Wearable

Bluetooth LE module goes where radios aren’t welcome

Thu, Jul 28, 2022

A Bluetooth 5 Low Energy module for applications deemed “radio-unfavourable” has been introduced by Panasonic. 

The PAN1770 Bluetooth 5 Low Energy (LE) module includes a uFL connector which enables the use of an external antenna for use where difficult housing conditions shield radio waves. 

“We have seen that in many devices or applications, radio waves emitted by the chip antenna can be blocked or reflected by the metallic housing, making it difficult to receive the radio signal from the outside”, commented Tomislav Tipura from Panasonic Industry Europe. Using the PAN1770 module, an external antenna can easily be attached via the uFL connector and thus redirect the radio waves outside the housing, he explained.

The module is based on Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF52840 single chip controller. It joins the PAN1780 Bluetooth 5 module from Panasonic. 

Output power is up to 8dBm. The module is suitable for use in applications where a long range is required, due to the sensitivity of 95dBm at 1.0Mbits per second and -103dBm at 125kbits per second via the nRF52840 chip controller combined with the LE coded PHY, said Panasonic. Current consumption is just 4.8mA in Tx (at 0dBm), 4.8mA in Rx mode, 0.4 microA in system off mode and around 0.7 microA with RTC wake-up. These parameters make the module suitable for used in a battery-powered device. 

It also includes a Cortex M4F processor, 256kbyte RAM and built-in 1.0Mbyte flash memory. The device can be used in standalone mode, eliminating the need for an external processor, while reducing complexity, lowering costs and saving space, said the company. The PAN1770 module also supports Type 2 near field communication (NFC A) for use in simplified pairing and payment systems, although an external antenna is required.

The module has a small footprint of 15.6 x 8.7 x 1.8mm. Maximum output power is 8dBm, configurable from -20dBm in 4.0dB steps and -40dBm in whisper mode. For 802.15.4 support, it has Matter, Zigbee and Thread, as well as up to 48 programmable general purpose I/Os and SPI, I2C, UART, PWM, ADC, NFC, USB2.0 interfaces.

http://industry.panasonic.eu

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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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Multi-layer chip antennas expand Würth Elektronik portfolio

Mon, Jul 11, 2022

Multi-layer chip antennas have been added to the range available from Würth Elektronik, contributing to the miniaturisation of radio applications. 

Measuring just 40 x 6.0 x 5.0mm, the WE-MCA antenna (7488918022) covers the 700 to 960MHz and 1710 to 2690MHz frequency ranges. The form factor and slender profile mean the antenna offers an “excellent size-to-performance ratio”, said Würth.

WE-MCA is suited for applications such as GSM 900, WLAN / WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS / GNSS, ZigBee, and mobile communication (4G / LTE). Würth Elektronik offers products for the development of radio applications, including a variety of radio modules and EMC products for high frequency applications, in particular compact IoT and smart building applications. The chip antennas are robust, with an operating temperature range from -40 to +85 degrees C.

To help customers with the layout of miniaturised radio applications and the selection of suitable inductors and capacitors, Würth Elektronik offers antenna matching and characterisation support for its range of multi-layer chip antennas.

The WE-MCA chip antennas are supplied packaged in reels for surface mount assembly, with no restrictions regarding the number of items. Free-of-charge samples are available on request.

Würth Elektronik eiSos Group is a manufacturer of electronic and electromechanical components for the electronics industry. Würth Elektronik eiSos is one of the largest European manufacturers of passive components and is active in 50 countries. Production sites in Europe, Asia and North America supply a growing number of customers worldwide.

The product range includes EMC components, inductors, transformers, RF components, varistors, capacitors, resistors, quartz crystals, oscillators, power modules, wireless power transfer, LEDs, sensors, connectors, power supply elements, switches, push-buttons, connection technology, fuse holders and solutions for wireless data transmission.

Würth Elektronik is part of the Würth Group, specialising in assembly and fastening technology. 

http://www.we-online.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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