QUARTER 1 | SPRING 2015

COVER STORY IoT cuts aircraft maintenance bills

Nordic first with IPv6 over Bluetooth Smart What’s hot in the Nordic devzone Opening up to open source 
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 OPINION  #"!   " " ! Svenn-Tore Larsen

   !" %" $ $ #""  " " ! "  " $& Industrial applications drive the   # "   !#  The IoT promises to slash the cost of maintenance in the Internet of Things aircraft sector and other industries mart watches are perhaps the most glamorous of the current crop of wearables. A device that performs the job of a conventional watch while also offering functions such as interfacing with smartphones, paying bills, and tracking calories has captured consumers’ attention. Other Swearable products from many major electronics manufacturers are also making their mark, including fitness wristbands and medical products such as constant glucose monitors and fall alarms. The boom in wearables has in part been driven by the smartphone manufacturers’ adoption of Bluetooth v4.0 (comprising Bluetooth Smart Ready and the ultra low power version of the technology, Bluetooth Smart) in their handsets. Bluetooth technology ensures connectivity between devices and allows the wearable to leverage the computational power, software, and Internet connectivity of the handset. Wearables are perhaps the most appealing example of the ‘things’ that form part of the developing Internet of Things (IoT). Yet they will only ever form a tiny part of this giant network. The IoT extends the current Internet from a human-centric network to one dominated by autonomous things communicating with each other and the Cloud without our intervention. The overwhelming majority of the things forming the IoT will be used in industrial applications - where IoT connectivity will add intelligence and analytics to processes and services, enhancing efficiency and slashing cost - rather than consumer ones. The power of an industrial IoT will be immense. According to a report from U.S.-based industrial giant General Electric (GE), for example, there are approximately 43,000 commercial jet engines in service. Each engine could be automatically monitored using wireless sensors connected via the IoT. Imagine the efficiency gains in maintenance, fuel consumption, crew allocation, and scheduling such monitoring would yield. The savings would be huge; just a one percent cut in fuel consumption across the global commercial aircraft fleet for instance, would slash costs by $30 billion over a 15-year period. (See this issue page 10.) ULP Wireless Q is published In a second example of the power of the IoT, GE estimates that taking into account productivity gains on behalf of Nordic alone, the industrial segment of the IoT would boost the world economy by over $15 trillion by 2030. (To Semiconductor by Ecritech put that into perspective, the approximate size of today’s U.S. economy is $16.7 trillion.) www.ecritech.com As a proven, open standard, Bluetooth Smart, together with others such as Wi-Fi and IEEE 802.15.4, is likely to underpin the IoT. But to maximize the potential of a connected world, Bluetooth Smart needs to Editor evolve such that it can connect directly to the Internet. To do that the technology must use the ‘language of Steven Keeping e-mail: [email protected] the Internet’, IPv6, to communicate with other networked devices and the Cloud. That evolution is happening right now with the introduction of the Internet Protocol Support Profile (IPSP) in Bluetooth v4.2. Assistant Editor Andrew Woolls-King Nordic Semiconductor is the first Bluetooth Smart chip vendor to leverage Bluetooth Smart technology’s e-mail: [email protected] IPSP in its IoT Software Development Kit (SDK). The SDK allows developers to experiment with IPv6 over Bluetooth Smart technology which enables wireless sensors to communicate directly with other sensors News Editor Chris Williams and Cloud services. (For more about Nordic’s IPv6 over Bluetooth Smart, see pages 8 and 18.) e-mail: [email protected] Yours Sincerely, Art Editor Tim Plummer e-mail: [email protected] Image Editor Neale Hobday e-mail: [email protected] Svenn-Tore Larsen CEO Print & Distribution Printech Europe

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Thomas Embla Bonnerud is Director Sally Ward-Foxton is an electronics Caroline Hayes is a tech writer The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are of Product Management with Nordic freelance journalist. Here she specializing in semiconductors. On registered trademarks owned by the Semiconductor. In this issue he explores how open source software page 18 she describes how IPv6- Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Nordic Semiconductor is under license. considers the growing influence of for ultra low power wireless powered wireless sensors will form the software engineer applications is fostering innovation the outer reaches of the IoT © Nordic Semiconductor 2015

