- Artificial Intelligence research venture between UTS and Chinese government
- Built-in power supply for temperature controller
- Panasonic opens lithium-ion battery factory in China
- Resistors for power management applications
STMicroelectronics has revealed its first Bluetooth Low Energy wireless System-on-Chip (SoC). The BlueNRG-1 is optimized to satisfy high-volume opportunities in the fast-growing Bluetooth Low Energy market through the combination of superior energy efficiency and strong radio performance.
Bluetooth Low Energy technology is ideal for energy-constrained smart sensors and connected devices like wearables, retail beacons, keyless entry systems, smart remote controllers, asset trackers, and industrial and medical monitors.
Shipments of IoT products that support Bluetooth Low Energy should increase 34 per cent to 2021 (CAGR), reaching close to 1.4 billion units, according to ABI Research, aided by proliferation of Bluetooth-enabled tablets and smartphones that provides a convenient user interface for interacting with Bluetooth Low Energy devices.
Bluetooth Low Energy devices must ensure energy-efficient operation, including extremely low power consumption in sleep and standby modes that are used frequently to maximize battery life. Strong radio performance is also needed to advertise availability and connect reliably. ST has designed its new BlueNRG-1 programmable SoC with performance and power to satisfy these requirements.
The integrated radio transceiver of BlueNRG-1 is extremely power-efficient in the modes frequently used by devices such as beacons when setting up short-duration connections for exchanges like sharing offers with shoppers’ smartphones. BlueNRG-1’s ability to transition quickly between power-saving and active modes extends battery life from months to years. In addition, RF-output power is boosted to +8dBm to ensure clear and reliable communication for optimum efficiency, even in noisy environments.
“The success of many new applications in the Retail, Connected Home, Automotive, Industrial, Medical or ePayment segments will notably depend on the quality of user experience, which will demand efficient Bluetooth Low Energy solutions,” explained Beneditto Vigna, Executive Vice President, Analog and MEMS Group, STMicroelectronics. “BlueNRG-1 hits the sweet spot for IoT designers: compared to existing solutions it’s a single-chip solution, neither over-specified nor expensive, and enables longer battery life and superior connection reliability with optimum performance.”
In addition to efficient performance and lower power consumption, BlueNRG-1 also offers value-added features that make device designers’ lives easier.
These include a dedicated digital-microphone input that simplifies voice-enabled applications and 105°C maximum operating temperature suitable for smart-lighting and automotive applications (such as passive-entry-passive-start or onboard diagnostic devices). Support for the latest Bluetooth Low Energy version 4.2 specification ensures advanced privacy and security.