Spring 2014 - Nordic Semiconductor

Transcription

QUARTER 1 | SPRING 2014
bluetooth technology
opens up to ip traffic
insight into a wireless future
the inexorable rise of the
appcessory market
COVER STORY
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enhanced distribution model
meets maker demand for wireless
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everal key events have come together to drive a disruptive change in the ultra low power (ULP)
wireless sector. First was the ratification of the Bluetooth v4.0 (now v4.1) specification that
includes Bluetooth low energy which was quickly followed by the adoption of native support for
the technology by the key mobile operating system vendors. Next was the introduction of highlyintegrated, ARM processor-based, multiprotocol, ULP wireless connectivity solutions in the shape of
Nordic’s nRF51 Series chips allied to simple-to-use development kits such as our recently launched
nRF51822-mKIT (see this issue page 4) for creating wireless applications.
Another factor that’s pushing ULP wireless connectivity into the mainstream is the rise of ‘crowdfunding’
for companies with good ideas about how a wireless link will enhance a product that might have otherwise
found it difficult to raise the required investment. Finally, there’s now a burgeoning “maker” movement of
keen hobbyists and amateur engineers - excited about the thousands of potential innovations to which
wireless connectivity can be applied - that can use the chips and development kits to realize their ideas.
“We see first time makers using our [chip],” my Nordic colleague David Edwin told technology blog
ArcticStartup. “There’s some sort of disruption between crowdfunding and the maker movement, and
we’re just helping with the baby steps at Nordic.”
Those “baby steps” include the relative ease with which the nRF51 Series allows non-expert RF engineers
to write application software without worrying about linking to, or corrupting, the RF protocol because of
the chip’s unique software architecture. The steps also include supply of a Bluetooth low energy (Bluetooth
Smart) software development kit for the popular open-source Arduino prototyping platform.
According to Nordic’s CEO, Svenn-Tore Larsen, demand for this type of development kit has exploded.
“We shipped nearly 10,000 kits [in 2013 and 2014] including many to non-electronics designers,” he told
electronics industry trade magazine Incisor (see this issue page 10).
The upsurge in interest for ULP wireless connectivity - particularly Bluetooth low energy - has
encouraged Nordic to further extend its supply channels to include additional web-based catalog
distributors. These are companies that stock extensive product lines and from which anybody - from a
hobbyist to a professional engineer - can order one chip or a thousand for overnight delivery.
Recently, for example, Nordic announced it had signed a global distribution agreement with Digi-Key
Corporation (see this issue page 3). Digi-Key offers more than three million products from over 650
manufacturers and is one of the world’s leading semiconductor and electronic component distributors
supported by a great website, and proven customer service and supply chain capabilities.
Ten years ago Nordic was doing well with its proprietary ULP RF technology. But even we could have
never predicted how a confluence of strategic events was likely to propel the technology we helped
pioneer from a few niches to become one of the fastest growing mainstream wireless technologies.
Yours Sincerely,
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Athletes are honing their
competitive edge using
Moxy muscle oxygen monitor
equipped with ANT+
ULP Wireless Q is published
on behalf of Nordic
Semiconductor by Ecritech
www.ecritech.com
Editor
Steven Keeping
e-mail: [email protected]
News Editor
Andrew Woolls-King
Art Editor
Tim Plummer
Image Editor
Neale Hobday
J. Darren O’Donnell
Director of Marketing & Sales - Americas
Print & Distribution
Printech Europe
Contributors
Page 16
Page 9
Svenn-Tore Larsen is Nordic
Semiconductor’s CEO. In this issue
he explains how 2014 will be a
landmark year for Bluetooth Smart
due to the rise of the appcessory
Sally Ward-Foxton is a freelance
journalist specializing in electronics.
Here she explores how smartphone
growth is accelerating the adoption
of Bluetooth Smart
2 | SPRING 2014 | ulp wireless quarter
Page 18
Jack Shandle is a freelance writer
specializing in semiconductors.
In this issue, he reviews the latest
changes to Bluetooth technology
and their implications
The Bluetooth® word mark and logos
are registered trademarks owned by the
Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks
by Nordic Semiconductor is under license.
© Nordic Semiconductor 2014
www.nordicsemi.com
News
The latest developments from Nordic Semiconductor
In brief
single coin cell powers smart
watch for up to 11 months
The Magellan Echo can
stream and display
smartphone sports app
data for up to 11 months powered
by a regular CR2032 coin cell
battery.
The compact power source
supports a traditional lightweight (44 g) sports watch formfactor and uses Bluetooth Smart
wireless technology to connect
to the latest smartphone sports
apps and GPS functionality.
Nordic Semiconductor’s µBlue™
nRF8001 Bluetooth low energy
Connectivity IC provides the
wireless connectivity.
Magellan say the Echo puts the
power of smartphone apps right
on the user’s wrist, and includes
the ability to remotely control
common smartphone functions
such as music replay. Yet the
product features a sleek design
Internet of Things
set to boom
that can also function as an
everyday watch.
Magellan has even added
additional specialized app
support to the device for golf,
skiing, hiking, running, and other
outdoor activities.
The Magellan Echo is available
from major outlets at a U.S. retail
price of $149.99 (or $199.99 with
optional Bluetooth Smart heart
rate monitor).
Nordic named a ‘tech company defining 2014’
and CEO honored as ‘tech leader of the year’
Nordic Semiconductor has been ranked third
in a list of “15 Tech Companies That Will Define
2014” by the highly influential financial services
company The Motley Fool. And in a separate
ceremony, Nordic’s CEO, Svenn-Tore Larsen, has
been named “Technology Leader of the Year”
by top Norwegian technology magazine Teknisk
Ukeblad (TU).
Other companies in The Motely Fool rankings
included Broadcom (14th), Sony (13th), Apple
(10th), Netflix (9th), Qualcomm (7th), Amazon
(5th), and Google (2nd). “Nordic might not be
on investors’ radar,” said Erik Bleeker of The
Motley Fool, “[but] its focus on ultra-low power
wireless communications makes it one of the
most intriguing ways to invest in ‘The Internet of
Things’.”
Nordic’s The Motley Fool ranking coincided
with CEO Larsen being recognized in Norway
by TU. “This is a recognition of the environment
at Nordic Semiconductor beyond me,” noted
Larsen on receiving the award. “I would not be
standing here without my engineers. We must
fight against our competitors every day and to
www.nordicsemi.com
Nordic CEO Svenn-Tore Larsen
receives his “Technology
Leader of the Year” award
The Internet of Things (IoT)
will grow to an installed
base of 26 billion units by
2020 representing a 30-fold
increase from 900 million
in 2009, according to
analyst Gartner. “By 2020,
connectivity will become a
standard feature, even for
processors costing less than $1.
This opens up the possibility of
connecting almost anything,
from the very simple to the
very complex, to offer remote
control, monitoring and
sensing,” says the company’s
Peter Middleton.
Nordic signs
Digi-Key ...
Nordic Semiconductor has
signed a global distribution
agreement covering its entire
product range, including its
Bluetooth low energy solutions,
with distribution giant DigiKey Corporation. Digi-Key is
a global, full-service provider
of prototype and production
quantities of components,
offering more than three
million products from over 650
manufacturers. Digi-Key has
over one million products in
stock at any one time and an
impressive selection of online
design and technical resources.
... and IO
Components
succeed you can’t stand alone.
“But I genuinely believe in what Nordic does.
And it’s that belief that makes it possible to
set the bar high, overcome all the inevitable
challenges and obstacles, and achieve more than
you ever imagined possible.”
Nordic has also expanded its
U.K. and Ireland distribution
network with the appointment
of British distributor, IO
Components Limited. IO
Components says it aims
to become a ‘one-stopshop’ distribution, contract
manufacturing, and test service
provider (together with sister
company IO Electronics) for
ULP wireless. The distributor
will help U.K. and Ireland firms
with little or no RF experience
get their products to market
quickly - from initial concept all
the way to customer delivery.
ulp wireless quarter | SPRING 2014 | 3
News
In brief
Carlsen 20-vs-1
chess at CES
Newly-crowned world chess
champion and world chess
number one Magnus Carlsen who entered into a three-year
sponsorship deal with Nordic
last year - took on 20 players in
simultaneous matches at CES
in January. During the matches,
Carlsen’s heart rate was
recorded using a wrist-worn
heart rate monitor provided
by Mio. Carlsen’s heart rate,
together with those of the
twenty people he played, were
wirelessly transmitted to North
Pole Engineering’s WASP ANT/
Wi-Fi bridge and from there to
a large screen (see short video
at tinyurl.com/Carlsen-CES).
Chip sales break
record in 2013
The U.S.-based Semiconductor
Industry Association (SIA)
reports that the semiconductor
industry posted record sales
in 2013, climbing 4.8 percent
to reach $305.6 billion with
December 2013 sales the
strongest on record at $26.6
billion. Growth was consistent
across most regions. The
Americas market grew at three
times the rate of other markets,
increasing annual sales by
13.1 percent in 2013. Sales also
increased in Asia Pacific (7
percent) and European (5.2
percent) markets but fell over 15
percent in Japan.
Feature-phone
sales drop
Worldwide sales of
smartphones to end users
totaled 968 million units in
2013, an increase of 42.3
percent from 2012, according
to analyst Gartner. Sales of
smartphones accounted
for 53.6 percent of overall
mobile phone sales in 2013,
exceeding annual sales of
feature phones for the first
time. The company expects
smartphones to continue to
drive overall sales in 2014 but
says that an increasing number
of manufacturers will focus on
low-cost devices. Sales of highend smartphones will slow as
a result.
arM mbed development kit
accelerates iot sensor design
Nordic Semiconductor and
ARM have launched the
nRF51822-mKIT ARM mbed
development platform (based on
the Nordic nRF51822 System-onChip). The platform is claimed to
be the first mbed platform for
Bluetooth Smart applications and
will enable rapid prototyping of
wireless products, including smart
sensors connecting to the
Internet of Things (IoT).
The ARM mbed initiative is a
collaborative industry project that
plans to nurture the IoT. The
initiative delivers tools and
fundamental open-source
hardware and software building
blocks to support the
development of ARM-based
devices.
