"Nordic’s successful multi-year collaboration with Packetcraft resulted in our licensing Packetcraft’s Bluetooth LE Controller solution which accelerates our audio customer’s product commercialization," says Kjetil Holstad, EVP Product Management at Nordic Semiconductor. "The nRF5340 has become the go-to platform for advanced Bluetooth LE applications, especially for LE Audio, and Packetcraft’s market-leading implementation of LE Isochronous Channels, which Nordic has been shipping since 2Q 2022, enables Multi-Stream Audio and Auracast broadcast audio."
Nordic’s nRF Connect SDK includes the Packetcraft Controller link layer for nRF5340 in binary form. Product developers looking for access to full source code with direct support and maintenance may benefit by engaging directly with Packetcraft. For Bluetooth LE and LE Audio, Packetcraft offers a comprehensive software suite, including the LC3 audio codec, with support for other Nordic SoCs including the nRF52 Series.
"Collaborating with Nordic’s innovative engineers has been a rewarding experience, and allows our decades of experience in Bluetooth software to flourish by matching their platform leadership with our efficient designs and first-to-market Bluetooth qualifications," says John Yi, CEO at Packetcraft. "As the market now embraces the transition from Bluetooth Classic Audio to LE Audio, this partnership of talented teams helps ensure we are able to deliver revolutionary new capabilities and product features that Multi-Stream Audio and Auracast broadcast audio offer."
New Bluetooth LE Audio enabled products becoming available include mobile devices, earbuds and headsets, hearing aids, as well as microphones and speakers.
Packetcraft is showcasing Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast broadcast audio at CES 2023. Some demonstrations being shown on the show floor and in private suites include:
• Sonical’s Bluetooth LE Audio Headphone 3.0 ‘apps for your ears’ wireless audio processing demo consisting of Packetcraft’s LE Audio software suite and Nordic’s nRF5340 SoC
• Premier debut of EMSi’s LE Audio form-factor wireless microphone solution, leveraging Packetcraft’s Bluetooth Qualified software on an embedded Fanstel module utilizing Nordic’s nRF5340 SoC
Bluetooth LE Audio is the next generation of wireless audio offering enhanced performance with low-latency high-quality sound, improved reliability, and extended battery life. LE Isochronous Channels deliver revolutionary capabilities including Multi-Stream Audio and Auracast Broadcast Audio with the mandatory LC3 codec compressing audio more efficiently and dynamically.
"Sonical is collaborating with Packetcraft in support of Headphone 3.0 which brings a richer user experience to our ears, with headphones containing apps and software driven innovation," says Gary Spittle, CEO at Sonical.
LE Audio changes how we use and share audio, from listening to audio from a shared device to going into a public venue and enjoying high-quality audio streams. Further, LE Audio helps usher in a new era of accessible audio for anyone coping with hearing impairment or just listening in a noisy environment.
"LE Audio enabled products are becoming available and by utilizing Packetcraft’s Bluetooth Qualified LE Audio solutions, we are debuting at CES the industry’s first LE Audio wireless microphone," says John Tepley, CEO at EMSi.
Packetcraft’s collaborations with semiconductor and product companies helps accelerate product introductions based on the latest Bluetooth 5.3 specifications. Offering access to full source code with direct support and maintenance and leveraging software optimizations, first-to-market qualifications, and design efficiencies, Packetcraft’s licensable Bluetooth portfolio includes Host Stack supporting LE Audio, Controller with BLE Link Layer and optional 802.15.4 MAC for UWB, optimized LC3 audio codec, and LE Test Tools.
"The dedicated team at Packetcraft continues to deliver high-performing quality Bluetooth LE software solutions, which our customers have come to expect," shared John Yi, CEO at Packetcraft. "As the market for LE Audio accelerates, Packetcraft is rapidly enabling our customers with Bluetooth Qualified LE Audio solutions supporting their commercial product debuts in the months ahead."
"LE Audio is quickly entering the market with the debut of flagship mobile devices which makes now the time for product companies to enable LE Audio in earbuds, headphones, hearing aids, microphones, speakers and broadcast infrastructure," adds Dr. Yuan Fan, President at Fanstel.
To arrange a meeting and experience LE Audio in both public and private Packetcraft CES demos, contact this email. You may also see LE Audio in Fanstel’s booth located at The Venetian (Sands) Convention Expo Center in Stand # 54707.
www.nordicsemi.com
www.packetcraft.com
