Issue 1, 2020

UNWIRED FOR SOUND: THE LE AUDIO MUSIC REVOLUTION THE AI OF THINGS: MAKING SENSE OF THE IoT DATA OVERLOAD GET SMART: BRINGING PRECISION TO ENERGY MANAGEMENT

Ahead of the Game How wireless tech is transforming sports performance

NORDIC AND AMAZON’S DEMOCRATIZING WHAT’S NEW IN THE SMART HOME ALLIANCE SMART ORAL HYGIENE BLUETOOTH 5.2 SPEC

Contents Welcome News Nordic and Amazon partnership 3 Svenn-Tore Larsen News CEO The latest developments from Nordic Semiconductor News Extra Next generation wireless audio 7 Analysis Smart Home Smart toothbrushes promote hen we planned this edition of Wireless Quarter, global oral hygiene 8 coronavirus and the disease it causes, COVID-19, was Nordic and Amazon just breaking out in China. It wasn’t apparent then that Bright lights Comment W the virus would cause the pandemic that currently afflicts the 2020 - the year of cellular IoT 9 during this crisis partner to speed world. Because of the status of the virus at that time we didn’t are the Nordic Ahead of the Game include anything in this edition about it or its implications. But we customers Wireless tech helps train have now changed the planned Welcome column because it’s vital smart home products future sports stars 10 using our to acknowledge the huge challenge the world faces and the tens Nordic Semiconductor is working with Amazon Common Software Unwired for Sound of thousands that have already lost their lives to COVID-19. technology (ACS) to help accelerate the development of smart home and LE Audio promises enhanced Like the business community across the globe at this challenging to fight the other wireless products. sound quality 14 time, Nordic places the safety and protection of its staff and coronavirus ACS provides a single, unified API integration layer for multiple Amazon SDKs including providing components that are The performance of The AI of Things community at the top of its prorities. For example, employees are Nordic’s nRF52 and nRF53 prevalidated and memory optimized for common smart home Series SoCs makes them Making sense of IoT data 18 now working remotely to limit exposure to coronavirus. And we product functions. Amazon says ACS is designed to benefit any a good match for the are committed to doing our best to contribute to the wellbeing of developer building products using Amazon SDKs by giving them the type of advanced smart Get Smart home products Amazon other people and businesses, in all ways possible. ability to use prebuilt and prehardened software components. This will Driving smart meter adoption 22 envisions for ACS Bright lights during this crisis are the Nordic customers using accelerate integration of the SDKs and help reduce both development Nordic Inside our tech to fight the coronavirus. For example, the tech is being and maintenance costs. Amazon says ACS includes an extensive test suite that can be used brings through our multiple award-winning wireless chips and PitPat 24 used to notify when people have come into contact with infected to verify and debug an ACS implementation. By building on ACS, extensive customer base,” says Kjetil Holstad, Director of Product Case Study people and reinforce hygiene regimes. You can read more about developers can expect to launch devices more quickly and easily Management at Nordic. Farm Jenny horse monitoring this on the news feed at the Nordic website and in our Get than before, using some of the same technology that Amazon uses “Our market leading nRF52 Series and the newly released nRF53 platform 26 [Connected] Blog. And the next edition of WQ will include a deeper in its own devices. Series Bluetooth LE devices offer very low power consumption, Partnering with Nordic analysis of the wireless technology being used to fight the virus. Nordic intends to provide and maintain a Device Porting Kit (DPK) for stellar security performance and a high amount of on-chip memory While today’s challenge is tough, there will be a time when it’s its wireless chips that allows them to be easily and natively integrated which makes them perfect for the type of advanced smart home Building programmable robots 27 into ACS as a reference platform. Initial DPKs will be based on products Amazon envisions for [ACS]. We’re looking forward to over. In preparation for that day, our operation is largely continuing Tech Zone News Bluetooth LE, with other wireless technologies following in the future. working with Amazon and the device makers using its services to build as previously planned. And we’ll continue to develop strong Nordic unveils range extender 28 “We’re happy that Amazon recognizes the value that Nordic some great new applications.” customer relationships and deliver on their expectations. Tech Perspective We believe the technology being developed today will not only What’s new in Bluetooth 5.2 29 help us to fight the current pandemic, but also put us in a better Nordic awards Logistics & Transport Tech Briefing position to fight the next one. Stay safe. Inside the nRF9160 30 at the double Cellular IoT and Bluetooth LE asset Nordic Product For the second year in a row and the tracker offers world leading battery life third time in total, Nordic Semiconductor Summary 32 has been named the ‘Most respected Norwegian asset tracking specialist, while also being able to exceed both current emerging public semiconductor company Meshtech, is employing a Nordic nRF9160 and [increasingly strict] future regulations.” achieving $100 million to $500 million in SiP and nRF52811 SoC in the world’s first The Meshtech Cloud Tracker not only annual sales’ by the members of the Global environmental asset tracker to combine continuously monitors environmental Semiconductor Alliance (GSA). cellular IoT and Bluetooth wireless tech with a parameters, but also whether a consignment Launched in 1996, the GSA Awards five-year battery life. has been dropped, tilted or folded, Wireless Quarter is published on behalf of Nordic Semiconductor by Ecritech recognize the achievements of top The Meshtech Cloud Tracker the location of individual shipping www.ecritech.tech performing semiconductor companies. prevents the ongoing compensation items within a consignment, the order in which they were loaded Editor They are widely considered one of the most costs routinely incurred in the Steven Keeping [email protected] The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are prestigious awards in the industry. supply of perishable goods at risk of and unloaded and the location of the registered trademarks owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Nordic “We are delighted to receive such high spoiling, being delivered to wrong consignment. Assistant Editor Semiconductor is under license. Chris Williams [email protected] independent recognition ... from the GSA,” customer locations or delivered in “Suppliers [now have] © Nordic Semiconductor 2020 Production Editor says Nordic CEO, Svenn-Tore Larsen. the wrong quantities. environmental data-driven Andrew Woolls-King [email protected] Meanwhile the company’s Thingy:91 “Our Cloud Tracker [detects] delivery or insights into how their goods are loaded, Creative Director cellular IoT prototyping platform has won storage issues quickly enough that they can stored, and shipped that could eliminate the Sam Grimmer the Technical Innovation Award in the be corrected without jeopardizing an entire majority of their compensation losses,” adds Image Editors China IoT Innovation Awards, 2020. It is the consignment,” says Meshtech Interim CEO, Skretteberg. “None of this was viable before Subscribe @NordicTweets Like us Follow us Forum: devzone. Nathan Sargent, Neale Hobday nordicsemi.com second year running Nordic has claimed the Preben Skretteberg. “This means perishable the advent of cellular IoT which has made Print & Distribution respected award, last year winning with its goods suppliers now have a viable way to environmental asset tracking feasible and Printech Europe To subscribe to WQ visit www.nordicsemi.com/wqmag nRF Connect for Cloud development tool. prevent unnecessary compensation costs, scalable in a way that wasn’t possible before.”

2 W Issue 1 2020 Issue 1 2020 W 3

News In Brief

Sports & Fitness Wearables IoT OFFERS BOOST FOR REMOTE MONITORING Analyst Facts and NB-IoT cellular bike security Citizen Watch and Nordic partner Factors Market Research predicts the global IoT tracker turns up heat on thieves on solar powered custom watch healthcare market will increase in value to $21 billion in 2025 from $9.1 Northern Ireland cycling startup, See.Sense, Citizen Watch, one of the world’s leading the score via the hands of the smartwatch. billion in 2018, at a CAGR of around 12.59 has launched the world’s first cellular bike watch manufacturers, has released the Alternatively, a press of a button could trigger percent. The analyst said the successful use security tracker. The tracker uses both NB- Eco-Drive Riiiver, a fully customizable solar the smartwatch to send the user’s current of the IoT in remotely monitoring diabetics IoT and GPS to locate and track bikes from a powered watch employing Nordic’s location to nominated contacts with a pre- and asthma patients—along with high user’s smartphone for up to three months on nRF52810 Bluetooth LE SoC to provide the set message, for example “I’ve arrived”. penetration of connected technology across a single charge from an internal rechargeable wireless connectivity. Wireless connectivity between the health, fitness and wellness industry— lithium polymer battery. Unlike conventional watches that the smartwatch and the user’s had assisted in minimizing hospital stays and The 80 g See.Sense AIR is about half have prefixed button functions, smartphone is provided by the readmissions. Such advantages would drive the size of a deck of playing cards and is Eco-Drive Riiiver allows users Nordic SoC. the growth of the IoT healthcare market designed to fit securely under any bike’s seat to not only customize the Despite its processor- over the forecast timeline. or bottle cage. The product incorporates buttons to suit their own intensive applications, the Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF9160 SiP with preferences, but also create Eco-Drive Riiiver watch is BLUETOOTH HEADPHONES integrated LTE-M/NB-IoT modem and GPS. up to three miniprograms— solar powered, thanks “We’re totally fed up with instances of bike known as ‘iiideas’—that in part to the ultra low NEXT BIG THING vandalism and theft,” says See.Sense CEO, can be actioned from, power characteristics According to a new report from research Philip McAleese. or displayed on the of the Nordic SoC. The company, Canalys, Bluetooth headphones “AIR was developed after listening to what smartwatch to suit the nRF52810 has been will be the fastest growing category of smart the cycling community wanted. If the bike user’s own lifestyle and engineered to minimize devices over the next several years. With is moved or tampered with, AIR will sound interests. power consumption the advent of LE Audio, 726 million units are predicted to ship in 2023, the analyst said. an alarm and immediately text message the For example, from the with features such as the The research said for every 100 smartphones rider; we call this ‘Fight’ mode. AIR will not only protect the bike, it will before selecting the best protocol for the iOS and Android compatible 2.4 GHz radio’s 4.6 mA peak shipping in 2023, 48 smart personal audio “If the bike is stolen, AIR will detect this also protect its rider, identifying if the bike’s See.Sense product. Eco-Drive Riiiver app the RX/TX currents. devices would be shipped, compared to 16 and switch into ‘Flight’ mode setting, rapidly been involved in a crash and sending an “For us, NB-IoT was a clear winner, providing user can select a ‘trigger’ (the “We selected Nordic’s SoC desktops/notebooks, 14 wearable bands, transmitting high-powered tracking signals SMS with the precise location to the rider’s good range and upload speed at a reasonable press of a specific button on the for Eco-Drive Riiiver due to its 13 smart speakers and 8 tablets. Smart to allow the owner to quickly and accurately assigned contact. power consumption,” says McAleese. “We smartwatch) to deliver a ‘service’, low power consumption and radio speakers will be the second fastest growing locate their bike to the nearest couple of McAleese says See.Sense considered a found that NB-IoT also had fewer restrictions and an ‘action’. A specific button sensitivity, which is essential category, Canalys said. meters. This tracking information can then be wide range of long-range LPWAN wireless on duty cycles and data size limitations than could trigger the smartwatch because the watch is a full metal passed to local law enforcement increasing technologies including LoRaWAN, Sigfox and both LoRaWAN and Sigfox, making it a much to update the user on the score device,” says Daisuke Matsuoh, an the chances of recovery.” NB-IoT’s sister cellular technology, LTE-M, more appealing platform for the AIR.” in a sporting event and display engineer at Citizen Watch. NEW BLUETOOTH 5.2-POWERED MODULES Tangshan Hongjia Electronic Technology Co, Logistics & Transport By the Numbers has released two Bluetooth 5.2/Bluetooth Thread mesh enables LE modules enabling OEMs to develop IoT Long range sensor product designs with Direction Finding and commercial lighting control Long Range capability. The HJ-380 module platform is powered by Nordic’s nRF52832 SoC and is India-based IoT company, Zenatix Solutions, network sending designed for complex wireless applications. Leading wireless technology has released a mesh-enabled sensor network data to the gateway. $288 $2 billion The HJ-180 module is powered by Nordic’s company, Laird Connectivity, based on Thread, an open source wireless Sensors, routers and nRF52811 SoC. The SoC is the first product has released a multisensor mesh RF software protocol with native gateway communicate in Nordic’s low power wireless range to device designed to provide support for IPv6. locally using the smart building support Bluetooth Direction Finding. Both reliable sensor data in harsh The ZenConnect ecosystem can optimize Thread protocol. modules feature a built-in antenna, inductor million and RF matching circuits and operate in environments. Use examples include cold operational energy efficiency for smart The sensors can also enable smart control industry chain transport, agriculture and remote lighting and other commercial applications via for enterprise OEMs in, for example, a low power DC/DC mode to minimize Next generation smart building solutions are asset monitoring applications. automated, intelligent monitoring and control. smart lighting application. The system uses in revenue current consumption. forecast to generate over $2 billion in software The Sentrius BT510 long-range sensor The ‘plug and play’ solution delivers key luminosity and occupancy data from sensors Nordic Semiconductor has reported full 2019 and services revenue by 2026, according to a new device comes in a rugged IP67-rated benefits including centralized visibility, energy to automatically alter lights according revenue of $288.4 million, representing growth of report from analyst ABI Research. New offerings 19 by 80 by 51 mm enclosure with an savings and improved asset maintenance. to whatever conditions are required. For 6.4 percent over 2018’s full year revenue. The result include emerging applications in space management, operating temperature range of –20 to The platform incorporates a network of example, if the occupancy of an office is low, comes on the back of all time record Q4 revenue of environmental monitoring, asset management and 60 ºC, and integrates a magnetic reed battery powered sensors each using a Nordic lights can be turned off in unused areas. 83.1 million, an increase of 36 percent on the same cleanliness and hygiene management. The report switch sensor, temperature sensor, nRF52840 SoC-based module to report Further, the solution enables control of time last year. The strong year-on-year growth said space management solutions are being created Bluetooth LE beaconing as well as a three- back data via nRF52840-powered mains lighting for personalized comfort using the reflects significantly higher revenue contribution with a variety of sensors, including contact, motion axis MEMS accelerometer for motion routers. The routers in turn report to a central web dashboard or mobile app. Smart lighting from new tier one Bluetooth LE customers, with and occupancy, while asset management solutions and impact detection. It is powered by gateway that uses Ethernet, Wi-Fi or cellular actuation is enabled by Zenatix-designed Bluetooth revenue amounting to $221.2 million in are becoming increasingly important within specific Laird Connectivity’s BL654 BLE module connectivity to relay data to the Cloud. Each nRF52840 SoC-based lighting control cards, 2019, up 19 percent from $185.1 million in 2018. The commercial buildings, especially healthcare. The use integrating Nordic’s nRF52840 SoC to router can support 100 different sensors. Up to that can be used to turn lights on/off, perform consumer electronics, wearables and building and of such solutions for hospitals, for example, improves provide full Bluetooth 5 support. 32 routers can then form a multihop wireless dimming functions or control smart LEDs. retail markets continued to perform strongly in 2019. inventory management and lowers operating costs.

