Ellisys Bluetooth Vanguard Advanced Protocol Analysis System Supports Next-Gen Bluetooth Features

Ellisys, a leading provider of protocol test, analysis, and qualification solutions for Bluetooth technology, Universal Serial Bus (USB), and other wired and wireless technologies, announced pre-standard support for several upcoming, unreleased major Bluetooth technological advancements. The company’s Vanguard all-in-one Bluetooth protocol analysis system now supports High Data Throughput, Higher Bands, and Channel Sounding capabilities.
 

The new test capabilities cover multiple advanced initiatives under definition, including Bluetooth High Data Throughput (HDT) and Higher Bands (HB), which will appear in future Bluetooth releases over the coming years. In addition, Ellisys announced that it has developed and delivered a substantial complement of active tests for Channel Sounding, a next-generation, high-accuracy distance measurement technology for Bluetooth that is expected to be part of the next major Bluetooth release.

“Much of our new development in these areas includes not just passive analysis capabilities, but early test capabilities that will eventually form the basis of qualification testing,” says Mario Pasquali, Ellisys president and CEO. “We have done this work in close collaboration with a multitude of early adopters that are looking to introduce rigorously tested Bluetooth controllers, IP, and end products once the relevant specifications are released. As we have done since our arrival into the Bluetooth market more than 15 years ago, we are again providing the developer ecosystem the tools needed to test and characterize new draft specification features at a very early stage. We are ahead of these technologies with the right tools, with software updates and hardware upgrades on our industry-leading test equipment that are enabling quick adoption of new features while protecting our customers’ investments for the foreseeable future.”

“As a leading supplier of Bluetooth LE solutions, NXP Semiconductors has played a key role in helping to add Bluetooth LE to vehicles,” adds Pascal Bernard, product marketing manager, automotive wireless microcontrollers, NXP Semiconductors. “In particular, our broad portfolio of Bluetooth LE-enabled MCUs is designed specifically for automotive use. Most recently, we have introduced the KW45, a third-generation device that delivers an optimized combination of security, flexibility, upgradability, and performance. In this context, NXP is relying on the Bluetooth Vanguard Protocol Analyzer and the Ellisys Bluetooth Qualifier (EBQ) to test and pre-qualify Bluetooth LE solutions. These tools, supporting released Core Specifications up to Bluetooth LE 5.4 and pre-ratified next Core Specification features (Channel Sounding), have been fully integrated in our development process.”

Various market forces are driving major enhancements to Bluetooth technology, including consumer desire for high-resolution uncompressed wireless audio, the rapid growth and ever-faster sampling rates of connected devices, and a general desire to accommodate an increase in data volumes. The High Data Throughout (HDT) project is expected to expand Bluetooth Low Energy from its current maximum rate of 2 Mbps to 8 Mbps and possibly beyond. Operation in unlicensed higher frequency bands, including 5GHz and 6GHz, is expected to provide the bandwidth to accommodate faster speeds, improve and expand audio applications for Bluetooth technology, and optimize the overall Bluetooth experience in congested areas. 

A direct response to solutions currently being implemented with Ultra Wideband (UWB) technology, Bluetooth Channel Sounding greatly improves upon the accuracy of the current-generation RSSI-based Bluetooth distance measurement and creates market opportunities for Bluetooth technology to expand its footprint in a variety of applications for location services.

 

Pioneered by Ellisys more than 15 years ago with the introduction of the industry’s first wideband Bluetooth test equipment, the digital radio approach enables Ellisys to update its products to support new specifications with software updates. With this ability to manage evolutions in Bluetooth technology with software updates, coupled with a policy to provide these updates at no cost, Ellisys users enjoy a high degree of protection on their investment and an incredible value over the years. A modular, flexible hardware architecture allows Ellisys to push investment protection even further with upgrades that enable new hardware capabilities, such as the support Bluetooth operation in the 5GHz and 6GHz bands.

Support for Channel Sounding has been available for several months on the Ellisys Bluetooth Vanguard protocol analyzer as a no-cost software update. This update includes full support of carrier and synchronization patterns for Channel Sounding procedures. The Ellisys Bluetooth Qualifier (EBQ) test system also fully supports Channel Sounding validation with more than two hundred additional dedicated tests, for a total of more than 2,500 tests. 

Support for Higher Bands is available on existing Bluetooth Vanguard units with a hardware upgrade and on new units as an option. Analyzer and EBQ support for High Data Throughput is emerging and will be made available to a wider early adopter segment with a no-cost software update.

This development for Channel Sounding and other next generation features is based on working drafts of potential Bluetooth Specifications that are subject to change. Ellisys is closely tracking all changes and is updating its implementation accordingly to offer early adopters the needed test capabilities for their development and interoperability testing.

Ellisys test and analysis solutions are used by a vast majority of Bluetooth developers worldwide, including radio and controller manufacturers, IP companies, software stack creators, and manufacturers. As a member of the Symbiosys Alliance, Switzerland-based Ellisys supplies advanced protocol test solutions for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Ultra-Wideband, USB, DisplayPort, and Thunderbolt technologies. 

www.ellisys.com