Broadcom today announced a new combination chip that integrates a complete Bluetooth Version 2.1 + enhanced data rate (EDR) baseband, radio and software, along with an FM stereo radio transceiver, on a single piece of silicon. It’s targeted for mobile devices, adding enhanced voice and stereo audio processing, and industry-leading embedded software functionality using a 65 nanometer (65 nm) chip that saves power and space.
The new Broadcom BCM2049 combo chip enables mobile handset makers to provide “music phones” by expanding upon the basic features of their lower tier products.
According to Broadcom, the chip features SmartAudio™ voice processing and Bluetooth radio enhancements for better voice quality and range along with an integrated FM transmit function that eliminates the need for external adapters and allows audio streaming to automobile and home stereo FM receivers.
An advanced FM radio receiver includes high sensitivity with a 3 dB improvement over previous Broadcom products, station information enhancements through intelligent Radio Data Service (RDS) and Radio Broadcast Data Service (RBDS) processing, and is said to provide superior tuning and station search functions for worldwide frequency bands from 65 to 108MHz.
The Radio Data System (RDS) and Radio Broadcast Data System (RBDS), the version used for the U.S. version of RDS, carries digital information (usually station ID and artist information) on the 57 KHz subcarrier frequency, with data transmitted at 1187.5 bits per second.
The BCM2049 single-chip Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and integrated FM transceiver is sampling to early access customers. Pricing is available upon request.
The company says it will launch a new combo chip every 60 days from today, to match demand from rapidly evolving mobile devices and to build on the seven million units of combo chips it has shipped to date.
Last month the company announced that it will add Wi-Fi positioning to its Location Based Services portfolio. Broadcom will integrate, deploy and offer this new capability using the Wi-Fi Positioning System developed by Skyhook Wireless, which pioneered the development of Wi-Fi positioning.