4 W Issue 1 2020 Issue 1 2020 W 5 News

Education News Extra Nordic’s LE Audio Evaluation Bluetooth LE robot encourages Platform demonstrates the Bluetooth SIG heralds benefits of LE Audio while also supporting the forthcoming LE coders of all skill levels Audio specification Consumer robotics and toy company, connectivity solution, allowing users to next generation Sphero, has released the Sphero RVR, wirelessly code RVR from the Sphero Edu app a programmable robot for beginners to on their smartphone or tablet. Alternatively, advanced coders, Science, Technology, RVR can be programmed using a Raspberry of wireless audio Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) Pi, Arduino, Nordic-powered micro:bit or educators and students, as well as makers, the company’s own littleBits platform to LE Audio promises high quality streaming stereo and new audio hackers and hobbyists. customize the robot’s capabilities further. features. Nordic’s evaluation platform enables designers to The robot is an all-terrain programmable and RVR includes a rechargeable, high capacity experiment ahead of the spec’s release later in 2020 expandable product that can be driven right out of the box and customized for unique use cases and applications. For example, RVR battery to power the robot’s motors, as Audio is by far Bluetooth tech’s most lucrative sector could be used as a home security sentry, well as cameras, robotic arms, air horns and with around a billion products shipped last year. Today’s autonomous metal detector or wirelessly other external accessories that can be fitted technology is based on Classic Audio and while offering controlled environmental sensor. It features to the robot. “The key features of Nordic’s good audio performance does have some technical a diverse suite of sensors including ambient nRF52832 SoC for RVR are its generous limitations which restrict its applications. The Bluetooth SIG light, color, infrared, accelerometer and Flash and RAM capacity, the powerful Arm intends to address these limitations with a new gyroscope, enabling the robot to interact with processor, and the low power features that version of Bluetooth audio called LE Audio, which, as its environment. achieve longer battery life and leave more the name suggests will be based on Bluetooth LE. The In parallel with the Bluetooth SIG’s announcement, Nordic The robot employs Nordic Semiconductor’s power available for the user to drive, play Bluetooth SIG says the technology is “the next Semiconductor, in partnership with San Diego-based nRF52832 Bluetooth LE SoC as the and learn,” says Jeff Wiencrot, Director of generation of Bluetooth audio”. The LE Audio Bluetooth LE protocol stack developer, Packetcraft, primary processor and low power wireless Firmware & Hardware at Sphero. LE Audio will support development of the same audio launched an LE Audio Evaluation Platform. The product products and use cases as Classic Audio while enhancing Evaluation demonstrates the benefits of LE Audio while also wireless audio performance, adding support for hearing Platform supporting the forthcoming LE Audio specification. aids and enabling ‘Audio Sharing’ - an entirely new use case. The LE Audio Evaluation Platform enables engineers to Nordic launches Key to improved audio clarity is the Low Complexity extends battery take advantage of the superior quality, power and use- nRF52820 Communication Codec (LC3). Providing high quality even life by around case enhancements of LE Audio using Nordic’s mature at low data rates, LC3 also enables design trade-offs 40 percent hardware, software and development tools. The platform between audio quality and power consumption. allows developers to start evaluating LE Audio products Bluetooth 5.2 SoC compared to such as wireless speakers, over-the-ear headphones, and Nordic Semiconductor has unveiled the Enabling new use cases today’s off-the- true wireless ‘earbuds’. nRF52820 Bluetooth 5.2 SoC, an addition LE Audio introduces ‘Multi-Stream Audio’ which facilitates shelf Bluetooth The platform can operate as either an audio source to the lower-end of the company’s the transmission of multiple, independent, synchronized or sink. A pair of devices (one acting as a source and nRF52 Series. The SoC is a Bluetooth LE, audio streams between an audio source device and Classic audio the other as a sink) is required for a complete LE Audio Bluetooth mesh, Thread, Zigbee and 2.4 multiple audio sinks, overcoming a major drawback of solutions link. The platform also features audio IC leader Cirrus GHz proprietary wireless solution. Classic Audio. (See this issue pg14.) Logic’s SoundClear for uplink noise reduction and echo The SoC is capable of all the features Other advantages of the technology include support cancellation, and playback enhancement. An acoustic of Bluetooth 5, 5.1 and 5.2 including Long for the development of Bluetooth hearing aids and connector for up to six microphones or two speakers, Smart City be equipped with the latest in human Range and high throughput 2 Mbps, ‘Broadcast Audio,’ enabling an audio source to broadcast a 3.5-mm headset jack, a 3.5-mm source jack, and support technologies. Direction Finding, LE Power Control and one or more audio streams to an unlimited number of a USB connector for charging, debug and acoustic Toyota to build “Building a complete city from the ground LE Isochronous Channels. The SoC also sink devices. Broadcast Audio will support the new use tuning are included. up, even on a small scale like this, is a unique includes a USB 2.0 interface. case of ‘Audio Sharing’ which can be personal or location “Nordic’s class-leading nRF52 and nRF53 Series SoCs prototype city of opportunity to develop future technologies,” The chip has a powerful 64-MHz 32-bit based. The Bluetooth SIG explains that with personal are an ideal wireless foundation for an LE Audio solution. says Akio Toyoda, President, Toyota Motor Arm Cortex M4 processor and includes Audio Sharing, people will be able to share their Bluetooth By also featuring Cirrus Logic’s CS47L35 smart codec the future Corporation. “With people, buildings and 256 KB Flash and 32 KB RAM making it audio experience with others around them; for example, we are ensuring the platform also meets the highest vehicles all connected and communicating a single-chip option for commercial and sharing music from a smartphone with family and friends. possible audio performance criteria,” explains Kjetil Multinational giant Toyota has revealed plans with each other through data and sensors, we industrial applications including asset With location based Audio Sharing, public venues such as Holstad, Director of Product Management at Nordic. When to build a prototype smart city of the future will be able to test connected AI technology tracking, HIDs and gaming products. airports, bars, gyms, cinemas, and conference centers Tech Check wirelessly streaming audio from a source device to (sink) on a 708,000 square meter site at the base ... in both the virtual and the physical realms ... The nRF52820 is also qualified for could, for example, share Bluetooth audio that augmented Nordic’s LE Audio earbuds, the LE Audio Evaluation Platform extends battery of Mount Fuji in Japan. Called the Woven City, maximizing its potential.” operation across an extended industrial the visitor experience. evaluation platform life by around 40 percent compared to today’s off-the- the establishment will be a fully connected Toyota says it will extend an open invitation temperature range of -40 to 105°C, As part of the announcement of the planned specification, comprises a reference shelf Bluetooth Classic audio solutions. ecosystem powered by hydrogen fuel cells. to collaborate with other commercial and making it ideal for professional lighting the Bluetooth SIG also promoted the hearing support design based on the Nordic has further plans for Bluetooth audio: Envisioned as a ‘living laboratory’, the academic partners and invite interested applications. Full Speed (12 Mbps) use case noting that LE Audio specifically adds provision nRF52832 SoC, Cirrus “[Conventional] Bluetooth audio provides a satisfactory Woven City will serve as a home to full scientists and researchers from around the USB operation is a key feature of the for hearing aids. “LE Audio will enable the development Logic’s CS47L35 smart wireless sound, but LE Audio offers significant codec with an low time residents and researchers who will be world to visit the establishment and work on nRF52820. USB is a popular interface of Bluetooth hearing aids that bring all the benefits of enhancements. It is destined to be an exciting new sector power Audio DSP and able to test and develop technologies such their own projects in this one-of-a-kind, real that enables communication with a Bluetooth audio to the growing number of people with Packetcraft’s Bluetooth and Nordic plans to play a key role through the supply as autonomy, robotics, personal mobility, world incubator. range of host devices such as PCs. USB hearing loss,” the organization noted in a statement. LE host stack and link layer of leading LE Audio solutions,” says Holstad. “The launch smart homes and artificial intelligence (AI) in a For the design of Woven City, Toyota has connectivity also makes device firmware The full specification for LE Audio is due for release by the supporting LE Audio of the LE Audio evaluation platform is just the first step real world environment. Residences will commissioned Danish architect, Bjarke Ingels. updates-over-USB practical. Bluetooth SIG later in 2020. on this journey.”

6 W Issue 1 2020 Issue 1 2020 W 7 Analysis Comment

Connected Health Kristian Sæther Smart toothbrushes promote Product Manager for Cellular IoT improved global oral hygiene The majority of people worldwide, even in 2020 will be the year North America, still use manual toothbrushes, cellular IoT comes of age With half the world affected by tooth decay and gum disease, affordable and the fact is the average user simply does connected oral care products can help millions of people bite back not brush well After a long wait, Nordic uniquely designed its cellular commercial 4G LTE-M and IoT chipset from the ground up. The NB-IoT solutions are hitting resulting product, the nRF9160 ral hygiene is a worldwide concern. The Global SiP—with integrated LTE-M/NB- Burden of Disease Study 2016 estimated that 50 the mainstream IoT modem and GPS—is optimized Opercent of the world’s population (approximately for the lowest power consumption 3.58 billion people at the time of research) is affected by At the start of 2019 the only thing cellular IoT operation. Together oral disease. Dental caries (commonly known as tooth operating on cellular networks were with impressive RF performance, decay) is the most prevalent condition, with around 2.4 cellphones and a few hundred million this is why an ever-growing list of billion people suffering from caries of permanent teeth. In 2G-based devices such as security customers (over 300 have worked the U.S. alone, more than 80 percent of people have had alarms (where cellular was used as a with samples to date) are designing at least one cavity by the age of 34, while over 47 percent last line of communication). the nRF9160 SiP into their cellular IoT of adults aged 30 and above have mild, moderate or But now, in early 2020, the products and applications. severe gum disease, according to the Centers for Disease networks support battery powered Cellular IoT allows almost anything Control and Prevention (CDC). It would appear the global security alarms, herding animal to connect to the world’s mature community has neither the know-how nor the capability trackers, industrial grade asset cellular networks without recourse to and resources to look after its teeth and gums effectively. trackers and environmental sensors, a complex gateway. For the Industrial The overall health implications of poor oral hygiene, to name but a few. The list grows IoT (IIoT), for example, cellular IoT compounded by inadequate exposure to fluoride continuously. By this time next year, enables monitoring of location and through sources of treated drinking water, are serious. I predict it will be difficult to list all condition of things like shipping Oral diseases are the most common noncommunicable the new cellular IoT products and containers (see WQ Spring 2019 pg14) diseases and they can impact people for life. Gum disease, applications on a single page. and key industrial assets like vehicles for example, affects the gum tissue and bone supporting What’s changed in the last 12 and machinery. Cellular IoT has also the teeth and if left untreated can lead to tooth loss that months? The answer is the large- made healthcare more accessible limits diet. But worse, research has also linked it to other scale rollout of the new IoT-targeted by making it simpler for patients to chronic ailments like diabetes and cardiovascular disease. LPWAN version of cellular wireless use digital health services by However, recognizing the challenges is one thing, technology called LTE-M and NB-IoT. eliminating gateways. coming up with long term solutions is quite another. Although a long-time in the making Cellular IoT is based on a Brushing one’s teeth twice a day, for at least two minutes that uses smart sensors to map a user’s mouth and show access to the latest oral hygiene products. That means (the specification was included in specification that will evolve over each time, is considered a minimum requirement. Regular in real time how well the user is brushing across 16 zones affordable preventative solutions can make a difference. Release 13 of the 3rd Generation time. Significant upgrades are likely flossing is also highly recommended. But while this sounds (instead of the market-standard eight). The data is sent And affordable connected oral care devices will have the Partnership Project (3GPP) cellular to come in the releases designed to simple, in practice it’s more complex; brushing and flossing to the Colgate Connect app on the user’s smartphone via biggest impact of all. Such potential is encouraging leading wireless technology standard as far cater for 5G. However, the current must be done properly or the effects are limited. Nordic technology. The app then displays and stores all the companies in oral hygiene to ‘democratize’ their products back as 2015), this power-optimized commercialized 4G versions of Colgate, the global oral hygiene giant, has conducted brushing events, and offers tailored information and advice by pricing them affordably. Colgate, for example, says the version of cellular has now emerged. LTE-M and NB-IoT are more than research which indicates most users miss over 40 percent so the user can track and improve their brushing behavior Colgate Electronic Toothbrush is accessible for the majority The five-year gestation of the spec capable of meeting the demands of plaque surfaces when brushing. If left untreated, plaque to eventually reach dentists’ recommendations. of consumers who are currently using manual toothbrushes. has allowed development teams such of the first wave of cellular IoT build-up can eventually cause tooth decay and tooth loss. “What’s critical about this brush is the coaching capability According to Gordon, the product was launched to as Nordic’s to ensure that LTE-M and applications. That’s why I predict Closing this concerning gap in brushing effectiveness that comes along with it, so in real time you can see where “address the inequality” of there being no “affordable” NB-IoT products offer the same 2020 will be the year that cellular IoT largely relies on increasing the population’s awareness of the toothbrush is in your mouth,” says Gordon. connected toothbrush which teaches how to brush teeth legendary reliability and security hits the mainstream. their own brushing habits and mistakes. Need to Know Wider research shows sonic-vibrating electric brushes via precision brush coaching on a smartphone app. It also of conventional cellular, but, unlike the “The majority of people worldwide, even in North like the Colgate Smart Electric Toothbrush generally amounts to big business: “The fastest growing part of the 2G modems of old, with power Asset tracking In part, the WHO defines consumption that supports multiyear solutions are America, still use manual toothbrushes and the fact is the oral wellbeing as: “Being produce better short and long term outcomes than manual toothbrush market right now is electric toothbrushes and early adopters average user simply does not brush well,” explains Derek free from periodontal brushing. However, it’s the power of wireless connectivity connected health platforms,” Gordon explains. operation from small batteries. of cellular IoT Gordon, Colgate’s Head of Global Toothbrush Division. (gum) disease, tooth that ultimately gives these devices their edge. “It’s not often that a semiconductor company helps technology decay, tooth loss and enable a product that could genuinely help improve the Power optimization Connected oral care other diseases and Democratizing dental hygiene lives of millions of people worldwide, but this is one of those But that doesn’t mean all LTE-M and Thankfully, it’s not all doom and dentures. Wireless tech disorders that limit an The oral health challenge is made harder by the high cost products,” adds Geir Langeland, Nordic Semiconductor’s NB-IoT products are equal; while is able to provide quality feedback and guidance on individual’s capacity of dental care, which accounts for “20 per cent of out-of- Director of Sales & Marketing. chipsets must conform to in biting and chewing.” brushing technique and its results. Smart toothbrushes pocket health expenditure in most high-income countries,” Competitive solutions are likely to follow Colgate’s lead as the same standard, some perform The organization says, and smartphone apps using connected technologies according to the World Health Organization (WHO). That the oral technology sector gathers steam. Industry analyst markedly better than others. The main “Oral care demands are can enhance the ability to take care of dental hygiene prohibits many people from the opportunity to practice Research and Markets predicts the global oral care/hygiene beyond the capacities of differences are down to design – while by providing an unprecedented level of insight into the healthcare systems good habits that help prevent oral health deterioration. market will reach $53.3 billion by 2025 from $44.5 billion in the majority of commercial cellular IoT individual cleaning ‘zones’ brushing patterns and more. in most low and middle Even in the Western sphere, socioeconomic status and 2019. Advanced digital technologies are bound to play their chipsets are redesigns from higher For example, Colgate recently launched the advanced income countries.” other factors contribute to exclusion from essential dental part, and high-powered toothbrushes and brush coaching category LTE modems, Colgate Smart Electric Toothbrush, a connected brush services, a lack of oral hygiene education and reduced platforms are already enabling smarter cleaning.

