Date: 10/04/2011

CSR adds Wi-Fi to its automotive-grade chips

CSR has introduced CSR6000, fully automotive-qualified standalone Wi-Fi chips to enable inclusion of Wi-Fi to existing automotive electronic and communication designs. Pre-integrated and validated on CSR's automotive grade SiRFprima reference platform, CSR6000 is designed for easy integration into developer's preferred host application processor platforms. CSR says CSR6000 offers high RF performance across the automotive temperature range and a QFN package facilitating chip on board designs. In addition, CSR offers a Wi-Fi software suite supporting all of the major automotive operating systems.

The increasing adoption of Wi-Fi in smartphones and other consumer devices has led to a growing demand for automotive OEMs to support and interact with these devices inside vehicles. The CSR Synergy software suite includes the widely used Bluetooth stack alongside the host Wi-Fi software for the CSR6000 chipset family supporting both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

CSR6000 host software for Wi-Fi will supports Linux, Genivi Linux, QNX, Windows Automotive and Android OS.

"With Bluetooth attach rates exceeding 40% and Wi-Fi attach rates expected to reach 14% by 2012 according to iSuppli, CSR is well positioned to service the market need for seamless connectivity between the next generation Infotainment systems and the Wi-Fi-enabled consumer devices being brought into the vehicle," commented Thomas Carmody, Head of Connectivity Marketing in CSR's Automotive and PND Business Unit.

"As part of our automotive platform strategy, CSR is now able to combine the AEC-Q100 qualified SiRFprimaAutoTM System on Chip (SoC), CSR's automotive-grade Bluetooth solutions, the automotive-grade CSR6000 Wi-Fi family of devices and associated CSR Synergy connectivity host software, overcoming a major challenge faced by systems integrators in terms of both the time required for connectivity integration and the associated cost of software design, debugging and testing," added Carmody.

CSR has recently joined the Genivi Alliance, a non-profit automotive industry alliance driving the broad adoption of in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) reference platforms. CSR notes the emerging trend in automotive infotainment to reuse software where possible thereby reducing development costs, speed time to market and increase the pace of innovation in automotive electronics. CSR says they expect to actively contribute to the Genivi efforts in future, ensuring our connectivity (including CSR6000 chipset family), location and SoC technologies make the best use of the Genivi IVI reference solution.

Availability: The CSR6000 family is available today in mass production volumes.