Cambridge Silicon Radio
Cambridge Science Park
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Cambridge CB4 0WH
UK
Tel: +44 (0)1223 692000
Fax: +44 (0)1223 692001
Web: www.cambridgesiliconradio.com
Email:
BlueCore
Single-chip Bluetooth Solution
March 2002: CSR provides a one-stop shop, with expert applications
engineering support on hand to advise on the minor integration steps
required. Simply call your local office to discuss your application, or to
obtain a sample. Availability: development samples with application in
external Flash (BlueCore2-External) Now. The masked IC solution with
on-chip codec and Headset Profile in ROM (BlueCore2-ROM): Q2, 2002.
Versions with a customized Headset Profile: 3 months from order.
'Breakthrough' Bluetooth performance for volume electronic OEMs -
starting now with an initial developer’s version with its external memory
interface, BlueCore2-External, a version with a standard HCI build of the
Bluetooth stack in ROM (BlueCore2-ROM) and a range of ASSP variants.
BlueCore2 offers twice the range of BlueCore1, at 40-50% of the power
consumption. It operates over the full industrial temperature range (-40 to
+85 °C), and is fabricated using a finer (0.18 µm) CMOS process and new
VF-BGA packaging to deliver a space saving of 50%. Initially available with
an external memory interface to suit developers (datasheet), it will be
followed by a version with the HCI Bluetooth stack in ROM (BlueCore2-ROM),
and then in Q2 2002 by a variant with 8Mbits onchip Flash.
Single Chip Bluetooth System Pre-Production
Information Data Sheet (10/01, PDF)
BC212013A (UART only version), BC212015A (USB and UART version)
BlueCore01 Single Chip Bluetooth System (2000, PDF)
BlueCore2-External System Architecture
BlueCore2-External Device Diagram
BlueCore2-xx. Four application-specific standard parts ASSPs are planned
for 2002:
- BlueCore2-Audio: onchip codec to implement single-chip headset
(includes Flash, but CSR will offer ROM versions)
- BlueCore2-CDMA: radio-only Bluetooth device for systems hosted by a
CDMA chipset, with BlueQ1/Q2 interface
- BlueCore2-ARM: onchip ARM7-TDMI and DSP cores for implementing
Bluetooth access points, cordless phones …
- BlueCore2-DSP: onchip DSP core for MP3 decoding, JPEG encoding, echo
cancellation etc, plus loudspeaker driver
Evaluation Circuit for BlueCore2-ROM
Intro to BlueCore Products (11/01,
1.9MB PDF)
Bluetooth
qualified modules
Modules using CSR chips improve your time to market. CSR BlueCore™
Chip is featured in many pre-qualified Bluetooth Modules. CSR is fully
qualified to the Bluetooth 1.1 specification.
Partners already signed to CSR's module partner program include: ALPS
(Japan), Ambit (Taiwan), BlueWinc (Korea), GemTek (Taiwan), Integra Telecom
(Korea), LG Innotek (Korea), Mitsumi (Japan), Samsung Electro-Mechanics
Co., Ltd. (Korea), Uniwill (Taiwan), USI (Taiwan) and Zenocom (Korea).
BlueCore2-Headset:
a ‘ready-to-go’ Bluetooth solution for headsets CSR provides all the
elements required to implement a Bluetooth equipped headset, and offers the
BlueCore2-Headset product as a complete and ready-to-use (or adapt) design
solution.
The Bluecore™ chip architecture represents a concerted
attempt to keep external component count to an all-time low. A complete
Bluetooth system can be built around one BlueCore chip, with the addition
of the following external surface-mount components, all of which are small
and low-cost:
| Crystal |
4 low-value decoupling capacitors |
4 RF blocking/RF matching capacitors |
1 miniature tantalum capacitor (2.2 or 4.7µF) |
1 SOT23 pass transistor for onchip Vreg. |
Compared with a conventional Bluetooth system (left),
BlueCore is a true single-chip solution eliminating the vast majority of
external component typically required.
Ready-to-use application software: example headset
In addition to a C compiler and
source-level debugger, the BlueLab
SDK includes an example Embedded Audio Gateway (EAG) application. This
is believed to conform to the Audio Gateway, as specified in the
Bluetooth™ Headset Profile (K-6). The Audio Gateway supports credit
based flow control for RFCOMM by default but if necessary can also be
operated using the old style FCON/ FCOFF flow control. CSR's Connection
Manager library is used to provide basic connectivity support to the
EAG. The EAG can be used together with CSR's headset
application to provide an example implementation of the Headset
Profile.
