CSR unveils BlueCore7
CSR has launched the seventh generation of its BlueCore silicon. BlueCore7 integrates Bluetooth v2.1+EDR, Bluetooth low energy (previously known as Wibree), enhanced Global Positioning System and FM transmit and receive technologies. The chip is said to reduce significantly the cost and complexity of adding multiple radios into a mobile phone, whilst reducing power consumption and device size.
Output power has been boosted +10dBm whilst receive sensitivity is said to be –91dBm, extending the range and across body performance. The integrated transmit and receive fm radio means handset designers can offer these features using less space and fewer components.
The Bluetooth and fm radios are said to work simultaneously without interference, allowing fm radio to be streamed from a handset to Bluetooth headphones.
Andrew Frayne, BlueCore 7 product manager, said: “One of the problems with designing systems around fm transmitter is antenna design. There are efficiency issues if it’s the inside casing. To overcome this, we have attacked the problem in two ways. The fm transmitter has a maximum output power of +4.5dBm, but we can also control the gain and matching of the device to the antenna by detecting changes in antenna loading.”
