly flexible total technology platform that can enable a full range of Bluetooth applications.
Having shipped hundreds of millions of Bluetooth products, Broadcom has developed the industry's most extensive library of Bluetooth profiles and mature software stack.
This software provides the flexibility necessary to use the BCM2046 chip in a multitude of Bluetooth-enabled devices.
The BCM2046 also supports enhanced datarate technology, which is an industry-standard feature that triples wireless throughput.
Bluetooth products with EDR can be used for more advanced multimedia applications, such as streaming music to multiple headsets or wireless speakers, but remain compatible with legacy devices at lower datarates.
In addition to improving throughput, the BCM2046 addresses previous limitations on the quality and range of Bluetooth links.
Broadcom's Class 1 device offers unparalleled receiver sensitivity and transmitter output power to maintain Bluetooth connections at greater distances - up to ten times farther than Class 2 solutions.
Class 1 devices also use higher output power to combat interference and reduce dropped connections that result from distance and physical obstructions.
The BCM2046 offers the highest level of integration, with on-chip RF matching circuits, balun and power amplifier - an approach that not only reduces the external bill of materials by more than 80%, but also simplifies the manufacturing of Bluetooth products.
Broadcom's powerful radio ensures more reliable links between Bluetooth products and eliminates line-of-sight requirements for portable devices such as mobile phones and wireless headsets.
The BCM2046 also maintains connection quality with Broadcom's InConcert technology, which reduces interference from nearby Wi-Fi products operating in the same 2.4GHz radio frequency as Bluetooth devices.
This is especially important as PC and handset manufacturers incorporate both technologies into notebooks and mobile phones to provide users with a variety of connectivity options.
The BCM2046 single-chip Bluetooth solution is now sampling to early access customers.
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