The Embedded Audio Gateway (EAG) runs entirely 'on-chip' and the HOST
communications subsystem is used to communicate with it. The Audio
Gateway has a well defined message interface and the driver application
uses BCSP channel 13 to send messages to the Audio Gateway and receive
messages from it. The example application EAG driver provides just such
a front end to the EAG. Once the EAG application starts up, it is fully
controlled by sending messages using the HOST communications, subsystem
and cannot be driven using the PIO lines for example. |
 |
This software is provided as part of the BlueLab development package
for embedded BlueCore applications.
The BlueLab SDK for fully-embedded Bluetooth applications
BlueCore™
devices incorporate an on-chip RISC microcontroller, allowing highly
cost-effective single-chip Bluetooth™ solutions to be developed for
relatively simple embedded applications such as headsets and human
interface devices (HIDs). CSR has created a powerful software Development
Kit (SDK) called BlueLab™ to support such projects.
BlueLab is based on the proven GNU C compiler. The software allows users to
create on-chip ANSI/ISO C programs in user space, while maintaining the
integrity of the pre-certified Bluetooth protocol
stack thanks to BlueCore's virtual
machine environment.
It additionally includes a powerful Windows-driven source-level debugger
offering familiar monitoring and debugging features, plus a utility
providing packet-by-packet breakdowns of transmitted and received data.
Using the VM and BlueLab, the user is able to develop applications such
as a cordless headset or other profiles without the requirement of a host
controller. BlueLab is supplied with example code, including a full
implementation of the headset profile.
Application software support
To further speed time to market, CSR includes ready-to-use application
software for BlueCore-based embedded systems:
… plus a small library of software modules including:
- Connection Manager, to establish RFCOMM connections between a pair of
devices
- Audio Sample Player for any application requiring audio feedback
- a Scheduler and Timer
- I2C driver for expanding embedded system I/O
These provide a proven foundation that allows you to concentrate on the
added-value aspects of your application - shaving weeks or perhaps months
off time to market. Further application software has been prototyped by
CSR, and will be released as soon as final profile specifications are
ratified by the Bluetooth SIG.
One Casira™
development system (an 'end point') is required to develop BlueLab
applications - which CSR includes in the purchase price of US $999; click
to order. (Note that users who buy the full dual-Casira development
system - which includes the BlueLab SDK - also gain access to CSR's module
reference designs.)
What the package comprises:
hardware: a BlueCore2 IC, with its on-chip processor for running the
headset firmware (initially supplied on a development board for
evaluation/test), then in ROM for commercial production) software: embedded
application code implementing the Headset Profile, which runs on BlueCore2
via a virtual machine - maintaining the integrity of the pre-qualified
Bluetooth stack
How to implement this solution:
evaluate the product using a BlueCore2-External sample supplied in the
form of a pre-qualified Bluetooth module - on an easy-access development
board. This implements headset software in Flash, allowing it to be
customized if required using the BlueLab development environment mount
sample into position in your headset design, add antenna (positioning is
important but we can advise), and start evaluating prepare the design for
manufacturing using an existing CSR reference design to implement the
hardware while CSR produces ROM version of your design
How to acquire this solution:
CSR provides a one-stop shop, with expert applications engineering
support on hand to advise on the minor integration steps required. Simply
call your local office to discuss your application, or to obtain a sample.
Availability: development samples with application in external Flash
(BlueCore2-External) Now. The masked IC solution with on-chip codec and
Headset Profile in ROM (BlueCore2-ROM): Q2, 2002. Versions with a
customized Headset Profile: 3 months from order.
- No in-depth research into Bluetooth required
- On-chip RISC processor eliminates need for additional host
microcontroller
- Proven design - no integration of components from multiple suppliers,
and no RF skills are necessary
- Supports Sniff, Hold and Park power-saving modes, for optimum embedded
system performance
- The Bluetooth stack is pre-qualified, necessitating qualification of
just the application profile software
- True 'one-chip' design delivers ultra-compact, ultra-light solution
- You can adapt the application software to add value and differentiate
your solution The silicon, BlueCore2, is all-CMOS for lowest cost and
certain supply
- You deal with one supplier only - CSR RF engineering advice is freely
available
