STMicroelectronics announced yesterday that the company is sampling its latest Bluetooth product, the STLC2500, a single-chip product for handheld terminal applications that adds full Bluetooth v1.2 function and capability with superior radio performance and very low power consumption.

The STLC2500 includes a highly integrated radio, a base-band using the Ericsson Core Bluetooth Baseband Platform Q-E1, an ARM7 microprocessor core, RAM, ROM, and patch RAM, all on the same silicon die. Its high level of integration requires with very few additional external components.

The STLC2500 is produced in ST's HCMOS9, 0.13 micron, low-power technology, designed for ultra-low-leakage transistor performance. In addition, the device supports various low-power modes. The STLC2500 is the world's most power-efficient Bluetooth IC, using only 10.9 milliamps for audio communication, 21.8 milliamps for symmetrical data transfer and six microamps in shutdown mode. These power levels set a new benchmark for low power consumption with a Bluetooth device making it ideal for mobile applications.

The Bluetooth radio embedded in the STLC2500 has a proven track record for achieving superior performance. The receiver assures excellent stability and sensitivity performance, under clean or dirty transmitter conditions, and over the complete range of voltage and temperature. The receiver maintains its solid performance even with a very high maximum useable input power. The result is a very low bit error rate, enabling high throughputs. The overall robustness of the radio results in unprecedented audio quality.

Ease of interfacing is available via the UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter) and PCM (Pulse Coded Modulation), while general-purpose I/O's are available for the implementation of a software-configurable two, three or four-wire WLAN (wireless local area network) coexistence and collocation hardware scheme.

ST's Bluetooth Business Unit director Jacques Wenin said, "We have achieved an unprecedented combination of superior radio performance with the lowest power consumption available and ultra low power leakages. This combination makes the STLC2500 ideal for cell phone, smart phone, and PDA manufacturers looking for a single-chip footprint that they can implement quickly and cost effectively. At the same time, we've eliminated manufacturing risk by using a process that is proven in volume production and ready for fast ramp up."

"ST's industry-proven expertise in designing and manufacturing wireless silicon products have enabled them to build a very competitive Bluetooth product that is small, power efficient, and high performing, not to mention an impressive price," said Joyce Putscher, senior analyst at InStat/MDR. "The STLC2500 looks to be an all-inclusive solution that meets the needs of cell phone and PDA manufacturers worldwide," he added.