2 | SPRING 2015 | ULP WIRELESS QUARTER www.nordicsemi.com NEWS

The latest developments from Nordic Semiconductor

Logitech wireless keyboard sets In brief Bluetooth Smart new battery life standard to top $10 bn Peripheral device A key factor in the decision Director of Product Marketing Market revenue for Bluetooth manufacturer Logitech to use the nRF51822 SoC was at Logitech. Smart is expected to increase has specified Nordic its contribution to an “Because the nRF51822 SoC to $10.1 billion by 2020 on the back of the technology’s rapid Semiconductor’s exceptionally long two-year is a true single-chip solution, it penetration into electronic nRF51822 System-on- battery life, equating to around contributed to Logitech devices, a recent market Chip (SoC) in its two hours-per-day usage from developing one of the thinnest study from IndustryARC Ultrathin keyboard for the Logitech Ultrathin’s and lightest wireless tablet has claimed. The analyst the iPad Air 2. The two lithium batteries. keyboards on the market to said a surge in the number keyboard is said to be “The use of the Nordic complement the incredibly thin of interconnected devices, one of the first to employ nRF51822 in this and lightweight iPad.” alongside increased crowd Bluetooth Smart wireless product helped our The keyboard includes an funding for small companies technology. engineers achieve a adjustable built-in stand and an with new ideas around wireless connectivity were The Logitech Ultrathin is new battery-life instant on/off feature that the driving factors behind the constructed from high-grade standard for allows an attached iPad to predicted growth. aluminum and is only 6.4-mm wireless tablet automatically ‘wake’ as the user thick. It magnetically clips on to keyboards,” says opens the cover, and switch to the iPad Air 2, functioning as both Alexis Richard, standby when they close it. Business adoption a screen cover and a wireless keyboard with iOS shortcut drives IoT growth keys so users can easily The Logitech The number of business-to- navigate and type while Ultrathin has a two- business Internet of Things on-the-move. year battery life (IoT) connections reached more than 1 billion for the first time last year, according to new research. Telecoms Head impact monitor averts risk of long-term firm Verizon said by 2020 the number of IoT-enabled brain damage in contact sports applications and devices would surpass five billion, with A wireless sensor that can be embedded into a The Triax monitor the number of machine-to- headband or skullcap could mitigate the risk of measures G-force machine connections in the long-term brain damage to athletes engaging in head impacts in manufacturing, finance, and contact sports, by continuously monitoring and contact sports entertainment sectors all more measuring G-force impacts to the head. than doubling in the last 12 The Smart Impact Monitor (SIM) from U.S.- months alone. based Triax Technologies measures the severity of all forceful head impacts that occur in contact sports, and logs the results for analysis by Lonely hearts use medical personnel. beacon tech In operation, the 32 by 15-mm non-invasive SIM fits securely into a customized headband and A Swiss startup, Blinq, is putting a new spin on the counts and measures all head impacts in dating app by using beacon Newtons (N), converting the data to G-force “With the groundswell of data surrounding technology to notify users if before transmitting it in real time to a Triax the risk of head impacts and the availability of any of their dating matches companion app running on any Bluetooth Smart accurate technology for discrete monitoring, are in the same location Ready iOS smartphone or tablet. The wireless there is no reason all athletes aren’t taking this as them. Select venues in connectivity is provided by Nordic accessible step to identify when a player may be Zurich have been fitted out Semiconductor’s nRF51822 System-on-Chip. at risk,” says Chad Hollingsworth, Co-Founder with Estimote iBeacons Triax Technologies says given concussions are and VP of Business Development at Triax - incorporating Nordic’s unpredictable and can be hard to detect, the Technologies. nRF51822 SoCs to provide the wireless connectivity. So far Triax SIM provides much needed insight into a Hollingsworth added that Triax benefitted around 50 beacons have been potential health risk that athletes may not realize from the high level of ‘un-biased’ technical- installed but the company is in they have experienced, and can be used as a support provided by Nordic, that translated into discussions with other venues critical indicator for further medical evaluation. a rapid 24-hour response to any reported issues. to expand this footprint further. www.nordicsemi.com ULP WIRELESS QUARTER | SPRING 2015 | 3 NEWS

