Bluetooth chips support wireless audio with less delay, lossless sound, multiple speakers, gaming, microphones, and software updates.
Ceva and Actions Technology collaborate on the ATS296X series, combining Actions’ latest wireless audio SoC with the Ceva-Waves™ Bluetooth® High Data Throughput (HDT) platform for premium wireless audio applications
Ceva and Actions Technology have introduced the ATS296X series of Bluetooth audio chips, combining Actions Technology’s wireless audio system-on-chip (SoC) with Ceva-Waves Bluetooth High Data Throughput (HDT) technology. The chips are designed for wireless audio products that require higher data rates, lower latency, and support for lossless audio.
Bluetooth HDT is part of the upcoming Bluetooth 7.0 specification. It increases peak Bluetooth data throughput from 2 Mbps to about 7.5 Mbps. The higher bandwidth is intended to support applications such as lossless multichannel audio, low-latency gaming audio, faster file transfers, and quicker over-the-air software updates.
The technology also expands the use of Bluetooth in home audio systems. Earlier Bluetooth generations were mainly designed around stereo audio, while the additional bandwidth provided by HDT can support systems with wireless soundbar channels, satellite speakers, and subwoofers.
The ATS296X series is the latest result of the long-term collaboration between Actions Technology and Ceva. Actions Technology has used Ceva audio DSP IP in its audio processing systems for several years and has shipped more than 100 million wireless audio SoCs incorporating Ceva connectivity and sensing technologies.
By integrating Ceva’s Bluetooth HDT platform into the ATS296X series, Actions Technology is providing manufacturers with a way to move to the new Bluetooth technology without developing the underlying connectivity platform themselves. The chips are aimed at products such as Bluetooth speakers, wireless microphones, multichannel home audio systems, and other wireless audio devices.
The companies said the integration is intended to reduce development work and help manufacturers bring Bluetooth HDT-based products to market faster, while enabling higher-bandwidth wireless audio applications.
“Bluetooth HDT represents the next major evolution of wireless audio, enabling experiences that simply were not possible with previous Bluetooth generations,” said Tal Shalev, Vice President and General Manager of the Wireless IoT Business Unit at Ceva. “Our long-standing collaboration with Actions Technology has consistently delivered innovative wireless audio solutions, and the ATS296X series demonstrates that the Bluetooth HDT ecosystem is rapidly moving from specification to commercial products.”