The nRF51822 combines a
Bluetooth v4.1-compliant 2.4 GHz
multiprotocol radio with an ARM
Cortex-M0 CPU core on a single
chip optimized for ultra low
power operation. The chip offers
developers a platform for
designing wirelessly-connected
sensors that will help turn the IoT
from a technological concept into
reality.
Nordic and ARM claim
developers will be able to start
using the nRF51822-mKIT within
minutes of unpacking.
The nRF51822-mKIT accelerates
prototyping of Bluetooth Smart
sensors connecting to the IoT
The platform includes a
Bluetooth Smart API, 31 pinassignable GPIO, CMSIS-DAP
debugger, a Programmable
Peripheral Interconnect (PPI), and
the ability to run from a single
2032 coin-cell battery for in-situ
testing of wireless performance.
Scalextric brings smartphone and tablet
app racing to slot-cars for the first time
Slot-car giant Scalextric has
specified Nordic nRF51822
Systems-on-Chip (SoC) to
provide Bluetooth Smart
wireless connectivity in its
brand new Scalextric RCS (Race
Control System). The product
won a prestigious “Best New
Toys 2014” award at the recent
London Toy Fair.
By buying any one of
three (RCS One, RCS Air,
or RCS Pro) ‘Powerbase’
plug-and-play track
accessories Scalextric
users will now be able to
add all kinds of race
statistics and functionality
– some of which will
directly affect their slot
car’s performance – using
a free Scalextricdeveloped app.
The statistics and
functionality includes driver
names, number of laps and
times, fastest lap, fuel levels,
Bluetooth Smart comes to slot-car racing
tire wear levels, and
customized throttle
response.
In addition, Scalextric has
developed (optional) ‘Hand
Throttle’ wireless controllers
that employ proprietary Nordic
nRF24LE1 2.4GHz SoCs to
provide the wireless
connectivity between the
controller and the Powerbase
track accessory, and (again
optional) pit lanes.
Scalextric RCS will be
available later this year and
available from all major toy
retailers worldwide or direct
from Scalextric.
www.nordicsemi.com
News
weather station is the first to communicate
directly with smartphones
The Oregon Scientific
‘Weather@Home’ range of
weather stations can send
immediate local weather and
home environmental updates to
a smartphone app on the
owner’s mobile. Embedded
sensors in the station and/or
wireless sensors located in and
around the user’s home collect
data which is wirelessly
transmitted to the weather
station and from there to the
smartphone app.
Users can access the
information over a station-tosmartphone range of up to 50m
(using Nordic nRF8001 chips to
provide the Bluetooth Smart
wireless connectivity).
and time display/
synchronization with
smartphone or tablet), and the
$59 BAR218HG (adding
weather forecast info and moon
phase).
“This is the first Bluetooth
Smart weather station product
family of its kind,” explains
Chris Yeung, Product Manager
at IDT Technology. “The
weather station sends collated
weather and environmental
data direct to a
smartphone instead of
that data being sent from
sensors themselves.”
The information includes
immediate local atmospheric
pressure (barometric) and
weather forecast updates, plus
temperature and humidity
readings collected by
embedded sensors in the
station and/or up to five remote
wireless sensors. The remote
sensors can be located inside or
outside the user’s home and
given user-assigned names from
the app.
Developed by Hong Kongbased IDT Technology Limited,
three models of increasing
sophistication are available: The
$29 EMR211 (indoor/outdoor
temperature), the $39
RAR213HG (adding humidity
Oregon Scientific’s weather station
collates sensor data and then
forwards it to a smartphone app
Bluetooth Smart development kit targets Arduino-based
projects, compatible with ChipKIT shields
Nordic Semiconductor has launched a
Bluetooth Smart Software
Development Kit (SDK) for Arduinobased projects, The SDK is compatible
with a range of Arduino, ChipKIT
shields that employ Nordic’s nRF8001
Bluetooth Smart connectivity IC, and
will port the nRF8001 SDK to an
Arduino-compatible set of libraries.
The SDK will be provided as an opensource repository on GitHub for use,
modification, and expansion by
developers, and includes a range of
application examples such as Human
Interface Device (HID), UART over
Bluetooth low energy, Heart Rate
Monitor (HRM), Temperature, and
Proximity.
The software interface for the SDK
The Bluetooth Smart SDK will be provided as an
open-source repository on GitHub
has also been implemented on a variety
of microcontrollers and microcontroller
platforms such as ChipKIT, Maple,
Teensy, and mbed. This makes it easy to
move a project that has been
prototyped on the Arduino platform to
a microcontroller of choice.
This Bluetooth Smart SDK comes
with an Arduino shield adapter and is
complemented by the Bluetooth Smart
BLE Arduino shield from Red Bear Lab.
The BLE shield board complies to the
Arduino form factor and contains all
necessary circuitry to enable an
Arduino project to start communicating
with Bluetooth Smart Ready products
such as iPhone 4S (and later), Android
4.3 smartphones, and computers
running Mac OS X or Windows 8.
nRF Toolbox now suits Android
Nordic has released an end-to-end, richly-featured nRF Toolbox
for Bluetooth Smart development from radio hardware to app
(software program) source code for smartphones and tablets
running either iOS and now Android 4.3 or newer. This includes
a memory efficient Over-the-Air Device Firmware Update (OTA
DFU) feature. nRF Toolbox is a standalone application that can also
interact with other Nordic Bluetooth low energy tools as plugins.
Customers can tailor their tool usage to fit the exact needs of their
end application. nRF Toolbox can store all Nordic apps in one
location, and supports both the nRF MCP and nRF Logger apps.
www.nordicsemi.com
In brief
Nordic increases support in Japan
Nordic is enhancing its internal engineering resources in Japan
and building closer cooperation with its Japanese distributors
to meet increased demand for support from Japanese OEM
and ODM customers. The requirement for additional support
is a result of the increasing number of Japanese companies
adopting Nordic’s nRF51 Series Bluetooth low energy and
ANT+ Systems-on-Chip (SoC), and major ODMs that have
designed integrated RF modules based on Nordic SoCs.
Nordic’s Japanese staff will also educate and support the FAEs
employed by its key distributors in Japan.
news extra
‘Nordic is all around you’ at major
international trade events
Design partners demonstrate a range of innovative appcessories at CES and MWC
T
wo of the world’s largest
electronics exhibitions,
Consumer Electronics
Show (CES) and
Mobile World Congress (MWC)
provided the forum for Nordic
Semiconductor’s design partners
to show off some of their latest
ANT+ and Bluetooth low energy
(including Bluetooth Smart)
equipped “appcessories”.
Appcessories combine
hardware peripherals with
smartphone- or tablet
computer-hosted software
apps and the market for such
devices is booming (see this
issue page 9). “The capabilities
of ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart
technologies are spawning an
incredible range of innovative
applications that are entering
the market at an unprecedented
rate,” notes Nordic’s Geir
Langeland, the company’s
Director of Marketing & Sales.
CES is the world’s leading
consumer electronics exhibition
and is organized by the U.S.-based
Consumer Electronics Association
(CEA). The event showcased
more than 3,200 exhibitors and
attracted 152,000 attendees from
150 countries. The event was
held in Las Vegas during January.
MWC follows hot the heels of CES
convening in Barcelona during late
February. MWC is similarly huge,
featuring over 72,000 attendees,
1,700 exhibitors, and 94,000m2 of
exhibition and meeting space.
Entering a lucrative market
The theme at the events was
“Nordic is all around you”
which highlights the rapidly
growing and diverse range of
applications - including fitness
sensors, toys, proximity tags, and
remote controls - relying on a
Nordic-powered wireless link to
communicate with ‘hub’ devices
such as smartphones, tablet
“The capabilities of ANT+ and
Bluetooth Smart technologies are
spawning an incredible range of
innovative applications”
Connectedevice, a Nordic design partner, manufactures the Cookoo watch which wirelessly links with Bluetooth
Smart Ready mobile products and runs for a year on a watch battery. The Cookoo was demonstrated at MWC
computers and PCs.
Nordic’s traditional strength
in sports & fitness monitoring
was apparent from the partner
products on display at both
events. Among the products
on show was Mio’s Mio Link, a
heart rate monitor in a wristband
that transmits continuous heart
rate data to fitness apps and
sport devices via both ANT+
and Bluetooth Smart. Adidas
weighed in with its miCoach
Speed_Cell and miCoach X_Cell
- the first devices to provide
athletes with a complete system
to evaluate, train and improve
speed, jump height, and reaction
time. On the same theme 4iiii
showed its new Liiiink product
range that employs ANT+ and
Bluetooth Smart for use cases
like activity tracking, heart rate,
and alert notification.
The related “e-Wellness”
sector of sensor networks that
monitor human physiological
parameters - was also well
represented with IDT exhibiting
an e-Wellness wireless ecosystem
including a fall detector for
seniors, plus blood pressure and
blood glucose meters.
Checking the climate
Sensors to monitor the home
environment are a rapidly
expanding sector and Nordic’s
CES and MWC booths paid
host to Wimoto’s family of
Bluetooth low energy climateand security-sensors. These
Nordic nRF51822-powered
devices connect directly to Apple
iOS and Android devices, and
run for over a year on a single
battery. For its part, Belwith
Products demonstrated a range
of SecuRemote Technology
residential access products and
secure-home storage based on
the nRF51822.
Wireless connectivity
promises to revolutionize the toy
sector and Nordic’s show booths
played host to a range of early
products. QFO Labs, a start-up
company from Minneapolis,
showed a range of high-quality
yet affordable and fun toys
such as the “Quad Fighter” and
“Mimix”. On the same theme,
Moff, another start-up, this time
from Japan, demonstrated an
interactive toy with sound &
voice effects using its own app.
Other products on display
included wireless beacons from
TKO Mobile, Kontakt, Estimote
and Airfy; Blue Maestro’s
temperature sensor; Leica
Geosystem’s handheld laser
distance meter; GN ReSound’s
Apple iPhone compatible hearing
aid; and Connectedevice’s
connected watch.
