Texas Instruments’ (TI) WiLink 5.0 integrates mobile WLAN (mWLAN), Bluetooth and FM stereo audio in a space-saving platform for mobile phones. As the fifth generation of TI’s mWLAN platform, the WiLink 5.0 solution provides a quick time-to-market for handset manufacturers and caters to evolving consumer tastes for rapid data access, mobile entertainment and seamless connectivity between the WLAN and cellular networks.

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TI brings seamless cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity to consumers with VoWLAN functionality, optimized on TI’s OMAP-Vox and WiLink solutions, enabling UMA on the handset across multiple operating systems such as Symbian, Microsoft Windows Mobile, Linux and low-level operating systems. UMA provides consumers on-the-go voice access over WLAN or the cellular network using their mobile phones, and will transition to IMS as the fixed mobile convergence market matures.

The WiLink 5.0 platform integrates TI’s recently announced BlueLink 6.0 solution, which combines the Bluetooth with high-fidelity FM stereo and mono performance on a single chip. The combination of mWLAN, Bluetooth and FM functionality allows users to perform a variety of simultaneous tasks, such as listening to the radio music on a Bluetooth headset while checking email via WiFi. Manufactured in TI’s innovative DRP technology at the 90 nm node, the WiLink 5.0 device cuts both solution size and power consumption in critical modes of operation.

With three co-located radios, efficient management of RF is required for simultaneous operation of WLAN, Bluetooth and FM applications. The WiLink 5.0 platform takes advantage of TI’s expertise from the company’s four previous generations of mobile WLAN solutions. The platform uses the second generation of TI’s Bluetooth/WLAN hardware and software coexistence package, enabling re-use of existing systems, quick time to market and antenna sharing, reducing the bill of materials (BOM) for manufacturers.

Expect wide sample availability of WiLink 5.0 solutions in late 2006.