Qualcomm Atheros Inc. announced its new Bluetooth 4.0 + HS chip solution for laptops and other computing devices, enabling laptops to detect and connect wirelessly with Bluetooth low-energy devices such as those for proximity detection and health monitoring. Acer will use Qualcomm Atheros’ new WB225 combo module, which includes the AR9485 802.11b/g/n for wireless LAN and the AR3012 chip for Bluetooth 4.0 + HS, to enable computing platforms to communicate with Bluetooth LE-only devices.
The Qualcomm Atheros WB225 combo module is designed to allow users to connect with other Bluetooth + HS-enabled platforms and devices and to be compatible with previous Bluetooth 3.0 + HS for fast file transfers, mobile phonebook syncing and personal area network (PAN) applications. The “+HS” feature uses WLAN technology for high speed data. Qualcomm Atheros and Acer say they have pre-enabled several qualified Bluetooth LE usage cases such as proximity detection, time synchronization and network availability; the platform is software- and hardware-ready for LE connectivity with no user upgrades required.
“We are excited to work with Acer to provide the latest Bluetooth connectivity solutions to consumers,” says Amir Faintuch, senior vice president and general manager of consumer business unit for Qualcomm Atheros. “Acer and Qualcomm Atheros have a long history of delivering superior WLAN and Bluetooth solutions. With this latest offering, end users will more easily be able to utilize Bluetooth LE-enabled devices for applications such as proximity detection and health monitoring.”
