Toshiba Begins Sampling Bluetooth 4.0 ‘System IC’ for Hands-Free Automotive Use

Toshiba America Electronic Components began sampling a new “system IC” that combines full Bluetooth 4.0 functionality with audio processing capabilities and supporting circuitry, the company said Friday. The TC35668IXBG device offers “a highly integrated solution for automotive hands-free and audio streaming subsystems,” it said. Suitable for integration by car OEMs and for aftermarket audio systems, the TC35668IXBG “can also form the basis of a subsystem,” such as for a wireless speaker, it said. “Consumer demand for the latest automotive technologies continues to grow, hand-in-hand with the need to make these capabilities as safe as possible,” Toshiba said. The TC35668IXBG “allows developers to build hands-free functionality at the system level,” it said. The device’s Bluetooth “core” combines a transceiver, antenna switch, balun, low-noise amplifier and power amplifier. It also integrates Bluetooth host controller interface hardware and software with a full software stack. That feature set “results in a very small bill of materials that can help companies minimize system size and cost, and allows a faster time-to-market due to proven embedded software,” Toshiba said.