Broadcom Debuts Single-Chip Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and FM for Mobile Devices

Broadcom introduced a single-chip connectivity solution that combines the company's Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and FM receiver technologies onto a single silicon die. The company said the combination of three radio capabilities in a new ultra-low power 65 nanometer CMOS system-on-a-chip (SoC) would enable OEMs to provide rich connectivity features without a prohibitive impact on product cost, size or battery life.



Until now, integrating these technologies in a single product was challenging since multiple radios in the same band can lead to self-interference. Broadcom claims to have solved these issues.



The Broadcom BCM4325 Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/FM transceiver features IEEE 802.11a/b/g (MAC, baseband and radio), support for Bluetooth 2.0 plus enhanced data rate (EDR) that is upgradeable to version 2.1 and an advanced FM receiver.



It uses the company's "BroadRange" technology for robust range performance and also its "InConcert" technology, which consists of software algorithms and hardware mechanisms that enable collaborative co-existence between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, since both operate in the 2.4 GHz radio frequency range. The FM radio receiver supports the European Radio Data Service (RDS) and the North American Radio Broadcast Data Service (RBDS) with superior tuning capabilities.



"Mobile handsets are rapidly evolving into the central point of personal communications, entertainment and information for large numbers of consumers," said Robert A. Rango, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Broadcom's Wireless Connectivity Group. "Our new Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and FM transceiver will help to drive this evolution and enhance devices like digital music players by dramatically reducing the cost and complexity of these key wireless technologies in innovative mobile devices."http://www.broadcom.com