ST shrinks next gen Bluetooth designs by connecting antenna through single chip
STMicroelectronics has announced two new ICs which enable designers to connect an antenna to a Bluetooth transceiver using a single chip. This, claims ST, makes Bluetooth-enabled products smaller and easier to build.
The BAL-2593D5U and BAL2690-D3U are integrated baluns, used to convert the antenna signal to a balanced pair of signals as required by the Bluetooth transceiver.
According to ST, as replacements for traditional baluns built with discrete components, the new devices occupy up to 70% less board area and are designed to ensure better balanced signal channels with low losses.
The ICs comprise integrated passive devices fabricated using ST's IPD-on-glass process.
The BAL-2593D5U is optimised for use with the STLC2500D standalone Bluetooth transceiver and STLC2592/3 combo devices, which implement an FM radio tuner. The BAL-2690D3U is designed to partner the STLC2690, a Bluetooth/FM tuner combo that also adds a short range FM transmitter allowing users to play stored music through a system such as a car radio.