8 W Issue 1 2020 Issue 1 2020 W 9 Cover Feature: Sports & Fitness Feature: Asset Tracking

Ahead of the Game Sports equipment that tracks individual performance is changing the game for athletes and coaches

In Short oaches often say that ‘practice makes perfect’ Athletes and coaches and ‘you play the way you train’. In the aspirational are looking to find an world of sport, these mantras promote an ideal of advantage in the way what it takes to be successful. The message from they practice and Ctrainers to competitors is clear - reaching your full potential prepare for matches takes 100 percent commitment and attention to detail, 100 Wireless sensors percent of the time. While games aren’t played every day, incorporated into good preparation never takes a break. sports equipment Yet until recently the process of continually analyzing provide comprehensive skills and techniques in order to track improvements could data-driven training be described as hit and miss. From relying on empirical solutions evidence and putting faith in what a coach sees with their ‘Smart’ sports own eyes, to scrutinizing video footage and eventually equipment including monitoring individual physiology and movement using a coach can implement the most challenging drills, but no The pitchLogic platform “helps players improve their analytics and will be able to experiment with different wrist bats, balls, boots and sensor-based wearables, the widely available methods amount of effort will lead to meaningful progress if the game while reducing the number of practice pitches,” says positions, release points and delivery ‘actions’ to discover pucks can now track have either lacked a scientific foundation or had limited individual is practicing in a suboptimal manner. Reinforcing David Rankin, CEO of F5 Sports. “Because the information Tracking what works best. individual skills and scope for providing valuable in-depth data. bad habits is naturally counterproductive. is available within a second of each pitch, the very next Cricket is a game of ball against bat, and India-based techniques, analyze In the past few years, however, the game has started to When it comes to athletic development and the endless pitch can be an improvement. This helps a player practice genuine sports technology company, StanceBeam, has also teamed performance metrics change. Wireless technology is now being incorporated pursuit of perfection, information is most definitely power. efficiently with measurable progress in each session and progress helps up with Kookaburra Sports to develop a cricket bat sensor and deliver digital into sports equipment, adding new dimensions to coaching coaching tips And the latest sports tracking technology is able to serve less time spent practicing the wrong way.” athletes stay for both recreational and professional cricketers. Known and performance analysis at all levels of sport from junior up more powerful information, more efficiently and to more Australia-based sports technology startup, Sportcor, as StanceBeam Striker, the device attaches to any cricket In baseball, cricket, and amateur participation to professional leagues. It has people than ever before. Tailored data-driven training is the is doing something similar. The Sportcor Smartball is an motivated to bat handle and uses its integrated sensors to capture the skiing, ice hockey suddenly become possible to track, generate, review future. In other words, only perfect practice makes perfect. embedded sensor using an inertial movement system continue to push motion of the bat in action and record 360-degree batting and other sports, and learn from comprehensive data based on the precise comprising two accelerometers, a gyroscope and a performance data analytics in real time. The product then leading equipment themselves manufacturers are location and movement of equipment and accessories in BAT AND BALL SKILLS magnetometer, along with proprietary Cloud based provides live analysis of the player’s batting technique and relying on wireless tech action. Whether it’s a bat, ball, boot, puck or anything else Commercial solutions are increasingly emerging to algorithms, to track movement data such as ball speed performance through the associated StanceBeam app. to make these solutions used to play sport or engage in physical activity, it can be capitalize on these capabilities in different sports around and spin rate. Like the pitchLogic baseball, the Sportcor Metrics include backlift and downswing angle, speed at commercially viable designed to provide a wide range of advanced custom the world. For example, sports technology startup, F5 Smartball delivers a variety of useful information impact and ‘shot efficiency’ (a comparison between the metrics that help boost performance. And all without Sports, has developed a Bluetooth LE-enabled smart and analytics about the precise behavior of the ball maximum speed of the swing and the speed at impact with compromising the natural characteristics and behaviors baseball to help pitchers and coaches at any level of the to a smartphone or tablet app via a Nordic SoC- the ball). Using the companion app as a ‘virtual coach’, the of the end product. sport. The pitchLogic system uses proprietary algorithms enabled Bluetooth LE link. player can easily review each shot ball by ball, recreate Wireless performance tracking solutions in sports employing 15 channels of built-in sensor data to provide The first commercial application of the product is a smart and analyze each shot in 3D, and access tailored drills to equipment provide a constant flow of actionable feedback, a set of 12 key body movement and pitch performance cricket ball developed by Sportcor in partnership with improve along the way. Users can also conduct a post- allowing players to enhance one aspect of their game metrics after each individual throw. These metrics include leading cricket equipment manufacturer, Kookaburra session review, produce a summary report and even without it detracting from another. What’s more, tracking ball spin rates, acceleration rates, launch angles and braking Sports. The two companies hope the ball will be adopted by Developed by Australia- compare their results against peers or elite players. genuine progress helps athletes stay motivated to force. Thanks to Bluetooth LE connectivity, users can cricket players, coaches, teams, leagues and broadcasters based Sportcor, the Sportcor StanceBeam Striker is ready for use in a competitive continue to push themselves. instantly access this information through a partner app on around the world for a multitude of purposes including Smartball, featuring Nordic’s cricket match, where batters rely on their ‘timing’ and nRF52840 SoC, is an embedded This evolution in the sports market matters more than a paired smartphone, tablet or laptop, allowing the baseball infotainment and engagement. The amateur and elite sensor for tracking movement power to launch the ball over the boundary for six runs, you might think. An athlete can hone skills for hours a day, pitcher to combine their muscle memory with actual data. bowlers alike will benefit from deeper performance data from a cricket ball particularly in the shortest format of the sport, Twenty20

10 W Issue 1 2020 Issue 1 2020 W 11 Cover Feature: Sports & Fitness Cover Feature: Sports & Fitness

cricket. Cricket is adored and played by millions of people across the Indian subcontinent, Europe, Africa and The ‘10,000-hour rule’: Australasia, so it’s not hard to imagine a future where smart For such balls and bats form part of a typical cricket kit. innovations to Merit or myth?

WIRELESS WINTER SPORTS be commercially How much dedicated practice is required to attain ‘expert’ Wireless tech is also being used to expand the provision of viable, they status in a particular field? This question has led to considerable metrics for winter sports enthusiasts who want to review must be able debate since a study by K. Anders Ericsson was popularized their own skills and techniques on the slopes. Austrian by a book called Outliers, published in 2008, in which author ski equipment manufacturer, Atomic, in consultation with to function Malcolm Gladwell claims that becoming truly elite at something biomechanics experts, developed Hawx Connected, a effectively requires a commitment of 10,000 hours. The so-called 10,000- Bluetooth LE ski boot and smartphone app that performs in match hour rule has been loosely applied to explain the remarkable the role of a skier’s ‘digital coach’ and training log. The achievements of people like Tiger Woods, Bill Gates, the Beatles platform provides direct feedback and analysis of each conditions and other greats in the worlds of sport, science and technology, individual ski run or session. and behave and music and the arts. Based on sister company Suunto’s Movesense motion Yet a number of thought leaders have attempted to debunk sensing platform, Hawx Connected features various identically to the this theory by countering that multiple factors probably embedded sensors to measure pressure at key contact conventional contribute to reaching such a high level of success. One famous points inside the boot liner and simultaneously detect equipment used opponent is American entrepreneur, educational activist and turns and ski edge angles through the orientation of the author of best selling self-help book The 4-Hour Workweek, boot. Once the ski boot transmits the Movesense data via in a sport can be made available in seconds, this technology could one Li-Poly battery that provides up to four-and-a-half Tim Ferriss, who claims that an individual can actually become Bluetooth LE to a paired smartphone, the user can instantly day be used by ice hockey teams and coaches to: “enhance days of operation in typical usage between recharge. ‘world-class’ (among the top five percent in a given field) access all the insights through the Atomic CTD app. Any tactics, training and performance on the ice,” according to This extended battery life is a major value-add for highly within six months - compared to the 10 years of 20 hours per errors made on one run down the mountain can be rectified Fabio Belloni, Chief Customer Officer at Quuppa. The tech active skiers who spend long days on the ski fields, with week it would take to hit the 10,000-hour mark. Among his on the next, or discussed in detail back at the ski lodge. As could also be applied to other team sports like soccer, rugby performance data continuing to be recorded for as long as list of arguments, Ferriss asserts: “training method can have the company itself explains, the focus has shifted from and basketball. the ski boot maintains power. an exponential impact on per-hour yield,” while: “it’s nearly NC-based F5 Sports’ being a: “ski equipment manufacturer to a skiing For the Sportcor Smartball, developers placed a strong pitchLogic system, a impossible to show cause and effect with observational (versus experience provider”. COMMERCIAL VIABILITY emphasis not only on battery life, but on the product’s Bluetooth LE-enabled experimental) data”. Even if every top athlete has predictably From the snow to the ice, direction finding technology For such innovations to be commercially viable, they ability to keep working for as long as the ball itself remains baseball, employs Nordic’s trained for 10,000 hours in their lifetime, does 10,000 hours of nRF52840 SoC to run from Quuppa has helped software company Bitwise must be able to function effectively in match conditions useable. After all, the average wireless device isn’t complex algorithms and training guarantee a top athlete? monetize its commercial package, Wisehockey—a player and behave identically to the conventional equipment necessarily built to absorb a constant barrage of blows wirelessly sync pitching According to Ferriss and others, accomplishments are data and analysis to a ultimately determined by individual abilities, the nature of the and puck tracking system—for monitoring professional used in a sport. To achieve this goal, developers need the from a heavy bat. smartphone partner app games in the Finnish domestic ice hockey league, support of compact wireless technologies. The low power “What we supply is a core that replaces the traditional practice itself, the learning tools available and yes, to some Liiga. Quuppa’s Intelligent Locating System is based on consumption provided by wireless protocols like Bluetooth core of a cricket ball. This includes the protective housing extent the time spent practicing or studying. Essentially, Bluetooth LE and accurately tracks the position of fast LE allow for smaller batteries, so devices can be built with for the electronics to make sure they survive the impact quality beats quantity. moving objects, in this case individual players and a puck, more compact form factors and integrated seamlessly of day-to-day use,” explains Ben Tattersfield, Founder With this in mind, could the strategic use of certain enabling the Wisehockey platform to generate a wide into a range of specialized end products that will stand the of Sportcor. “Power management was crucial as we had technologies potentially help circumvent the 10,000-hour rule array of data including time in possession of the puck, test of time and frequent usage. Moreover, advanced low to get a good life out of the Sportcor Smartball while also entirely? Moreover, what impact might wireless tech-based The Bluetooth LE solutions have on future sports practice? If ‘smart’ equipment maximum speed and passing accuracy. The system works wireless connectivity of power wireless connectivity solutions, such as Nordic SoCs maintaining the smallest possible form factor and light by locators around the arena receiving Bluetooth LE Austria-based Atomic’s and their powerful processors, are able to support the weight to ensure we didn’t upset the characteristics of the including bats and balls continue to evolve into effective and signals transmitted from tags in the puck. The positional Hawx Connected ski complex applications running computationally intensive– end product, the cricket ball.” affordable digital coaching assets, perhaps the performance boot provides users data is then uploaded to a server and can be viewed by with direct sensory and therefore power hungry–movement tracking, signal What impact could these types of technologies have levels of countless athletes around the globe will soar to greater subscribers using a mobile app. Since custom information feedback while skiing processing or direction finding algorithms. Generating on the overall sports tracking and performance market heights in significantly less time. useful data is one thing, but ensuring that data is readily moving forward? “Athlete engagement is the exciting available through low latency equipment-to-smartphone part, in particular across the junior to intermediate connectivity, over a decent range and for a reasonable levels of sport,” suggests Tattersfield. “Features that State of Play amount of time before recharge, is the domain of Bluetooth were only available to professionals are now available Top speeds in sport – how they compare LE wireless technology. to almost everyone, including coaches in amateur The pitchLogic baseball, for example, uses a rechargeable and junior leagues.” Need to Know 43 km/h Usain Bolt 40 mAH battery that currently achieves three hours of There is virtually no limit to the potential of placing According to analyst active use and 10 days of standby time before wireless wireless tech and sensors inside modern sports Grand View Research, the 71 km/h Racehorse recharge using Qi, a wireless charging standard that equipment. As further advancements are made in training, size of the global sports 161 km/h Cricket delivery eliminates the need for a micro USB interface in the development and coaching methods at all levels of sport, technology market– comprising devices, smart 174 km/h Baseball pitch baseball. The Hawx Connected ski boot employs a innovators need only strike the right balance between providing useful data and successfully monetizing and stadiums, analytics and statistics, and e-sports— 183 km/h Hockey puck slapshot democratizing their solutions. As such a new mantra, was valued at $9.8 billion 254 km/h Downhill skier one fittingly borrowed from the worlds of business and in 2018, and is estimated technology, has emerged around the global sporting traps: 375 km/h Formula 1 racing car to register a CAGR of 20.3 work smarter, not harder. Thanks to wireless tech, perfect percent over a forecast 493 km/h Badminton shot practice could soon be standard practice. period up to 2025

