Atheros delivers new family of Bluetooth 4.0 solutions

SAN JOSE, USA: Atheros Communications Inc. has announced two new Bluetooth solutions for PCs and mobile devices, both of which have been qualified for the new Bluetooth v4.0 specification.

The AR3002 is Atheros' new Bluetooth 4.0 system-on-chip (SoC) for mobile phones, tablets, smartbooks and other portable consumer electronics, and the AR3012 provides Bluetooth 4.0 features for notebooks, netbooks, desktops and all-in-one PCs.

By supporting classic, high speed and low energy Bluetooth technologies, Atheros' new chips not only enable robust wireless connections between legacy Bluetooth products, but can also operate with devices such as low-power sensors in wristwatches, home control systems and other devices that aren't traditionally "connected." These solutions provide customers with a flexible platform that meets the communication and battery requirements of a variety of applications.

Key facts
* The new Bluetooth v4.0 specification adds low-energy features to one of the industry's most prolific wireless connectivity technologies. This will expand the possibilities for Bluetooth in health and fitness, home security and automation, smart grid and entertainment applications, which often use devices powered by button-cell batteries that must last for years.

* Atheros was instrumental in the development of the high speed Bluetooth standard, and played an active role in shaping the new low energy specification. Its Bluetooth solutions have been designed into notebooks and netbooks from a majority of the top ten PC OEMs, and provide robust wireless features for a growing number of mobile devices on various platforms.

* Continuing its commitment to open source software, Atheros leverages the GNU/Linux BlueZ architecture as the basis of its Bluetooth host stack, and has added key features to support the latest low-energy Bluetooth applications. Atheros is also working with the Bluetooth SIG to develop an open API that will streamline the development and deployment of low-energy applications.

* Atheros also offers innovative coexistence technologies to improve the wireless experience for devices with both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Its Universal Wireless Cooperation technology minimizes interference by facilitating greater cooperation between the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radios. This ensures glitch-free audio streaming and VoIP calls when using Bluetooth headsets and speakers, and faster Web downloads and flawless media streaming over Wi-Fi.

* Equipped with a configurable Class 1.5 power amplifier, Atheros' new Bluetooth 4.0 products enable manufacturers to customize output power (up to +10dBm) based on the unique characteristics of each device. For example, heart monitors may require lower output power to conserve battery life, while mobile phones can maximize Bluetooth performance by using higher output power.

* To further enable Bluetooth adoption in high volume devices, Atheros continues to push the envelope of system integration. The company has integrated additional components and eliminated the need for external EEPROM memory in its Bluetooth 4.0 solutions, which can reduce a manufacturer's bill of material (BOM) costs by up to 30 percent versus competitive solutions.

* Atheros' latest Bluetooth solutions also reduce power consumption to minimize battery drain in PCs and mobile devices. Since Bluetooth radios spend most of their time in idle mode, Atheros has cut the AR3012's USB suspend current to reduce total power consumption by up to 50 percent compared to other solutions. The AR3002 also utilizes advanced encoding/decoding features to cut power consumption by up to 20 percent for mobile devices.

* The AR3002 and AR3012 Bluetooth solutions are now sampling, and are expected to be in volume production in 1Q 2011.