A New Software Upgrade For Bluetooth From Broadcom
June 3, 2010 by Sanjay · Leave a Comment
The Bluetooth for Windows (BTW) software from Broadcom just got upgraded. The Irvine, California-headquartered company has announced the release of BTW 6.4 with a host of features that are new and perform better than the predecessor versions. This software has already shipped 250 million copies since it was first launched.
The software is available with Broadcom’s proprietary chip BCM2070, besides other of its devices.
BTW 6.4 makes possible two new profiles that address two burgeoning domains: Health devices such as weight scales, blood pressure monitors, heart-rate monitors to PCs; and communication between Bluetooth-enabled devices themselves. For these domains, the 6.4 version has Health Device Profile (HDP) and Message Access Profile (MAP) respectively.
While the HDP makes it possible for patients sitting at home get their vital biomarkers checked by medical professionals from a remote location, the MAP makes it possible for users to seamlessly interact with each other on applications such as gaming. This interaction can happen across smartphones, netbooks, notebooks and PCs, or any Bluetooth-enabled device for that matter. The software deploys InConcert Maestro technology to make these ad-hoc peer-to-peer connections.
VideoCore From Broadcom Supports WebM Specs
May 20, 2010 by Sanjay · Leave a Comment
Irvine, California-headquartered Broadcom Corporation has announced that it has developed a new family of processors that are in the domain of mobile multimedia, and that support the WebM video specifications. The new family is called “VideoCore”, and the chip number is BCM2763.
The VideoCore family is geared to playback WebM video content at full resolution, and it can support myriad variety of smart-feature and smartphone displays. For this purpose, the VideoCore processor deploys a hybrid architecture whose hardware accelerators are programmable. The reasoning behind this programmability is to develop and support new audio and video codecs. The BCM2763 VideoCore IV processor has the capability to support WebM video up to WVGA (800X640) resolution, working at 30fps. Smartphones with BCM2763 processor can playback WebM videos for up to 8 hours, while HDTVs connected through an HDMI interface with a BCM2763 chip installed in it can playback WebM videos for up to 14 hours.
The WebM multimedia format is in the final stages of being released to the market. IT biggies such as Broadcom and Google are working on the specifications.
New Physical Layer Transceivers From Broadcom
April 20, 2010 by Sanjay · Leave a Comment
Two new transceivers for the physical layer have been introduced in the market by Irvine, California-headquartered Broadcom Corporation. The model numbers of these transceivers are BCM8155 and BCM8157.
These transceivers support data rates ranging from 8.5 Gbps to 11.352 Gbps. The two models are fully integrated MSA-compliant, multi-rate SONET/SDH, 10GbE, 10FC and OTU-2 optical transport network devices that operate at 8.5 GFC, OC-192, 10GbE, 10FC or FEC data rates. The two devices support NRZ (Non Return to Zero) and DB modulation.
According to the company release, the transceivers are capable of providing low jitter generation of less than 200 femtoseconds (or 2mUI RMS) and provide ample margin for designs required to meet the ITU and Telcordia maximum specs limit of 10mUI RMS for jitter generation.
The BCM8157 is aimed at metro applications where it can be deployed in line cards in order to interface to XFP modules.
The BCM8155 has very advanced features such as the capability of RZ modulation, duo-binary encoder, dispersion compensation, 10GHz clock output, 10G transmit pre-emphasis and pseudo random binary sequence (PRBS) pattern generation and detection capabilities. This makes the transceiver especially suitable for OTN equipment that uses 300-pin MSA-compliant modules for long haul transmission.
Read more about the new technology brought to the market by Broadcom, here.
Broadcom Launches BCM96519 For Carrier Transport Network
March 18, 2010 by Sanjay · Leave a Comment
A new multi-line digital subscriber line (DSL) terminal solution has been launched by Broadcom. The Irvine, California-headquartered company has announced the availability of BCM96519 to customers in the Ethernet-based wireless and wired backhauling application domain. Compared to copper-based transport and backhaul systems, the new solution is expected to increase the throughput of Ethernet connectivity over copper by almost 10-fold, touching speeds of up to 1 Gbps.
With mobile services now moving towards high throughput-demand apps such as mobile TV, live video sharing and high-resolution 3D gaming, a high-tech backend solution was needed that can provide multi-megabit per second (Mbps) backhauling links that can support 3G and 4G base stations (also called Node Bs or BTSs or Base transceiver stations).
The BCM96519 solution has the capability to feed IP service routers and remote DSL access concentrators at a high data rate and with low complexity. This enables this solution to complement the existing product portfolios of vendors. The BCM96519 is compatible with co-located ADSL and VDSL2 loops, and does a better job, according to a company press release, than legacy E1/T1 and G.SHDSL technologies.
Read more about the latest launch of a new solution that boosts connectivity throughput, here.
Broadcom Introduces New Mobile Chip To Monitor Health Parameters
February 12, 2010 by Sanjay · Leave a Comment
Irvine, California-headquartered Broadcom Corporation has announced the release of a new system-on-chip that will enable people to monitor certain key health parameters while on the move.
The new chip is called BCM2049, and is the first in a series of new-wave chips that will be built on Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology and specifications. Mobile phone and other device manufacturers can incorporate this chip in their handsets and sell as value-add to customers. The chip allows mobile phones to be conveniently connected to sensors and monitors to aggregate and display data such as tracking the progress of their workouts, monitoring their heart rate, etc. This information can be displayed on the handset screens.
The Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology has been ratified by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), which means that soon, the market is expected to see a new wave of devices which require very little power which can be drawn from coin-sized batteries. And since consumers are already familiar with Bluetooth, the acceptance of these new devices shouldn’t be difficult, according to analysts.