“The products on the booths
at CES and MWC were in
general not prototypes,” notes
J. Darren O’Donnell, Nordic’s
Director of Sales – Americas,
“rather commercially available
devices that demonstrate both
how rapidly ultra low power
wireless is spreading and how
companies with little or no RF
knowledge can now quickly
enter this lucrative market
using the Nordic nRF51 Series
development tools.” Z
To see more on Nordic at CES, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3-xQgaacm8
www.nordicsemi.com
ulp wireless treNDs
The latest developments in technology
Sony’s latest
Xperia M2
smartphone has
native ANT+
capabilities
Top vendors add ANT+ to
more smartphones
Not all smart
watches are for sports
smart watch looks like jewelry but
still features all the tech
The dual face Ibis smart watch, developed by Finnish company Creoir, is crafted in
crystal and stainless steel and designed to look and feel like wearable jewelry, while still
integrating all the latest technology.
Features includes a curved OLED display with integrated touch functionality, Wi-Fi
and Bluetooth v4.0 wireless technology, an accelerometer, e-compass and ambient
light sensor, and the ability to give smart phone alerts and also function as a smartphone
remote control.
Creoir says that with the Ibis it is attempting to bring an innovative design-led
approach to the nascent smart watch industry. Ibis believes fashion will be important to
smart watch buyers. “The demand for smart watches will be driven by both fashion and
sport brands,” comments Creoir CEO, Pekka Väyrynen. “And the Ibis exemplifies the
fashion brand type of product.”
Two major smartphone makers have
announced that more high-end models have
been endowed with ANT+.
Sony Mobile Communications says
that native ANT+ wireless connectivity is
embedded into its latest Xperia Z1S, Z1
Compact, Z2 and M2 smartphones, and its
Xperia Z2 tablet.
South Korean consumer electronics
giant Samsung has also added native ANT+
connectivity into its newly announced
Galaxy S5 smartphone and its Samsung
S Health 3.0 customer health app. In
addition, the Samsung Galaxy S4, Note3,
Note 10.1 (2014 Edition), Galaxy Grand
2 (LTE), and the Galaxy J are already
enabled with proven ANT+ capabilities and
interoperability.
ANT Wireless says that both Sony and
Samsung’s decision to embed ANT+ in its
latest smartphone and tablet devices gives
their customers the ability to wirelessly
connect to the over 100 million ANT+
enabled products installed worldwide.
Smart ring can control and protect smartphones, and tell time
Claimed to be the first in a new class of
“smart ring” wearable technology, the
unisex and waterproof stainless steel
‘Smarty Ring’ with LED display connects to
smartphones via Bluetooth Smart wireless
technology using a dedicated app. The
device’s compact form factor contains many
advanced features and functionality.
Alert features include incoming and
outgoing call notifications, SMS texts and
email messages, Facebook and Twitter
updates, and even a “butt call” warning.
Remote control features include the ability
www.nordicsemi.com
Everything a smart watch can do ... from an
unobtrusive ring on your finger
to accept or reject incoming calls, make
outgoing calls to preset numbers, remotely
trigger a smartphone’s camera, and various
music replay functions.
Clock features include a digital clock with
support for up to five time zones, plus a stop
watch and countdown timer, and security
features include the ability to alert the end
user if the distance between them and their
phone is greater than 30 meters. The smart
ring also comes with a wireless charger and
a built-in rechargeable battery that is
claimed to be able to run for up to 24 hours
on a single charge. For more info or to preorder go to www.smartyring.com.
ulp wireless treNDs
The latest developments in technology
iOs compatible hearing
aid receives stereo
The LiNX hearing aid from GN Resound receives
high quality stereo audio from iOS devices such as an
iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, without the need for any
other intermediary devices.
GN Resound says users can also customize their
hearing experience through an accompanying
‘ReSound Smart’ app that can be used to set
preferred volume levels as well as treble and
bass tone settings.
The devices also allows users to access
what GN Resound terms ‘geo-tagging’ to
assign and adjust to the acoustics of
frequently visited places like the user’s
home, workplace, or favorite restaurants.
The app features a ‘Find My Hearing
Aid’ function to help users pinpoint
their hearing aid(s) if misplaced.
For more information visit
www.resoundlinx.com.
This hearing aid has its own app and will
work with any iOS device
Ring controls appliances
with a single gesture
A wearable input device called ‘Ring’ is
claimed to allow users to perform numerous
tasks with a single gesture in mid air,
including typing text, controlling home
appliances, and even completing payment
transactions.
Ring’s maker, Logbar, says its purpose is
to ‘shortcut everything’. It can be activated
by users tapping on one side with their
thumb. Ring then analyzes and captures
gesture data using recognition technology
and sends this to a user’s smart device via
Bluetooth Smart wireless technology.
This can be used, for example, to safely
type and send a text message in mid air while
driving, or to activate and control native
and/or developer-published ‘Ring store’
smartphone apps (such as music replay).
At the time of writing, an associated
Kickstarter campaign had already exceeded
its initial $250,000 funding goal, and the
product is due to for public release in July
2014 this year.
Just an ordinary ring or a full-on universal
controller ?
Bluetooth Smart cycling sensor has a 700-hour battery life
A Bluetooth Smart cycling
speed and distance sensor is
claimed to be able to operate
for up to 700 hours from a
single CR2032 coin cell (watch)
battery.
Developed in Taiwan by
“urban cycling gear specialist”
BioLogic, and retailing for (a
suggested) $45.95, the sensor
can turn any compatible
Bluetooth Smart Ready
smartphone into a full-blown
cycling computer.
The sensor is compatible with
many popular cycling apps,
including the company’s own
‘BikeBrain’ for the Apple iPhone.
BioLogic also offer a range of
bike mounts to attach iPhone
and Android smartphones
safely and securely to cycle
handlebars.
All this sensor needs is a Bluetooth
Smart Ready smartphone
www.nordicsemi.com
COMMeNt
the inexorable rise of the appcessory
2014 will be a landmark year for bluetooth smart and the silicon vendors behind the
technology as the wireless peripherals market takes off
Svenn-Tore Larsen
is CEO of Nordic
Semiconductor
a
fter maintaining a
relatively low profile
after its launch as
part of the Bluetooth
Core Specification v4.0 in 2010,
Bluetooth low energy really hit
the headlines last year.
Key technology and business
developments have driven
Bluetooth low energy’s rise in
the rankings of “technologies
to watch”. For example, 2012
saw the launch of Nordic
Semiconductor’s nRF51 Series,
building on the success of the
company’s first generation of
Bluetooth low energy solutions,
the nRF8001 µBlue™ family. And
major OS software vendors such
as Apple, Google, and Microsoft
announced native support
for Bluetooth v4.0 making it
much easier for developers to
create apps and underpinning
consumer confidence in the
technology’s future.
The Bluetooth low energy
products in the nRF51 Series
seem to have hit the “sweet
spot” for performance, price,
and size for an ultra low power
(ULP) wireless technology.
Moreover, the comparative ease
with which the System-on-Chip’s
(SoC) software architecture
(which keeps the application
code and RF protocol software
cleanly separated) and Nordic’s
development kits allow designers
that are not familiar with RF
engineering to add a wireless link
to their products has encouraged
many new applications.
Companies that have
traditionally focused on software
apps for smartphones and
tablets now confidently extend
their offerings to hardware
in the form of peripherals (or
accessories) that rely on the
app to fulfil their function. And
traditional hardware companies
are evolving their products to use
www.nordicsemi.com
Surrounded by appcessories: Bluetooth Smart-powered devices are set to become entwined with our lives
an interoperable wireless link to
take advantage of the computing
power of the smartphone.
Just one example of these
peripherals (or “appcessories”) is
a “fitness bracelet” that gathers
data such as physical activity and
sleep patterns, and sends the
information to the smartphone
app for analysis, presentation, and
sharing. But there are hundreds
more examples ranging from toys,
to proximity tags, to DSLR camera
remotes. The prospective sales of
such appcessories are potentially
staggering.
Reaching ubiquity
Although not every Bluetooth
Smart chip will be used for an
appcessory, the segment is
likely to be the major driver of
chip volumes.
For example, analyst IHS is
forecasting that worldwide
annual shipments of Bluetooth
Smart ICs will rise to almost 300
million units in 2018, up from
just over 30 million projected
at the close of 2013, for a fiveyear compound annual growth
rate (CAGR) of more than 55
percent. In 2013, shipments
grew nearly 250 percent from
nine million units in 2012, and
volumes from 2013 are expected
to double this year.
At Nordic we see clear
evidence of this trend. During
2013, for example, sales of our
Bluetooth low energy solutions
rapidly escalate. For example,
in the third quarter of last year
around 17.5 percent of the
company’s revenue came from
these chips, compared with
just 2.2 percent in 2012. And in
2014 we expect our Bluetooth
low energy revenue to triple
compared with last year.
But what does escalating chip
sales mean for the appcessories
sector? Well, 2013 saw the first
appcessories hit the market in
volume and 2014 is the year that
the sector could really take off
with over 50 million unit sales
forecast.
But that’s nothing compared
to what may come. In the next
several years smartphone and
tablet sales are forecast to surge,
with analyst Statista Research,
for example, estimating there will
be a cumulative total of 6.1 billion
mobile devices globally by 2020.
It’s not hard to envisage
a world where at least one
appcessory is bundled with
each mobile device to add
value to the initial purchase,
appcessories become popular
gifts, and as prices for popular
products drop to perhaps a
few tens of dollars, smartphone
owners treat themselves to
regular appcessory purchases
from discretionary income. Such
a situation would easily see
each smartphone or tablet user
owning perhaps three or four
appcessories each.
By 2020, a cumulative total
of perhaps 24 billion Bluetooth
Smart-equipped products could
have been sold into a market that
some analysts estimate would be
worth $131 billion annually.
There are no guarantees of
course, but the appcessories
sector does seem to be, like apps
themselves, a situation where
a confluence of new-hardware
and -software, business models,
and consumer interest come
together to produce a meteoric,
if unexpected, success.