In brief Wireless basketball shot tracker Invisible wearables market to take off helps players reach new heights

A new report from analyst U.S. sports technology start- Juniper Research claims up ShotTracker is employing wearable technology that is Nordic Semiconductor indistinguishable from ‘non- technology in its basketball smart’ technology will make a significant contribution performance tracking and to the segment’s growth monitoring devices to help in the next five years. The players improve their game. research house estimates The ShotTracker uses Nordic’s the wearables market will nRF51822 Systems-on-Chip be worth approximately $80 (SoCs) to provide Bluetooth billion annually by 2020, Smart wireless connectivity. The with fashion-first wearables – product makes full use of the dubbed ‘invisible wearables’ – SoC’s powerful ARM Cortex having much greater consumer microprocessor—backed up with appeal than tech-centric ShotTracker can be used with any regular basketball and net devices. The company noted, 256 kB of Flash memory—to run however, that smartwatches on-the-spot motion recognition These all synchronize to create sensor or sleeve. would remain the most algorithms to measure and a personal shooting profile for up “The ultra low power operating purchased wearable until 2017. analyze a player’s shooting skills. to four separate users. characteristics of the nRF51822 ShotTracker can be used with The intelligence of ShotTracker enabled us to achieve a three- Smartwatch sales any regular basketball and net, derives from a sophisticated, month battery lifetime from the set to quadruple and includes a water-resistant net patent-pending software net sensor and eight-hours sensor, a wrist-worn sensor or algorithm that analyzes data from continuous use for the wrist and Smartwatch shipments will wearable sleeve, and a free a three-axis accelerometer sleeve sensor from small, more than quadruple in 2015 partner app running on any embedded into the net sensor on-board rechargeable batteries,” reaching 24.4 million units Bluetooth Smart Ready and a second six-axis says Davyeon Ross, co-founder worldwide, says industry analyst Tractica. The company smartphone or tablet. accelerometer in the wrist-worn and COO of ShotTracker. explained smartwatches had already experienced significant growth in 2014 with global device shipments more than Presence-detecting power plugs doubling to five million, but the introduction of the Apple simplify home automation Watch would drive growth yet further this year. The U.S. firm Zuli has taken a big stride towards home automation with analyst said strong sales would the launch of its Zuli Smartplugs. The Smartplugs automatically continue through to 2020, control lights and appliances by detecting a user’s presence. by which time smartwatch The Smartplugs employ Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF51822 shipments could reach 94.9 Systems-on-Chip (SoCs) and offer a range of configurable options, million units annually. including turning on and off appliances, dimming lights, and monitoring power consumption via a free companion app running Security fears may on any Bluetooth Smart Ready iOS smartphone. slow IoT adoption Each plug has a range of up to 30 m, but when three or more Zuli plugs are used, they create a mesh network that further extends the A study looking at the Bluetooth Smart wireless range and work like an “indoor GPS” business and societal impacts capable of detecting whether a room is occupied. of Internet security claims the perceived threat from The nRF51822 SoC in each plug is capable of acting in either a online attacks is hurting the central or peripheral mode, while also communicating via Bluetooth adoption of Internet of Things Smart technology with an iOS smartphone running the Zuli app. (IoT) technology. Almost 60 The SoC’s hardware and separated RF protocol stack plus percent of respondents to the application software architecture allows communication with the GFI Software study said they Smartplugs to be performed at the highest possible data exchange believed Internet-connected rate, with the application going back into deep-sleep mode as often home devices were too risky as possible to save power. to own, or would hesitate “Leveraging Bluetooth Smart ... The Smartplugs can be to purchase further devices allows us to detect the user’s because of the potential threat configured from a user’s presence and adjust devices while of an online attack. Industrial smartphone to automate the app is in the background, installations are perceived lights and appliances to be at risk too with smart maintaining low battery electricity grids cited as one of consumption on the smartphone,” adds Zulu CTO, Sid Bhargava. the most vulnerable assets.

