Designed specifically for all cellular IoT (CIoT) technologies, including the 5G RedCap specification, the E7515R is Keysight Technologies’ wireless test platform for chipset, device and module makers. The network emulation platform supports the development workflow from early design and development to deployment, said Keysight.
The E7515R is based on the company’s 5G Network Emulation Solutions platform, a streamlined network emulator specifically designed for protocol, radio frequency (RF), and functional testing of all CIoT technologies.
The E7515R features streamlined capabilities for RedCap without the additional features needed to test a full-spec 5G device. The integrated platform combines RF, protocol, functional, and performance testing in a compact footprint.
The 5G RedCap specification introduces support for wireless devices with reduced 5G capabilities. These devices are less complex, and consume less power, allowing them to address new CIoT use cases such as industrial sensors and wearables such as smartwatches. Like other cellular devices, RedCap devices require time-consuming and expensive certification from accredited labs before they can be released to the market. By performing lab validation early, to identify and correct design issues, device and module manufacturers can shorten the certification process for RedCap and other CIoT devices, said Keysight.
The E7515R supports 5G Release 17 RedCap and legacy CIoT technologies, including Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT), LTE Category M, and LTE Cat-1bis.
The E7515R is built on the same architecture as Keysight’s 5G Network Emulation Solutions platform. The E7515R also uses the same software, providing workflow consistency and reduced learning curves.
The E7515R is shipping now and Keysight will demonstrate the solution’s 5G RedCap network emulation capabilities at MWC 2023 in Barcelona (27 February to 02 March): Hall 5 Stand 5E12.
Keysight delivers design and validation products across the development lifecycle, in design simulation, prototype validation, automated software testing, manufacturing analysis, and network performance optimisation and visibility in enterprise, service provider and cloud environments. Customers span the worldwide communications and industrial ecosystems, aerospace and defence, automotive, energy, semiconductor and general electronics markets.
Wearable
Assisted reality headset has HyperDisplay for hands-free computing
Rugged headwear for frontline professionals from RealWear uses HyperDisplay viewing for enhanced viewing. The RealWear Navigator 520 is the company’s next generation rugged, assisted reality headset which builds on the earlier RealWear Navigator 500, but with an upgraded and redesigned viewing system, HyperDisplay, for a bigger, sharper and bolder image for frontline professionals.
The HyperDisplay in RealWear Navigator 520 replaces the Core Display in standard definition (SD) found in RealWear Navigator 500, offering a 20 per cent larger high definition (HD) screen in 720p with twice the pixels and an eye box that is five times larger, and improved eye relief to extend the maximum distance the eye can be from the display to view the content easily and identify minute details.
RealWear Navigator 520 includes a modular platform (compatible with the new thermal module) with an upgradeable 48Mpixel camera system, a hot-swappable battery, with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and an optional 4G modem. The user interface includes patented noise-cancellation, with support in 23 languages and dialects. RealWear has more than 200 optimised partner apps for remote collaboration, workflow and computer vision.
Rama Oruganti, chief product officer, RealWear, said the Navigator 520’s improvements and innovations, devices, accessories, apps and cloud-based control has set a new, high bar for a full stack enterprise-level wearable product in the industrial wearables market.
Oruganti continued: “Our customers are focused on resiliency and retaining technical talent through an unprecedented labour and skills shortage and next wave of digital transformation. Our device is a compelling offering for these moments where every minute of productivity and efficiency must count toward the bottom line.”
RealWear said the Navigator 520 can improve individual and team productivity, allowing each frontline professional to do more with less time or support.
RealWear Navigator 520 is shipping now available through all authorised RealWear resellers. It includes a one year warranty.
RealWear provides assisted reality wearable products for frontline industrial workers to perform work tasks more safely, and with increased efficiency and precision. RealWear gives these workers real-time access to information and expertise, while keeping their hands and field of view free for work.
RealWear customers include Shell, Goodyear, Mars, Colgate-Palmolive, and BMW.
STMicroelectronics reveals single-chip antenna-matching ICs for easier, faster design with Bluetooth LE SoCs and microcontrollers
STMicroelectronics has extended its range of single-chip antenna-matching ICs that simplify RF-circuit design with two new devices optimised for BlueNRG-LPS system-on-chip ICs (SoCs) and STM32WB1x and STM32WB5x wireless microcontrollers.
The MLPF-NRG-01D3 for BlueNRG-LPS and MLPF-WB-02D3 for STM32WB integrate the complete filtering and impedance-matching network needed for best RF output power and receiver sensitivity with an external antenna. Each has 50Ohm nominal impedance on the antenna side. The chip-scale package has a minuscule footprint, 0.4mm bump pitch and a profile of only 630micro after reflow soldering. Also featuring a 2.4GHz low-pass filter, ST’s antenna-matching ICs ease compliance with worldwide radio regulations, including FCC, ETSI, and ARIB specifications.
The circuit elements are fabricated on a glass substrate leveraging ST’s integrated passive device (IPD) technology, which, the company claimed, minimises insertion losses and outperforms circuits built with discrete components. Integration on the same die is said to ensure consistent component parameters for end-product quality. In addition, ST’s IPDs help accelerate time to market, reduce bill-of-materials costs and miniaturise circuit dimensions.