Sally Ward-Foxton takes a
closer look at the impact
the smartphone is having on
appcessory growth on pages
16 and 17. For more information
about the nRF51 Series please go
to www.nordicsemi.com. Z
rOuNDtable
an insight into wireless
connectivity’s future
ULP Wireless Q reports on the debate at the latest incisor wireless roundtable held in
las vegas during the world’s largest consumer electronics event
u
K-based trade
publication Incisor.
TV took advantage of
the wireless industry’s
convergence on Las Vegas for
the annual CES event to gather
a group of senior executives for
a debate on wireless technology
and business trends.
Participants, including
Nordic’s CEO Svenn-Tore Larsen,
discussed the Internet of Things
(IoT), the smart home, and
wireless beacons among other
topics. The edited extract below
also includes comments from
David Bean, CEO, Frontline. The
company is a leading provider of
Bluetooth protocol analysis test
tools and packet sniffers.
Vince Holton, Publisher and
Editor-in-Chief of Incisor.TV,
and Lisa Arrowsmith, Associate
Director for Connectivity with
analyst IHS, asked the questions.
The following are some edited
highlights of the debate. (A fulllength video can be seen at the
link given in the box on page 11.)
Lisa Arrowsmith: What were the
key trends and developments in
wireless during 2013?
Svenn-Tore Larsen: Nordic
Semiconductor placed a bet on
Bluetooth technology is set to play a
bigger role in home automation
Bluetooth low energy back in
2006 and last year was the first
time it became clear the bet was
paying off. If you walk around
CES [the huge annual consumer
electronics show held in the U.S.]
you’ll see many new products
in the wearable sector - which
is a really big new trend. These
are sensor-based products that
can connect to the cloud using
Bluetooth low energy. It’s so easy
to make these products and the
market is being driven by the
consumer sector.
David Bean: One of the biggest
catalysts that helped made
wearable technologies popular
is the adoption of Bluetooth
low energy [operating systems]
on smartphones. Android, iOS,
Windows, and BlackBerry all offer
native support. That makes it
really easy for the ecosystem to
exist to support those wearable
technologies.
Vince Holton: Is the Internet of
Things currently overhyped?
STL: [A precursor] of the
Internet of Things has been
around for a long time.
For example, many of the
applications using Nordic chips
link back to a cellphone. Things
such as heart rate monitors,
calorie counters, and activity
monitors already link to the
Internet [via a smartphone hub].
LA: The important thing is
to define what the Internet
of Things actually is. We do
research on this topic and one
of the things we’ve found out
is that there are still a number
of elements that have to come
together before we get true
interconnectivity between
groups or “silos” of objects.
At the moment we see lots of
development of the “Internet
of my Things” around the
cellphone and then on a larger
scale things like [connectivity
in] smart cities with wider
communication across a broader
range of application areas.
LA: To what extent do we
www.nordicsemi.com
rOuNDtable
need IP [Internet Protocol]
addressability at a node level
across the Internet of Things?
STL: A lot of companies are
looking at IP addressability on a
silicon radio because there are a
lot of applications where it could
be useful. For example, in Norway
in winter it’s very cold for months
and people want to monitor
the condition of their [remote]
summer property - that requires
sensors in the cabin to have IP
addressability.
VH: The Bluetooth SIG is using
the phrase “where the Internet
connects” for its next annual
conference. Do you think that
Bluetooth technology has a role
to play in Internet connectivity?
DB: Bluetooth [technology] and
its associated infrastructure is
proven and companies like Nordic
Semiconductor are making
it easy for companies to take
advantage of that with thirdparty products. Bluetooth works
well for applications like home
automation. But there is still a
question about which technology
(or technologies) will form the
backbone that will link the silos [in
Lisa’s example].
VH: Does Bluetooth technology
have a role in the “smart home”?
STL: What we are talking about
here is the technology, but it is
also important to be aware of
consumer behavior and what
is the next step for them. For
example, the next generation of
consumers have grown up with
smartphones and want to control
everything through that device.
If they have to do something
different, they will skip it. You
have to remember that most of
the buildings around the world
are old, and any technology will
be introduced as a refit. I think
Bluetooth will play a major role in
that refitting because the sensors
can be battery-powered [needing
no wiring for power] and
controlled from the smartphone.
DB: There are a lot of applications
coming out such as the Bluetooth
low energy key locks that let
you throw away your keys, or
Bluetooth low energy garage
door openers. The completely
automated home, or even
retrofitted home, is some way
off, but solving problems for
key “pain points” is something
that Bluetooth [technology]
www.nordicsemi.com
“During 2014 we
will see a steep
introduction of
Bluetooth Smart
products from
small companies
and one of them
may well be the
‘killer app’”
Svenn-Tore Larsen
works well for. The solutions are
already there in your local home
improvement store.
VH: But is there going to be a
“universal” smart home app that
allows users to control all the
devices in the home from one
place even though the devices
are purchased from different
manufacturers?
DB: That should be a vision for the
industry for the ecosystem, but it’s
going to take time for the industry
to work out what are the popular
applications and to address some
of the flaws like security.
VH: Is the balance between
standard and proprietary
technology changing at Nordic?
STL: We’re following what the
consumer wants. For example
in Q1 2013 just four percent of
our revenue was from Bluetooth
low energy, in Q3 2013 that had
risen to 17 percent and will hit 25
percent by Q4. The consumer
does want a standard technology.
But we are not seeing much
cannibalism of the proprietary
products because they are
different segments and there are
still areas where the lowest-cost
and -power consumption - such
as low cost computer keyboards
and mice - are paramount.
LA: How will wireless beacons
change the way that we
communicate with devices?
STL: If you look at the spread
of Bluetooth by 2020 we see
6.1 billion smartphones with the
technology that can interact with
wireless beacons. We often talk
about the technology and its
benefits relative to alternatives,
but it’s the consumers that
will decide what is a success.
Bluetooth is in smartphones
and consumers will use those
smartphones to interact with
wireless beacons.
VH: Do you think low power
Wi-Fi could take some of
Bluetooth’s market share?
If that were the case would
Nordic develop low power Wi-Fi
products?
Further Information
To see the full video of Incisor.
TV ’s wireless roundtable go
to: http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=TeDKBPZt3KU
Incisor magazine and Incisor.
TV is produced by Click I.T.
STL: We are driven by the
market and monitoring it every
day so if we see a need to do
this we will. There are trends
we are monitoring, but looking
at the current situation we see
a huge existing market for the
technology we are currently very
good at.
LA: Do you see any trends
or disruptive technologies
emerging over the next year?
DB: I think we’ll be surprised
about how people use Bluetooth
low energy in 2014. We’ll be
sat here in 12 months thinking
“wow, I wish I’d thought of that”
because it is so easy to develop a
Bluetooth low energy product.
STL: I think 2014 will be the year
of Bluetooth Smart. For example,
we have now shipped nearly
10,000 kits through web-based
catalogue distributors to nonelectronics designers. These
are the same designers that are
developing the apps. Last year the
50 billionth app was downloaded
and now it’s almost as easy with
a Nordic Semiconductor design
kit and chip to come up with
[associated] hardware. And I
think hardware is back in fashion.
We are going to see a steep
introduction of products from
small companies and one of
them may well come up with the
‘killer app’. Z
ulp PRODUCT selection guide
Ultra low power wireless connectivity solutions
Find the chip you need using this latest listing of every Nordic product
nRF24LE1
2.4GHz
Proprietary
l
nRF24LE1 OTP
2.4GHz
Proprietary
nRF24LU1+
2.4GHz
nRF24LU1+ OTP
On-chip
CPU
On-chip
Memory
WLCSP
Integrated Circuits
“chips”
Wireless
Protocol
Applications
2-Wire
Adc
Aes
Analog Comparator
Battery Monitor
I2s
Mdu
Pwm
Real Time Clock
Rng
Spi
S/pdif
Temperature Sensor
Uart
Usb
Appcessories
PC Peripherals
Sports & Fitness
Gaming
Cellphone Accessories
Consumer Electronics
Automation
Healthcare
Toys
Wearables
RF: Radio Frequency
“wireless”
Operating
Band
Peripherals
Transceiver
ICs
Connectivity
Product Series
SoC
Product
Line
System-on-Chip
IC Type
Wafer-level chip-scale
package option
DATE: MARCH 2014
Ref. Designs
Dev Tools
l
PC Desktop, Smart Remote,
R/C Toy
nRFgo Dev Kit
Prog. Kit
l l
l
R/C Toy
nRFgo Dev Kit
Prog. Kit
l
l l
l
R/C Toy
nRFgo Dev Kit
Prog. Kit
l
l
l l
l
R/C Toy
nRFgo Dev Kit
Prog. Kit
l
l
l
l
–
Eval Kit
l
l
l
l
Microphone
nRFgo Dev Kit
l l
l
l
l
–
Eval Kit
PC Desktop, Smart Remote
Eval Kit, Dev Kit
l
–
Eval Kit
l
–
Eval Kit
Smartphone Demo Apps
nRFgo Dev Kit
Prog. Kit
Key Tag,
nRFgo Dev Kit
Prog. Kit
l l l l l l l l l l
Eval Kit, Dev Kit
l
l l l l l l l l l l
Eval Kit, Dev Kit
l
l l
ANT Dev Kit
l
l l
ANT Dev Kit
l
l l
ANT USB Dongle
ANT Dev Kit
Eval Kit, Dev Kit
OTP: One Time
Programable
Oscillators
8051
1kB + 256B RAM
16kB + 1.5kB Flash
16MHz / 32kHz Crystal
16MHz / 32kHz RC
l l l l
l l l l l
l
l
l
l l
l
8051
1kB + 256B RAM
16kB + 1kB OTP
16MHz / 32kHz RC
l l l l
l l l l l
l
l
l
Proprietary
l
8051
2kB + 256B RAM
16/32kB Flash
16MHz Crystal
l
l
l
l l
l
2.4GHz
Proprietary
l
8051
2kB + 256B RAM
16kB + 1kB OTP
16MHz Crystal
l
l
l
l l
nRF24L01+
2.4GHz
Proprietary
–
–
16MHz Crystal
nRF24
nRF2460 (mono)
2.4GHz
Proprietary
l
–
–
16MHz Crystal
l
l
Audio Streamer
nRF24Z1 (stereo)
2.4GHz
Proprietary
l
–
–
16MHz Crystal
l
l
nRF51
nRF51822
2.4GHz
Bluetooth v4.0+
& Proprietary
l
Cortex M0
16kB RAM
128kB or 256kB Flash
16MHz / 32kHz RC
nRF900
nRF9E5
433 / 868
915MHz
Proprietary
l
8051
4kB + 256B RAM
4 / 8 / 12 / 16 / 20MHz
Crystal
Multiband
nRF905
433 / 868
915MHz
Proprietary
–
–
4 / 8 / 12 / 16 / 20MHz
Crystal
l
nRF8001
2.4GHz
Bluetooth
v4.0+
–
–
32kHz RC
l
nRF8002
2.4GHz
Bluetooth
v4.0+
l
–
–
16MHz Crystal
32kHz RC
nRF51822
2.4GHz
Bluetooth v4.0+
& Proprietary
l
Cortex M0
16kB RAM
16MHz / 32kHz RC
l l l l
l l l l
l l
nRF51422
2.4GHz
Bluetooth v4.0+
& ANT
l
Cortex M0
16kB RAM
16MHz / 32kHz RC
l l l l
l l l l
l l
nRF24AP2-1CH
2.4GHz
ANT
l
–
–
l
l
l
l
nRF24AP2-8CH
2.4GHz
ANT
l
–
–
l
l
l
nRF24AP2-USB
2.4GHz
ANT
l
–
–
16MHz Crystal
l
nRF51422
2.4GHz
Bluetooth v4.0+
& ANT
Cortex M0
16kB RAM
16MHz / 32kHz RC
2.4-GHz RF
nRF24L
l
l
l l l l
l l l l
l l
l l l l l l l l l l
l
Sub 1-GHz RF
l
l
l l
l
l
Bluetooth low energy
nRF8000
nRF51
l
l
l l l l l l l l
l
l
ANT
nRF24AP2
nRF51
12 | spring 2014 | ulp wireless quarter
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www.nordicsemi.com
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www.nordicsemi.com
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ulp wireless quarter | spring 2014 | 13
ANT application
Fitness monitoring’s new threshold
With help from ANT, Moxy’s muscle oxygen monitor precisely identifies which
physiological system limits an elite athlete’s performance. ULP Wireless Q reports
T
he Blue Riband event
in men’s athletics is the
100 meters sprint. The
discipline combines
strength, grace, and technique. At
the Mexico Olympics in 1968, U.S.