4 | SPRING 2015 | ULP WIRELESS QUARTER www.nordicsemi.com NEWS

Nordic ANT and Bluetooth Smart chip scoops prestigious China editor’s award

Nordic Semiconductor’s of wearables and the working tirelessly to The nRF51422 SoC can support nRF51422 multiprotocol Internet of Things (IoT). support our either ANT+ RF protocol software ANT and Bluetooth Smart Our nRF51 Series SoCs customers in China or, as the world’s first multiprotocol System-on-Chip (SoC) has won address these markets and grow our SoC solution, concurrent ANT+ China Electronic Market (CEM) with compact high- presence here.” and Bluetooth Smart wireless magazine’s prestigious Editor’s integration solutions communication, natively, on a Choice Award 2014, claiming that support the single chip. victory in the ‘Most Competitive ULP wireless The combined nRF51422 ANT Connectivity Product’ category. capability these and Bluetooth Smart SoC means The judging criteria considered new markets developers of wearable brand influence, sales and market demand,” says technology products no longer share, technological innovation, Ytterdal. GOLiFE have to choose between these as well as product service. “This award also previously incompatible wireless Ståle Ytterdal, Nordic signals that Nordic is technologies. Semiconductor’s Director Sales & now a leader in the For space-constrained Marketing in Asia, said the Chinese market for ULP applications, Nordic offers a wafer- company was honored to receive wireless devices, a market The nRF51422 multiprotocol SoC has level chip-scale package (WLCSP) been recognized for technical innovation the award from CEM. to which we are absolutely in applications such as fitness monitors version of the nRF51422 with a “We are now entering the age committed. We are and other sports wearables footprint of just 3.8 by 3.5 mm.

Industrial temperature range for Bluetooth Smart SoCs In response to the increasing adoption of Bluetooth Smart wireless technology The nRF51822 is now qualified to the full -40 across industrial applications, Nordic to +85°C industrial Semiconductor’s nRF51822 Bluetooth temperature range Smart and 2.4 GHz proprietary System-on- Chip (SoC) is now qualified to the full -40 to +85°C industry-standard industrial operating temperature range. Bluetooth Smart has been gaining increased traction in industrial, home, and enterprise automation applications, and the company says the development of the wider operating temperature range in harness with the existing processing power and flexibility of the nRF51822 SoC will broaden its application base. The nRF51822 16-kB RAM/256-kB Flash QFN SoC is the first qualified -40 to +85°C industrial temperature range variant to be purpose we decided to re-qualify existing “This enables customers to re-purpose released, with further variants scheduled variants for the extended temperature existing designs without modification and throughout the first half of 2015. range,” explains Thomas Embla Bonnerud, immediately benefit from the wider “Instead of creating new nRF51 Series Director of Product Management with operating temperature range,” adds variants for [industrial temperature] Nordic Semiconductor. Bonnerud. In brief Aircraft repair goes wireless Identity and access critical to IoT A joint project between the European Commission and the Research house Gartner claims identity and access management aeronautical industry has developed new wireless sensors (IAM) is a potential stumbling block to the successful adoption to facilitate constant monitoring of European aircraft. The of the Internet of Things (IoT), with current systems unable to FLITE-WISE project aims to move away from the wired sensors provide the scale, or manage the complexity, that the IoT brings currently used for aircraft maintenance tasks towards a wireless to the enterprise. Gartner said the growth of the IoT meant IAM sensor network relying on smart sensors. The sensors are leaders of digital businesses required a way of defining and expected to bring both cost and weight down, and will be managing the identities of people, services and things within a commercialized within the next three years. (See this issue page single framework, beyond the capability of traditional people- 10 for more on how wireless sensors will cut maintenance costs.) focused IAM systems. www.nordicsemi.com ULP WIRELESS QUARTER | SPRING 2015 | 5 NEWS