12 W Issue 1 2020 Issue 1 2020 W 13 Feature: Audio & Music

Unwired for Sound LE Audio promises enhanced audio quality, novel new features and extended battery life for Bluetooth wireless sound

ack in the mid 1990s, Ericsson engineers Sven Mattisson and Jaap Haartsen looked at the tangle of wires linking devices on their desks and wondered whether there was a better way to transfer Bdigital information. After years of hard work their solution replaced traditional RS-232 cables with 2.4-GHz wireless connectivity, and with it our world started to change. Mattisson and Haartsen’s employers coaxed other companies, including Nokia, IBM and Toshiba, to join the initiative, which soon became an open standard. By 1998, these companies had formed the Bluetooth Special Interest made its way into virtually every smartphone on the planet MUSIC EVERYWHERE audio stream in two-channel stereo, either to or from the Group (SIG), an organization tasked with developing and In Short and music consumption underwent a parallel revolution with In 1987, The Fraunhofer Institute in Germany began Bluetooth host. This profile in turn relies on the Generic promoting the wireless technology. the invention and development of the MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 researching high quality, low bitrate audio coding. The aim Audio/Video Distribution Profile (GAVDP). Bluetooth wireless The first consumer Bluetooth product—a hands-free Audio Layer 3 (‘MP3’) compression format. was to come up with a method of compressing audio files However, even with MP3 compression and A2DP, headsets for transmitting mobile headset—hit the shelves in 1999. Soon after a host voice were one of the In response to consumer demand, the Bluetooth SIG such that they could be easily stored and moved between streaming audio across a Bluetooth link is unreliable. of commercial Bluetooth equipped devices were released, early applications for the introduced the Advanced Audio Distribution Profile A2DP( ) the bandwidth and memory constrained computers of the Additional compression of the data by a codec is required including a mobile phone (the Sony Ericsson T36), mice, technology which was accompanied by a codec that supported stereo era. In early 1988, The Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) so that it can be accommodated by the link’s restricted keyboards, printers and hands-free car kits. By 2003, audio streaming. Soon after, several commercial codecs was established and later that year the group called for an throughput. The codec then decompresses the data on The development of the product shipments had grown to one million per week. MP3 compression format brought further sound enhancements. industry wide audio-coding standard. Soon after, coding the other side of the link to retrieve the audio information But it was that first product, relaying voice from handset increased consumer Today, Bluetooth audio is big business: “With close to one developed by Dieter Seitzer, who’d helped Fraunhofer with stored in the original MP3 file. To that end, the SIG included to headset, that pointed the way to the technology’s demand for digital audio billion Bluetooth audio products shipped last year, wireless its research, was integrated into the MP3 standard, along mandatory support within A2DP for a low-complexity leading success. This was of little surprise to insiders audio is the largest Bluetooth market,” noted Mark Powell, with software from co-contributors. (See sidebar The With close subband codec (SBC) designed to ensure reasonable audio An advanced audio profile because Ericsson had originally encouraged the standard’s CEO of the Bluetooth SIG, in a statement. Nonetheless, science of digital sound.) quality at low-to-medium bit rates while using modest and commercial codecs to one billion development due to its potential for connecting peripheral wired headphones and speakers are still the choice of many MP3 spawned a huge new business whereby tracks processing power. However, while A2DP can theoretically underpinned the Bluetooth Bluetooth devices—primarily headsets—to mobiles. And among the audio streaming headphone because Bluetooth streamed music still lacks CD-like quality, ‘ripped’ from purchased CDs could easily be shared support up to Bluetooth Classic’s maximum operational 721 first ‘profiles’ (software that customizes the Bluetooth sector but sound quality and the technology lacks flexibility such as the capability to across the Internet. Initially, music companies claimed this audio products kbps, SBC is limited to a nominal maximum of 345 kbps. And protocol stack to optimize it for a particular application) remained moderate stream to more than one device simultaneously. amounted to piracy, but the industry was legitimized by shipped last in practice, bit rates using the codec are generally around adopted was one for wireless voice and headsets. But now, the announcement by the Bluetooth SIG of commercial offerings such as Apple’s iTunes. 256 kbps, limiting audio quality. LE Audio promises an year, wireless But growth into higher-end audio applications stalled optimized codec and ‘LE Audio’ (see this issue pg7) promises to address these Early MP3 players were equipped with wired headphones, A2DP does include optional support for codecs including because Bluetooth tech’s 1 Mbps maximum raw data isochronous channels to weaknesses. By switching from a Bluetooth Classic radio to but even then, consumers craved the convenience of audio is Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), High-Efficiency AAC (HE- throughput (which diminishes to around 721 kbps in practice enhance sound quality, a Bluetooth LE version, introducing a new optimized codec wireless. Later, as consumers migrated their MP3 libraries the largest AAC) and Adaptive Transform Acoustic Coding (ATRAC). because of the intentional transmission delays built into the save power and introduce and adding new features to the Bluetooth protocol stack, the over to Bluetooth equipped smartphones, the Bluetooth The profile can also be extended to support manufacturer- protocol during operation) proved insufficient to support new features such as SIG is promising “the next generation of Bluetooth audio”. Is SIG recognized the opportunity and pushed through A2DP. Bluetooth defined codecs, such as the Qualcomm-owned aptX and streaming audio. Things changed as Bluetooth tech rapidly audio sharing the hype justified? The profile defines how to unidirectionally transfer an market aptX-HD which is available to wireless headphone makers

14 W Issue 1 2020 Issue 1 2020 W 15 Feature: Audio & Music Feature: Audio & Music

speakers) can receive unique audio streaming channels (for example, separate left and right channels from a The science of digital sound stereo source) that are precisely synchronized, perfectly preserving the precise musical timing. The Bluetooth SIG has Humans experience sound through analog sensors. According to dubbed the technology ‘Multi-Stream Audio’. Steven W. Smith, Ph.D., in his book The Scientist and Engineer’s “Developers will be able to use the Multi-Stream Audio Guide to Digital Signal Processing, the human ear is capable of feature to improve the performance of products like detecting sound waves across a continuous frequency range of truly wireless earbuds,” noted Nick Hunn, CTO of WiFore 20 Hz to 20 kHz. Smith says the separation of the two ears enables Consulting and Chair of the Bluetooth SIG Hearing Aid humans to detect the difference between two sound sources that Working Group, in a statement. “For example, they can are spaced as little as three degrees apart. provide a better stereo imaging experience … and make But while we use analog sensors to perceive sound, recording and reproduction is now almost exclusively done by digitizing audio signals. Digitizing is achieved by sampling the signal from a transducer—such as a microphone—to record both amplitude and temporal information about the sound waves. The sampling rate (Hz) and precision (bits) determines how much information from the original sound wave is retained and how well it can be reproduced. The benchmark for digital audio reproduction is the CD. For CD- quality sound, the original signal is sampled at 44.1 kHz with 16-bit precision. 16-bit precision allows the amplitude of the signal to be subdivided across 216 (65,536) levels between the pre-determined switching between multiple audio source devices smoother.” maximum and minimum amplitudes. The resulting data output Multi-Stream Audio significantly increases the number rate is 1.41 Mbps (44.1 kHz × 16 bits x 2 channels (l and r)). This level of applications for LE Audio. The Bluetooth SIG cites the of digitization is sufficient to capture all the sounds humans are under license and offers bit rates of 354 kbps and 576 kbps wire but is a significant example of ‘Broadcast Audio’, a technique which enables an capable of hearing across the 20 kHz bandwidth of the ear. respectively. A recently introduced codec from Sony, LDAC, challenge for products audio source to broadcast one or more audio streams to an Engineers can choose to trade off sampling rate and precision offers 990 kbps but requires an (optional and relatively such as ‘earbuds’. unlimited number of receivers. Such a technique encourages depending on the application. For example, voice-only systems scarce) Bluetooth Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) radio at both Current earbud consumers to share music from a smartphone with family can take advantage of the ear’s particular sensitivity to sound ends of the link. The audio quality of wireless headphones products work by and friends or allows enterprises to share audio information with a frequency between 800 Hz and 4 kHz. This bandwidth of 3.2 using higher bit rate commercial codecs is improved wirelessly connecting to large groups in public places. kHz is sufficient to encompass 80 percent of information carried compared with SBC but, according to audiophiles, still the audio source (for “People will be able to select the audio being broadcast by the sound wave and more than adequate for the listener to lacks the dynamic range, depth, timbre and lifelike quality example, a smartphone) to one of the earbuds with the by silent TVs in public venues, and places like theaters and understand speech. The reduction in this bandwidth requirement of wired headphones. target earbud then employing clever software to wirelessly lecture halls will be able to share audio to assist visitors with allows engineers to reduce the sampling rate to 8 kHz. Even with relay information to its partner. The system works, but it hearing loss as well as provide audio in multiple languages,” 16-bit precision such a sampling rate reduces the data output HEAR THE QUALITY requires significant processing power to keep everything in said Peter Liu of Bose Corporation and member of the requirement to 128 kbps for accurate monoaural reproduction. Despite these concerns, Bluetooth audio headphone sales sync, adding cost and compromising battery life. Bluetooth SIG Board of Directors, in a statement. The sampling rate required for satisfactory stereo music are thriving. Analyst statista noted that 2017 shipments of The Bluetooth SIG promises LE Audio will resolve these streaming results in much larger files, too big for easy transfer the products reached 140 million units, compared to around technical challenges—while giving audio quality a further NEXT STEPS and storage. Demand for quick downloads from the early 67 million shipments of the next biggest Bluetooth sector, boost—through the introduction of ‘LE Isochronous Commercial LE Audio solutions are not available today. Tech Check Internet provided the catalyst for compression formats such as wearables. Wireless speakers do well too; however, the communication’. In part, the quality boost will come from Instead, what the Bluetooth SIG announced early this year Bluetooth 5.2 brings MP3. The format relies on ‘perceptual coding’ which is based on growth of Bluetooth audio in other applications has been a codec to replace SBC. In addition to enhancing the audio was its intention to release the full specification later in 2020. more than just LE psychoacoustic models that permit the software to discard or curbed because of technical limitations. experience, the Low Complexity Communication Codec “While the introduction of Bluetooth 5.2 brought the LE Isochronous Channels reduce the precision of audio components that are less audible to Chief among these is that the technology can only stream (LC3) is specifically designed to save battery power. Isochronous Channels needed for LE Audio, work remains to the technology. human hearing, and therefore not essential for the brain to decipher audio to a single device. That’s not a problem for wireless According to Manfred Lutzky, Head of Audio for to be done on other important elements of the technology Other enhancements the reproduced sound. MP3 compression is highly efficient. For headphones or speakers where each side is connected by a Communications at Fraunhofer IIS, LC3 offers great promise. before we’ll see commercial chips,” explains Kjetil Holstad, include LE Power example, an MP3 encoded at a constant bitrate of 128 kbps would “Extensive listening tests have shown that LC3 will provide Bluetooth chipmaker Nordic Semiconductor’s Director Control which makes it result in a file approximately nine per cent the size of a CD quality improvements in audio quality over SBC included with of Product Management. possible for devices to recording of the same audio while still retaining an acceptable level dynamically optimize [Bluetooth] Classic Audio, even at a 50 per cent lower bit But that doesn’t mean developers can’t start thinking of reproduction for playback. State of Play the transmission power rate,” he said in a statement. Combined with the Bluetooth about new Bluetooth audio products. For example, Nordic 2% used in communication Global Recorded Music Synchronization LE radio’s inherent lower power consumption compared Semiconductor has developed an evaluation platform revenues between connected Revenues by Segment 2018 with Bluetooth Classic, the lower throughput afforded by that allows developers to start assessing the fledgling devices. Nordic’s entire Digital music has revolutionized how we 14% LE Audio will have a significant impact on battery life. While technology for next generation wireless speakers, over- nRF52 and nRF53 consume music. According to the IFPI 25% Performance no official figures are yet available, engineers estimate the-ear headphones, and ‘true’ wireless earbuds. Series (including the Physical rights Global Music Report 2019, streaming that batteries powering LE Audio should last at least 40 “Developers keen to understand LE Audio’s benefits over nRF5340 shown here) revenue in 2018 grew by 34 per cent 12% per cent longer than in an identical Bluetooth Classic audio conventional Bluetooth audio can experiment with Nordic’s are Bluetooth 5.2 and accounted for almost half of global Downloads & application. That provides an opportunity to extend playback LE Audio Evaluation Platform to gain knowledge that will compatible other digital revenue, driven by a 33 per cent increase time or shrink earbud size by using smaller batteries while accelerate the design of prototypes when the specification in paid subscription streaming. The report keeping playback time the same. is finally adopted,” says Holstad. says there were 255 million users of 10% LE Isochronous communications (which makes use While chipmakers like Nordic are moving forward, paid streaming services at the end of Ad-supported 37% streams 2018 accounting for 37 per cent of music Subscription of the LE Isochronous Channels recently introduced as commercial products like LE Audio headphones and wireless revenue. Growth in streaming more than audio streams part of Bluetooth 5.2 (see pg29) works by transferring speakers are still several years from hitting the stores. But ‘timebounded’ data between devices. With this technology the message that the future of wireless audio will be based offset a 10.1 per cent decline in revenue Source: from ‘physical’ (CD and vinyl) sales IFPI Global Music multiple devices (such as a pair of earbuds or stereo wireless on Bluetooth LE comes over loud and clear. Crystal clear.