athlete Jim Hines first broke the
10-second barrier (as recorded
by modern equipment capable
of timing down to 0.01 seconds)
with a time of 9.95 seconds. Set by
double Olympic (Beijing 2008 and
London 2012) champion Usain
Bolt in Berlin during 2009, today’s
world record is 9.58 seconds.
Less than half-a-second
separate Bolt’s and Hines’
extraordinary performances,
but perhaps more remarkable is
that since Hines achieved it, the
10-second barrier has now been
broken in competition no less
than 571 times.
Swimming also underlines the
closeness of top competitors with
less than three seconds covering
the top-ranked male 100-meter
swimmer in 2014, Australia’s James
Magnussen (47.59 s) from number
55, the U.S.’s Ryan Lochte (50.54 s).
Getting the extra edge
A thousandth of a second at the
elite level can mean the difference
between gold and silver. Such
fine margins explain why athletes
will go to almost any length to
gain an extra edge. Some turn
to performance-enhancing (and
illegal) drugs. Most stay on the
right side of the law and choose
science to better their technique
and improve their strength.
Measurements such as VO2max
(which records oxygen uptake per
kilogram of an athlete’s weight)
and lactate threshold (the point
at which lactic acid starts to
accumulate in the bloodstream)
correlate to fitness levels and
can be used to set training zones
to improve performance. But
these techniques suffer two key
disadvantages: They are difficult
or cumbersome to carry out
Muscle oxygen saturation
measurement allows athletes
to identify which physiological
system is limiting performance
The monitor measures
saturations at the place the
oxygen is consumed
(requiring expensive equipment,
invasive techniques like blood
draws, and introducing time
delays) and only provide a general
indicator of fitness rather than
specific information.
But now, U.S.-based Moxy has
introduced a device that uses the
established real time and nonintrusive technique of near infrared
spectroscopy (NIRS) to measure
capillary oxygen saturation and
the total hemoglobin at the point
the work is being done – the
athlete’s muscles.
While NIRS is not new, it was
previously the preserve of bulky
kit costing tens of thousands
of dollars. In contrast, the Moxy
muscle oxygen monitor is a
compact (61 by 44 by 21 mm)
lightweight (39 g) unit retailing
for $1200 that’s robust and
unobtrusive enough to be used
for all sports including activities
like rugby and swimming.
The muscle oxygen monitor
transmits its data using proven
ANT+ wireless technology to
a vast range of interoperable
devices such as sports watches,
smartphones, and PCs for
analysis and presentation by the
athlete’s preferred choice of thirdparty software. Muscle oxygen
saturation is a key indicator of
fitness that, crucially, can identify
which physiological system
(for example, cardio-vascular,
respiratory or muscular) is limiting
the athlete’s performance.
Armed with such knowledge,
the competitor can refine their
training program to focus on
improving a specific weakness.
Oxygen transport
Oxygen is moved round the
human body by a protein
molecule called hemoglobin that
makes up about 35 percent of
the volume of each red blood cell.
The oxygen breathed in by the
lungs binds to the iron-rich heme
component of hemoglobin until it
is released into the interstitial fluid
to help power the functions of the
body, such as muscle movement.
Hemoglobin absorbs different
wavelengths of (particularly near
infrared (IR)) light depending on
how much oxygen it is carrying.
Poorly oxygenated blood appears
to have a bluish tinge and devices
such as oximeters (employing
NIRS) exploit these color changes
to determine oxygen levels.
Such information is typically
presented as “oxygen saturation”
- the amount of hemoglobin
that’s carrying oxygen divided
by the total amount in the blood
expressed as a percentage - and
abbreviated as SxO2 where “x”
is the measurement-location or
–type. (For example, SaO2 is the
‘a’rterial oxygen saturation while
SmO2 is the saturation in the
More
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
For
more
on ANT:
information
www.thisisant.com
on Moxy go to www.moxymonitor.com; For more on ANT go to www.thisisant.com
www.nordicsemi.com
aNt appliCatiON
‘m’uscles.) In a healthy person, the
SaO2 value is typically between 96
and 99 percent.
“It’s important to appreciate
the difference between SaO2 and
SmO2 to understand how the
muscle oxygen monitor works,”
explains Roger Schmitz, Moxy’s
CEO. “Little or no oxygen is
consumed in the arteries so, for
example, SaO2 in the fingertips
[where a pulse oximeter is
typically used] is typically the
same as that in the main artery
closest to the lungs.
“But by measuring oxygen
saturation in the capillaries of the
muscles you get a clear picture
of how the oxygen is eventually
used,” says Schmitz. “For example,
at the beginning of a test for a
cyclist, we see SmO2 increase
because the heart rate rises and
the blood vessels dilate. As the
load increases SmO2 becomes
constant – because the respiratory
and cardiac capacity increase
to compensate for the oxygen
consumed by the muscles. Further
exercise pushes the athlete
to the point when SmO2 falls
because more oxygen needs to be
extracted from the blood to meet
the demand. SmO2 can drop to
almost zero in some cases.”
ANT+ provides the answer
Schmitz explains that the key
to the muscle oxygen monitor’s
success is down to the fact
that - with some clever analysis
- the results can indicate which
physiological system is limiting
performance. For example,
the results may show that the
athlete’s hemoglobin is “sticky”
and hence not easily giving up
its oxygen load to the muscles.
Changes to the athlete’s
breathing pattern could alter the
acidity of the blood and hence
encourage hemoglobin to release
oxygen more easily.
The Moxy muscle oxygen
monitor uses ANT+ wireless
technology to send SmO2 and
total hemoglobin measurements
to a host device for analysis and
presentation.
ANT+, developed by Cochrane,
Canada-based ANT Wireless, a
Nordic Semiconductor design
partner for over a decade, is
a proven technology used in
millions of devices worldwide.
ANT+ is popular for fitness
monitoring because it is
optimized for compact, coin
cell-powered wireless sensors
(such as heart rate- or cycle
speed and cadence-monitors)
typical of those used to measure
performance. Moreover, the
400-plus members of the
ANT+ Alliance ensure that the
technology is interoperable
with thousands of computing
devices including major brands of
smartphones and tablets.
ANT+ RF protocol software
runs on Nordic’s nRF51422
System-on-Chip (SoC) – the
world’s first single-chip ANT
solution. The nRF51422 is a highly
integrated silicon device that
includes a multiprotocol 2.4-GHz
radio and a 32-bit ARM CortexM0 based processor together
with 256 kByte of Flash memory.
The combination of proven
ANT+ RF software and Nordic’s
fifth-generation ultra low power
wireless hardware made its
selection a simple decision for
Schmitz.
“We did consider Bluetooth
[wireless technology] initially,”
he says. “But we realized we’d
have to design our own watch
and do a lot more programming
in order to make that work. Once
I saw ANT+ I knew it was the way
to go because there’s such a
large ecosystem in place already.
Athletes are familiar with the
technology and have a wide range
of ANT+ interoperable equipment
from which to choose.”
Processing power
Schmitz explains that Moxy’s
proprietary algorithm - used
to calculate SmO2 and total
hemoglobin from the NIRS raw
data - is very mathematically
intensive. Early prototypes of
the muscle oxygen monitor used
an 8051 microprocessor that
wasn’t powerful enough to run
the algorithm so raw data was
sent through a cable to a PC for
computation. The next prototype
used an onboard MSP430
processor that could handle
the algorithm but demanded a
separate wireless chip.
