TTP Communications plc (`TTPCom') (LSE:TTC) has announced that it will integrate portable and synthesizable Bluetooth(TM) technology with synthesizable 32-bit cores from MIPS Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:MIPS, MIPSB). Initially, the technology will target the digital entertainment, office and home automation markets, areas where MIPS-based(TM) designs have already established a strong presence.
"TTPCom and MIPS Technologies will offer SoC designers the opportunity to add Bluetooth functionality with a minimal impact on the silicon cost, development time or design risk," commented Charles Sturman, Bluetooth product manager at TTPCom. "The small footprint of the Bluetooth component, together with the ease of integration and completeness of the solution, will allow system designers to include Bluetooth in their products with incredibly short timeframes and also at a fraction of the cost of the much touted $5 Bluetooth chip."
The high performance of the MIPS32(TM) architecture assures ample resources are available for a variety of applications residing on a single processor, allowing set-top boxes, digital cameras, video and games consoles, printers and copiers to be Bluetooth enabled. For the lowest-cost solution, an RF transceiver device is the only other component required.
"We see tremendous potential for Bluetooth technology within our licensees' markets," said Derek Meyer, vice president of world-wide field operations at MIPS Technologies. "Working together, TTPCom and MIPS Technologies will be able to offer system designers an easy path to short-range, ad-hoc, wireless networking capability for their products."
TTPCom's Bluetooth technology is a full implementation of the 1.1 specification and was designed with scalability and portability in mind, making it ideal for SoC developers. The baseband core is supplied as a fully synthesizable VHDL design hierarchy with ASIC and FPGA synthesis scripts and a full design validation and test bench environment. Protocol software is supplied as a complete set of portable and configurable ANSI C with associated build and compilation environment and extensive suite system test scripts. A generic kernel interface abstraction layer above the operating system makes it easy for the company to support new processor cores and a large number of different operating systems.
As part of the agreement, TTPCom joined MIPS' MIPS Alliance Program (MAP). MAP provides its members with sales and technical assistance as well as broad marketing support such as Internet and traditional marketing and promotional activities. MAP members are third-party vendors who provide enhanced solutions around MIPS-based processors.
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