16 W Issue 1 2020 Issue 1 2020 W 17 Feature: Data Analytics Feature: Data Analytics

By the Numbers The AI By 2023... of Things IoT will represent The IoT generates so much raw data that traditional analysis methods struggle to cope. AI is the answer % 83of the entire AI chipsets market THE BIG AND SMALL OF AI ens of thousands of companies have recognized In Short “I would define AI in the IoT as any programmable The global ‘AI in the power of the IoT to solve previously intractable In the IoT, sensors are intelligence that takes in data and then makes a decision embedded IoT devices’ problems and move towards new ways of monitoring and measuring based on that data,” explains Steve Poulsen, President of optimizing their businesses. Momentum continues almost everything U.S. embedded design consultant, Signetik. “This allows market will approach Tto build because once one company gains a competitive creating an avalanche of measurements to be taken much more frequently and cost advantage by successfully implementing IoT technologies, granular data effectively because the AI reduces or eliminates the data its competitors or counterparts are compelled to follow AI can help resolve the overload and the IoT reduces or eliminates the need for a suit or risk being left behind. IoT’s data overload human to go out and do it. It also allows anomalies or trends $26.2 The sensors, processors and wireless technology by making decisions in that data to be spotted more quickly and reliably.” building blocks of the IoT have made it technologically based on programmable Signetik is among the vanguard of companies and commercially viable to monitor, measure and ‘digitize’ intelligence commercializing the technology and has recently almost everything and anything generating a constant Sensors that use AI to developed a cellular IoT platform called SigCell that can billion stream of fine grained data. The pay-offs from this ‘big filter data at the edge perform AI-powered analysis of data on Nordic’s Arm M33 data’ are boosts in efficiency, convenience, safety, rather than relaying processor-equipped nRF9160 SiP multimode cellular IoT The worldwide general security and cost savings; the downside is data overload: everything to the Cloud product. The edge-computing solution can perform full AI market will reach “The IoT comes with the unintended cost of save power and cost environmental sensing and Cloud connectivity. producing more data than that we can cope with, we “But when it comes to practical implementations for the are drowning in an ever expanding sea of the stuff,” IoT there’s a big distinction between ‘big AI’ and ‘small AI’. says wireless IoT chipmaker Nordic Semiconductor’s The difference is dictated by the complexity of the data CTO, Svein-Egil Nielsen. coming in, the number of decisions being made on this data, $50.8 But AI offers a lifebelt and it’s one the pioneering and the amount of resultant data going out,” continues companies have grasped tightly. “I was presenting at Poulsen. “Because in the IoT most communication with the an IoT conference recently,” recalls Nielsen, “and what Cloud carries a cost and power consumption overhead, you billion struck me was that I was the only presenter there want to do small [simple] AI locally as much as possible and at 42 per cent CAGR not speaking about AI.” do all the big [complex] AI in the Cloud.” Nielsen’s views are echoed by professional bodies. Poulsen says that where small AI comes into its own is for According to CB Insights, when the analyst recently filtering data at the edge. “If you put a sensor out there that The AI-driven networking ran a study aimed at finding “the 100 most promising simply collects data you will be collecting way too much,” solution market is AI startups in the world,” it received applications from a he explains. “But if you put a small AI capability into that expected to reach staggering 5,000 AI startups spanning 13 countries and sensor you can reduce the data down to only what you’re across 15 industries. And in its 2020 Emerging Jobs Report, interested in. In my experience, this is anywhere from 1 to professional networking organization, LinkedIn, stated 10 percent of what the sensor actually collects.” that AI and data science roles are proliferating across Poulsen cites examples of small AI that his customers nearly every single industry. (The organization suggests have implemented include detecting a sheep or cow’s head $5.8 that when adopting IoT technology, AI is no longer optional position to identify sick animals; measuring the ‘greenness’ and every company in the world will soon start recruiting. of a plant to decide whether or not it needs watering; If you’re just starting out and want a career with healthy automatically identifying different types of weeds, and billion employment prospects look no further.) But how will AI measurement of environmental data to predict occupancy and over 50 per cent of resolve the data overflow from the IoT? The answer is in and adjust energy usage. Signetik has even worked on every way. AI is so much an integral part of the IoT that a gunshot detection system designed for high crime enterprise organizations the network is fast becoming the ‘AI of Things’. But it is inner-city neighborhoods that automatically alerts local will leverage AI technology early days yet and while there are various flavors of AI of law enforcement. Poulsen says that city inhabitants often for networking increasing sophistication (see sidebar, Types of AI) that don’t report such incidents making the data generated by promise much, today there are a few key implementations. automated systems even more crucial to law enforcement. Source: Research And Markets

18 W Issue 1 2020 Issue 1 2020 W 19 Feature: Data Analytics Feature: Data Analytics

“AI and the IoT go hand-in-hand because the IoT generates too much data for a human to reliably and quickly Types of AI analyze,” explains Poulsen. “At present we estimate around An unintended 20 percent of our customers use AI in their IoT applications, AI is a comprehensive academic research area full of scientific and based on current trends we see this rising to over 50 consequence terms for various features and functions. However, today there percent within the next few years. However, we’ve been of the IoT are three broad categories of AI (and even the most advanced working on IoT applications for over 20 years – long is that it of these is considered only the simplest form of what AI could before it was called IoT. one day become). All use software algorithms to identify “What’s changed is the commercial viability of powerful produces patterns in data. but low-cost sensors and LPWAN wireless technologies more data ‘Simple AI’ is programmed completely by humans and has as a means to collect data from them. The latter now no intelligence of its own. Its intelligence comes solely from its includes cellular IoT for long-distance LPWAN gateway- than we can human programmers who tell it exactly what to look for in a given free connectivity. And cellular IoT is by far the best LPWAN cope with, we set of data, and what to do if it finds it. Even the format in which wireless technology out there today, and the one we plan are drowning the data is presented to the AI cannot change. This is the AI, for to standardize upon moving forwards.” example, that makes boxes go red if you fail to fill in a ‘mandatory’ in an ever field within an online form. AI FOR CONSTRAINED DEVICES expanding sea ‘Feature-based machine learning’ is the next step up and Another emerging use of AI in the IoT is where an advanced of data although again has to be programmed by humans to be directed AI algorithm based on a neural network performs deep what to look for in a given set of data (called feature generation), learning on particular activity such that it can be distilled once programmed it can further improve its pattern detection in complexity and size to suit a battery-, memory- and accuracy and speed by a process of trial and error. This type of AI processor-constrained IoT edge device. powers ‘based on your viewing history you might like’ predictions “We helped develop a gesture-controlled wireless that are common to many modern TV streaming platforms. headphone demo shown at this year’s CES [a giant U.S. ‘Deep Learning’ is the domain of neural networks and removes electronics trade event] that employs ‘virtual buttons’ in any of the manual feature generation work that’s required in the the air,” says Anders Hardebring, CEO and Co-Founder at creation of the machine learning AI’s described above. This time edge-AI startup, Imagimob. the AI is just left to its own devices to learn what data patterns The company partnered with radar technology it needs to look for in order to correctly identify or perform a company, Acconeer, on the project. The system uses certain task. This is the AI used to develop the Imagimob Acconeer’s A111 Pulsed Coherent Radar (PCR) sensor. gesture recognition used in the ‘virtual’ button headphones The A111 radar sensor is optimized for high precision described in this article. millimeter-level distance ranging and physical detection and features a small footprint and ultra-low power consumption. Inside the headphones the A111 radar sensor is housed on a module called the XM122 IoT Module (that also incorporates Nordic’s nRF52840 advanced Bluetooth That’s impressive, but the really clever bit of Imagimob’s industrial automation, sports and fitness, toys and gaming, Engineering, in an IEEE Spectrum article. “Every company LE SoC) and is claimed to be the world’s first radar system technology is that the company can take a big AI model of VR and AR and automotive. “It’s all being transformed in every sector is essentially telling us, ‘we’re not an energy that can run on a coin-cell battery. any kind and turn it into highly-optimized software capable by the IoT and AI right now,” he says. Nielsen notes the company, we’re a data company now’, ‘we’re no longer “The goal for this project was to create a low power of running on a resource-constrained device such as a low example of his home city of Oslo—which was voted logistics [or] an automaker – we’re a data firm’. That’s embedded application that could accurately classify five power Arm Cortex M4 (the same device as the one used European Green Capital for 2019—that has smart garbage what’s taking up every bit of oxygen.” different hand gestures in real time using radar data, with in the Acconeer module in the headphone application). For cans. These have sensors that can automatically detect Every sign to the future is pointing the same way: The one of the gestures being used to wake up the application,” example, while today the application is gesture control, when the bin is full which eliminates unnecessary visits IoT is going to be the biggest source of data and it will explains Hardebring. tomorrow it could be an air quality sensor powered by an from garbage trucks while optimizing collection routes so generate mountains and mountains of it. For example, a “Gesture control may not seem like much, but to get to Arm M-class processor designed to invoke congestion fewer kilometers are driven. The bins are emptied much recent forecast from International Data Corporation (IDC) a level where the performance feels like it ‘always works’ Tech Check charging when it observes anomalous nitrogen oxide (a more quickly when they are full too. “This cuts collections estimated there will be 41.6 billion connected IoT devices, requires extreme precision. This is why in this application component of vehicle exhaust emissions) readings. costs, cuts pollution, cuts the unpleasant smell and litter generating 79.4 zettabytes (ZB) of data by 2025. The Gesture detection radar was selected.” eliminates traditional caused by over-full bins,” notes Nielsen. industrial (and automotive) category will see the fastest Hardebring explains that this level of precision also touch controls or THE HIDDEN REVOLUTION A further example of where the IoT and AI might soon go data growth rates over the forecast period with a CAGR requires a lot of real time data collection and processing. mechanical buttons. “It’s still the case that when you mention the IoT or AI most comes courtesy of trade magazine, EE Times Asia, which of 60 percent. AI is probably our only hope of making “On a pair of battery powered headphones you wouldn’t Unlike video or IR sensors, people see it as something futuristic and revolutionary, recently reported how a Taiwanese startup, OmniEyes, Tech Check meaningful sense of it all. want to send this amount of data up to the Cloud in Acconeer’s pulsed something that hasn’t really started yet,” says Nordic’s is applying a combination of computer vision and AI to Whether we one day add the ‘IoT’ or ‘AI’ revolutions to a million years,” he says. The solution is to perform coherent radar does not CTO, Nielsen. “I couldn’t disagree more strongly. I see the the usually discarded footage collected from consumer The Signetik SigCell the industrial and computing ones remains to be seen. But the processing locally so that the data doesn’t have require a lens and can IoT and AI all around us in all kinds of applications that don’t dashboard cameras to automatically detect incidents of platform uses the the IoT and AI are such a natural fit that the AI of Things is to be transmitted. therefore be hidden inside necessarily scream out for attention so are easy to miss. dangerous driving. Such information could be a boon for Nordic nRF9160 SiP’s already forming. And it’s equally possible that the IoT, AI 64MHz Arm Cortex-M33 “We used an in-house developed AI neural network the end products such as “To me the IoT and AI are like standing on a giant platform insurance companies which could then encourage safe and big data may only be a part of a bigger technological headphones. Interaction processor supported by algorithm to study and learn how a diverse range of people that is slowly but steadily rising into the air such that it lifts drivers and punish risky ones. revolution that’s already happening and also making use is facilitated using 1MB of Flash and 256KB of gestured and to spot the subtle yet critical differences and fine gesture motions. everything and everyone but so subtly nobody notices. RAM memory to perform of parallel technical advances in fields such as robotics, similarities,” explains Hardebring. “This resulted in a high Imagimob Gesture Nielsen cites many examples, including speech and THIS IS ONLY THE START sensor data acquisition, communications and genetics. accuracy headphone gesturing model that we then run Detection runs on an Arm voice recognition, digital assistants, healthcare, logistics, “All we’re hearing is data, data, data,” said Steve edge computing and basic However this revolution develops, exciting—and in equal through our company’s flagship software.” M4 processor or similar transportation, utility metering, retail payments, lighting, McLaughlin, Dean of U.S. Georgia Tech’s College of AI data analysis measure challenging—times are ahead.

