Brainboxes, the Bluetooth and serial PC add on specialists, announced at the Microsoft EMEA Mobility Developer Conference that their Bluetooth CompactFlash card is fully supported by the Microsoft Windows CE .NET operating system for true plug and play capability. The new card is fully supported on any device running Windows CE .NET that has Bluetooth enabled. Designed and manufactured in-house at Brainboxes’ Liverpool facility, the Type I CompactFlash card is fully accredited by the Bluetooth SIG and is designed for use with portable computing devices such as handheld PCs, PDAs and laptops.

Additionally the card possesses on-board flash memory, making it user upgradeable to the latest version of the Bluetooth specification.

“The demand for Windows Powered smart mobile devices is on the rise, and consumers are demanding that these products support the latest wireless technology,” said Scott Horn, director, Embedded and Appliance Platforms Group at Microsoft Corp. “The native support for Bluetooth in Windows CE .NET will enable embedded developers to quickly and easily deliver smart devices that take advantage of innovative technology such as Brainboxes’ Bluetooth CompactFlash card.”

Brainboxes, a specialist in data communication add-ons since 1984, has one of the widest ranges of Bluetooth compliant products on the market, and had its first Bluetooth product declared compliant by the Bluetooth SIG in early 2000. All of Brain Boxes products are designed and manufactured at their premises in Liverpool.

The seamless integration of our products into customers devices is of paramount importance to us,” comments Eamonn Walsh, managing director and founder of Brainboxes, “Because our support staff work alongside our research and development staff we do not just acknowledge your technical queries, we resolve them.”

Brainboxes Type I CompactFlash card is based upon Cambridge Silicon Radio’s BlueCore chip, which interfaces to a UART running at 921,600 baud, allowing communications at the full Bluetooth data rates. The card can be powered at either 3.3V or 5V making it ideal for portable applications. Typical power consumption is around 150mA, with a maximum of 180mA and a power on of 90mA. The card with integral antenna, weighs 14g and fits a standard Type I compact flash slot, its length is 57.1mm. The card is part of a wide range of Bluetooth products available from Brainboxes, including Type II PCMCIA, USB and RS232.