Weartech-Design Sources / Software Archives - Page 6 of 14

Murata’s Type 2AB UWB Bluetooth modules are available from Rutronik

Mon, Oct 10, 2022

Small, wideband modules by Murata combine low power consumption and accurate results for compact, battery powered IoT devices.

The Type 2AB UWB + Bluetooth Low Energy wideband modules measure 10.5 x 8.3 x 1.44mm. They use short range radio frequency technology to enable a wide range of applications including healthcare, wearables, smart lighting, smart factory, real time locations systems (RTLS), asset tracking and digital payments.

The modules integrate a Nordic IC nRF52840 which is claimed to improve design flexibility and reduce product development time by eliminating external MCUs. There is a 256kbyte RAM and 1Mbyte flash memory, a 250nA deep sleep mode with Bluetooth Low Energy function and a three-axis sensor for motion detection. It also integrates a reference clock for UWB (ultra wideband) and MCU.

The module’s PCB mounting area is significantly reduced compared to the layout of separate UWB and BLE ICs, said Rutronik. The design also supports additional component integration. The regulatory-certified module is also claimed to minimise development time for adding UWB functionality into end products.

The multi-antenna design consists of three antenna ports available on the component, one for Bluetooth Low Energy and two for UWB for the phase difference of arrival (PDoA) function.

The connectivity module has an operating temperature of -40 to +85 degrees C and a voltage of 2.5 to 3.6V. It also supports channels five and nine for global deployment. Transmit power, antenna delays and frequencies are calibrated for each device.

Rutronik Elektronische Bauelemente was founded in 1973 and is an independent family-owned company and is a broadline distributor. Rutronik is represented worldwide with 80 offices and provides customer support in Europe, Asia and the USA.

The company’s product portfolio includes semiconductors, passive and electromechanical components as well as embedded boards, storage and displays and wireless products.

Rutronik offers specific products and services tailored to automotive, embedded, power and smart applications and the company provides technical support for product development and design-in, research area, individual logistics and supply chain management as well as comprehensive services.

http://www.rutronik.com

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Nordic Semiconductor supports Matter 1.0 in nRF Connect SDK

Fri, Oct 07, 2022

The latest version of Nordic Semiconductor’s unified software development kit brings support for all features of 1.0 version of Matter over Thread.

The latest version of the nRF Connect SDK (software development kit) brings developers support for the Connectivity Standard Alliance’s standard, which is emerging as an industry changing standard for smart home device interoperability, said the company.

“Nordic has played a major role in the Matter initiative since the very beginning, so we are pleased to introduce the nRF Connect SDK with full Matter over Thread support,” says Krzysztof Loska, a technical product manager with Nordic. “This support is ready for Matter 1.0 adoption and allows developers to get started immediately on Matter over Thread development using Nordic’s nRF52840 and nRF5340 SoCs,” he added.

nRF Connect SDK is a scalable and unified development tool for building products based on Nordic’s nRF52 and nRF53 Series SoCs, the nRF91 Series SiP (system in package and the recently announced nRF7002 Wi-Fi 6 Companion IC. The nRF Connect SDK 2.1.0 includes full Matter over Thread and also adds experimental support for Matter over Wi-Fi for the nRF5340 SoC in combination with the nRF7002 Companion IC.

The company released nRF Connect SDK 2.1.0 before Matter 1.0 was formally adopted and will soon release an nRF Connect SDK 2.1.X to provide bug fixes and small improvements in Matter over Thread. Nordic advised that customers can continue using nRF Connect SDK 2.1.0 to conform to the Matter 1.0 specification following some minor manual updates. Matter over Wi-Fi will be raised from experimental to full support when the nRF7002 enters volume production.

Matter is a connectivity standard that forms a common language to bring together disparate ecosystems and enables smart devices from different makers to work in harmony.

The standard uses a common application layer and data model that delivers interoperability between devices allowing them to communicate with each other – regardless of the underlying network protocol or ecosystem. It is built on market-proven technologies using Internet Protocol (IP). Matter runs on Wi-Fi, Thread and Ethernet network layers and uses Bluetooth LE for commissioning.

