Single-chip løsning baner vejen for ANT USB dongles
Nordic Semiconductor udvider med ny chip til opbygning af USB dongles baseret på low-power ANT-protokollen (in english).
Nordic Semiconductor ASA has released the third product in its nRF24AP2 ANT family – the nRF24AP2-USB – a single chip ANT solution with USB interface enabling compact, low cost ANT USB dongles for use in product applications such as wireless sport, fitness and health monitoring.
ANT is a proven protocol and silicon solution for ultra low power (ULP) practical wireless networking applications. Designed for 2.4GHz operation, ANT is perfectly suited to any kind of low data-rate sensor network topologies in personal area networks (PANs) and practical wireless sensor networks (WSNs). ANT has been intentionally engineered to simplify wireless network development and maximize network efficiency.
The nRF24AP2-USB provides the same advanced feature set as Nordic's existing 8-channel nRF24AP2-8CH ultra low power (ULP) wireless solution, but exchanges the latter's UART interface for a Full-Speed USB 2.0 compliant host interface. This makes the nRF24AP2-USB ideal for both compact ANT USB dongles and embedded systems where a USB host interface is preferred.
The nRF24AP2-USB comes in a compact 5x5mm QFN package and integrates a Nordic 2.4GHz nRF24L01+ transceiver core, 8-channel ANT protocol stack, Full-Speed USB 2.0 device controller, and 4 to 5.25V linear voltage regulator that allows the chip to be powered directly from a USB bus port.
Supporting development tools for the nRF24AP2-USB include the production-ready nRF6910 nRFready ANT USB Dongle Reference Design and development platform, plus ANT libraries and drivers for both Windows and Mac OS X operating systems. These are designed to enable developers to start developing computer side applications to support new and existing ANT-enabled products without delay.
- Connectivity to both PC- and Mac-based products, and thereby also the Internet, is fast becoming a key feature in many of the latest ANT-enabled wireless products. The nRF24AP2-USB's compact single-chip form factor and low cost presents an ideal and convenient solution for developers of applications that employ such products, says Thomas Embla Bonnerud, Product Manager for Ultra Low Power Wireless at Nordic Semiconductor.
- This next generation USB part was designed specifically to reduce costs and enable independent builds, adds Rod Morris, Director, ANT Wireless.
- With the latest in ANT functionality, this product further enhances the ease of use, feature set and ultra low power of ANT in wireless sports, fitness and health networks.
Other members of the nRF24AP2 family
The single channel nRF24AP2-1CH is a cost optimized and flexible product specifically designed to be used in a wide range of ULP wireless sensors. Combined with different host microcontrollers it provides a low cost solution for everything from simple sensors such as bike cadence, to more complex sensors such as heart rate or blood glucose monitors.
The 8-channel nRF24AP2-8CH is an advanced and flexible product specifically designed for ANT hubs. Supporting up to 8-channels and without compromising power consumption, it enables devices such as sports watches, or bicycle and gym machine computers, for example, to wirelessly connect with up to eight individual sensors simultaneously.
