Murata Shrinks Bluetooth Modules

By Michael Foley
iApplianceWeb
(05/28/01, 11:49:12 AM EDT)

Murata Electronics is miniaturizing Bluetooth with its Blue Module. Blue Module is a small Bluetooth module for Bluetooth wireless communications. Blue Module was developed using Low Temperature Co-Fired Ceramics (LTCC) technology and integrates both active devices (IC's) and passive components onto a single surface mount ceramic chip. The module supports universal serial bus (USB), universal asynchronous receiver transmitter (UART), and pulse code modulation (PCM) interfaces for communication to host systems.

Bluetooth allows electronic devices to communicate without wires or cables. Cellular phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), notebook and desktop PC's, wireless printers, mouses and keyboards are incorporating Bluetooth communications for increased mobility.

The Blue Module achieves its small size through the LTCC process. The passive components and matching circuits are integrated within the substrate of the chip, making it both a carrier of the IC and a functional device. Traditionally, most design engineers place the IC on a printed circuit board (PCB) and mount the supporting passives, memory, and matching elements.

In total, approximately 60 components are embedded in the 14.5 x 11.9 x 2.3mm module - including a RF/baseband IC that is mounted in a cavity on the bottom surface of the substrate. Murata mounts a power amplifier (PA) to increase the output power and a low noise amplifier (LNA) to improve sensitivity on the surface of the substrate as well. Additionally, there are several parts and functions that are integrated within the substrate, such as a band pass filter and other passives. Lastly, a switching diode, flash memory, and crystal oscillator pieces are arranged on the substrate.

Murata's Bluetooth module is available for sampling at $100 each. Sample kits that include working models (2 units), evaluation boards, and development kit software are available upon request for $300.