Bluetooth Smart encourages adoption of intelligent lighting

A Finnish company is communications between application-specific, hoping to advance the lighting fixtures and bulbs. By stripped-down, mainstream adoption of employing the SoC’s dual optimized smart lighting by using Bluetooth protocol architecture in this way, proprietary 2.4GHz Smart to make it not only easier Casambi claims its solution wireless protocol to install and use, but also more delivers at least five times faster designed to offer affordable. mesh networking performance maximum mesh- Casambi Technologies claims over alternative Bluetooth Smart networking it has significantly improved the solutions. performance,” says mesh networking performance of Casambi says the control Pakkala. its third-party Bluetooth Smart platform can be integrated into Casambi has also lighting control platform by standard lighting fixtures or embedded Internet taking advantage of the dual directly into LED smart bulbs and of Things-(IoT) type protocol architecture of Nordic drivers. It doesn’t require any functionality into its Semiconductor’s nRF51822 new wiring, switches, devices, solution including: Bluetooth Smart and 2.4 GHz networks or configuration automatic over-the- proprietary Systems-on-Chip beyond plugging in the lighting air firmware and (SoCs). fixture or Casambi-enabled LED software updates Casambi CEO, Timo Pakkala, bulb and pairing it to a Bluetooth for the whole says the solution communicates Smart Ready smartphone. network, cloud with smartphones using Users can then control their configuration and Bluetooth Smart wireless lights from an app with an monitoring services, advanced technology, but switches to intuitive and visual user interface. security with different levels of Nordic’s highly-optimized “[The platform] offers all the access, as well as multi-user proprietary 2.4 GHz wireless compatibility, ease-of-use, and support. technology using the nRF51822 consumer usability of Bluetooth radio’s maximum 2 Mbps raw Smart wireless technology, Users can control their lights from data rate for internal network underpinned by a ruthlessly an app with an intuitive interface

Mesh networking platform targets IoT reliability

that communicate with a central hub, the Wirepas’ network can ‘heal’ mesh network topology employs a itself in the event of failure ‘hubless’ architecture that supports intelligent and distributed self-organization and communication between independent nodes. If a node fails the network will automatically ‘heal’ by re-routing communications via other nodes around it, while any node can share its connection to the Internet or other devices so users need only connect to a nearby node to access the network. Network efficiency has been further enhanced as mesh network nodes can Wirepas, a Finnish university spin-off Smart and 2.4GHz proprietary System-on- automatically and continuously self- company, has developed an ultra low power Chip (SoC) hardware. reconfigure to maintain optimal network (ULP) wireless mesh networking solution The solution is said to support high node performance. that is claimed to improve network densities and a theoretically limitless “Pino is the most automatic, robust, and reliability for IoT applications. network size with a network topology that easy-to-use mesh network available,” says Called Wirepas Pino, the solution is a continuously self-optimizes to balance Wirepas CEO, Teppo Hemiä. fully automatic, self-optimizing, multi-hop network data traffic between nodes and “[It] shifts the complexity of setting up mesh networking protocol stack developed adapt to changes in the nodes’ operating and maintaining a network away from the by Wirepas, running on Nordic environment. end-user and into the network itself which Semiconductor’s nRF51822 Bluetooth Instead of being constructed of nodes makes it incredibly end-user-friendly.”

6 | SPRING 2015 | ULP WIRELESS QUARTER www.nordicsemi.com ULP WIRELESS TRENDS

The latest developments in technology

Smart bike racks alert Live!y’s safety watch is targeted owners if their bike is stolen at the aged-care sector

