Chip crammed with phone, GPS, Bluetooth

[Jason Dunn]

<a href="http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1103-867031.html">http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1103-867031.html</a><br /><br />Convergence in wireless technologies is a good thing - anything that can be done to de-mystify the technologies to the average consumer will ultimately benefit the industry as a whole.<br /><br />"With wireless doing more every day, handheld devices need to keep up. But adding too many different services to one box puts the cost up and creates interference. Florida company Ashvattha Semiconductor claims to have the answer, with a single chip that combines the radio sides of GSM and GPRS mobile phone standards, a GPS satellite navigation system and a Bluetooth personal area network. The chip should knock around $28 (£20) off the parts cost of a multifunction device that uses all three services, said the company, effectively making one of the functions free to the designer. <br /><br />Existing designs needed multiple chips because mobile phone reception and transmission, while on a different frequency to GPS, creates so much noise that it swamps the weak signals from space. By creating highly isolated areas of the chip and very carefully arranging the internal frequencies that the chip uses, Ashvatta claims to have succeeded where other companies have tried and failed. Other advantages to the design includes a reduction of circuit board size and power consumption." Source: Steven Cedrone

[emmfan]

Any idea on what the form factor would be? Would it be possible for them to put this into a CF type 1 card? The ZDNet article also mentioned the possibility of including 802.11b access. Now, that would be convergence.

This is what I've been waiting for, but odds are, will have to wait some time before a consumer product actually makes it to the marketplace.

[Kre]

Now this would be nice. Now if they could only include WiFi5, or A band WiFi into it, this would make the ultimate device. Ive been wanting to see a device with all four of these technologies integrated simultaneously, forever.

As fast as wireless technologies are moving, if they want to see any real money from this chip theyve created, they better get it out into the marketplace quickly. Soon, everything will move to WCDMA or some other 3G technology in the next year or two at the most, making the cellular aspect of this chip antiquated at best or obsolete at worst, and in effect, making the chip worthless overall. That is, until they integrated an updated celluar technology into it.

Very cool, though. Cant wait to see who uses this. It seems, were getting closer and closer to true convergence. Now we just need a device to use this chip and an OLED display, which would reduce power consumption by an enormous amount and in effect, increase the life of our batteries by five or ten fold. I just wish companies would hurry up and move with these technologies by putting out some products. It always makes me wonder what the hold ups are. And why we hear about technologies that have been tested, are ready to go, and have been on display in full functioning prototypes, but then never make it to market for months or years. Drives me nuts.

One day we`ll see it. Cant wait.

[Brad Adrian]

I agree. Throw in 802.11a and it would have just about everything I'd want.

However...

Let's make sure that we, as technophiles, do not project our own preferences for "more, more, more" to the general population. How many Joe Consumers do we think really want or need this kind of chip? Don't get me wrong, I'd probably ruin such a device by salivating all over it. But technological feasibility and market viability are two very separate animals.

[Joff]

Regarding WCDMA , it could take quite a few years before it becomes a viable wireless solution. This is because of the actual economical climate where investors have lost faith in Telecoms. Expect delays there. Also, it will take a rather long time to deploy the new networks for WCDMA. So, it will be poor coverage at the start. Therefore, we'll still need to rely on existing technologies (may be using multi-mode mobiles). And expect prices to be high at kick-start.

Coming back to the multi-mode chip, I like the idea. And I suppose the company has done some market research before commiting themselves.
I agree that it takes too long for products to come out. Shame!

[Kre]

Joff, you made a good point. This economical climate indeed will affect when everything is implemented. And we will need current technologies to support what we do, as these new fangled 3G services roll out. Rereading what I wrote, I got ahead of myself, lol... I suppose Im just eager to see this thing arrive on shelves. Hey Compaq! Hurry! Hurry!!!!