CSR enables the connected car with robust Bluetooth® Smart platform

Cambridge, UK and San Jose, California, USA - CSR plc has announced channel availability of the CSR1010™ auto, the world’s first AEC-Q100 Grade 2 Bluetooth® Smart chip for automotive applications qualified for mass production.

The solution equips automotive manufacturers with the tools they need to add exciting new features to existing infotainment systems and to design innovative future Bluetooth Smart applications for both inside and outside the car.

With important manufacturing benefits like cable reduction and low power consumption, the solution enables a wide variety of additional capabilities to existing closed automotive applications. Bluetooth Smart functionality will allow drivers to use their smartphone or tablet to securely display and analyze vehicle diagnostics including infotainment systems and engine and fuel data. Vital vehicle information will now be available to users at all times. CSR’s auto-grade chip has been extensively tested and proven to operate in extreme temperatures ranging from -40°C to +105°C, ensuring reliable operation in harsh automotive locations such as tyres or smart antennas.

The CSR1010 auto supports the CSRmesh™ protocol, allowing for an almost unlimited number of Bluetooth Smart enabled devices to be simply networked together and controlled directly from the head unit display, a smartphone or tablet in the vehicle for the first time. The protocol uses Bluetooth Smart to send messages to other Bluetooth Smart devices in the network, which in turn relay them onward. A key advantage to CSRmesh networks is that they do not require configuration. Once a device is registered into the network, it can be removed and put back without causing disruption to the operation of the network. This will enable reliable networking of vehicle accessories such as roof racks, trailers and other future applications of the mesh network outside of the car.

“We are seeing an entirely new connected car ecosystem developing in and around the vehicle enabled by Bluetooth Smart connectivity,” said Anthony Murray, Senior Vice President, Business Group at CSR. “We have many key customers already using the CSR1010 auto in their first Bluetooth Smart programs for applications such as keyless entry. We also expect that the vehicle will become part of Bluetooth Smart based mesh network which covers the home, workplace and even the motorways of the future. Achieving AEC-Q100 qualification is a significant milestone which will bring our automotive customers closer to building an exciting next generation of automotive applications that connect the vehicle to the growing Internet of Things.”

Manufacturers can order the CSR1010 auto today. In order to allow developers to get hands on with the auto-grade module, CSR is also launching a CSR1010 auto Development Kit. Available by the end of the year, the kit will include two development boards, three add-on boards, and three example applications to accelerate the development of new low power connected automotive products. The example applications will include a Keyless Entry System, Multifunction Steering Wheel, and a Temperature Pressure Sensor to help developers not yet familiar with Bluetooth technology to get started quickly. The kit will be showcased at Telematics Munich 2014 this week (10-11 November).

For a full list of features and benefits of the CSR1010 auto, see http://www.csr.com/products/csr1010-auto


About CSR

At CSR we push every boundary™ to solve challenges and deliver innovations that help customers differentiate and win in the fast-evolving consumer electronics market. Our technologists are improving people’s lifestyles and unlocking the true potential of seamless connectivity and the Internet of Things by developing and integrating silicon, software and services for customers in Voice & Music, Connectivity and Bluetooth® Smart, Automotive Infotainment, Document Imaging and Location. For more information, visit www.csr.com

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