30th November 2006

New Developments in Class 1 Bluetooth: TriQuint Launches PA MMIC & CSR Qualiies First Class 1 Single-chip Solution

Amongst highlights of this year’s Electronica show was TriQuint Semiconductor introducing an InGaP HBT Bluetooth power amplifier MMIC. At the same time, CSR announced the qualification of the world’s first Class 1 Bluetooth single-chip solution. The BlueCore device is part of the company’s 5th generation silicon and is also the first product from the BlueMedia roadmap.

TriQuint’s new chip enables designers to achieve high efficiency and low power enhanced data rate v2.0 Class 1 operation while offering 50% PAE for longer mobile device battery life.

This new amplifier is ideally suited for longer-range Class 1 designs increasingly being targeted by manufacturers of Bluetooth-enabled products.

According to a recent Strategy Analytics report, the Bluetooth market is growing at a compound annual rate of 24%, with total projected 2006 device shipments to exceed 420 m units. TriQuint’s amplifier is designed to support the Class 1 needs of this growing market.

Meanwhile CSR announced the qualification of the world’s first Class 1 Bluetooth single-chip solution (in silicon). The BlueCore device is part of the company’s 5th generation silicon and is also the first product from the BlueMedia roadmap, incorporating a sensitive FM radio receiver in a small, single-chip design.

Available in 4x4mm WLCSP or 6x6mm VFBGA packages, BlueCore5-FM features the highest performance Bluetooth on the market today, offering connectivity of up to 3Mb/s and unrivalled output power of +10dBM. This allows the device to easily cover the 100m range required for a Class 1 Bluetooth radio without the need for an external amplifier - all within a PCB footprint of only 39.2sq mm.

“Bluetooth technology has evolved significantly in terms of power consumption and the reduction of interference with other radios,” explained Matthew Philips, Senior VP Mobile Handset Connectivity Strategic Business Unit, CSR. “BlueCore5-FM demonstrates that we can now provide Class 1 connectivity for handheld devices without compromising on battery life or bill of materials.”

BlueCore5-FM has been designed specifically for mobile handsets and consists of an FM receiver operating at the thermal noise floor of -111dBM and CSR’s EDR BlueCore radio. As a single-chip solution, BlueCore5-FM offers double the functionality without taking up valuable space on the board whilst also reducing the analogue component count and total BOM compared to the dual-chip alternative.

“It’s no longer simply a question of integrating a number of different functions within a handset. These days it’s about whether designers can implement high-end functionality without blowing the budget on an expensive BOM or wasting valuable PCB space. BlueCore5-FM sets a new benchmark for the industry in terms of both functionality and performance.”

website: www.triquint.com