20 W Issue 1 2020 Issue 1 2020 W 21 Feature: Smart Metering

Get Smart Cellular IoT and Bluetooth LE wireless tech are together bringing precision to energy management

he cost of electricity in the U.S. has risen more than point. Cellular IoT—a LPWAN technology supported by 50 percent in the last 30 years, while household two versions, LTE-M and NB-IoT—now presents an income has not. According to Statista, household ideal solution for meter connectivity to the Cloud, while income has barely managed 15 percent growth in Bluetooth LE offers a consumer friendly, smartphone Tthe same period, and on the graph of power prices versus compatible link between the homeowner and their wage growth, the two lines have been diverging for most of power consumption data. our lifetimes. They continue to do so. “For Cloud connectivity from the meter to the utility, In the hierarchy of unwelcome bills, behind housing and cellular IoT is the best solution because it brings simplicity, transportation, utility bills are the next biggest drain on security, and speeds up the rollout,” says Lorenzo Amicucci, household funds, surpassing groceries, insurance and a Business Development Manager with wireless chipmaker even healthcare. The reason for spiraling power costs Nordic Semiconductor. “A lot of companies have been trying are complex. Finite natural resources, vast wastage to find proprietary solutions to connect meters, but with throughout the supply chain and demand all play a part, cellular you have a solution backed by a lot of companies so but can the rollout of smart meters—that according to it’s a future proofed and standardized tech. Navigant Research will be installed in six out of ten houses “Bluetooth LE is useful for installation and commissioning, by 2028—turn the tide on our energy use and its drain on and of course if the user wants to connect to the meter, the family budget? every smartphone has it built in. In some markets there are prepaid meters and Bluetooth LE could be used to recharge AN OLD NEW TECH the meter, or you can use it to connect the meter to other Smart meters aren’t new. In 1972 a Boeing engineer sensors or switches. Bluetooth LE is getting more popular developed a sensor monitoring system using digital for smart metering for the human interaction element.” transmission that offered meter reading capabilities. This was the forerunner to today’s devices that provide DRIVING ADOPTION energy consumption can be good for the utility companies power parameter alerts. Certified measurement data can intelligent, wirelessly enabled measurement and control of Wireless solutions that provide a simple and manageable too. In a period of peak demand, if everybody turns also be shared with energy vendors enabling invoices to be electricity, gas and water use. In comparison, their analog means for utility companies and their customers to access everything on at the same time the electricity company Giving settled based on actual usage instead of forecasts. predecessors dumbly measured data for a meter reader to and action their power consumption data is in theory a has a problem. But if consumers have the ability to respond record in person by attending onsite. ‘win-win’ for both parties, but it is not yet a marriage of to their own usage based on live pricing some will back consumers ONLY THE BEGINNING Demand for smart meters initially advanced faster equals, and the power companies are the ones driving away when the cost surges at times of high demand, and the power to The next step for smart meters, Amicucci believes, will be than the technology itself, with governments scrambling smart meter adoption. the grid will perform better as a whole.” manage their for them to move beyond standalone devices, to part of the to legislate for introduction before the technology had Utilities want connected meters because they want to be Tech Check Smart metering in its true sense—beyond ‘basic’ broader smart home ecosystem. In Norway, for example, matured. Early connectivity solutions such as PLC and able to accurately bill their customers, they want to know connectivity to data collection, analysis and ‘live’ own energy you can already buy a device that attaches to a smart M BUS had their limitations, but now we are at a tipping in ‘real time’ how much each household is using and that Gurux, employing feedback—is still a developing sector, but there are consumption meter that can connect over the Internet to an electric consumers are paying for their energy rather than stealing Nordic’s nRF9160 SiP, solutions serving both utilities and their customers that vehicle charger, and in turn make smart decisions about the has produced an open- can be good it. The data can also be used to perform advanced analysis are already delivering on this promise. In 2018, Polish IIoT most economical time to charge the car. source proof-of-concept for the utility and demand response modeling to ensure the grid is (PoC) smart electricity startup, OneMeter, launched its OneMeter Beacon, a device “How we connect the smart meter to other objects in the performing to its peak and optimized for full profit potential. meter for cellular IoT that allows users to monitor and manage their real time companies too house and for what benefit is the next step,” says Amicucci. What power companies care less about is that customers smart meter reading. The energy usage. Originally designed for use in industrial and “The key question is which protocol will be used. The have access to the same data. “It’s governments that want PoC is designed for use commercial environments, the solution is now available market for the protocol that’s chosen will be huge.” utilities to share the data with their users, not the utilities with a DLMS meter and for the domestic market. It works by simply plugging the themselves,” says Amicucci. comprises: A cable that device in to an existing electronic electricity meter via While the profit motive makes power companies connects the nRF9160 DK an optical port interface - enabling the beacon to receive By the Numbers unconcerned about providing their customers with the to the meter (via optical energy usage data from the meter using the IEC 62056-21/ tools to moderate their energy use, or schedule it around probe or direct serial IEC 1107 protocol. port connection); the The global smart meter total will rise offpeak pricing, the benefits for the customer are obvious. Once installed, the beacon is paired to a smartphone or The OneMeter nRF9160 DK programmed from 665 million in 2017 to more than Beacon is a “Sharing the data with the consumer gives them a choice,” tablet using Nordic Bluetooth LE wireless connectivity commercial device with a Gurux MQTT that provides explains Amicucci. “It enables them to decide when’s it’s Bridge example; an MQTT and allows the user to review the data including active and companies with the the best time to charge the car or use the washing machine. Broker, and the client reactive energy consumption parameters, as well as daily, ability to monitor Consumers can now connect to the meter and know how application based on weekly, and monthly energy usage charts. Companies and manage their energy usage data much power they are using every minute. GXDLMS Director. (See can perform accurate energy usage cost estimation and 1.2 billion in real time “Giving consumers the power to manage their own WQ Issue 3, 2019, pg26.) avoid penalties for exceeding contracted power by defining by the end of 2024 Source: Wood Mackenzie

22 W Issue 1 2020 Issue 1 2020 W 23 25 W Bluetooth Issue 1 2020 Tech Check Tech PitPat employs Nordic’s nRF52810 LE multiprotocol SoC to provide low latency connectivity wireless between the device and the dog owner’s smartphone. The SoC has the lowest power smallest and consumption size (2.482 by 2.464 mm for the CSP package) in Nordic’s nRF52 Series, and brings the 2 Mbps and throughput higher coexistence improved benefits of Bluetooth 5 to cost sensitive, high applications volume PitPat weighs only 15 g and easily attaches dog’s a to three-axis A collar. tracks accelerometer motion dog’s the day, the throughout proprietary and interpret algorithms this data identify to five specific activity states—walking, playing, running, and pottering how resting—and long the dog spends in each state Activity data from PitPat is synced the to owner’s where tablet, or smartphone from the associated app the user can review the dog’s activity data compared guidelines to for over 200 different breeds, as well as set and track a range of goals health canine

@thegrumpycocker, Instagram had to is up 100,000 to times as acute as our own. All dogs require exercise, but some need a lot more than others. the At lazy end of the scale is the basset hound which with its large body and short legs was built for comfort rather than speed. A cattle dog, was however, bred to spend all day chasing a herd, and their endless energy means they need be to on the and go exercising at least two hours a day Making the analogy vision, to if a human could see clearly up 0.5 to a dog km away, could see just as clearly up 50,000 to kms away Dogs possess up 300 to million olfactory receptors in their noses and can detect some odors in parts per trillion, meaning their of sense smell In 1979, Jimpa,a labrador/boxer cross, walked 3218 km over the course of 14 months return to home when he was lost his by owner in the outback of Australia. On his trek Jimpa negotiate vast tracts of waterless desert as he made his way from Western Australia the to Victoria of state southern have entered a strong growth growth strong a entered have wearables Issue 1 2020

W Wearables phase that will see shipments grow from 116 million units in 2018,238 to million units 2023. by Fitness and activity trackers currently account for more than 50 percent of these shipments, and with an non- the planet, the on dogs million 900 estimated potential large has market wearable human According analyst to Research and Markets, connected PitPat wearableThis canineLE Bluetooth monitorsactivity pet exercise tracker dogs fit help and keep to data healthy Nordic Inside 24 Case Study Partnering with Nordic

Smart Agriculture Building programmable Multiprotocol equine monitoring solution robots for educators Supported by Nordic’s helps farmers monitor horses’ health Since horse owners can’t be with their development tools, Using concurrent Bluetooth LE and Thread wireless connectivity, the Farm Jenny for horses 24/7, Farm Jenny provides all of the Sphero created the RVR smart robot Horses platform allows horse owners to track the location and wellbeing of animals information they need in one place In the fledgling smart toy sector, or centuries farmers and ranchers had no option Boulder, CA-based Sphero has but to manually monitor, protect and care for their developed a programmable and Fherds as best they could using limited resources. It’s expandable robot that’s suitable a tough job, especially for those at the smaller end of the for beginner to advanced coders, commercial farming scale. Thankfully, emerging tech can STEAM educators and students, help reduce the heavy workload and eliminate the reliance makers, hackers and hobbyists alike. on sporadic observations and imperfect recollections of The sensor-packed device is called each animal’s unique behavior patterns. Sphero RVR and it’s designed to be Horse owners, for example, can now take advantage of customized for a wide array of unique S132 SoftDevice and SDK was a the benefits of a wireless herd tracking solution like Farm user-coded applications, from a “major factor in our decision to select Jenny for Horses, a new animal wearable and connected home security sentry to an Nordic,” with both features proving equine monitoring platform. Developed by Pittsburgh- environmental sensor. “extremely powerful and easy to based agricultural technology company, Farm Jenny, the But well before Sphero RVR made work with for developers”. solution is designed to help horse owners keep a closer it to market, the unique software Together with the development eye on the various activities and behaviors indicative of architecture of Nordic’s nRF52 Series tools, Sphero’s design process was a horse’s overall health status and potential medical helped Sphero add key capabilities to helped by Nordic’s close involvement issues. The user tracks this information from either a web the robot such as enabling users to during each stage. based dashboard or the Farm Jenny iOS or Android app on wirelessly code RVR from the Sphero “We appreciated Nordic’s their smartphone or tablet. Edu app hosted on a smartphone dedicated, knowledgeable “Farm Jenny for Horses provides farmers with freedom engineering and sales groups. The and peace of mind by bringing the power of machine Robots bring code company’s reps are amazingly quick learning to small farms,” says Rob Crouthamel, Co- to respond to our questions and the founder and COO, Farm Jenny. “Our solution addresses the to life and can help documentation and support pages everyday worries of horse owners such as a horse being support themes and provided are extremely useful,” out in bad weather and the number one horse emergency, topics that are currently adds Wiencrot. colic.” (Colic is a generic term referring to a combination of “Nordic is a fantastic company to symptoms of often fatal abdominal problems in a horse.) being taught in the work with and an ideal partner for a The sensor based platform records animal activity levels fitted in a pouch to the horse’s existing halter or bridle, which allowed us to deploy new devices and features to classroom company like Sphero.” including walking, lying down, rolling, grazing or running, Need to Know or in a custom headband. The SoC also powers beacons existing customers without needing to update fielded as well as changes over the past day, week or month. This Farm Jenny employs LTE-M which provide pinpoint location in key areas of interest, infrastructure every time,” says Crouthamel. or tablet. The nRF52832 SoC at the Bringing code to life behavioral data can be used to assess potential signs of and NB-IoT technology in such as individual stalls or food and water sources. To this end, Nordic’s multiprotocol low power solutions heart of the robot runs Nordic’s S132 How does Sphero assess the future illness or injury. In addition, the device’s built-in sensors its gateway product, which The Farm Jenny Field Receiver, one of the world’s first have proved critical. “We selected the nRF52840 for the SoftDevice, a proven Bluetooth prospects for the development of the record temperature, humidity and atmospheric pressure, performs as a Thread- ‘Built on Thread’ certified devices, uses a Thread-powered field receiver because it is one of the few devices that can 5.1-qualified RF software protocol smart toy market in general and the to-cellular router. LTE-M which helps determine the horse’s comfort and provides wireless mesh network providing farmwide wireless handle Bluetooth LE and Thread concurrently with a single stack for building advanced Bluetooth education sector in particular? and NB-IoT provide the LE applications. Nordic’s unique “Educators are looking for ways to context for evaluating animal behavior. Farm Jenny for Farm Jenny for Horses connectivity. Both the field receivers and the gateway radio, meaning lower power consumption, lower cost Horses also tracks the animal’s location, allowing the platform with “improved employ Nordic’s nRF52840 advanced multiprotocol and far fewer regulatory compliance headaches than a software architecture maintains a teach the ‘Four Cs’ of critical thinking, owner to follow its position in relation to facilities, food and rural coverage and signal SoC, with a Dynamic Multiprotocol feature that uniquely multiradio design,” explains Crouthamel. clear separation between this stack collaboration, communication and water, as well as other horses in the herd. As Crouthamel penetration,” enabling supports concurrent Bluetooth LE/Thread connectivity. Farm Jenny for Horses provides around-the-clock and the customer’s application code, creativity,” explains Wiencrot. explains: “A horse lying down and rolling in a grassy field the company to offer a full The wearable can relay the sensor data directly to the monitoring anywhere on the farm without the need ensuring it can’t be corrupted during “They’re seeing the value of on a sunny spring day is very different to one rolling in the end-to-end solution for gateway if the horse is in a barn; to the Cloud via the for rechargeable batteries. The scalable solution uses the development process. Such robotics, as students work in teams mud on a [very cold] night.” its customers with a single companion app on a smartphone or tablet if the horse an: “opportunistic communications system designed an arrangement significantly to creatively solve problems and Remotely tracking each horse’s health and location is a ‘software as a service’ is in transit, on a trail or at a show; and to any nearby to maximize battery run time of the animal sensor,” he eases engineering, compressing demonstrate these solutions through key benefit of Farm Jenny for Horses. “Since horse owners subscription that includes solar powered field receiver if the horse is in a pasture. says. “For the wearable, the SoC’s generous memory project schedules. the robot itself. More than any data connectivity can’t be with their horses 24/7, Farm Jenny provides all of In turn, the field receiver relays the data to a central and processing capability allows us to do more behavior Key to taking advantage of the computer program, robots bring code the information they need in one place,” Crouthamel says. gateway that then forwards the data via LTE-M or NB-IoT processing on the animal, so we save power by not software architecture is Nordic’s to life and can help support themes cellular connectivity to the Cloud for review. In all cases, transmitting as often when everything is okay.” nRF5 SDK. “All of our robots run and topics that are currently being Multiprotocol connectivity Bluetooth LE connectivity is used for the ‘first hop’ of data The company is full of praise for Nordic’s support and specialized application code written taught in the classroom. Farm Jenny for Horses employs a network of wearable from the animal’s wearable sensor. “At any time, on or off development tools including the nRF5 SDK. “Nordic’s by our team of firmware engineers, “We’ll start to see this emerge sensors, solar powered field receivers, beacons and the farm, an animal sensor with data to send can expect to Bluetooth LE SDKs are unmatched in the industry,” and we heavily leveraged the Nordic as companies like Sphero create a gateway, which all communicate through Nordic’s find a device capable of relaying the information to Farm Crouthamel says. “And we know we’ll get help promptly SDK to speed up that work,” says curriculums that can be used in advanced concurrent Bluetooth LE and Thread short Jenny’s servers,” Crouthamel says. when we get stuck. We also know that Nordic will always Jeff Wiencrot, Director of Firmware traditional classrooms to support range wireless connectivity solutions. The open standard Thread protocol is the “backbone” of be at the forefront of low power wireless, providing us & Hardware at Sphero. According to teachers in integrating robotics In operation, the nRF52832 SoC-powered wearable is the on-farm network. “We wanted an IP-based solution months ... of schedule advantage over our competitors.” Wiencrot, the availability of Nordic’s and coding.”

