Cambridge, UK – CSR plc announced the availability of a new
reference design for Bluetooth stereo headphones that offers the lowest ever total bill of materials (BOM) cost for
this type of product. The new design exploits several features in CSR’s BlueCore3-Multimedia chip, including
an internal codec, minimal external components and smaller PCB footprint, to achieve the break-through BOM. By using
BC3-MM’s internal CODEC alone, the bill of materials is reduced by around 20%.
BlueCore3-Multimedia is the only Bluetooth chip available with a
high quality
internal stereo CODEC, achieving a SNR (Signal-to-Noise
Ratio) of up to 85dB. It is also compatible with a wide
range of
external CODECs. The chip also requires fewer than half of the external
components of alterative
solutions, thereby reducing costs directly
through shorter assembly time and the need for fewer components to
be
purchased.
BC3-MM offers market-leading energy efficiency by using an advanced Digital Signal
Processor (DSP) which greatly reduces the power consumption of the headphones. It uses half the power of alternative
solutions based on general purpose RISC microprocessors, meaning that product designers can use cheaper, smaller and
lighter batteries, while maintaining the same extended battery life demanded by customers.
The new design
offers many leading edge features including support for MP3 streaming. MP3 streaming improves audio quality and
reduces power consumption in music players such as the Apple iPod or the latest mobile phones with integrated hard
disk drives . By incorporating CSR’s stable headset software, currently used in 85% of all Bluetooth headsets,
the reference design offers the ability to make and receive calls as well as playing music.
Luke D’Arcy, product marketing manager, CSR commented,
“The new reference design offers great sounding audio at a great price. It’s fully tested and production
ready, allowing stereo headset designers to get to market fast” He continued, “Many handset manufactures
are now shipping Bluetooth mobile phones with stereo streaming capability. The new platform will help designers to
take hold of this enormous opportunity.”
CSR is the market leader in both Bluetooth mono and stereo
headset markets. BlueCore silicon is the force behind virtually all upcoming stereo headsets as well as recently
launched models which offer call and music management in addition to Bluetooth dongles for compatibility with the
iPod.
The new BlueCore3-MM stereo headphone reference design is now available to download from the CSR
support website.
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