Første \'low power\' Bluetooth chips er klar
Nordic Semiconductor kan nu levere chips i samplekvantiteter af firmaets µBlue low-power Bluetooth implementering (in english).
Ultra low power (ULP) RF specialist Nordic Semiconductor ASA reveals that it is already shipping to key customers silicon samples and development kits of the first member of its µBlue Bluetooth low energy single mode solution, the nRF8001.
While the Bluetooth low energy specification is still under development, Nordic is providing a complete beta implementation, including host and profiles subsystem, enabling its lead customers to begin both hardware and software development of their first single mode Bluetooth low energy applications. Nordic expects to have a feature complete and qualified product shortly after the specification is finalized by the Bluetooth SIG.
- We are making the nRF8001 silicon samples and Prototype Kits available to seed the market, says Thomas Embla Bonnerud, Product Manager for Ultra Low Power Wireless at Nordic Semiconductor ASA.
- Even though the Bluetooth low energy specification is still under development and some aspect of the product will have to be completed and changed, we have a complete solution that works.
- Most importantly this means that we can provide our lead customers with something that enables them to get started developing end-products, continues Bonnerud.
- We believe that Bluetooth low energy is a great technology that will accelerate the market for ultra low power wireless. Nordic Semiconductor will deliver market leading solution to fuel that growth; the nRF8001 is just the beginning.
About Bluetooth low energy
Bluetooth low energy wireless technology will encourage rapid deployment of ultra-low power (ULP) wireless by providing a technology that is interoperable. Moreover, Bluetooth low energy wireless technology-equipped products will be able to communicate with mobile phones and PCs featuring modified Bluetooth wireless technology transceivers opening up a whole new range of possibilities.
In summary, Bluetooth low energy wireless technology is an ultra low power (ULP) wireless solution delivering:
· Ultra low peak, average and idle mode power consumption;
· Ultra low cost plus small size for accessories and human interface devices (HIDs);
· Minimal (if any) cost and size addition to cell phone handsets and PCs;
· Global, intuitive and secure multi-vendor interoperability.
The technology will operate in the globally accepted 2.4GHz Industrial, Scientific & Medical (ISM) band. It features a physical layer bit rate of 1Mbps over a range up to 15 meters.
The Bluetooth low energy wireless technology specification will feature two implementations, namely ‘dual mode’ and ‘single mode’. In the dual mode implementation Bluetooth low energy functionality is integrated into classic Bluetooth circuitry.
The resulting architecture shares much of Bluetooth technology’s existing functionality and physical radio and results in a minimal, if any, cost increase compared to contemporary Bluetooth chips.
Single mode chips will be highly integrated and compact devices. The simplified Bluetooth low energy wireless technology protocol stack features a lightweight Link Layer (LL) providing ultra-low power idle mode operation, simple device discovery and reliable point-to-multipoint data transfer with advanced power-save and encryption functionalities. The LL provides a means to schedule Bluetooth low energy wireless technology traffic between classic Bluetooth transmissions. Profiles will include support for a variety of low power devices such as HIDs, sensors and sports watches etc.
ULP consumption is critical to Bluetooth low energy wireless technology’s success. Single mode devices will be expected to run for many months or even years on standard coin-cell batteries (for example, CR2032, 3V lithium devices). Single mode chips will typically operate with low duty cycles, entering ultra-low power idle and sleep modes, to wake up periodically for a communication ‘burst’.
Dual mode chips are targeted at handsets, multimedia computers and PCs. The dual mode specification is also advanced and it is envisaged chips will feature power consumptions of around 75 to 80 percent of conventional Bluetooth chips when operating in Bluetooth low energy wireless technology mode and typically cost less than tens of cents more.
These next generation dual mode Bluetooth chips will share much of Bluetooth technology’s existing functionality and radio in a single die. However, because dual mode devices will use parts of Bluetooth technology’s hardware, power consumption is ultimately dependant upon the Bluetooth implementation. Consequently, dual mode devices will not enjoy all of the benefits and possibilities outlined in the Bluetooth low energy wireless technology specification.
About µBlue
μBlue will be a range of single mode Bluetooth low energy solutions based on a single chip architecture integrating radio, baseband, and microcontroller with fully embedded Bluetooth low energy software stacks. By providing a complete solution, μBlue will significantly ease the effort and cost for manufacturers to make Bluetooth low energy wireless-enabled products.
This high level of integration, tiny chip size and low external component count makes μBlue ideal for size-constrained applications like watches and wearable sensors. μBlue will also be made available in a number of targeted application variants to suit the specific requirements of products in various market segments.
μBlue will provide a true ultra low power (ULP) wireless solution with peak currents low enough to support standard coin cell battery operation and microampere average current.
This means that μBlue will drastically expand the range of applicable application areas where manufacturers can take advantage of Bluetooth wireless connectivity as well as deliver an improved user experience in existing applications.
While classic Bluetooth solutions typically require rechargeable batteries and weekly charging cycles, μBlue will support applications that use non-rechargeable batteries, such as coin cells, and that therefore need to deliver months to years of battery lifetime to avoid end user frustration. Applications that use classic Bluetooth today - like Bluetooth enabled watches and remote controls - can benefit on both battery lifetime and cost by migrating to μBlue Bluetooth low energy wireless technology.
The ULP consumption of μBlue does not come with a compromise on radio performance. μBlue is built on Nordic Semiconductor’s latest class-leading ULP 2.4GHz radio technology and is therefore expected to deliver best-in-class sensitivity and blocking performance from launch. Combined with the robust adaptive frequency hopping of Bluetooth low energy, μBlue will provide excellent co-existence performance in the presence of other 2.4GHz radios such as Wi-Fi and classic Bluetooth.
The first offering in the µBlue range will include the nRF8001, a single mode Bluetooth low energy slave solution ideal for applications like watches, mobile phone peripherals, remote controls, and sensors. More detailed specifications and pricing indications will be supplied at the official product launch.