Bluetooth Smart technology foils campus bike thieves A group of students from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the U.S. is using Bluetooth Smart technology to embed Elderly care sector drives home sensors in to bicycles and bicycle racks around campus to deter thieves and aid health monitor growth to 600 percent the recovery of stolen bikes. The students from the university’s An increase in elderly care services will drive the growth of the home monitoring wearable Internet of Things Lab are using a radio device market by more than 600 percent in the next five years, new research has revealed. frequency identification (RFID) tag Growing adoption comes as tech-savvy families increasingly turn to smart home hidden on a bike to communicate with monitoring solutions for aging parents and family members. a smartphone that registers when the According to Jonathan Collins, Principal Analyst at ABI Research, a preference for bike enters or exits the area. Either event independent living supported the increased adoption of home monitoring solutions. triggers a message to a web server that is “The sports and wellbeing monitoring market has already drawn Samsung, Google, and then texted to the owner of the bike. Apple into developing devices to capture health and activity data,” says Collins. “These will The Bike Recovery Network system increasingly be extended to serve specific markets, primarily elderly care or aging.” will tell when a protected bike is left at or US-based start-up Live!y recently launched a safety watch for the aged-care market taken from a ‘smart bike rack’ without the that not only includes a button for 24/7 emergency response, but also provides missed owner’s knowledge, and alert the police medication reminders and a pedometer for step counting. The system offers an department automatically to the theft. emergency response range of up to 300 m around the home. The watch can also be paired “If the thief brings the bike to a smart with a smartphone for emergency response when the user moves out of home range. bike rack you’ll immediately know the bike is there, and the web server will immediately notify the authorities, and you can get your bike back,” says team Solar-powered chip guards windows member Akhil Sundararajan, a mechanical A solar-powered radio sensor that mounts engineering grad student. directly onto a window alerting the user if the The solar chip According to Sandra Bradley, the lab’s window has been left open or if an attempted can store enough Director of Research for consumer and power for up break-in has occurred, has been launched by retail applications, it’s unrealistic to expect to 30 hours of Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute. darkness a prototype in a single semester, but rather Some existing home and building systems the aim is to see students innovate and can already register the status of windows, come up with ideas that could then be but typically the sensors have to be attached taken to the next stage. by cable to a central alarm. “The goal is more creation and Alternatively battery-operated sensors are or all the way. The chip alerts the base station exploration; it’s not really about product used, but changing batteries can lead to in the building if a window remains open. design,” Bradley says. considerable maintenance expense. The new Prototypes can store power for up to 30 “Even more than a technology sandbox, wireless sensor, however, is solar powered. hours of darkness, but future devices should this is a place for encouraging students to At 10mm, the chip is as narrow as a pane of be able to last up to two weeks without light. think through real-world problems and to insulating glass is thick. Integrated in the chip Low energy operation and an efficient RF have hands-on experience with cutting are magnetic field and acceleration sensors protocol ensures power consumption is kept edge technologies,” she adds. that register if the window is open just a crack to a minimum. www.nordicsemi.com ULP WIRELESS QUARTER | SPRING 2015 | 7 NEWS EXTRA

Connecting Bluetooth Smart IoT sensors directly to the Cloud Nordic is the first company to introduce a commercial software development kit that allows developers to experiment with IPv6 over Bluetooth Smart applications

he hype around the Internet of Things (IoT) An IoT sensor employing IPv6 over is huge; for example, Bluetooth Smart will also be able to communicate with ‘things’ using analyst ABI Research T other IPv6-enabled technologies reports that the installed base of wireless devices exceeded 16 billion in 2014, about 20 percent more than in 2013. The company says the number of devices will more than double over the next five years, to 40.9 billion in 2020. With the emergence and growth of wearable technology, the low energy form of Bluetooth wireless - Bluetooth Smart - is already an established technology for connecting ‘things’ to the Internet. However, the current version of Bluetooth technology (v4.1 – of which Bluetooth Smart is a hallmark element) requires the resources of a smartphone or tablet to facilitate communication. But now a new version (v4.2) introduces the Internet Protocol Support Profile (IPSP) which allows sensors to access the Internet directly via Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) and the Internet Engineering Task “IPv6 over Bluetooth Smart is a key enabling technology for power, Force’s (IETF) IPv6 over Low size, and cost-constrained IoT applications” power Wireless Personal Area Networks (6LoWPAN). revision to Bluetooth Smart. With such as Wi-Fi, Ethernet, ZigBee of application examples. The “IPv6 over Bluetooth Smart the SDK, engineers can design IP, and Thread, to form a complete protocol stack can is a key enabling technology for IoT sensor applications that only heterogeneous network. run on the nRF51 Series SoC power, size, and cost-constrained require the services of simple and in a single-chip configuration, IoT applications,” explains inexpensive ‘headless’ routers to Based on open standards minimizing the power, size, and Thomas Embla Bonnerud, relay information to the Internet In contrast to other IoT solutions cost of end products. Director of Product Management because the data is already based on proxies or proprietary Complementing the SDK is a with Nordic Semiconductor. formatted in IPv6 packets. Internet gateway bridges, the software set-up for emulating “Bluetooth Smart is the only The SDK is a complete nRF51 IoT SDK is based entirely a headless router with support wireless technology that provides IPv6-ready Internet Protocol on open standards and extends for IPv6 over Bluetooth Smart the flexibility to innovate, ability to Suite for Nordic’s nRF51 Series IP addressing all the way to using a Raspberry Pi (Model scale to the market, and trust of a Bluetooth Smart Systems-on- the sensor. The first release of B), a Bluetooth Smart Ready globally recognized standard. All Chip (SoCs). The SDK enables the protocol stack includes: USB dongle, Raspbian GNU/ of which are essential to delivering native and interoperable IPSP, 6LoWPAN adaption Linux Kernel 3.17.4, and a radvd the promise of the IoT,” adds IP-based connectivity between layer, IPv6 Internet routing daemon. The combination of Errett Kroeter of the Bluetooth a Bluetooth Smart thing and a layer, User Datagram Protocol headless router set-up, nRF51- Special Interest Group (SIG). Cloud service for end-to-end (UDP) and Transmission Control DK (see ULP WQ Winter 2014 Nordic Semiconductor’s IP based communication. An Protocol (TCP) transport layers, pg 8), and the nRF51 IoT SDK nRF51 Series IoT Software IoT sensor employing IPv6 over Constrained Application Protocol provide developers with a Development Kit (SDK) is the Bluetooth Smart will also be able (CoAP), and Message Queuing complete platform for developing first commercial development to communicate with things using Telemetry Transport (MQTT) Bluetooth Smart-based IoT tool to take advantage of this other IPv6-enabled technologies, application layers, plus a range applications. 8

