Engineers have created a way to integrate Bluetooth wireless, eGPS and FM radio technologies on a single chip, reducing power consumption and improving voice quality for the growing in-car handsfree market.

Developed by CSR, BlueCore7 integrates Bluetooth v2.1+EDR, Bluetooth low energy, eGPS (enhanced Global Positioning System), and FM transmit and receive technologies on a single chip. It reduces the power, size, cost and complexity of adding multiple radios into a mobile phone.

Bluetooth is the most successful short-range wireless technology in use today, with attach rates in handsets expected to reach 55 to 60 percent in 2008. BlueCore7 offers Enhanced Bluetooth v2.1 + EDR radio to deliver better overall range and audio quality. It also includes AuriStream voice CODEC, producing fixed line call quality when using a Bluetooth connection. Inbuilt speaker drivers also allow users to connect headphones directly to the device.

BlueCore7 allow users to stream FM radio from a handset to a pair of Bluetooth headphones. By combining a transmit and receive FM radio with Bluetooth, handset designers can use less space, fewer components and lower cost.

"Building upon our strengths in Bluetooth and our expertise in embedded wireless technologies, BlueCore7 delivers a robust and comprehensive solution that boasts the industry's leading power and performance figures," commented Matthew Phillips, CSR Senior Vice President. "We have seen high demand from our customers for Bluetooth, GPS and FM functionality, coupled with an industry need to keep cost, size and power consumption of embedding such technologies to a minimum."

BlueCore7 will be in volume production from Q4 2008.

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