New Bluetooth and WiFi Integrated Mobile Solution

Posted By: Ryan Tuesday, June 15, 2004 7:31:26 PM

Philips Electronics has announced a new low power, dual Bluetooth and 802.11b WiFi system on a single chip. The solution is specifically designed for concurrent wireless use in handhelds and smartphones.

Both WLAN and Bluetooth technologies use the same frequency spectrum, which must be shared effectively for both technologies to be used at the same time. Philips has developed specialized hardware and software that is embedded in its WLAN and Bluetooth package to meet this challenge. This means a consumer can use a mobile phone equipped with a Bluetooth wireless headset to make a call while using the same phone to simultaneously check information on the Internet via a WLAN network - without experiencing interference

The new SiP technology from Philips allows essentially all of the components needed for a complete WLAN or Bluetooth subsystem to be contained in a single semiconductor package, and it results in significant space savings.

"The size reduction advantage, the extremely low power consumption and the coexistence technology for 802.11 and Bluetooth create a compelling combination for a wide range of mobile devices," said Paul Marino, vice president and general manager, Connectivity, Philips Semiconductors. "We expect that these WLAN/Bluetooth capabilities will contribute to a dramatic change in the way people use their phones and PDAs, and help to drive increased revenues to service providers."

"The market for converged mobile devices, which will surpass 20 million units in 2004, has demonstrated strong growth potential as consumers continue to show interest in improved devices combining data and telephony capabilities," said David Linsalata, analyst, IDC. "This growth will be driven by evolutions in form factor, pricing and power consumption, made possible in part by advances in chip technology from vendors such as Philips."

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This is nothing new

Duku @ 6/15/2004 8:57:15 PM #

haha first post. The 2 cent question is when is PalmOne going to use this? None of their device is dual wireless.

RE: This is nothing new

burtba @ 6/15/2004 9:41:36 PM #

Oh yeah right, none of this garble is worth the cyber paper its written on. Hey I have a new device coming out that does all a PDA does, all a phone does, and microwave oven, but its coming. yeah yeah yeah

We'll be interested when they actually come out with it, most of this stuff just doesnt come to fuition or hang on sorry its still coming, just like SanDisk, they keep releasing new flash card priorities but the so sought after WiFi SD card for Palm OS is STILL coming. Action talks, words just walk.

Show me the money

Hal2000 @ 6/15/2004 9:03:09 PM #

Great, now I can wait for this too.

Zodiac2/T616
1.128 gigs under the hood.

why???

palmkid @ 6/15/2004 9:47:49 PM #

I dont understand why palmone didn't think of this when the bluetooth/WIFI industry first started hitting its main jump. now it seems that they are a little bit late.

Idiots ... all of you

Token User @ 6/16/2004 7:24:33 AM #

Stop bitching and moaning about "when will the drivers be out for palmOne", etc. Its getting monotonous.

This story does not announce a device with built in Wifi/BT. They are out there. This announces a chip that bundles the functionality of Wifi and BT into a single package. It has zero immediate implications, but gives us a glimpse of where things are going.

The upshot is that futute devices can be smaller, have less complicated motherboard designs, and longer battery capacity. They wont be out next week, but the benefits have got to be good ...right?

We do not have a crystal ball that shows us what Palm are creating int heir R&D labs, or what Sony have in store for us with their refocussed "mobile infotainment" devices, but you can bet that announcements like this are a.) not a surprise to them, and b.) are influencing their product road maps.

Now all we need are drivers ...

~ "Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed." - DV ~

RE: Idiots ... all of you

gmigueis @ 6/16/2004 9:14:47 AM #

Come on PalmOne - Make a T|UX for me... (I know we already have a TUX from SHARP - please don't kill me :)

Not a single chip

fleegle @ 6/16/2004 8:53:31 AM #

I received the same announcement from ElectronicsTalk yesterday.

It really isn't a "dual Bluetooth and 802.11b WiFi system on a single chip." I almost thought the same thing when I first read it.

It is actually two different chips: a Bluetooth SiP (System in Package) and a WiFi SiP. Both chips reduce the size of the area needed for each wireless solution. For example, the Bluetooth "system" requires typically 15 to 20 components (not including the Bluetooth IC). The Philips Bluetooth SiP reduces that to "three external components".

The WiFi SiP has a "small footprint of 150 mm2, 1.3mm height, and requires some 30 fewer components than it's closest competitor."

The two SiPs also have "dedicated hardware interfaces and controller software" which allow the two different RF systems to coexist with each other to reduce interference with each other since they use the same frequency spectrum.

It does reduce the real estate needed for easier intergration into mobile devices and allows for better coexistence of Bluetooth and Wifi. But, it definitely isn't a single chip.

RE: Not a single chip

Token User @ 6/16/2004 10:13:14 AM #

After your comments, I googled for the original press release (over a week old ... hmmm, breaking news). While its not a single chip solution, SiP subsystems are often combined into single solutions - depending upon the support chip needs, and if they can be rationalised as well. But these are definately two seperate solutions (for now).

From the press release, I really liked the zero load factor of the WLAN side - no CPU cycles taken looking for packets, its all done onboard. Not unique in the desktop world ("Wake-on-Lan" ethernet cards use similar techniques), but new for the mobile market, and bound to really increase battery life.

~ "Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed." - DV ~

Yawn....Who cares?

pdouglas12 @ 6/16/2004 1:24:59 PM #

All we read about are the new modules and new Wi-Fi technology that will be available "in the future." We never get the SD drivers for our Tungstens. We never will. Sandisk (http://sandisk.com/retail/c-wifi-sd.asp) still has its Q2 estimate for the OS 5.X drivers. Aren't we in Q2? It's positively Orwellian.