Press Release

March 25, 2002

CSR Selects SiGe PA for BlueCore2 Reference Design
CSR Extends Relationship with SiGe Semiconductor, Selects PA2423L Bluetooth Class 1 Power Amplifier for BlueCore2 Reference Design Ottawa, Ontario, 25 March 2002. SiGe Semiconductor today announced that CSR (Cambridge Silicon Radio) has chosen SiGe's PA2423L Class 1 Bluetooth power amplifier for its BlueCore 2 reference design.

The BlueCore2 reference design is the third of CSR's BlueCore-based development systems to integrate a power amplifier from SiGe Semiconductor's PA2423 family of devices. The combination of CSR's BlueCore2 radio and SiGe Semiconductor's PA2423L power amplifier enables system designers to meet all consumer requirements for performance, battery life and cost in systems including cellular phones, PCs, PDAs, PCMCIA cards and access points.

"SiGe Semiconductor's power amplifiers provide an unmatched combination of high power, low current consumption and integration, making them the ideal complement to our BlueCore radios," said Glenn Collinson, co-founder and marketing director, CSR. "As a result of our collaboration, we have produced leading Bluetooth Class 1 designs, and are continuing our relationship on future product developments."

CSR's BlueCore2 reference design is based on the company's second-generation single-chip Bluetooth radio, which offers twice the output power, half the power consumption, and a dramatic reduction in cost compared to its predecessor. Also integrated on the reference design are the baseband, microcontroller, Bluetooth software stack, CMOS RF transceiver, and SiGe Semiconductor's PA2423L power amplifier. 

Packaged in a 6-lead LPCC that measures only 1.6x3.0mm, the PA2423L is the world's smallest fully encapsulated Bluetooth Class 1 power amplifier. The PA2423L also provides leading performance to ensure high signal integrity in real-world Bluetooth environments. The device produces +22.5 dBm output power with 45 percent power-added efficiency including matching circuit losses, which extends the transmission range, and overcomes antenna and filter losses while meeting Bluetooth 1.1 requirements.

"The PA2423L's superiority in power, efficiency and spectrum re-growth complements the BC02's performance for leading Class 1 Bluetooth products. This winning combination allows Bluetooth products to meet aggressive market cost and performance targets, enabling accelerated Bluetooth deployment," said Jerry Loraine, vice president wireless business unit, SiGe Semiconductor.

About SiGe Semiconductor
SiGe Semiconductor is a leading global supplier of analogue and mixed-signal integrated circuits for next-generation cable, high-speed optical, and wireless access systems. Drawing on the unique advantages of silicon germanium technology, the company designs and delivers integrated circuits with unparalleled performance and power efficiency. SiGe Semiconductor's components can be found in cable modems, set-top boxes, optical network interfaces, Bluetooth-enabled portable devices, IEEE 802.11a/b/g WLANs, and cordless telephones. For more information, please visit: www.sige.com.

About CSR
CSR (Cambridge Silicon Radio) specialises in providing single-chip radio devices to the global market for short-range radio communications, including Bluetooth. The company's mission is to create the most highly integrated radio devices available, fabricated using standard CMOS technology, to provide its customers with the low cost of ownership of high quality digital radio. CSR is designed into approximately half of all Bluetooth-qualified products to date. For more information, please visit: www.csr.com.

Notes
Bluetooth and the Bluetooth logos are trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., U.S.A. and licensed to SiGe Semiconductor. BlueCore is a trademark owned by CSR.

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