Product category:
Communications ICs (Wireless)
News Release from: Broadcom Corp | Subject: CellAirity
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 14 February 2006
Platform addresses next generation
components
Broadcom Corporation has announced its new CellAirity mobile platform to enable advanced, next generation cellular handsets.
Broadcom Corporation has announced its new CellAirity mobile platform to enable advanced, next generation cellular handsets CellAirity is a modular software and hardware platform that provides best-in-class solutions for all of the critical components required for today's advanced mobile devices, including feature-rich functionality, 2G and 3G cellular connectivity, multimedia acceleration, and support for both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi protocols
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 14 Feb 2006 at 8.00am (UK)
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This platform is delivered to the market at a critical transition point when many cellular service providers are migrating 2G users to advanced 3G HSDPA/WCDMA and Edge networks.
This migration will offer consumers more advanced features and data services, which are expected to drive market growth and increased operator revenues.
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By developing on the CellAirity platform, manufacturers of next generation connected devices can bring their products to market quickly, and with the assurance that the components implemented are among the most advanced in the industry.
"The new generation of connected handsets and other devices is characterised by the convergence of advanced voice, data, audio and video functionality", said Yossi Cohen, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Broadcom's Mobile Platforms Group.
"With the broadest portfolio of leading mobile hardware and software products in the industry, Broadcom is uniquely positioned to offer an all-inclusive platform for the next generation of advanced mobile devices".
The CellAirity platform is based on proven and field-tested hardware and software components.
Customers can begin their designs with a handset reference design that includes a Broadcom cellular baseband processor, and then select from a variety of industry-leading Broadcom solutions, including advanced multimedia processors, and Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and voice over IP (VoIP) solutions.
CellAirity software consists of a common carrier approved communications protocol stack, a modular applications framework, and a set of pre-integrated messaging, web access, games, multimedia and connectivity applications.
The ability to easily add peripheral hardware functionality and software applications enables further versatility, allowing handset designers to adopt a modular platform approach to create a family of handsets spanning features and price points, all developed on a common, field-proven platform.
"Handset makers will be increasingly interested in vendors who can offer a 'complete solution' for next generation devices, which will feature an ever widening array of features and applications", said Mario Morales, Vice President of Semiconductor Research at IDC.
"The availability of solutions such as the Broadcom's CellAirity platform can help OEMs to rapidly include these new features in their advanced handsets".
The CellAirity platform hardware is based on Broadcom GPRS, Edge, WEdge and HSDPA baseband processors.
Optional hardware includes the BCM2705 advanced multimedia processor, the BCM1161 VoIP processor, and market-leading Broadcom single-chip Bluetooth and Wi-Fi solutions, the BCM2045 and BCM4318e, respectively.
CellAirity software includes a common dual-mode communications protocol stack that has been extensively field and carrier tested across multiple 2G and 3G networks.
Broadcom's Edge solution has been operational in commercial networks for over two years and is carrier certified in over fifteen Edge networks worldwide.
The upgraded dual-mode WEdge stack passes current GCF and PTCRB requirements, as well as interoperability testing by the major suppliers of 3G networking equipment.
The CellAirity platform also includes multimedia hardware accelerators, an extensive array of audio and video codecs, and a scalable and modular applications software framework designed specifically for devices with limited bandwidth and memory.
In addition to offering an internationalised platform with localisable text and multilanguage support, the framework enables designers to take advantage of pre-integrated clients and also allows for rapid, independent development of new applications.
Broadcom is demonstrating the CellAirity mobile platform at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona un til 16th February 2006 on Stand C78 in Hall 1.
The various components associated with the CellAirity platform are shipping in production quantities and sampling to customers.
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