The BlueNRG-LP and Blue NRG-LPS SoCs and STM32WB1x and STM32WB5x contain ST’s energy-efficient 2.4GHz radio IP and come with royalty-free protocol stacks and dedicated software tools. They help developers quickly design state-of-the-art wireless products, even without having extensive RF-design skills. Both provide on-chip features such as memory, peripherals, communication interfaces, power regulation and advanced hardware security including encryption, memory protection and public key acceleration (PKA).
BlueNRG-LPx SoCs can be used in standalone or network processor applications and support Bluetooth Low Energy 5.3 features including point-to-point and mesh communications, advertising extensions and direction finding.
The MLPF-NRG-01D3 IPD is compatible with all variants, comprising the BLUENRG-3x5Vx, BLUENRG-3x5Ax and BLUENRG-332xx in UFQFPN and WLCSP packages.
The STM32WB5x and STM32WB1x MCUs are Bluetooth 5.3, Zigbee 3.0 and OpenThread certified and feature an Arm Cortex-M4 core for application processing with a Cortex-M0+ dedicated to managing the radio. They are available in WLCSP and UFBGA packages that connect directly to the MLPF-WB-02D3 IPD. A different IPD is available for other MCU variants in UQFN and VQFN packages.
The MLPF-NRG-01D3 and MLPF-WB-02D3 single-chip antenna-matching ICs are available from $0.14 for orders of 1,000 pieces.
nRF7002 companion IC and development kit create low power Wi-Fi 6 IoT
The first IC in Nordic Semiconductor’s Wi-Fi product family is the nRF7002 Wi-Fi 6 companion IC. The low power Wi-Fi 6 companion IC provides seamless dual band (2.4 and 5.0GHz) connectivity. The nRF7002 IC can be used with Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF52 and nRF53 series multi-protocol SoCs and the nRF9160 cellular IoT (LTE-M / NB-IoT) system in package (SiP), but can be used in conjunction with non-Nordic host devices.
In IoT applications, Wi-Fi 6 has power efficiency gains for battery power Wi-Fi operation and management in smart home products, industrial sensors, asset trackers, and wearables. They also contribute to the management of large IoT networks comprising hundreds of devices, said Nordic Semiconductor.
According to Svein-Egil Nielsen, CTO and executive vice president of R&D and Strategy at Nordic: “This highly integrated and flexible solution will empower developers to create new, innovative Wi-Fi 6-enabled products. Supported with the nRF7002 DK and the award-winning nRF Connect [software development kit], combined with Nordic’s . . . technical support, I believe it has never been easier to develop great Wi-Fi products.”
“The nRF7002 is designed to work alongside Nordic’s nRF52 and nRF53 Series making it a perfect fit for Matter, a smart-home standard backed by Amazon, Apple, Google, Nordic, Samsung, and hundreds of other companies,” explained Finn Boetius, product marketing engineer with Nordic. “The introduction of the IC and the nRF7002 DK now makes it easy for developers to get started on Matter and any other Wi-Fi based applications.” Matter uses Thread and Wi-Fi for data transport, and Bluetooth LE for commissioning.
The nRF7002 brings low power and secure Wi-Fi to the IoT. The dual-band IC complies with Station (STA), Soft Access Point (AP), and Wi-Fi Direct operation, and meets the IEEE 802.11b, a, g, n (Wi-Fi 4), ac (Wi-Fi 5), and ax (Wi-Fi 6) standards. The product also offers co-existence with Bluetooth LE, Thread and Zigbee.
The nRF7002 supports target wake time (TWT) a key Wi-Fi 6 power saving feature. Interfacing with a host processor is done via serial peripheral interface (SPI) or quad SPI (QSPI). The IC offers a single spatial stream, 20MHz channel bandwidth, 64 QAM (MCS7), OFDMA, up to 86Mbits per second PHY throughput, and BSS (base service set) colouring.
In addition to general IoT applications and Matter, the nRF7002 implements low power SSID-based Wi-Fi location when used with Nordic’s nRF9160 SiP and the company’s nRF Cloud Location Services. SSID-based Wi-Fi location supplements GNSS- or cell-based location by providing accurate positioning indoors and in places with a high density of Wi-Fi access points.
The introduction of the nRF7002 is accompanied by the launch of the nRF7002 DK, a development kit for the Wi-Fi 6 companion IC. The DK includes an nRF7002 IC and features an nRF5340 multi-protocol SoC as a host processor for the nRF7002. The nRF5340 embeds a 128MHz Arm Cortex-M33 application processor and a 64MHz high efficiency network processor. The DK supports the development of low-power Wi-Fi applications and enables Wi-Fi 6 features like OFDMA (orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing), beamforming, and TWT (target wake time). The DK includes Arduino connectors; two programmable buttons; a Wi-Fi dual-band antenna and a Bluetooth LE antenna, and current measurement pins.
The nRF7002 companion IC and nRF7002 DK are available now from Nordic’s distribution partners.
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