Broadcom unveils 3G 'phone on a chip'

Broadcom has taken the wraps off a single-chip HSPA processor that integrates key 3G cellular and mobile technologies on a low-power single 65nm CMOS die.

The BCM21551 chip combines a high-speed HSUPA 3G baseband, a multi-band radio frequency transceiver, Bluetooth 2.1 with enhanced data rate technology, and an FM radio receiver and transmitter.

It also features advanced multimedia processing, up to 5-megapixel camera support, and 30 frame per second video with TV Out, as well as support for the HSUPA, HSDPA, WCDMA and Edge cellular protocols.

Furthermore, it can also be paired with other Broadcom devices, such as Wi-Fi, GPS, PMU or the new VideoCore III mobile multimedia processor.

Yossi Cohen, senior vice president and general manager of Broadcom's Mobile Platforms Group, claimed that the release would give the firm "a full year's lead over similar competing products".

He added that the chip was built on the firm's single-chip Edge platform and that, eight months later, its engineers had built a single HSUPA chip and integrated Bluetooth and FM radio.