This latest development offers a glimpse into the future of audio and connectivity technology and how Ceva is leading the way in smart connectivity solutions. The comprehensive Links200 solution provides a significant time-to market advantage by removing technology barriers and risk when developing compute-intensive smart edge SoCs that require multi-protocol wireless connectivity based on the latest standards for hearables, wearables and other wireless consumer electronics. This is one of a number of news announcements Ceva will be making over the next several days as part of its presence at CES 2025.
The new Ceva-Waves Links200 solution is the first turnkey integrated hardware and software platform IP that combines fully featured Bluetooth dual mode with next generation High Data Throughput (HDT), alongside IEEE 802.15.4 for Thread/Zigbee/Matter, and a new Ceva-developed radio designed for TSMC's low power 12nm process.
Addressing the rising market demand for faster, more efficient Bluetooth connectivity, particularly for low-power audio and latency-sensitive IoT applications, the breakthrough High Data Throughput mode more than doubles the speed of traditional Bluetooth, delivering a data rate of up to 7.5 Mbps. For this higher speed, Links200 employs innovative HDT modulation schemes in conjunction with Ceva’s state-of-the-art radio on TSMC’s 12nm FinFET process to satisfy the stringent performance demands in a low power solution.
This leap forward in Bluetooth enables lossless, multichannel, low-latency audio streaming for a broad range of devices, including TWS earbuds, headsets, smartwatches, smart speakers, TV wireless speakers, gaming peripherals, and car audio systems. For example, 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound systems will be able to provide superior home entertainment audio experiences, thanks to the high-quality, multi-channel support enabled by Bluetooth HDT.
And as part of the expanding multi-protocol Ceva-Waves Links family, Links200 seamlessly combines Bluetooth HDT with IEEE 802.15.4 support for Zigbee, Thread, and Matter, enabling concurrent multi-link communication through advanced coexistence schemes. The Ceva-Waves Links family offers further integration possibilities with Wi-Fi and Ultra-Wideband (UWB) to expand the scalability and flexibility of the comprehensive wireless portfolio. Strengthening Ceva’s overall leadership in smart edge AI SoCs, Links200 can be further augmented with Ceva-NeuPro-Nano NPUs, leveraging the advanced 12nm process for efficient premium compute intelligence.
"The introduction of the Ceva-Waves Links200 multi-protocol platform with integrated RF technology underscores our commitment to breaking new ground in wireless connectivity and providing our customers with scalability and design efficiency to develop differentiated products that meet a range of market requirements," says Tal Shalev, vice president and general manager of the Wireless IoT business unit at Ceva. "Developing Smart Edge SoCs is increasingly complex and expensive. By providing a 'drop-in' turnkey solution to support and combine multiple and the latest wireless protocols, our Links200 gives our customers the flexibility to customize their solutions and focus on innovation."
The Ceva-Waves Links200 supports full Bluetooth dual mode (Classic and LE), including next generation High Data Throughput up to 7.5Mbps for lossless multichannel low latency audio streaming. It supports Classic Audio, LE Audio, and Auracast Broadcast Audio, and enables Bluetooth Channel Sounding for precise and secure ranging. The solution is fully featured with best-in-class power consumption, die size, and performance, with state-of-the-art RF architecture requiring minimal external components for low bill of materials.
Designed for fast time to market, developers can also customize their projects for further product differentiation, via tight integration with Ceva’s sensing and inference IPs, including Ceva-NeuPro-Nano NPU, and Ceva-RealSpace Spatial Audio.
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