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Lucent Technologies Unveils Wireless Solution For Bluetooth Applications - Lucent Technologies' W7020 chipset for wireless information sharing between personal communications devices - Product Announcement

EDP Weekly's IT Monitor, Dec 20, 1999

Lucent Technologies' Microelectronics Group, a maker of communications semiconductors, last week announced its first integrated Bluetooth chipset solution. Designed to enable wireless information sharing between personal communications devices and speed end products to market through simplified development and certification, the solution compiles fully with the Bluetooth 1.0 specification.

Bluetooth technology is expected to greatly improve personal communications by allowing cellular phones, PCs, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and other devices to share information without the need for wires (see EDP Weekly - IT Monitor, Nov. 22, pg. 1). For example, users will be able to read the email on their notebook computers remotely using their cellular phones.

Lucent's new solution consists of a single-chip radio subsystem and a baseband controller, with protocol software.

"One of the most promising new communications technologies, Bluetooth fits right in the cross hairs of our target markets," says Paul Kan, Bluetooth strategic marketing manager for the Microelectronics Group. "Our expertise in communications semiconductors will enable Lucent to provide our customers with a time-to-market advantage and a range of best-in-class Bluetooth solutions."

The W7020 is a complete, low-power Bluetooth radio subsystem in a single component which interfaces directly to a W7400 baseband controller and an antenna. Designed to operate at a low 2.7V and incorporating low power mode features, the W7020 is engineered for long battery life.

At the heart of the W7020 is an integrated RF transceiver IC optimized for Bluetooth applications. The IC is a flip-chip mounted onto a ceramic substrate resulting in a miniature 10mmx14mm footprint for the entire radio subsystem. Such miniaturization is key to incorporating Bluetooth into handheld consumer electronics products like cellular phones and PDAs. Unlike conventional RF implementations, the W7020 eliminates the need for external RF components.

Sample engineering quantities and development tools for the W7020 are available now with production starting in 2Q 2000. For more information visit www.lucent.com/micro/bluetooth.>