Broadcom claims lowest power Bluetooth/GPS combo

A new Broadcom Bluetooth chip integrates GPS but saves on energy consumption

Chipmaker Broadcom has introduced an integrated Bluetooth and GPS device which it said has the industry's lowest GPS power consumption.

The BCM2075 integrates four radios - Bluetooth, GPS, and FM receiver and transmitter - and uses Broadcom's InConcert collaborative co-existence technology to allow all radios to operate simultaneously, the company said.

The chip is backwards compatible with Broadcom's BCM2049 combo chip announced in October 2008. It is similarly aimed at devices such as mobile phones, media players and personal navigation devices, and is sampling with vendors now. The first products using it are expected before the end of 2009.

Broadcom explained that its chip has a unique method of saving energy while providing GPS data, which means that it consumes only one third as much power as rival designs.

"In GPS, we have a method of time-slicing so that the chip can turn off the radios, but still track the signal. To my knowledge, others do not do this," said Dave Murray, director of marketing at Broadcom.

Meanwhile, the Bluetooth core supports Bluetooth version 2.1 with enhanced data rate technology, plus Bluetooth Low Energy and Broadcom's SmartAudi voice enhancement technology for improving the audio quality when making voice calls with a Bluetooth headset.

Broadcom said that the BCM2075 significantly reduces the host and application processing required to service the wireless links when compared with competing products.

The chip will be demonstrated at Mobile World Congress, which takes place from 16 to 19 February in Barcelona.