26 W Issue 1 2020 Issue 1 2020 W 27

Tech Perspective What’s new in Bluetooth 5.2 Tech Zone Bluetooth 5.2 enhances the short range wireless standard by introducing LE An in-depth look at Nordic’s wireless IoT solutions Isochronous Channels to support LE Audio. But that’s only the start

hile LE Audio took much of the recent fanfare (see pg14) the Bluetooth SIG simultaneously Wadopted a revised Bluetooth Core Specification, Nordic unveils nRF21540 version 5.2. The changes brought by the revised LE specification will be needed to support the new form of Bluetooth audio once its full specification is launched. But Isochronous ‘plug and play’ range extender the addition of LE Isochronous Channels required for new Channels use cases such as audio sharing is not the only significant needed for Nordic Semiconductor has launched the the RX sensitivity by 5 dBm. Coupled with enhancement that comes with Bluetooth 5.2. Other new nRF21540 RF Front End Module (FEM), the increased output power, the connection features include an Enhanced Attribute Protocol (EATT) new use cases the company’s first power amplifier/ link budget is raised by 18 dBm. For other and LE Power Control. Here’s an overview. such as audio low noise amplifier (PA/LNA) product devices with less than +8 dBm TX power Nordic’s short-range wireless SoCs. The developed to complement the nRF52 and on-chip, the improvements are even larger. nRF21540 connects to the SoC’s antenna LE Isochronous Channels sharing is nRF53 Series multiprotocol SoCs. The resulting increase in connection link output and features two additional LE Isochronous Channels’ functionality is important for not the only The RF FEM’s PA offers a highly adjustable budget offers significantly longer range and antenna ports to enable antenna diversity LE Audio because it allows the communication of time- significant TX power boost up to +21 dBm, with helps lower the number of retransmissions features. The device’s gain control, antenna bound data to one or more devices for time-synchronized the LNA providing +13 dB RX gain. The due to corrupt packages. The nRF21540 switching and power modes are controlled processing. The technology extends audio applications enhancement LNA’s low noise figure (NF) of only 2.5 dB is a valuable addition for all applications via GPIO or SPI or a combination of both. because it can be used over connections or broadcast to that comes also ensures increased RX sensitivity that may require increased range or robust While the device can be used with other multiple devices in a connectionless topology. with Bluetooth for Nordic’s Bluetooth 5/Bluetooth LE, coverage. Some example applications radios, the ease of use with Nordic SoCs is The existing Bluetooth audio profile, Advanced Audio Thread, Zigbee and 2.4 GHz RF low power are asset tracking, audio, smart home or further enhanced as driver support will Distribution Profile (A2DP), defines how Bluetooth 5.2 wireless solutions. When combined with industrial use cases. be rolled out as part of future releases of can be used for high quality audio applications, such an nRF52840 SoC running Bluetooth LE at 1 The nRF21540 is a ‘plug and play’ Nordic’s nRF5 SDK, nRF5 SDK for Thread as streaming music from a smartphone to a set of Bluetooth 5.2 brings Bluetooth LE stack changes including an Enhanced Attribute Mbps, for example, the nRF21540 improves complementary device when used with and Zigbee, and the nRF Connect SDK. Bluetooth headphones. The drawback of A2DP is the Protocol (EATT), improvements to the Generic Attribute Profile (GATT) and Logical Link Control & Adaptation Protocol (L2CAP) Enhanced Credit Based Flow Control Mode topologies it can support—which define the permitted relationships between audio ‘sources’ (playback devices Industrial IoT like smartphones) and ‘sinks’ (devices like speakers a reduction in latency of one or more of the applications Programming language could which render audio)—are limited to one or more point-to- and better responsiveness. A further advantage of EATT Panasonic module point pairs. There is no way to ensure multiple sinks play compared with ATT is that it can only be used over an eliminate IoT device vulnerabilities their audio stream such that the music is synchronized encrypted connection and is therefore inherently secure. for IIoT use cases across a series of associated devices. In practice this In support of EATT, the revised Core Specification Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF9160 SiP 42 Technology says the Nordic means Bluetooth audio devices using AD2P are limited to defines a new L2CAP mode called Enhanced Credit cellular IoT solution has been used by nRF9160 SiP’s ARMv8-M processor Panasonic Industry, a operating when connected to only one other device. Based Flow Control Mode. As the name suggests, this U.K.-based consultancy, 42 Technology, architecture’s TrustZone security features leading multinational LE Isochronous Channels addresses this drawback by mode provides flow control and so allows applications to to successfully demonstrate what the are particularly exciting. The features enable industrial solutions providing a mechanism that makes sure that multiple regard the protocol as reliable. company claims is the world’s first Rust applications and associated services to company, has released sink devices (for example left and right ‘earbuds’) programming language application for a operate securely, protected from hacking, the PAN1780 module based on Nordic’s receiving data from the same source, reproduce it at LE Power Control single-chip IoT device. misuse and corruption. nRF52840 Bluetooth 5.2/Bluetooth LE SoC. precisely the same time. Data has a time-limited validity The third significant addition of Bluetooth 5.2 is LE “Our aim is to help eliminate the In recent field trials conducted in the U.K., ThenRF52840 ’s Bluetooth LE protocol stack period, at the end of which it expires. Expired data Power Control. The functionality makes it possible to security vulnerabilities that too many 42 Technology says its Rust application incorporates Long Range functionality and which has not yet been transmitted is discarded. These extend battery life through dynamic optimization of people have seen, for example, with low cost made secure encrypted connections to increased throughput (2Mbps). Bluetooth mechanisms ensure sinks only receive data adhering to radio transmission power. Bluetooth LE receivers can home security cameras, smart hubs and Amazon Cloud computing services via an Channel Selection Algorithm (CSA#2) rules regarding age and latency. now monitor signal strength and request transmission medical equipment such as insulin pumps,” early LTE-M (cellular IoT) network being enhances the module’s immunity to 2.4 power level changes in connected devices, typically to Tech Check says 42 Technology Senior Consultant, rolled out by network operator, O2. The GHz interference making the product Enhanced Attribute Protocol maintain the best trade-off between signal integrity All of Nordic’s nRF52 Jonathan Pallant. application is also said to support NB-IoT useful in challenging RF environments. Bluetooth 5.2 introduces EATT (along with some and power consumption. This is an important addition and nRF53 Series “The ability to run Rust in IoT applications which is currently being launched in the U.K. The Nordic SoC’s 64 MHz, 32-bit Arm associated improvements to the Generic Attribute Profile because receivers encountering particularly high signal SoCs are capable could accelerate the development of much by Vodafone and other operators. Cortex M4 processor with floating point (GATT)). The key benefit of EATT is support for concurrent levels may become saturated causing communication to of all Bluetooth 5.2 more robust and secure low unit (FPU) ensures the module can support transactions. This is achieved by interleaving Logical fail. Conversely, when the receiver signal strength is too features including the cost, low powered cellular the most complex IoT applications. Link Control & Adaptation Protocol (L2CAP) packets low, the error rate increases - impacting throughput and nRF5340 shown here. IoT products and systems,” Panasonic has developed a demonstrator relating to Attribute Protocol (ATT) packets from different eventually leading to failure. The SoC is capable of all continues Pallant. “And for the PAN1780, consisting of a sensor unit applications and allows the ATT Maximum Transmission LE Power Control allows the Bluetooth controller to advanced Bluetooth LE [the technology could] play measuring temperature, air pressure and Unit (MTU) to be changed during a connection. The monitor path loss changes to the Bluetooth host using features including high a critical role in unlocking humidity data, that transmits it to a second result is a better experience when using devices where the concept of ‘zones’. Finally, there are enhancements throughput, Long Range, advertising extensions, significant new markets for unit that displays the data. Both units are there are multiple applications using the Bluetooth LE relating to coexistence with other wireless devices enhanced channel smart industrial and consumer based on the PAN1780 evaluation board, stack simultaneously; the improvement comes through close by using the 2.4 GHz frequency range. (For more selection algorithm and products where security allowing developers to easily build, test and reducing instances where one application’s use of the information see Bluetooth Core Specification Version 5.2 Direction Finding remains a major concern.” debug product prototypes. stack temporarily blocks another. The improvement is Feature Overview available from Bluetooth.com.)

28 W Issue 1 2020 Issue 1 2020 W 29

Tech Briefing Inside the nRF9160 Nordic’s LTE-M/NB-IoT cellular IoT solution brings robust and secure cellular connectivity to everything beyond the smartphone

