Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. (TAEC)*, a committed leader that collaborates with technology companies to create breakthrough designs, today launches its TC35661SBG-501, a new device that includes the Serial Port Profile (SPP) and Generic Attribute Profile (GATT) to support the Bluetooth® v4.0 communications standard.
Bluetooth v4.0 offers wireless connectivity to a wide range of devices, and adds Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) which reduces power consumption in products such as sensors, remote controllers, thermostats, long-lasting wearable computing devices, and other low-power applications.
The new Toshiba TC35661SBG-501 includes the Serial Port Profile (SPP) and Generic Attribute Profile (GATT) to support the Bluetooth v4.0 communications standard. The new device makes it easy to add new capabilities in Bluetooth communications without any product redesign. (PRNewsFoto/Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc.)
"Toshiba has a variety of power and cost saving solutions to support products implementing Bluetooth communications," says Deepak Mithani, director Mixed Signal Business Unit at TAEC. "The TC35661SBG-501 keeps pace with updates to the standard and makes it easy to add new capabilities in Bluetooth communications without any product redesign. Toshiba is committed to delivering solutions like these that support the evolving Bluetooth standard for next-generation wireless communications."
The SPP uses Bluetooth Classic basic data rate to attach to a host PC's COM port, and the GATT mode is used in BLE "Smart Bluetooth" applications. The SPP makes a device look like it's connected to a serial port on the Bluetooth host without needing a serial cable. The GATT profile shares information with low-power BLE devices. The TC35661SBG-501 gives user an easy way to implement a Bluetooth device capable of connecting to either Bluetooth Classic, or BLE host devices without requiring any profile software on the host. The only requirement is an available serial port.
In both cases, users don't need to implement the SPP or GATT profiles on an MCU. Normally, the SPP and GATT profiles would run on the host processor requiring a powerful MCU. By incorporating these profiles into the Bluetooth transceiver, Toshiba makes it possible to implement Bluetooth systems with a lower-cost MCU, in some cases even eliminating the need for an MCU altogether.
The operating voltage of the TC35661SBG-501 is 1.8V or 3.3V. The device comes in a 5mm x 5mm, 0.5mm ball pitch TFBGA package. It has a UART, I2C, and GPIO interface and is designed for low-power operation incorporating sleep mode and a host wake-up function. The device includes a complete RF section, and integrated balun requiring very few external components to implement a complete Bluetooth radio.
Pricing and Availability
Sample pricing for the TC35661SBG-501device is $5.00 (U.S.). Sample shipments are currently available with mass production scheduled for November, 2013. The device is also available in a ready-to-use module.
*About TAEC
Through proven commitment, lasting relationships and advanced, reliable electronic components, Toshiba enables its customers to create market-leading designs. Toshiba is the heartbeat within product breakthroughs from OEMs, ODMs, CMs, VARs, distributors and fabless chip companies worldwide. A committed electronic components leader, Toshiba designs and manufactures high-quality flash memory-based storage solutions, solid state drives (SSDs), hard disk drives (HDDs), solid state hybrid drives (SSHDs), discrete devices, advanced materials, medical tubes, custom SoCs/ASICs, imaging products, microcontrollers and wireless components that make possible today's leading smartphones, tablets, cameras, medical devices, automotive electronics, enterprise solutions and more.