The nRF51422 presented
Schmitz with the perfect solution:
ANT+ RF software protocol; ultra
low power 2.4GHz radio; and
integrated ARM processor with
plenty of power to run the Moxy
algorithm while simultaneously
looking after the wireless
connectivity. And all in a single
device measuring just 6 by 6 mm.
“The nRF51422 ANT chip
is an amazing device and I’m
thoroughly impressed by what it
does,” says Schmitz. “The ARM
processor runs the whole show
including the algorithm. SmO2
and total hemoglobin volume is
“There was no time spent debugging the
radio or data transmission. We were able to
concentrate on the things that were unique
to our product”
The Moxy muscle oxygen
monitor is a compact,
lightweight unit retailing for
under $1200
calculated by the nRF51422 and
all we send out over ANT+ are
these two items of processed
data [every two seconds].”
In addition to praising the chip‘s
performance, Schmitz pointed
out that the nRF51 Series’ unique
software architecture - which
cleanly separates the ANT+
RF protocol software from the
application code - significantly
eased the development process.
He noted that because the
firmware developer didn’t
have to worry about linking
the application code to the RF
protocol and then debug, the
company saved a lot of time and
was able to focus on making sure
the algorithm worked perfectly.
“The developer got things
working in what seemed like
minutes. Within an hour the data
was being streamed,” explains
Schmitz “There was virtually no
time spent debugging the radio or
anything to do with sending the
data. We were able to concentrate
on the things that were unique to
our product.”
Working perfectly
“What I really like about ANT is it
‘just works’,” continues Schmitz.
“Following the ANT-defined
procedure for using the muscle
oxygen profile ensured that
everything worked perfectly first
time and since then we’ve had no
interoperability problems.”
ANT Wireless released the
muscle oxygen profile (an
additional piece of software that
optimizes the operation of ANT+
for a particular application) for
general use last September and,
according to Schmitz, three PCand one Android-fitness app have
already adopted it as part of their
platforms.
Competition in the world of
commerce is just as cutthroat as
that of international sport. In both,
small but incremental gains add
up to the difference between first
and second. Schmitz believes
that the advantages the Moxy
muscle oxygen monitor gains
from ANT and Nordic technology
helped the product to reach the
market more rapidly and will
give it that winning edge over its
competition. Z
More
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
For
more
on GSMA
on Nordic’s
mHealth:
ANT
www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/programmes/mhealth
chips go to www.nordicsemi.com/eng/Products/ANT
www.nordicsemi.com
iNDustrY perspeCtive
riding the smartphone wave
how will growing numbers of smartphones accelerate the adoption of bluetooth
smart, a key part of the internet of things? Sally Ward-Foxton investigates
Sally Ward-Foxton
is a freelance
journalist specializing
in electronics
O
ne popular vision for
a major part of the
forthcoming Internet
of Things (IoT),
revolves around the smartphone,
connected to a network of sensors
and actuators, sending and
receiving data. The smartphone
will be a gateway to the Internet
for the sensors, but will also act as
a hub using its powerful processor
for collecting and crunching
data, supervising communication
with the wireless devices in
its associated network and
presenting information to the user.
The concept of the IoT is
developing rapidly because
wireless sensors and beacons can
now be made small, inexpensive
and power-efficient enough for
almost any application. A key
enabling technology for these
devices is Bluetooth low energy,
part of Bluetooth v4.1. Known to
consumers as Bluetooth Smart, it
allows the sensors and beacons
to easily link to the majority of
contemporary smartphones.
For example, SticknFind has
developed Bluetooth Smart
location tags that can help
an owner find anything they
are stuck to, such as luggage,
keys, even pets. A connected
SticknFind smartphone app can
track up to 20 tags, with a range
of 30m. As well as the growing
number of wireless sensors on
the market, other consumer
electronics devices, such as home
appliances and in-car electronics,
are making use of the smartphone
in the same way.
More than one interface
Using the smartphone as a
communications hub as well as a
human-machine interface (HMI)
for these wireless sensors seems
like an obvious choice, given
Generation Y have
grown up with the
smartphone and
will influence the
future direction of
technology with their
buying power
the number of consumers that
use mobiles in their daily lives.
Most consumers are effectively
carrying around a small yet
powerful Internet-enabled
computer at all times, so it makes
sense to take advantage of that.
“The industry wants to
capitalize on the fairly intimate
relationship between the
smartphone and the consumer,
to make it the real hub that can
control anything around its
environment,” says ABI Practice
Director Malik Kamal-Saadi. “The
smartphone function will move
to become a media hub where
other devices respond to it. It
will become a master device that
controls various accessories but
also other devices in the home,
the home cinema for example,
or heating, or even controlling
other things in the car or in your
environment.”
It’s a viewpoint echoed by
Nordic Semiconductor’s CEO
At a glance
 The smartphone will
become a hub for devices
connected to the Internet
as part of the IoT
 Use of the smartphone as
a hub may be less
prevalent in the industrial
and military sectors
 Attach rates for Bluetooth
Smart will develop over
the next five years, but
will be held back by the
growth of the low-end
smartphone segment at
the expense of high-end
devices.
Svenn-Tore Larsen in a recent
interview with electronics
trade magazine Incisor, given
(particularly the young)
consumer’s dependence on
smartphones.
“The population that’s growing
up now is growing up with a
smartphone,” he said. “They
are used to it – they use it for
everything... [And remember,]
these are the guys that will get the
power to buy things in the next 5
to 10 years.”
However, as Lisa Arrowsmith,
Associate Director of
Connectivity at analyst IHS
points out, IoT reaches far
beyond consumer applications.
The possibilities range from
industrial uses to commercial
www.nordicsemi.com
building controls, smart metering
and military or aerospace
applications. For some of these
implementations, the smartphone
is a less appropriate choice for an
interface and control device.
“Within these applications,
the smartphone does represent
a possible user interface,” says
According to Arrowsmith, this
sector is already growing fast.
“Some of our recent research
shows Bluetooth Smart has
gained traction, with over 40
million ICs shipped last year
- compared with 2012, at just
under 10 million,” Arrowsmith
says. “That’s pretty sizeable
growth, mainly driven by sports
and fitness monitoring and other
wearable devices.”
Arrowsmith predicts that
Bluetooth Smart growth will
come from a number of different
sectors in the coming years, from
consumer electronics - such as
remote controls - to a range of
diverse or niche applications as
lots of device manufacturers take
advantage of native smartphone
support, which makes it easier
for developers to work with the
technology.
Attaching peripherals
Arrowsmith. “But part of the idea
behind the IoT is that by adding
intelligence and connectivity
to a wide range of devices, you
can enable intelligent systems to
rapidly make decisions without
human input.”
Smartphone growth
IHS’s figures put the installed base
of smartphones at 1,919 million
units at the end of 2013, and over
the next five years this is projected
to grow to 5,082 million. With
more than 5 billion smartphones
in the world, will the IoT be able
to ride the wave? And will this
mean a corresponding upswing in
Bluetooth Smart shipments due
to its interoperability with modern
smartphones?
www.nordicsemi.com
Given Bluetooth Smart’s
affinity with the smartphone,
and the number of companies
working furiously to introduce
“appcessories” (sensor-based
accessories that team with an
app on the mobile device), how
big might the “attach rate” (the
number of Bluetooth Smart
devices connected to each
smartphone) become?
“Some of our competitors are
talking about 50 units to each
phone by 2020,” Svenn-Tore
Larsen told Incisor. “I’m not that
bullish, but somewhere between
10 and 50 [is more realistic].”
ABI’s Malik Kamal-Saadi also
predicted more modest growth,
noting that although more
appcessories are being launched
every day, the attach rate may not
grow as fast as expected.
“Ultimately some gadgets will
make their way to the consumer
lifestyle and pocket, but not all of
SticknFind has developed
Bluetooth Smart location tags that
can help you find anything you
stick them to, such as luggage,
keys, and even pets
them will make it to the market,”
he says. “We are in that phase
of excitement and hype about
the IoT, but within the next two
years the market will likely start
to stabilise and you will start to
see applications that make more
sense to the consumer lifestyle.
Not everything you see [today] is
going to be successful.”
According to analysts ABI’s
estimates, the attach rate for
Bluetooth Smart in 2013 was
just 5 percent, that is, 1 in 20
smartphones was connected
to a Bluetooth Smart accessory
or device. This is projected to
grow to 25 percent (1 in 4) by
2018. These figures may seem
a little low compared to other
forecasts, but Kamal-Saadi went
on to explain that the smartphone
market is split into two distinct
segments: high-end and low-end.
Over the last two or three years,
growth has predominantly been
driven by high-end smartphones
like the Apple iPhone, Samsung
Galaxy, and HTC One. The next
wave of growth will come from
low-end smartphones, which
Kamal-Saadi defines
as those priced at $70 or
less. These low-end
phones may be cheap,
but with widescreen
displays and access to the
Internet, they’ll look a lot like their
high-end counterparts. The
crucial difference is that these
low-end phones will be
predominantly used for accessing
the Internet and social
networking, with even low-cost
(for example, $25) wireless
accessories out of reach for users
in emerging markets keeping the
attach rate low.
“The [overall] attach rate is
still low simply because low-end
smartphones are growing very
fast, and low-end smartphones
have almost zero attach rate to
them,” Kamal-Saadi explains.
“The attach rate for markets like
Europe, North America, Japan
and Korea [where high-end
smartphones dominate], will likely
become quite significant within
the next few years.”
Kamal-Saadi’s point is that
the Bluetooth Smart sensor
attach rate will be driven almost
exclusively by the high-end
smartphone segment.
The proportion of smartphones
shipped in 2013 that were highend was around 22 percent.