Nordic was awarded a Thread 1.3 certification badge for the nRF Connect SDK earlier this year. Thread 1.3 is a pre-requisite for Matter over Thread and the certification can be inherited by customers for their own products.

https://www.nordicsemi.com/

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Smart watch and LoRaWAN monitor patients’ safety

Wed, Jul 20, 2022

French management group, Domitys has installed a private LoRaWAN (long range wide area network) in one of its residences in Mauritius where patients wearing smart watches by Life Plus, a provider of support and remote patient monitoring systems..

Unlike projects in France where there is a public LoRaWAN available, in Mauritius it was necessary to create a private LoRaWAN bubble to ensure coverage of our apartment building and its surroundings.

Using Actility’s ThingPark Enterprise IoT platform, Life Plus deployed a private LoRaWAN to cover the whole facility which consists of two buildings with 120 two or three room apartments. Eight gateways have been installed, six indoors and two outdoors, as part of a network which covers all apartments, lifts and surrounding outdoor areas. The project created a 10km wide network around the residence.

Most of the currently available devices were found to be only for raising assistance (SOS and falls) and were deemed to be stigmatising and with a low use rate.

At this facility in Mauritius, Domitys wanted to make sure the residents were secure while helping to maintain their autonomy. They wear a smart watch which alerts staff as soon as something goes wrong (such as a fall or unusual activity) or if the resident sends an SOS. The smart watch is customisable to fit preferences, such as a dial, bracelet, display design.

Life Plus co-creates products with real users – seniors, caregivers, geriatricians, general practitioners, physiotherapists, dietitians and neuropsychologists, allowing it to develop an easy to use device with a customisable design that is used by 87 per cent of residents every day.

Within the facility, small beacons are placed in apartments and shared areas, for the system to precisely locate residents inside the building, in a non-intrusive way, and only in case of problems. Bluetooth location beacons do not require wiring and are battery operated. This therefore brings flexibility in their positioning in all rooms and in the hotel park, and the most discreet integration possible.

The smart watch uses Dona Care, a cloud data and software service. The personalised smart watch and digital platform also provides customised coaching and automatic data transmission such as activity and health monitoring.

Residents are motivated to exercise more thanks to a personalised coaching focused on physical activity: walking and active walking durations, number of steps, and a daily walking goal that can be set up, pushing them to achieve it. This program can be extended to cognition activities and nutrition advice too, to support caregivers and help maintain autonomy.

A ThingPark Market demo kit is now available for purchase powered by Actility.

https://www.actility.com

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Wideband test suite supports FiRa Consortium PHY conformance

Tue, Jun 28, 2022

Rohde & Schwarz has added an ultra-wideband (UWB) PHY test suite for the R&S CMP200 radio communication tester. A PHY conformance test tool (PCTT) supports conformance testing of the UWB PHY layer as specified by the FiRa Consortium.

The FiRa Certification Program is intended to support interoperability of UWB-enabled devices on different layers. This includes physical layer conformance testing performed by FiRa Authorized Test Laboratories (ATLs).

The FiRa-validated UWB PCTT supports further development of an open and standardised UWB ecosystem. UWB-enabled devices can accurately and securely measure the distance and direction of connected devices. These capabilities make UWB a suitable technology for indoor navigation, social distancing, hands-free access, asset tracking, ticket validation, mobile payment and point-and-trigger applications.

Rohde & Schwarz collaborates with industry partners and organisations like the FiRa Consortium to develop UWB test suites for R&D, certification, chipset characterisation and production. The set of UWB test capabilities of the R&S CMP200 radio communication tester are controlled by the new UWB PHY test suite for test automation to allow flexible pre-conformance testing. It also offers an option to run as a PCTT for FiRa certification.

Christoph Pointner, senior vice president for mobile radio testers at Rohde & Schwarz, said the company is pleased to support the FiRa Consortium in its efforts to establish a strong certification framework for an open UWB ecosystem by providing a validated physical layer test tool.

https://www.rohde-schwarz.com

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Murata’s Type 2AB UWB Bluetooth modules are available from Rutronik

Nordic Semiconductor supports Matter 1.0 in nRF Connect SDK

Smart watch and LoRaWAN monitor patients’ safety

Wideband test suite supports FiRa Consortium PHY conformance

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