STMicroelectronics introduces a new low energy Bluetooth monolithic solution

     STMicroelectronics has released its first Bluetooth Low Energy Wireless Communication System-on-chip (SoC) BlueNRG-1. The new product combines excellent energy efficiency and powerful RF performance to meet the needs of the rapidly growing large-scale low energy Bluetooth market.

     Bluetooth Low Energy technology is ideal for power-constrained smart sensors and wearables, retail store navigation transceivers (beacons), automotive keyless entry systems, smart remote controls, asset trackers, industrial monitors, medical monitors and other Internet devices. According to ABI Research[1], with the explosion of the Bluetooth tablet and smartphone market and the convenient graphical interface available for users to communicate with Bluetooth low energy devices, iot products supporting Bluetooth low energy will ship nearly 1.4 billion units by 2021, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 34%.

     Bluetooth Low Energy must ensure high energy efficiency operating modes, including the most commonly used very low power sleep and standby mode, to maximize battery life. To improve effective broadcast coverage and connection reliability, RF performance must also be excellent. St has introduced a new BlueNRG-1 programmable system chip that meets the RF performance and power requirements of these applications.

     The BlueNRG-1 internal RF transceiver is extremely efficient in the common mode of application devices, such as retail store navigation transceivers, which are set up for a short data communication connection to push special offers to customers' smartphones. The BlueNRG-1 can quickly switch between power-saving and operational modes, extending battery life from months to years. In addition, the RF output power is increased to +8dBm, ensuring clear and reliable communication quality and maximum energy efficiency, even in noisy environments.

     Benedetto Vigna, Executive Vice President of ST's Emulator and MEMS business group, explains: "In the retail, connected home, automotive, industrial, medical or electronic payments sectors, the success of many new applications is critical to the quality of the user experience, so we need energy-efficient Bluetooth low energy solutions. For iot designers, BlueNRG-1 hits the heart of the matter: the new product is a monolithic solution that does not exceed technical requirements, does not cost much, and offers extended battery life, excellent connection reliability, and the best RF performance compared to existing solutions."

     In addition to high energy efficiency and low power consumption, BlueNRG-1 offers a number of value-added features that make life easier for designers. These features include dedicated digital microphone inputs that help simplify voice-activated design and are suitable for smart lighting; Maximum operating temperature of 105°C for automotive applications (e.g., keyless entry start or on-board diagnostic devices); Support for the latest Bluetooth Low Energy specification version 4.2 ensures that applications are designed to use advanced privacy and security protection technologies.