By 2018, it’s predicted that 25
percent of smartphones shipped
will be high-end, and the overall
Bluetooth Smart attach rate
reaches the 25 percent forecast
by ABI, then it follows that every
high-end smartphone shipped
that year will be connected to
at least one peripheral device
via Bluetooth Smart, a good
foundation for the IoT, in the wellestablished consumer electronics
markets, at least. Z
“A key takeaway from some
of our recent research is the rate
at which Bluetooth Smart
has gained traction, with over
40 million ICs shipped last year”
Lisa Arrowsmith, IHS
Lisa Arrowsmith, Associate Director
of Connectivity at analyst IHS
bluetooth technology opens
up to internet traffic
bluetooth smart ready devices running the revised version of bluetooth wireless
technology will provide greater flexibility. Jack Shandle explains
Jack Shandle is a
freelance writer
specializing in
semiconductors
b
luetooth Core
Specification v4.1,
which was adopted
by the Bluetooth
SIG in December 2013, makes
important evolutionary changes
to the v4.0 spec that opened a
vast new application space for
the technology four years ago
by adding support for ultra-low
power (ULP) operation for a host
of small, low-power devices such
as activity sensors.
Some new v4.1 features simply
incorporated improvements into
the core specification that had
previously been made to the
v4.0 specification by addenda.
(Because the addendum process
caused some confusion about
what was – or was not – in
the specification, the SIG will
discontinue the process and
replace it with “dot” versions of
the specification, a development
that will be welcomed by many
developers, said Suke Jawanda,
the SIG’s chief marketing officer.)
Taken as a whole, v4.1 more
perfectly aligns the quite different
use cases presented by Bluetooth
technology’s long-standing
streaming media mode, the more
recent ULP operating mode, and
Internet Protocol (IP)-connected
operation in the future.
Wireless evolution
The previous core specification
(Bluetooth v4.0) notably added
ULP capability that enabled
communication with sensors
and other devices powered by
coin-cell batteries. Known as
Bluetooth Smart, the low-energy
functionality and the restructured
generic attribute (GATT) profile
were major aspects of a
Building a bridge between IPv6 and Bluetooth Smart traffic will be
remembered as a critical functionality that began with Bluetooth v4.1
revolutionary step forward for
the technology. But the singleradio, low-energy sensor devices
of Bluetooth Smart chips were
compatible only with other
Bluetooth v4.0-enabled products
that have certain software
implementations. A technology
bridge between the Bluetooth
“classic” and Bluetooth Smart
implementations was provided in
a Bluetooth Smart Ready hub.
Since 2010, product life
cycles of mobile phones, PCs,
and tablet computers have led
to a significant replacement
of Bluetooth classic chips with
Bluetooth Smart Ready chips.
In many instances, the utility
of Bluetooth classic chips has
also declined due to market
evolutions. The media streaming
capabilities of smartphones, for
example, have eroded the market
for single-use Bluetooth-enabled
devices such as MP3 players.
New products have also
come on the market since 2010
and the new core specification
addresses design issues that
may have accompanied them.
The emerging challenges for the
technology are best exemplified
by the smart watch, which can
make substantial demands on
the mobile’s battery. Beyond
that development, as the sheer
number of small “activity devices”
equipped with sensors grows the
number of potential connections
will grow with it, which could have
become problematic.
Dual mode topology
From a ULP developer’s
perspective, the most important
single feature of v4.1 is “dual
mode” topology that allows a
device such as a smartphone to
act as a Bluetooth Smart Ready
hub and a Bluetooth Smart
peripheral at the same time.
The most obvious use scenario
will be the ability to pass data
from a sensor or smart watch to a
mobile phone and then on to a PC
if appropriate. Another attribute,
which gives developers even
greater freedom, is the ability to
set up a scatternet.
In its pre-v4.1 mode of
operation, Bluetooth enabled
communication by creating
piconets. But its three-bit address
www.nordicsemi.com
Internet connections
At a glance
 The upgrade
includes more
efficient block data
transfer for
Bluetooth Smart
 Foundation
technology building
a bridge between
Bluetooth Smart
and IPv6
Smart watch-to-phone
connectivity will benefit
from the enhanced version of
Bluetooth technology
“The new core specification is not the end of the story - but
it’s a fundamental building block” John Leonard
space limits the maximum size
of a piconet to eight devices –
one hub and seven peripherals,
which could negatively affect
usability as the Internet of
Things (IoT) expands. Now that
the device can assume either
identity, it is possible for a hub to
communicate with many more
than eight devices.
Another important change
gives developers more flexibility
maintaining communication
sessions. With v4.0, the
interval between connection
“advertisements” from a
Bluetooth Smart- to a Bluetooth
Smart Ready-device was fixed.
This meant that when an activity
device such as a fitness monitor
was physically separated from
the hub, the connection could be
quickly abandoned and had to
be restored manually. Beginning
with v4.1, the developer now sets
the connection advertisement
interval.
“[Bluetooth v4.0] states that
advertisers that want to perform
connectable directed advertising
should transmit a continuous
sequence of advertising packets
separated no further than 3.75 ms
for a duration of 1.28 seconds,”
says Chris Archey, Senior Product
Manager of the Bluetooth SIG.
“The new variant gives advertisers
the option of transmitting a train
of advertising packets on each
enabled advertising channel, at a
configurable advertising interval.”
Fewer advertisements also
reduces power consumption
www.nordicsemi.com
slightly, he said, but the real
advantage is improved usability.
More efficient data exchange
Making data exchange as efficient
as possible is another design issue
that becomes more important
with the hub’s ability to connect
to multiple Bluetooth Smart
devices, each of which might have
a significant amount of data to
share with the smartphone, tablet
or portable computer. In v4.0,
data exchange took place across
the GATT level that is fairly high
up in the protocol stack and each
frame contains a sizeable number
of header and footer bits.
“Prior to L2CAP [Logical
Link Control and Adaptation
Protocol] being implemented
in Bluetooth Smart, the device
sending the data required an
acknowledgement from the
receiver before sending the
next packet,” says Archey. “This
dependency caused more
Bluetooth v4.1 improves data
transfer efficiency
overall overhead in a complete
transaction. The efficiency
depends on the total number
of packets being sent for a
complete transaction, and the
implementation of the Bluetooth
stack by the manufacturer.”
Bulk data exchange scenarios
such as downloading stored
sensor data – or updating device
software - maximizes the value
of opening a channel lower in the
stack to eliminate the constant
retransmission of identical header
and footer bits.
As Bluetooth radios find homes
in more and more devices, it will
become useful to allocate specific
channels to avoid crosstalk. In
v4.1, a direct channel is opened
in the L2CAP layer. This enables
multiple applications to utilize the
same lower layer links. L2CAP was
already part of Bluetooth classic
(BR/EDR). Version 4.1 included
L2CAP for Bluetooth Smart and
Bluetooth Smart Ready.
“Before L2CAP was enabled in
Bluetooth Smart and Bluetooth
Smart Ready,” says Archey, “an
application request from one
device to another would be
managed in a serial method. A
complete operation would need
to be finished before the next
operation could start.
This is not very efficient. With
L2CAP enabled, requests are
multiplexed and managed in
parallel, which is more efficient
especially as the number of
Bluetooth connections between
devices grows.”
COurtesY: CONNeCteDeviCe
 Bluetooth upgrade
enables scatternets
and flexibility for
advertising beacon
intervals
In addition to using L2CAP
connection-oriented channels
for multiplexing, creating this
channel is also a requirement
when implementing IPv6
communications – an important
foundation-building aspect of
Bluetooth v4.1. “L2CAP provides
a mechanism called ConnectionOriented Channels,” says
Archey. “Within ConnectionOriented Channels is the
capability of Fixed Channels.
Fixed Channels are channels
that have dedicated numeric
values associated with them. The
function of Connection-Oriented
Channels and Fixed Channels
is a requirement in support of
implementing IPv6.”
John Leonard, Tactical
Marketing Manager for ANT
and Bluetooth low energy
solution vendor Nordic
Semiconductor, agrees that
building a bridge between IPv6
and Bluetooth Smart traffic will
be remembered as a critical
functionality that began with
Bluetooth v4.1. “Right now, there
seems to be a lot of confusion
about what can actually be done
with IP traffic,” he says. “The new
core specification is not the end
of the story and we do not have
a complete picture yet – but it’s a
fundamental building block.
“Part of the protocol’s function
will be to disassemble IP packets
to make them meaningful for
Bluetooth Smart as well as
reassemble packets moving in
the opposite direction,” he adds.
The new specification
looks forward to a time when
seamless interactions with 4G/
LTE will be critically important
to Bluetooth technology. LTE
coexistence issues such as
overlapping bands in Europe,
India, and China are addressed.
In addition, Bluetooth High
Speed technology is enhanced
by adding support for the IEEE
802.11n MAC/PHY through
an update in the protocol
adaptation layer (PAL).
The Bluetooth v4.1 “Features
and Technical Descriptions”
document provides a succinct
source of information for all of
the changes and improvements
in the new core specification,
including some security. Z
NOrDiC iNsiDe
sixense steM system
game controller uses electromagnetic field to outclass accelerometer and camera
motion trackers for improved response and gestural realism
According to Forbes magazine, while the latest gaming consoles are significantly
enhanced compared to their predecessors, PCs are already much more powerful and
capable of producing even better graphics for games. Keen to build on the success of
3D-motion tracking systems pioneered by consoles such as Nintendo’s Wii and later
taken to a new level by Microsoft’s Kinect, some PC hardware makers are exploiting
the advantages of RF technology to wirelessly link controllers to the host unit. Here we
take a closer look at one recent application, Sixense’s STEM System.
Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF51822 multiprotocol
Bluetooth low energy/2.4 GHz proprietary RF Flashbased System-on-Chip (SoC) provides the wireless
connectivity between up to five electromagnetic avatar
tracking or controller modules (for example, head, hands,
and both feet) and an electromagnetic field-generating
base charging station. Each module communicates its
position and orientation every 4 ms to a Nordic-powered
USB dongle that plugs into a host PC.
According to online encyclopedia
Wikipedia, Nintendo’s Wii remote uses
accelerometers to detect its approximate
orientation and acceleration, and an
image sensor, so it can be used as a
pointing device. The Sixaxis, DualShock
3, and PlayStation Move controllers for
Sony’s PlayStation 3 system have similar
motion-sensing capabilities. Microsoft’s
Kinect uses cameras to detect the
player’s motions and translate them into
inputs for the game. The STEM System
differs from other systems by using an
electromagnetic field to determine
motion from modules that wirelessly
communicate with a stationary base.
nrF51822
The STEM System provides position and
orientation tracking with precision down
to the nearest 1 mm (position) and
degree (orientation). Thanks to the low
latency of Nordic’s wireless technology
the data is available to the end
application in less than 10 ms. The system
knows where each tracking point is
located and how it’s oriented at all times
relative to the STEM Base.
