Boosting Bluetooth

has released a software development toolset that extends the application potential of the leading single-chip platform for Bluetooth applications, CSR's BlueCore family of ICs.

The new tools allow users to develop application software to run natively on the XAP RISC microcontroller embedded in all BlueCore devices. This is said to free up a significant amount of computing power, providing developers with even more flexibility to implement hostless, Bluetooth enabled products, based on a single low-cost device.

Up to now, this development option has only been available directly from CSR's application support service, or through its licensed design partner Cambridge Consultants. For all other applications, BlueCore comes with a virtual machine environment, which provides a robust and protected environment for general-purpose development.

Cambridge Consultants' new tool suite - xIDE for Interface Express - gives users unrestricted access to the full native power of BlueCore's XAP microcontroller core. This opens up additional computational bandwidth that may be used to run more complex software, such as application programs with many Bluetooth Profiles.