ellular technology promises a solution for connecting IoT sensors directly to the Cloud. It is also an option for connecting local networks C Nordic’s powered by short range wireless tech such as Bluetooth LE, Thread or Zigbee, to the Cloud through a gateway. strategy for Key advantages of the cellular IoT technologies cellular IoT LTE-M and NB-IoT are that they are supported by an open standard, operate in a licensed portion of the RF is to make spectrum, leverage existing infrastructure and have its solutions nRF52833 coexistence mechanisms that enable scaling to high- accessible, node counts per base station. Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF9160, a low power SiP with easy-to- Bluetooth 5.2 SoC qualified for 105oC integrated LTE-M/NB-IoT modem and GPS, has been use and well engineered for energy-efficiency and security whilst Through high integration and precertification for global operation, the nRF9160 simultaneously bringing advanced applications to the IoT. solves the complex wireless design challenges arising when employing cellular supported technology requiring just an external battery, SIM, antenna and sensors The nRF9160 has been in volume production for almost a year having successfully passed major certifications [ Tailored for professional lighting and industrial applications [ [ in many of the LTE bands with more planned. To date, UDP and TLS/DTLS form part of the modem firmware. the nRF9160 is qualified by Verizon, Vodafone, Deutsche The application processor communicates with the LTE Telekom, GCF, PTCRB, FCC (U.S.), CE (E.U.), ISED (Canada), modem through a BSD secure sockets API and contains ACMA (Australia & New Zealand), TELEC/RA (Japan), NCC the application layer protocol, for example CoAP, MQTT or (Taiwan) and IMDA (Singapore). LWM2M and the application layer itself. Targeting asset tracking applications, the nRF9160 The nRF9160 LTE modem supports both SIM and eSIM, SiP combines location data from the cellular network plug-in or soldered. It provides power and handles all with GPS satellite trilateration for precision remote communication automatically. monitoring of its position. Development tools SiP architecture Nordic’s strategy for cellular IoT mirrors that for its short The nRF9160 comprises a dedicated application processor range wireless products and that is to make its solutions and memory, multimode LTE-M/NB-IoT modem easily accessible, easy-to-use and well supported. with integrated RF front end (RFFE), GPS plus power Cellular is one of the most intricate wireless technologies, management in a compact 10 by 16 by 1 mm package. but Nordic’s development tools shield the designer from Through high integration and precertification for global its complexity and allow them to focus on the application. operation, the SiP solves the complex wireless design Software development for the nRF9160 SiP starts with challenges arising when employing cellular technology the nRF Connect SDK, a software development kit which requiring just an external battery, SIM, antenna and includes everything needed for a designer to get started sensors. The nRF9160 supports global operation with on a cellular IoT prototype project. The SDK also includes a single variant thanks to the combination of Nordic’s tools for more advanced design including the Zephyr multimode LTE-M/NB-IoT modem, SAW-less transceiver, RTOS, application layer protocols such as CoAP, MQTT TX power: +8 dBm Concurrent multiprotocol and RFFE. The SiP is the first cellular IoT solution and LWM2M, and application examples covering a to incorporate a 64 MHz Arm Cortex M33 CPU core wide range of use cases. supported by 1 MB of Flash and 256 KB of RAM onboard The SDK also includes software for secure boot, and 64 MHz Arm Cortex-M4 with FPU 512 KB Flash and 128 KB RAM memory. The module incorporates Arm TrustZone see( secure firmware over-the-air (OTA) device updates for WQ Issue 3, 2019 pg25) and Arm CryptoCell (see WQ Issue both application and cellular modem firmware. Tech Check Bluetooth mesh, Thread and Zigbee software support 4, 2019 pg26) security for Internet-level encryption and The nRF9160 SiP’s tool suite is completed with an Nordic’s Thingy:91 application protection. affordable, precertified single board development kit, cellular IoT prototyping the nRF9160 DK, easing development with LTE-M, NB- platform incorporates LTE-M/NB-IoT modem IoT and GPS. The DK has a dedicated LTE-M and NB-IoT an nRF9160 SiP and The nRF9160 LTE modem integrates RFFE, radio and antenna supporting a wide range of bands and global an nRF52840 board baseband. The modem offers 700-to-2200 MHz LTE band operation. The DK also includes an nRF52840 advanced controller, supporting support and 23 dBm output. LTE-M throughput is (UL/ multiprotocol SoC enabling the DK to form the basis of a Bluetooth LE and DL) 300/375 kbps while NB-IoT throughput is 30/60 kbps. design for a Bluetooth LE to cellular IoT gateway. NFC. Source code for RX sensitivity is -108 dBm for LTE-M and -114 dBm for Development can be accelerated by designing with the firmware, hardware NB-IoT. The modem supports half-duplex FDD operation, Nordic Thingy:91 cellular IoT prototyping platform. The layout and schematics for Thingy:91 are all eDRX and PSM power saving, coverage enhancement Thingy:91 is the ideal platform for rapidly developing a available from Nordic modes, SMS, single-pin 50 Ω antenna interface and a UICC prototype for cellular IoT and comes with an eSIM card for free START YOUR DEVELOPMENT TODAY interface. The LTE stack layers L1-L3, IPv4/IPv6, TCP/ from iBasis, preloaded with 10 MB of data allowance. nordicsemi.com/nRF52833

30 W Issue 1 2020 Issue 1 2020 W 31 nRF52833 Bluetooth 5.2 SoC qualified for 105oC

Tech Profile Product Tailored for professional lighting and industrial applications Summary [ [ [ Full product details at: nRF52833 www.nordicsemi.com/Products nRF9160 nRF5340 nRF52840 nRF52833 nRF52832 nRF52820 nRF52811 nRF52810 nRF51822 nRF51422 nRF51824 Description: The nRF52833 is a multiprotocol LTE-M SoC with a Bluetooth Direction Finding NB-IOT GPS capable radio, qualified for operation at BLUETOOTH LOW ENERGY an extended temperature range of -40 to BLUETOOTH 5.2 105°C. A generous memory allocation and DIRECTION FINDING dynamic multiprotocol support ensures the 2 MBPS nRF52833 is an ideal device for commercial LONG RANGE and industrial applications, including BLUETOOTH MESH professional lighting and asset tracking. A THREAD ZIGBEE 1:4 RAM to Flash ratio and adjustable output WIRELESS PROTOCOL ANT power make the nRF52833 an ideal choice for 2.4 GHZ PROPRIETARY wearables or smart home applications where NFC robust coverage is important. SYSTEM-ON-CHIP

TYPE SYSTEM-IN-PACKAGE Hardware: The nRF52833 incorporates a 64 CPU 64 MHz Arm Cortex-M33 128 MHz Arm Cortex-M33 64 MHz Arm Cortex-M4 64 MHz Arm Cortex-M4 64 MHz Arm Cortex-M4 64 MHz Arm Cortex-M4 64 MHz Arm Cortex-M4 64 MHz Arm Cortex-M4 16 MHz Arm Cortex-M0 16 MHz Arm Cortex-M0 16 MHz Arm Cortex-M0 Software: The nRF52833 is a multiprotocol +64 MHz Arm Cortex-M33 MHz 32-bit Arm Cortex-M4 processor with wireless SoC supplied with an S113 or S140 FPU floating point unit (FPU), DSP instruction DSP INSTRUCTION SET set and cache. The hardware includes 512 KB SoftDevice. The S113 is a memory-optimized CACHE Flash and 128 KB RAM.Concurrent The SoC’s 2.4 multiprotocolGHz radio Bluetooth 5support protocol stack for peripherals Full-featured and mesh SDK MEMORY 1 MB Flash, 1 MB Flash, 512 kB RAM 1 MB Flash, 512 kB Flash, 512 kB or 256 kB Flash, 256 kB Flash, 192 kB Flash, 192 kB Flash, 128 kB or 256 kB Flash, 128 kB or 256 kB Flash, 256 kB Flash, features +8 dBm TX power (programmable the S140 is a feature-rich Bluetooth 5 stack

CORE SYSTEM 256 kB RAM +256 kB Flash, 64 kB RAM 256 kB RAM 128 kB RAM 64 kB or 32 kB RAM 32 kB RAM 24 kB RAM 24 kB RAM 32 kB or 16 kB RAM 32 kB or 16 kB RAM 16 kB RAM from -20 Provisioning dBm in +4 dBm steps) app and -95 dBm Extended that is Bluetooth temperature 5.1 qualified. Therange SoC also TX power: +8 dBm CLOCKS 64 MHz / 32 kHz 128 MHz / 64 MHz / 32 kHz 64 MHz / 32 kHz 64 MHz / 32 kHz 64 MHz / 32 kHz 64 MHz / 32 kHz 64 MHz / 32 kHz 64 MHz / 32 kHz 16 MHz /32 kHz 16 MHz /32 kHz 16 MHz /32 kHz sensitivity (Bluetooth LE at 1 Mbps) for a link offers IEEE 802.15.4 support for protocols such ARM TRUSTZONE budget of +103 dBm. The radio is capable of as Thread and Zigbee. The chip’s dynamic ARM CRYPTOCELL 310 312 310 ROOT-OF-TRUST all Bluetooth Direction Finding functionality multiprotocol capability is an advantage SECURE KEY STORAGE and its large memory can support both where concurrent Bluetooth LE and Bluetooth SECURITY AES ENCRYPTION receiver and transmitter roles for Angle- mesh/Thread/Zigbee support is required. LTE-M/NB-IOT/GPS MODEM of-Arrival (AoA) and Angle-of-Departure CERTIFIED LTE BANDS 1-5, 8, 12-14, 17-20, (AoD) applications. The SoC has an integrated Development Tools: The nRF52833 is 25-26, 28, 66 balun with single-ended output and includes supported by the nRF5 SDK, nRF5 SDK for FREQUENCY 700-2200 MHz 2.4 GHz 2.4 GHz 2.4 GHz 2.4 GHz 2.4 GHz 2.4 GHz 2.4 GHz 2.4 GHz 2.4 GHz 2.4 GHz advanced features such as Full-Speed USB Mesh and nRF5 SDK for Thread & Zigbee. The MAXIMUM TX POWER 23 dBm 3 dBm 8 dBm 8 dBm 4 dBm 8 dBm 4 dBm 4 dBm 4 dBm 4 dBm 4 dBm RADIO RX SENSITIVITY -108 dBm (LTE-M), -97.5 dBm (1 Mbps) -95 dBm (1 Mbps) -95 dBm (1 Mbps) -96 dBm (1 Mbps) -95 dBm (1 Mbps) -97 dBm (1 Mbps) -96 dBm (1 Mbps) -90 dBm (1 Mbps) -93 dBm (1 Mbps) -90 dBm (1 Mbps) and High-Speed SPI. The SoC includes up to SDKs provide the examples, libraries and -114 dBm (NB-IoT) 42 GPIOs and a range of analog and digital drivers needed to get started with Bluetooth ANTENNA INTERFACE 50 Ω single-ended Single-ended Single-ended Single-ended Single-ended Single-ended Single-ended Single-ended Differential Differential Differential interfaces, NFC-A, ADC, UART, SPI, TWI, LE, Bluetooth mesh, 2.4GHz proprietary and HIGH SPEED SPI PWM, I2S and PDM. It has a 1.7 to 5.5 V supplySTART Thread YOUR or Zigbee DEVELOPMENT development. The TODAY nRF52833 TWI, SPI, UART 4xTWI/SPI/UART 4xTWI/SPI/UART 2xTWI/SPI, SPI, 2xUART 2xTWI/SPI, SPI, 2xUART 2xTWI/SPI, SPI, UART 2xTWI/SPI, UART TWI/SPI, SPI, UART TWI, SPI, UART 2xTWI/SPI, UART 2xTWI/SPI, UART 2xTWI/SPI, UART voltage range, a two-stage LDO regulator and DKnordicsemi.com/nRF52833 is a versatile single board development kit +TWI/SPI/UART a DC-DC converter. The SoC is available in a 7 and is compatible with the Arduino Uno Rev3 QSPI standard, enabling the use of the compatible USB by 7 mm aQFN73 with 42 GPIOs, a 5 by 5 mm PWM 4 4 4 4 3 1 1 QFN40 with 18 GPIOs and a 3.2 by 3.2 mm Nordic Power Profiler Kit and a wide range of PDM WL-CSP with 42 GPIOs. third party shields. I2S PERIPHERALS ADC, COMPARATOR ADC COMP ADC, COMP ADC, COMP ADC, LPCOMP ADC, LPCOMP ADC, LPCOMP TIMER, RTC 3, 2 3, 2 + 3,2 5, 3 5, 3 5, 3 4, 2 3, 2 3, 2 3, 2 3, 2 3, 2 TEMPERATURE SENSOR AGRICULTURE ASSET TRACKING AUTOMATION BEACON CONSUMER ELECTRONICS DIRECTION FINDING GAMING / VR + AR HEALTHCARE & MEDICAL INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS MESH NETWORKS PC PERIPHERALS PROFESSIONAL LIGHTING APPLICATIONS SMART BUILDINGS SMART CITY SMART HOME SMART METERING SPORTS & FITNESS TOYS WEARABLES Bluetooth Direction Finding CERTIFICATIONS GCF, PTCRB, CE, CE, FCC CE, FCC CE, FCC CE, FCC CE, FCC CE, FCC CE, FCC CE, FCC CE, FCC CE, FCC supported by the nRF52833 SoC FCC, Verizon ++ enables positioning applications OPERATING TEMPERATURE -40 to 85 oC -40 to 105 oC -40 to 85 oC -40 to 105 oC -40 to 85 oC -40 to 105 oC -40 to 85 oC -40 to 85 oC -40 to 85 oC -40 to 85 oC -40 to 105 oC that not only rely on received signal strength indication (RSSI) but also SUPPLY VOLTAGE RANGE 3.0 to 5.5 V 1.7 to 5.5 V 1.7 to 5.5 V 1.7 to 5.5 V 1.7 to 3.6 V 1.7 to 5.5 V 1.7 to 3.6 V 1.7 to 3.6 V 1.8 to 3.6 V 1.8 to 3.6 V 1.8 to 3.6 V the signal direction. Illustrated here DEVELOPMENT KITS nRF9160 DK, nRF5340 PDK nRF52840 DK nRF52833 DK nRF52 DK nRF52833 DK nRF52840 DK nRF52 DK nRF51 DK, nRF51 DK, nRF51 DK, Nordic Thingy:91 nRF52840 Dongle Nordic Thingy:52 nRF51 Dongle nRF51 Dongle nRF51 Dongle is an example of a real time location system (RTLS) where the principle PACKAGES 10x16x1 mm LGA 7x7 mm aQFN94 (48 GPIOs) 7x7 mm aQFN73 (48 GPIOs), 7x7 mm aQFN73 (42 GPIOs), 6x6 mm QFN48 (32 GPIOs), 5x5 mm QFN40 (18 GPIOs) 6x6 mm QFN48 (32 GPIOs), 6x6 mm QFN48 (32 GPIOs), 6x6 mm QFN48, 6x6 mm QFN48, 6x6 mm QFN48, of Angle-of-Arrival is used to 3.5x3.6 mm WLCSP94 (48 5x5 mm QFN40 (18 GPIOs), 3.0x3.2 mm WLCSP50 (32 5x5 mm QFN32 (17 GPIOs), 5x5 mm QFN32 (16 GPIOs), WLCSP48, WLCSP48 WLCSP48 GPIOs) 3.2x3.2 mm WLCSP (42 GPIOs) 2.48x2.46 mm WLCSP33 (15 2.48x2.46 mm WLCSP33 (15 Thin CSP determine tag location GPIOs) GPIOs) GPIOs)

32 W Summer 2019