Bluetooth chip to enhance desktop datarates

Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR IC is the smallest and enables the lowest-cost Bluetooth design to date, intended to drive adoption of Bluetooth technology in laptops and desktops.

The Atheros AR3011 is the first member of the ROCm (radio-on-chip for mobile) family of Bluetooth devices from Atheros Communications.

It is the industry's first Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (enhanced datarate) solution for PCs.

Atheros' AR3011 is targeted to the PC OEM market in which the company has deep technical experience and strong customer relationships.

The single-chip solution is the smallest and enables the lowest-cost Bluetooth design to date, intended to drive adoption of Bluetooth technology in laptops and desktops.

Atheros' Bluetooth solution for PCs supports wireless LAN (WLAN) coexistence and simultaneous usage of multiple Bluetooth-based devices.

The growing number of wireless applications has increased demand for Bluetooth technology in PCs.

Last year, Bluetooth penetration of the laptop market was estimated at 31%.

By 2011, it is expected to grow to 74%.

The desktop PC market is also expected to increase its adoption of Bluetooth technology as the cost to implement the technology declines.

More than ever, consumers want Bluetooth to connect wireless mice, keyboards, MP3 players, headsets and mobile phones to laptop and desktop PCs.

Atheros has a leading position in the PC OEM market with its high-performance 802.11n, 802.11a/g and 802.11g WLAN chipsets.

The company is now leveraging its wireless expertise and strong PC OEM relationships to deliver the first Bluetooth solution optimised for PC platforms.

Atheros' world-class integration enables low systems costs that will drive adoption of Bluetooth technology into an array of PC platforms, ranging from enterprise-class laptops to budget desktops.

Atheros will offer the AR3011 in combination with the company's highly-integrated wireless LAN products.

These solutions will provide superior WLAN and Bluetooth capabilities in low-cost and compact half mini PCI Express card designs.

The efficient combination of Atheros' WLAN and Bluetooth technologies will enable PC OEM customers to deliver the complete wireless complement to wired Ethernet and USB connectivity, universal to all personal computers.

The coexistence of WLAN and Bluetooth is becoming so prevalent in wireless-enabled devices that industry activities have recently begun with the objective of implementing wireless LAN as a part of the high-speed physical layer in Bluetooth technology.

Today, Bluetooth PC solutions are based on re-purposed handset products with external parallel Flash memory, which drive the need for BGA packages and higher cost modules.

Rather than re-purposing a Bluetooth solution used in mobile products, Atheros is the only company to deliver a Bluetooth chip uniquely designed for the PC market.

Atheros has architected the AR3011 to achieve the highest level of integration.

The single-chip AR3011 is implemented in standard digital 0.13um CMOS and a low-cost 6 x 6mm QFN package.

Atheros eliminated the need for external Flash by integrating SRAM.

To reduce the number of external RF components, Atheros designed the AR3011 radio to eliminate the need for Balun and matching network.

The AR3011 also offers two-, three- and four-wire TDM coexistence support to provide optimal coexistence with colocated WLAN.

The result of this industry-leading integration is a dramatically lower bill-of-materials (BOM) cost.

The AR3011 requires only six external passive components, more than a 60% reduction in component count, resulting in significant cost savings versus competitive solutions.

The AR3011 is also optimised for low power, featuring a unique radio design and use of innovative system and software partitioning techniques.

The AR3011 provides the complete software solution for PC platforms.

It supports Microsoft Windows Vista and offers a rich set of additional Bluetooth profiles and software for easy integration into new laptops and desktop PCs.

"To date, the Bluetooth market for PC OEMs has been underserved", said Sam Endy, Vice President and General Manager of Mobile Wireless Business Unit for Atheros.

"Our single-chip solution is optimised for the PC platform, offering the lowest BOM cost and smallest form factor in the industry while also supporting wireless LAN coexistence".

"Atheros' Bluetooth technology builds on the company's expertise in the mobile and embedded market to deliver the most complete, wireless networking experience".

The Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR specification, which is expected to be ratified soon, delivers an array of connectivity enhancements which focus on providing increased security and power savings, and enhanced usability.

The AR3011, the newest member of Atheros' ROCm family of embedded mobile technologies, features a USB 2.0 device interface, dual 1.2V voltage regulators, integrated 32bit CPU, and integrated RAM.

Atheros' patent-pending innovations, including VCO fine frequency control and a hybrid offset zero IF architecture, contribute to the AR3011's high performance, manufacturability and competitive cost.

The AR3011 silicon will be available in the first quarter.

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