Conexant Announces Bluetooth™ System Solution
Conexant Systems, Inc.
(949) 483-1148
gwen.carlson@conexant.com
Benjamin Group/BSMG Worldwide
(949) 260-1300
cambria_morgan@benjamingroup.com
CONEXANT
ANNOUNCES BLUETOOTH™ SYSTEM SOLUTION
Bluetooth Solution Extends Battery Life for Portable Applications
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., June 05, 2001 — Conexant Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CNXT), a worldwide leader in semiconductor system solutions for communications applications, today announced its two-chip Bluetooth semiconductor system solution and Bluetooth development station. Conexant's new Bluetooth system solution is the lowest power consumption Bluetooth chipset system solution offered today, and is ideally suited for battery-powered applications. Bluetooth, a globally recognized wireless standard operates in the 2.4GHz frequency band.
"Conexant's Bluetooth system solution has been optimized for ultra-low power, portable devices that require extended battery life, small form factors and low system costs," said Moiz Beguwala, senior vice president and general manager of Conexant's Wireless Communications Division. "We're pleased to offer the wireless marketplace a highly integrated semiconductor system solution that will facilitate the timely development of Bluetooth devices, and ultimately provide end-users with a universal wireless bridge to voice and data applications."
The Bluetooth system solution also supports generic module designs, embedded module designs and combination applications where Bluetooth is an added communication channel for other Conexant products. "Conexant's Bluetooth system solution can be used in conjunction with the company's GSM cellular, PC home networking and cable modem product portfolios to create multichannel communications systems," said Beguwala.
Conexant's two-chip Bluetooth system solution is comprised of the CX81400 baseband device, the CX72303 RF transceiver, and software that supports the host controller interface (HCI). The baseband device integrates all modem-specific functions as well as on-chip read-only and random access memory, which eliminates the need for external components such as flash memory, thereby reducing the manufacturer's overall cost. The baseband supports universal asynchronous receive transmit (UART) and universal serial bus (USB) HCI transport layers, as well as full point-to-multipoint transmissions. The CX81400 is fabricated using a 0.18-micron CMOS process, and is enclosed in a 160- or 100-pin FPBGA package.
The CX72303 RF transceiver is optimized for use with 2.4GHz frequency hopping, Bluetooth technology-based systems. The fully integrated transceiver includes an on-chip voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), synthesizer, power amplifier (PA), low noise amplifier (LNA), intermediate frequency (IF) filters, received signal strength indication (RSSI) and bit slicer, and fractional N synthesizer to allow for a choice of crystal oscillators. The CX72303 is fabricated using a 0.5-micron silicon germanium BiCMOS process, and is enclosed in a BCC++ 48-pin package. The CX72303 is also offered as a standalone component.
The two-chip system solution includes an internal power PA that supports Class 2 (10 meters) operation. Class 1 (100 meters) operation is supported through an external Conexant-manufactured PA.
Conexant's Bluetooth development station allows OEMs developing Bluetooth-enabled products to quickly and easily design products based on Conexant's technology. A motherboard containing the Bluetooth baseband device, and a series of daughter boards for RF and other functions are included as a part of the development station.
Availability
Conexant's Bluetooth system solution is sampling now, and volume production is scheduled for the third calendar quarter of 2001.
NOTE TO TECHNICAL EDITORS:
Additional technical information is available upon request.
Safe
Harbor Statement
This press release contains statements relating to future results of
Conexant (including certain projections and business trends) that are
"forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those
projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties. These risks
and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: maintaining a consistent
and reliable source of energy; global economic and market conditions,
such as the cyclical nature of the semiconductor industry and the markets
addressed by the company's and its customers' products; demand for and
market acceptance of new and existing products; successful development
of new products; the timing of new product introductions; the availability
and extent of utilization of manufacturing capacity; pricing pressures
and other competitive factors; changes in product mix; fluctuations
in manufacturing yields; product obsolescence; the ability to develop
and implement new technologies and to obtain protection for the related
intellectual property; the successful separation of the Company's Internet
infrastructure and personal networking businesses; the ability to attract
and retain qualified personnel; labor relations of the company, its
customers and suppliers; and the uncertainties of litigation, as well
as other risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those
detailed from time to time in the company's Securities and Exchange
Commission filings. These forward-looking statements are made only as
of the date hereof, and the company undertakes no obligation to update
or revise the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise.
About Conexant Systems, Inc.
Conexant is a worldwide leader in semiconductor system solutions for
communications applications. Conexant leverages its expertise in mixed-signal
processing to deliver integrated systems and semiconductor products
through two separate businesses: Conexant and Mindspeed Technologies.
Conexant's personal networking business is focused on digital infotainment,
personal imaging, wireless communications and personal computing products
that are used in mobile communications and the broadband digital home.
Mindspeed Technologies is focused on Internet infrastructure products
including WAN transport, multiservice access and broadband access for
applications that extend from the edge of the Internet all the way to
its optical core. Conexant is headquartered in Newport Beach, Calif.,
and delivered revenues of $2.1 billion for fiscal 2000. The company
is a member of the S&P 500 and NASDAQ-100 indices.To learn more, visit
us at www.conexant.com.
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Conexant and Mindspeed Technologies are trademarks of Conexant Systems, Inc. Other brands and names contained in this release are the property of their respective owners.