The U.S.-based Entertainment Software Association (ESA) reports that spending on gaming in
the country reached $20.77 billion in 2012. Content made up the majority of the total at $14.8
billion with hardware and accessories following at $4.04 billion and $1.93 billion respectively.
Of users who owned a console, PC, smartphone, dedicated handheld and wireless device,
68 percent played games on the console, 63 percent on the PC, 43 percent on the smartphone,
37 percent on the dedicated handheld and 30 percent on the wireless device.
www.nordicsemi.com
iN the press
Code separation simplifies wireless
application development
entering the burgeoning bluetooth v4.0 ‘appcessory’ market is now much easier for
the non-rF expert engineer. by Sebastien Mackaie-Blanchi
In a typical System-on-Chip
(SoC) software architecture
the object code deals with
the intricacies of the hardware
and RF protocol stack and there
is a separation between this
object code and the application
software. However, this separation
is compromised during the
project implementation
because linking tends to ‘merge’
the two software elements.
Furthermore, the application
and the object code use the
same memory space, increasing
interdependency.
But what if the RF protocol
software and the application code
could genuinely be separated
both in theory and practice? You
could then concern yourself with
just the development of your
product and not worry about how
your software will affect the shiny
new factory-supplied code.
Although not unique in the
world of electronics, Nordic
Semiconductor has exclusively
introduced this concept to the
ultra low power (ULP) wireless
sector with its nRF51 Series of
ULP multiprotocol wireless SoCs
introduced in June 2012.
The RF protocol software
for the nRF51 Series (which is
available in Bluetooth low energy,
ANT or Nordic proprietary
formats) is delivered not as
object code, but rather as a
separate executable binary file
(referred to as a “Soft Device”).
When using an nRF51
Series SoC there is no need
for you to link your application
code to Nordic’s RF protocol
software. That leaves you free
to concentrate on developing
the application, using an API
that eliminates merging with the
stack and avoids the branching
mechanism where the processor
jumps to the location of the
Nordic’s nRF51 Series SoCs speed
appcessory development
targeted API function.
But flexibility is retained
because the source code of
all peripherals, such as timers,
ADCs and serial interfaces can
be directly controlled by the
application. (The nRF51 Series
SoC’s 2.4GHz radio is also directly
accessible from the application
allowing you to implement your
own proprietary RF protocol
software alongside the stacks
available from Nordic if required.)
Breaking the link
There are many advantages
to this new architecture if you
are developing an embedded
wireless application. First,
there is no need for software
integration - and the associated
time-consuming testing and
debugging - because the RF
protocol stack executable file is
separated from your application
executable file. You remain in
control of all of the application
code and free to make changes to
enhance its operation safe in the
knowledge that your alterations
will have no effect on the stack.
Better yet, the RF protocol
stack and the application can
run from different locations in
memory (both code and data
memories can be separated
enabling advanced features like
independent memory protection
for both software elements).
Furthermore, replacing the
application executable file with
a new version can be done
independently from the RF stack,
and replacing the stack with a
new version does not require
recompiling the application
(which does have to happen
when the stack is supplied as
object code and has to be linked
with the application software).
The advantages of the nRF51
Series architecture do not stop
at the development cycle;
the benefits extend to code
execution.
For example, running several
tasks requires mechanisms to
allocate processor execution
resource to the right task at
the right time. This is vital
because there are real-time
constraints imposed by an RF
stack; specifically the stack
demands that data packets are
processed at specific times.
Failing to properly execute the
proper timings results in lost
packets or worse, complete link
loss. A Real-Time Operating
System (RTOS) usually controls
the resource scheduling or, if
memory resources are scarce,
a proprietary scheduler is
used. Both cases require some
additional software to control
execution, and this software has
to work perfectly otherwise the
wireless communication fails.
Sebastien Mackaie-Blanchi is
FAE Manager - APAC with Nordic
Semiconductor Z
EDN
This article was first published
on EDN’s website in November
2013.
To see the article in full go to http://tinyurl.com/mwd25cm
www.nordicsemi.com
DIGITAL ULP WIRELESS Q
ULP Wireless Quarter goes digital
You can now keep up-to-date on ULP wireless for free from Apple Newsstand
W
hen Nordic
Semiconductor’s
in-house
magazine, ULP
Wireless Q, was launched
back in June 2006, Apple
was yet to introduce its
iPhone. That smartphone hit
the market in 2007, and now,
seven generations later, over
400 million of the products
have been sold. The company
followed the iPhone with the
launch of a tablet computer,
the iPad, in April 2010. Up until
October 2013, some 170 million
of these 9.7-in screen-sized units
had been shipped.
In parallel to the hardware
launches, the Cupertino-based
company developed its iTunes
Store and App Store; online
digital media and app shops
designed to work seamlessly
with its portable devices.
25 billion songs had been
downloaded by February 2013
and the 60-billion app milestone
was reached in October that year.
Apple’s hardware, digital
media outlet, and app store have
revolutionized how music- and
film-content is purchased and
consumed, and are well on the
way to doing the same for books
and magazines. Consumers
enjoy the convenience of digital
publications, and publishers
are able to use the power of the
tablet computer to enhance
the reading experience by
embedding audio, video, web
links, photo galleries and more
into their magazines.
As Apple’s mobile product
portfolio has expanded so has
Returns you to the
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page you viewed
Links you to Nordic
Semiconductor website
Returns you to the
library home page
Tap coverlines to
go directly to story
Use scrubber bar
to quickly scroll
through the issue
ULP Wireless Q. The publication
has grown over thirty editions
from the original eight-page
version to 24 pages. News,
analysis, and opinion content
have expanded along with fulllength features - which now
include regular contributions
from established semiconductor
industry journalists.
Now ULP Wireless Q and
Apple’s technology have
converged with the launch of
Nordic’s magazine on Apple’s
Newsstand. Newsstand can
be downloaded from the App
Store allowing iPad owners - via
a free subscription - to receive
regular digital copies of ULP
Wireless Q. The digital version
of Nordic’s magazine includes
all the interactivity you’d expect,
including links back to relevant
articles archived on the company’s
website that you might have
missed in previous editions.
To subscribe to the digital
version of ULP Wireless Q go
to: itunes.apple.com/us/app/
nordic-semiconductor-ulpwirelessq/id806052005?mt=8.
Information on how to get the
most out of the interactive
version is published on the
inside front cover of each digital
edition. We hope you enjoy the
new format.
If you’re not an iPad owner,
ULP Wireless Q will continue to
be produced in both print and
electronic (PDF) versions with
previous issues available from
www.nordicsemi.com/eng/
News/ULP-Wireless-Quarter. Z
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peOple & plaCes
Pratyush Dave
project challenges eased by support
of Nordic semiconductor ‘family’
h
i, I’m Pratyush Dave and
I’m a Field Application
Engineer (FAE) for
Nordic covering the
Americas, based in sunny
Anaheim near Los Angeles.
I joined Nordic just under two
years ago. I love digital hardware
and embedded software
development, which has taken up
most of my professional life.
The main purpose of my job is
to provide technical support to
Nordic’s customers and Americas
sales team, including on-site faceto-face training and remote email
and telephone assistance. I also
develop software demonstrations
for individuals and companies
evaluating or using our wireless
chips to exhibit their capabilities.
I find my work at Nordic
really engaging, even though it
can be quite challenging when
supporting multiple customers
simultaneously. But I find being
entrusted to work independently,
while being part of the wider
Nordic ‘work family’, really helps.
At Nordic that includes being
made to feel your contributions
make a difference, and that
appreciation drives my motivation
levels and desire to come up with
creative and effective solutions to
technical problems.
Pratyush Dave enjoys traveling and experiencing local cultures
Personal Profile
NAME:
Pratyush Dave
JOB TITLE:
Field Application
Engineer
JOINED NORDIC:
June 2012
BASED:
Anaheim, Ca, U.S.
INTERESTS INCLUDE:
Hiking, skiing, swimming,
cycling, travel
During an early visit, for
example, a customer showed a lot
of interest in using our nRF51822
SoC in their next design. The use
case included a social networking
feature in a toy with a Bluetooth
Smart control interface. For the
project to progress, the customer
needed a proof-of-concept to
show their upper management
within three months.
I was asked if I could do it,
and was confident of success.
My regular FAE duties still had
to be performed, so I worked
through some weekends
and put in long hours during
the week. But just five weeks
later the extra effort paid off: I
managed to deliver a detailed
design document describing the
software functionality, and fully
implemented and integrated
functional software working on
four nRF51822 Eval Kit boards.
The customer and their
management loved it, and the
customer has since decided to
specify the nRF51822 in another
product as well, using the same
demo software. It felt great to see
all that hard work pay-off.
Outside of work I like to
combine relaxation and exercise
by going on long hikes, skiing in
the San Bernardino mountains
which are over 2000 meters tall,
cycling, and swimming outdoors.
I’m also especially passionate
about traveling to exotic regions
of the world and experiencing
local cultures.
Other passions are
photography and videography,
including video editing, and
reading. When I was 10 years old,
one of my uncles nicknamed me
“professor” because I read so
much, and he said jokingly it was
why I always seemed to have an
answer to every question ! Z
“I find my work for Nordic really engaging, even though it can be quite
challenging when the pressure’s on”
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Experience the
nRF51822-mKIT
World’s first ARM® mbed™ development platform
for Bluetooth® Smart applications.
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NOW
The fast, easy and flexible solution for your IoT device!
Nordic Semiconductor leads the world in ultra low power wireless and was instrumental in the development of the Bluetooth® low energy
technology (or Bluetooth Smart technology as it will now be marketed to consumers) part of the latest Bluetooth v4.0 specification.
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Spring 2014 - Nordic Semiconductor

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