Achieves High Interoperability With Other Bluetooth-enabled Products

Tokyo--Toshiba Corporation today announced a Bluetooth baseband LSI (Large Scale Integration) offering high levels of interoperability in environments where multiple Bluetooth-enabled devices are networked together. The new LSI will further enhance the stability and performance of Bluetooth networking.

Bluetooth technology enables users to connect computers, digital cellular phones, hand-held devices, network access points and other devices via wireless links, unimpeded by line-of-sight restrictions. It eliminates the need for dedicated cables to connect devices, greatly increases the ease and breadth of wireless connectivity, and is positioned to become a core feature of a wide range of mobile equipment. Market research firm Brain-Child recently estimated that there will be approximately 700 million consumer-use Bluetooth enabled devices worldwide by 2005.

Toshiba and Nokia, together with IBM, Intel, Lucent, Microsoft, Motorola, Ericsson and 3Com, are members of the Promoter group of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group. Toshiba is strongly promoting Bluetooth as the de facto standard for cross-platform wireless networking and announced the industry's first Bluetooth-enabled PC peripherals in July 2000.

The new Bluetooth baseband LSI is fabricated with 0.18μ CMOS process technology and has a 1.5V power supply. It incorporates a RISC processor, embedded SRAM and a PCM digital audio interface that enables transmission of audio data. It also integrates interface circuits for USB1.1 and UART.

Along with the new LSI, Toshiba will also provide its own companion RF IC and a 4M NOR-type flash ROM IC to store protocol software. As a leading chip manufacturer, Toshiba can supply these products as well as baseband LSI, and offer its Bluetooth baseband LSIs for a wide range of Bluetooth-enabled products. The company will reinforce this advantage by integrating the baseband LSI and RF IC into a single chip and by the implementation of Bluetooth-integrated system-on-chip solutions.

Toshiba also plans to cooperate with module manufacturers and software design houses in order to provide Bluetooth modules and support for software development. The company will proactively promote the diffusion of Bluetooth-enabled products.

In developing the new LSI, Toshiba has adopted core circuit technology from Nokia, the world leader in cellular phones. Toshiba did so because Nokia, a leader in Bluetooth technology, has achieved highly reliable interoperability between multiple Bluetooth-enabled platforms. "We are delighted about Toshiba's decision to adopt Nokia's Bluetooth technology in their products," comments Kimmo Myllymäki, General Manager, Bluetooth Solutions, Nokia Mobile Phones, "This is a step that will further enhance interoperability and proliferation of Bluetooth enabled devices in the marketplace".

Toshiba adopted Nokia's core circuitry for the baseband LSI developed its own companion RF IC and flash ROM IC. "We will be positioned to provide all essential capabilities for Bluetooth-enabled devices," said Mr. Takeshi Nakagawa, Executive Vice President of Toshiba's Semiconductor Company. "Customers will be able to rely on us for products that assure the highest level of interoperability and that will fully support them in their development of dependable Bluetooth-enabled products for this growing market."

Samples of the new LSI will be available from May. Mass production will start in the third quarter of 2001 and Toshiba plans to produce three million units a month by 2002.