Date: 25/01/2011

Bluetooth transceiver operates from a coin cell batt by drawing low currents

RF semiconductor specialist Nordic Semiconductor ASA has launched the low power bluetooth chip µBlue nRF8001 which draws sub 12.5mA peak currents and connected mode average currents of sub 12µA (for 1s connection intervals), Nordic claims µBlue nRF8001 represents the industry's lowest power Bluetooth low energy solution. The µBlue nRF8001 is the first chip in Nordic Semiconductor's new µBlue Bluetooth low energy product line.

The nRF8001 is available in 5x5mm, 32-pin QFN package and can be powered by a coin cell battery in applications such as wireless products and sensors designed to be worn on - or carried close to - the end user's body including mobile phone peripherals such as proximity tags and watches, and sports fitness and health sensors, as well as consumer electronic remote controls, and home and industrial automation devices.

The nRF8001 integrates a DC/DC regulator and is fully qualified Bluetooth v4.0 low energy design to combine the Radio, Link Layer, and Host into one End Product Listing (EPL), enabling designers to easily create new Bluetooth end products without any additional listing fees.

Nordic says the nRF8001 chip makes it as straightforward as possible for designers to add Bluetooth low energy wireless connectivity to existing applications by integrating a complete Bluetooth v4.0 low energy Radio, Link Layer, and Host stack supporting Peripheral ("slave") role operation, and featuring a simple serial interface supporting external microcontrollers of a designer's own choosing given the individual requirements of their application. The nRF8001 chip also integrates low tolerance 32kHz RC oscillator that eliminates the need for external 32kHz crystals, a 16MHz crystal oscillator supporting low cost 16MHz crystals, plus an on-chip linear voltage regulator that provides a supply range of 1.9 to 3.6V as an alternative to its integrated DC/DC regulator.

By complementing our existing nRF24xxx and ANTTM 2.4GHz product lines with our new µBlue line of Bluetooth low energy chips, Nordic now offers the complete range of best-in-class ULP wireless solutions and thus the ideal solution for any given application or segment - new or existing - proprietary or interoperable, says Thomas Embla Bonnerud, Product Manager for Ultra Low Power Wireless at Nordic Semiconductor.

Availability: Now in samples and volumes in Feb-Mar 2011

Editorial Product Rating: ** (Average Plus)