Cambridge, UK-based CSR plc has voiced its support for the Bluetooth special interest group's (SIG) move to integrate ultrawideband (UWB) technology into the Bluetooth specification. By adding the option of a much higher rate UWB physical layer (PHY) onto Bluetooth, the new Bluetooth standard will bring a new dimension to short-range wireless communications, said CSR.

CSR will continue to work within the Bluetooth SIG to help finalize the new Bluetooth standard. CSR has updated its roadmap and will launch a Bluetooth product supporting UWB after the new Bluetooth standard is ratified by the Bluetooth SIG.

The new Bluetooth standard with UWB will provide much higher data transfer rates than standard Bluetooth and will be well positioned to target home entertainment applications such as high-definition (HD) video streaming. Such applications require very high speed, stable transmission of extremely large data packets over a relatively short distance, such as from a set-top box to a plasma screen.

By using the same established Bluetooth communications protocol stack and profiles above the new UWB PHY, the new Bluetooth standard will allow devices to interoperate at very high data rates when deployed in different end equipment. It will not be necessary to invent a new protocol stack for UWB and the debugging work involved in establishing real-world interoperability will not need to be repeated. Using the common, established Bluetooth protocol stack and profiles allows the new Bluetooth standard to be operated in modes fully backward compatible with products already equipped with Bluetooth, making up the world's largest installed base of products with embedded short range wireless technology.

“The Bluetooth SIG has proved that the success of a standard depends on the close cooperation of the key silicon and software design companies,” commented Tom Siep, technical director, architecture, CSR. “The new Bluetooth standard with UWB will be subject to Bluetooth's rigorous qualification process and standardization procedures, factors that go into making Bluetooth the stable and widely accepted standard it is today.”

Representatives from companies involved in the new Bluetooth standard with UWB will be able to discuss this new standard in an open forum and then find neutral territory in the form of the UnPlugFest events to test their products and ensure interoperability and coexistence, prior to final testing and qualification. By bringing UWB into the Bluetooth fold, products will qualify to a proven standard and move to market much faster thanks to the extensive testing and qualification process.”

“As a company, we are committed to enhancing the wireless world and with this aim in mind, we are constantly researching wireless technologies that we think have potential. We have been working on a high-speed UWB PHY for some time and welcome the Bluetooth SIG's announcement, stated James Collier, CTO and co-founder, CSR. The combination of Bluetooth's complete communications system with the UWB PHY allows real working products with very high data rates to be brought to market much more rapidly, without suffering further delays in the standardization process.”

CSR recently demonstrated UniFi-1, its first 802.11b/g single-chip for hand-held consumer electronic devices, to the public at London's WLAN event. The company continues to build on its competitive lead in the Bluetooth market, following the successful adoption of its enhanced data rate (EDR) BlueCore4 chip family.

For more information, visit www.csr.com