Ellisys Ready on Day One of Highly Anticipated Bluetooth® 5.2 Roll-Out

GENEVA, January 16, 2020 (Newswire.com) - ​​Ellisys, a leading worldwide provider of test and analysis solutions for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi^®, Universal Serial Bus (USB), and other wired and wireless communications technologies, today announced the availability of qualification testing and protocol analyzer features supporting the latest version of the Bluetooth Core Specification. Last week, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) approved the adoption of version 5.2 of the Bluetooth Core Specification and at CES in Las Vegas, introduced LE Audio as the next generation in Bluetooth audio. This latest version of the specification defines the underlying isochronous capabilities needed to support audio on the Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) radio. This week, the Bluetooth SIG also released qualification testing documentation and associated requirements based on the updated specification. Tests defined in this documentation are supported by the Ellisys Bluetooth Qualifier™ (EBQ) dual-mode radio controller qualification test system, enabling a Day One qualification of Bluetooth 5.2 radio controllers.

“While our statement today publicly announces the availability of support for LE Audio and Bluetooth Core Specification 5.2, we’ve actually been engaged since the conceptual phases, enabling radio controller manufacturers and stack developers with early support for test and protocol analysis,” said Mario Pasquali, Ellisys president and CEO.  “This involvement included complex updates to our qualification tools and to our analyzer products that allowed our customers to conduct testing and characterizations far in advance of official, public updates to the core specification, related ancillary specifications, and new qualification test requirements. Being engaged, and indeed being ready at the initial stages of development with critical tools significantly compresses the time needed to create reliable, market-ready products and drives better interoperability between devices from different manufacturers.”

New Specification Addresses Three Major Areas

This latest iteration of the Bluetooth Core Specification defines three major updates for Bluetooth, each aimed for implementation over the Low Energy radio. These include the addition of an isochronous framework, power-versus-signal quality optimizations, and protocol enhancements to enable multi-device access to a common software stack.

Low Energy Audio to Enable a New Wave of Applications and Development

Bluetooth audio has historically operated solely over the Bluetooth Classic (BR/EDR) radio, but with the release of version 5.2, Bluetooth LE will now support traditional BR/EDR audio use cases and enable interesting applications, which are expected to drive development of a new wave of audio products. Making it possible for Bluetooth LE to transfer audio and support these new applications is the addition of LE Isochronous Channels, a complex feature set that underpins LE Audio by providing the framework needed to support features like audio sharing and synchronized multi-streaming. A new codec is added, Low Complexity Communications Codec (LC3), which delivers high-quality audio at a bit rate much lower than SBC, resulting, quite importantly, in lower power requirements.

"The Bluetooth community continues to drive the technology forward to meet evolving market needs and create new opportunities," said Mark Powell, CEO of Bluetooth SIG. "LE Audio is a prime example. Not only will it enhance the performance of existing Bluetooth audio products, it introduces Audio Sharing, a new audio use case poised to transform the way we experience audio and connect with the world around us."

Ellisys Bluetooth Solutions Support

Ellisys Bluetooth test and analysis solutions are used by developers worldwide, including radio and controller manufacturers, IP companies, including software stack creators, makers of consumer electronics, cyber security services, automotive companies, test labs, and others. The company’s solutions include the Ellisys Bluetooth Qualifier (EBQ) platform, and several protocol analyzer tools supporting both Bluetooth radio types – Low Energy and Classic (BR/EDR). EBQ is a comprehensive compliance, validation, and development system for Bluetooth technology, targeting the behaviors of the lower communications layers, including implementation of more than a thousand test cases defined by the Bluetooth SIG. Ellisys protocol analyzers include the ubiquitous Tracker™, Explorer™, and Vanguard™ systems, offering deep features sets designed to meet a variety of customer requirements.

Availability, Photos, and Product Information

The EBQ is available from stock to Bluetooth SIG-recognized test labs, known as Bluetooth Qualification Test Facilities (BQTF) and Bluetooth Recognized Test Facilities (BRTF), and to Bluetooth SIG member companies involved with radio controller and IP development. Ellisys protocol analyzer systems are available from stock either direct from Ellisys or from authorized distributors worldwide. For more information, please visit www.ellisys.com/ebq for EBQ, www.ellisys.com/products/btcompare.php for our Bluetooth analyzers, or contact Ellisys at [email protected]. 

About Ellisys

Ellisys is a leading worldwide supplier of advanced protocol test solutions for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi^®, USB 2.0, SuperSpeed USB 3.1, USB Power Delivery, USB Type-C^®, DisplayPort™, and Thunderbolt™.  More information is available on www.ellisys.com.

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Ellisys, the Ellisys logo, Better Analysis, Bluetooth Qualifier, Bluetooth Explorer, Bluetooth Tracker, Bluetooth Vanguard, and Type-C Tracker are trademarks of Ellisys, and may be registered in some jurisdictions. The Bluetooth^® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Ellisys is under license. Wi-Fi^® and the Wi-Fi Alliance logo are trademarks of Wi-Fi Alliance. USB Type-C^® and USB-C^® are registered trademarks of USB Implementers Forum. DisplayPort™ and the DisplayPort logo are trademarks owned by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA^®) in the United States and other countries. Thunderbolt™ and the Thunderbolt logo are trademarks of Intel Corporation. Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective owners.
 

Source: Ellisys