Weartech-Comms / Bluetooth / Wireless Archives - Page 7 of 19

ST reveals high-performance wireless microcontrollers

Wed, Mar 06, 2024

ST has revealed the next generation of its short-range wireless microcontrollers. These all-in-one components enable wearables and smart objects including smart home devices, health monitors, and smart appliances to become ever more miniaturised, easy to use, secure and affordable.

Short-range wireless technologies like Bluetooth LE, Zigbee and Thread (popular in smart meters and smart buildings) are the fabric connecting smart devices to home bridges, gateways, and controllers including smartphones. As we all seek solutions for making life more economical, sustainable, and comfortable, vendors are looking to bring creative and high-performing new solutions to market more quickly, within tight cost constraints. They need to be stylish, too: tiny, low-profile, or even embedded out of sight in other equipment, such as in smart bulbs. Going wireless is a part of this trend, for freedom, flexibility, and fashion.

Wireless microcontrollers like ST’s new STM32WBA5 product line allow a one-chip solution that’s extremely compact, reduces the bill of materials, and shortens the time to market by relieving wireless design challenges. Also, being compatible with the development tools and software packs of the STM32 microcontroller development ecosystem, the new line simplifies migrating existing products designed for wired connections.

The new series’ flagship STM32WBA55 microcontroller can communicate using multiple wireless standards concurrently, including low-energy Bluetooth LE 5.4, Zigbee, Thread, and Matter (Thread RCP). Matter border router is a perfect match with the STM32WBA5 for this new open-source connectivity standard for smart-home and IoT (Internet of Things) devices. In this way, the STM32WBA55 supports a great user experience while simplifying hardware and software engineers’ development journey, aiding affordability and time to market for the new product.

With this new generation, ST has also introduced support for the recently completed Bluetooth LE Audio specifications that enable exciting and innovative new products for richer listening and hearing experiences. These include the new Bluetooth Auracast feature, which opens the door to a new world of audio broadcasting applications.

The STM32WBA series is the first wireless MCU in the market to achieve the important SESIP (Security Evaluation Standard for IoT Platforms) Level 3 security certification. With this, smart devices containing STM32WBA microcontrollers are ready to satisfy the US Cyber Trust Mark and EU Radio Equipment Directive (RED) regulations due to become mandatory in 2025.

The new STM32WBA5 product line will be available on st.com on March 12. Sample requests and pricing information are available from local ST sales offices. ST will introduce a ready-to-use module containing the STM32WBA, integrated with necessary external components including power-supply and antenna-balancing circuitry, in June 2024.

https://www.st.com/stm32wba

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u-blox releases versatile Wi-Fi 6 module for the mass market

Fri, Feb 23, 2024

u-blox has announced its new NORA-W4 module. With a range of wireless technologies (Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth LE 5.3, Thread, and Zigbee), compact form factor (10.4 x 14.3 x 1.9 mm), and affordability, NORA-W4 is ideal for IoT applications such as smart home, asset tracking, healthcare, and industrial automation.

NORA-W4 is a single-band tri-radio Wi-Fi 6 module built on the Espressif ESP32-C6 System-on-Chip. It enables battery-powered IoT nodes to operate directly over Wi-Fi. This simplifies implementation and reduces system-level costs by limiting the need for a Bluetooth gateway, making it a perfect match for applications like wireless battery-operated sensors.

NORA-W4 uses Wi-Fi 6 technology that is optimized for IoT and significantly reduces network congestion in environments such as factories, workplaces, or warehouses, thereby improving throughput and reducing latency. Fully backward compatible with Wi-Fi 4, the module can also be used in cases where the Wi-Fi infrastructure has not been upgraded.

The u-blox NORA-W4 module supports Matter protocol, Thread, and Zigbee technologies that are designed for new applications in the smart home environment. Consequently, it allows interoperability with other Matter smart home devices.

NORA-W4’s small form factor permits designers to adapt to device size constraints. Its compatibility with other u-blox NORA modules is key to effortless technology migration, such as transitioning from Wi-Fi 4 to Wi-Fi 6. In addition, the module is packed with enhanced security features, including secure boot, trusted execution environment, and flash encryption, to name a few.

