Product category: Reference Designs
News Release from: Cambridge Silicon Radio | Subject: Printer dongle example design
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial Team on 11 September 2003
Printer dongle example
marries USB and Bluetooth
Cambridge Silicon Radio and Cypress Semiconductor have jointly developed the industry's lowest-cost solution for true ad hoc Bluetooth connectivity for off-the-shelf USB-enabled peripherals
The result is CSR's USB Bluetooth printer dongle example design, which enables a total bill of materials of less than $15, bringing together CSR's BlueCore Bluetooth chipset and Cypress's USB On-The-Go (OTG) semiconductor technology. The design can be downloaded from the CSR website. The printer dongle design allows standard USB-enabled printers to receive and print Bluetooth data from laptops - or eventually PDAs, digital cameras or mobile phones - without turning on the printer's host PC.
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 11 September 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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In time, the design will be applied to other USB peripherals, such as storage devices, web cams and audio speakers, creating a range of affordable, host-free wireless connections between Bluetooth and USB devices.
CSR is already providing samples of its complete example design to several manufacturers worldwide, and is expecting volume quantities of products featuring the technology to be available in Q4 this year.
'Products that address both consumer and business markets will help move Bluetooth into a pervasive stage', said Joyce Putscher, Director, at high-tech market research firm In-Stat/MDR.
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'Technology, such as the wireless printing solution from CSR and Cypress, can accelerate this process by offering Bluetooth wireless connectivity and building on standard USB ports'.
'This is the first marriage of Bluetooth and USB of its kind', said Paul Novell, Managing Director of Cypress's Wired Business Unit.
'The fact that CSR, the world leader in Bluetooth, has selected Cypress for this project speaks volumes about their recognition of Cypress as an industry leader in USB'.
Simon Finch, Vice President, Strategic Marketing (Software), CSR added: 'We are happy to be working with other technology leaders such as Cypress to deliver new and innovative solutions to our customers - a list which already includes more than 130 companies making over 60% of the Bluetooth products on the market'.
Finch continued, 'Having combined USB technology from Cypress with our own BlueCore Bluetooth technology, we have enabled an entirely new range of Bluetooth printer adaptors ideal for ad hoc communication'.
CSR and Cypress's new USB-to-Bluetooth dongle plugs into standard USB printer ports, and the technology may eventually be integrated into printer designs.
Cypress's EZ-Host USB controller inside the dongle acts as 'host', mediating data 'traffic' between the portable device and printer.
CSR and Cypress are developing the technology to ensure full compatibility with all USB-enabled printer makes and models and other USB devices.
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