CSEM announces Bluetooth 5-ready silicon RF IP

Neuchatel, 4th January 2017 – 2017 will witness the arrival on the market of the first Bluetooth 5 products which, with twice the datarate and four times the range of Bluetooth 4.2, will accelerate the digitalisation of things. CSEM’s IcyTRX silicon RF IP is the first Bluetooth Low Energy RF to be fully validated as Bluetooth 5 compatible thanks to a partnership with Rohde & Schwarz.

The Bluetooth SIG recently released the highly-anticipated Bluetooth 5, which extends the performance of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). New features include a doubling of speed (from 1Mbps to 2Mbps), allowing twice as much data to be transferred (or reducing the time to transfer a fixed amount of data), as well as a 4-fold increase in range, thus enabling smart home applications. According to ABI Research, the number of connected devices will reach 48 billion by 2021, a third of which will be Bluetooth-enabled.

CSEM’s IcyTRX silicon RF IP is the first BLE RF to be fully validated as Bluetooth 5 compatible. Complete validation of all certification tests has been made possible due to a close cooperation with Rohde & Schwarz, the leading RF test equipment supplier, who has implemented the new Bluetooth functionality in its line of R&S CMW wideband radio communication testers.

Alain-Serge Porret, CSEM’s head of Ultra low power integrated systems said, “Bluetooth 5 will extend the range of applications for Bluetooth Low Energy, and this demonstrates CSEM’s commitment to maintaining its clear technology leadership.”

Due to its ultra low power consumption, high sensitivity and high degree of integration, CSEM’s IcyTRX IP is recognized as the leading RF IP for Bluetooth Low Energy in the market today, with a growing number of licensees worldwide, including both tier 1 semiconductor vendors as well as specialist OEMs. CSEM will be presenting the IcyTRX RF IP at CES in Las Vegas 4-7 January.

About CSEM

CSEM, founded in 1984, is a Swiss research and development center (public-private partnership) specializing in microtechnology, nanotechnology, microelectronics, system engineering, photovoltaics and communications technologies. Around 450 highly qualified specialists from various scientific and technical disciplines work for CSEM in Neuchâtel, Zurich, Muttenz, Alpnach, and Landquart.

Further information is available at www.csem.ch