NORA-W4 is available in 6 different variants: open CPU or u-connectXpress, antenna pin or PCB antenna, and with either 4MB or 8MB flash memory. Early samples are available now, with volume production scheduled for H2 2024.

https://www.u-blox.com

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Infineon introduces lower cost Bluetooth long-range module for low power applications

Thu, Feb 15, 2024

Infineon has announced the CYW20822-P4TAI040, its latest Bluetooth module that pushes the low-power and range boundaries for wireless connectivity in IoT and consumer electronics. This module offers seamless integration, enhanced performance with Bluetooth low-energy long-range (LE-LR) support, and exceptional reliability for a wide range of applications. With the right combination of low power and high performance, Infineon’s CYW20822-P4TAI040 is designed to support the entire spectrum of Bluetooth LE-LR use cases including industrial IoT applications, smart home, asset tracking, beacons and sensors, and medical devices.

According to a recent report by ABI Research future use cases will demand additional improvements across almost all metrics. These include industrial IoT applications such as sensing, robotics, beacons, smart home, and asset tracking. In response, Infineon’s CYW20822-P4TAI040 Bluetooth module delivers unparalleled connectivity and performance, enabling customers to create innovative products in the IoT and consumer electronics space.

With extensive experience in delivering certified Bluetooth and Bluetooth LE modules, Infineon’s regulatory testing (FCC, ISED, MIC, CE) and certification process with the Bluetooth SIG is precise and rigorous. Its pre-certified modules are optimised for cost, size, power, and range.

“Infineon is thrilled to expand its Bluetooth portfolio with the introduction of the CYW20822-P4TAI040 Bluetooth module to help designers get to market faster,” said Anurag Chauhan, Director of Marketing for the Bluetooth product line at Infineon Technologies. “As a leader in the IoT area in delivering innovative new Bluetooth LE solutions, this new module is a testament to our customer commitment. This new module delivers low power, long range, and excellent RF performance to meet our customers evolving needs.”

Infineon’s CYW20822-P4TAI040 Bluetooth LE module is currently sampling. More information is available at https://www.infineon.com/CYW20822-P4TAI040

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Nordic-powered module provides Bluetooth LE audio connectivity

Tue, Dec 19, 2023

Wireless communications company Rayson Technology has released a multiprotocol module based on Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF5340 System-on-Chip (SoC). The SoC is designed for advanced Bluetooth LE audio applications, as well as sophisticated metering, wearable, smart home, industrial, and medical use cases. Measuring just 16.5 by 13.0 by 2.5 mm, the ‘BTM-N340X’ module supports LE Audio and its Low Complexity Communication Codec (LC3), which together enable higher quality, lower power wireless audio streaming compared with existing Classic Bluetooth audio solutions.

The module employs the nRF5340 SoC’s dual Arm Cortex-M33 processors – providing a high performance application processor capable of DSP and Floating Point (FP) alongside a fully programmable, ultra low power network processor. The application core manages the LC3 codec, while the Bluetooth LE protocol is supervised by the network processor.

“The BTM-N340X module has been designed for a wide range of applications, aiming in particular to provide enhanced audio experiences via Bluetooth LE Audio,” says Bob Wu, CTO at Rayson Technology. “It enables one device to stream audio to multiple pairs of wireless headphones, and can facilitate audio broadcasts through public address systems, such as in airports and museums. This module is also compatible with smart speakers and home audio systems.”

The module’s ultra-low power consumption is made possible due to the nRF5340’s power-optimised multiprotocol radio, which offers a TX current of 3.4 mA (0 dBm TX power, 3 V, DC/DC) and RX current of 2.7 mA (3 V, DC/DC). The sleep current is as low as 0.9 µA. Additionally, because the cores can operate independently, developers have the flexibility to optimise performance for power consumption, throughput, and low latency response.

Two flexible antenna options are available for the module—a pre-certified U.F.L Connector and a PCB pin out—depending on the product application. The module is designed to operate within a temperature range of -40 to +85°C.

“The dual processors made the nRF5340 SoC an excellent choice for this module’s LE Audio applications,” says Wu. “The large memory capacity, radio sensitivity, and low power consumption were also major drawcards. In addition to the excellent technical capabilities of the chip, the high level of support from Nordic was a key factor when making our selection.”

https://www.nordicsemi.com

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ST reveals high-performance wireless microcontrollers

u-blox releases versatile Wi-Fi 6 module for the mass market

Infineon introduces lower cost Bluetooth long-range module for low power applications

Nordic-powered module provides Bluetooth LE audio connectivity

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