8 | SPRING 2015 | ULP WIRELESS QUARTER www.nordicsemi.com COMMENT

Rise of the software engineer A not-so-subtle shift is underway in ultra low power wireless product development

By Thomas Embla A new generation Bonnerud, Director of ULP wireless of Product Marketing, chips allows Nordic Semiconductor engineers to focus on developing application code rom amateurs working on rather than RF a bench in their garage, engineering to professionals in start- Fups and blue chips alike, engineers are focusing more on what they can do with the latest generation of wireless chips and a little less on the RF engineering. That’s leading to a wave of innovation in products using wireless connectivity. These products include appcessories - wireless peripherals teamed with a smartphone app - and emerging “cloudcessories” - wireless peripherals that can communicate “The embedded processor should be both popular directly with the Cloud. and powerful otherwise firmware engineers aren’t This change has come about for three key reasons: RF design going to bother to write code for it” has become easier, innovative chip architecture has simplified application development, and application). Prior to the nRF51 That’s not to say a wireless for the growing prominence of increasing availability of open Series, engineers had to deal with chip vendor can get away with the software engineer over his source software for wireless chips the challenging complexities of half-baked hardware. For starters hardware counterpart. has shortened design cycles. harmonizing the operation of the manufacturer needs to Recognizing this trend, Nordic both protocol and application. ensure that the radio performs has focused on making its chips Enlightening the black art Now, the chip itself looks after reliably and offers sufficient link the easiest on the market for A decade ago, designing wireless this task allowing the engineer to budget while not rapidly draining application code development. circuitry was a “black art” focus solely on developing the batteries. Second, the embedded Nordic has invested heavily in performed by specialist engineers application code. processor should be both software development teams in in darkened cubicles surrounded By offering wireless Systems- popular and powerful otherwise Krakow, Poland, and Oulu, Finland by stacks of test equipment. on-Chip (SoCs) that use popular firmware engineers aren’t going to supplement the existing team But ULP wireless chip vendors embedded processors such as to bother to write code for it. (If in Norway. And the company is such as Nordic Semiconductor ARM devices, supported by cheap the device proves popular, then working hard to supply a range have worked hard to provide and available toolchains that are software rapidly proliferates, of SDKs such as the nRF51 Series reference designs, evaluation kits, independent of the wireless SoC shortening development cycles IoT SDK. (See page 8.) Resources and online support that, while maker, plenty of Flash memory, and encouraging re-use of proven like the Nordic Development Zone not making the process trivial, open standard stacks such as code.) And third, the chip should also aid software development has opened up wireless design Bluetooth Smart, and easy-to- include sufficient Flash memory engineers working with our to non-expert RF engineers, use Software Development to support innovative applications products. (See page 14.) including the amateurs of the Kits (SDKs) vendors like Nordic and allow for consumer-friendly But don’t make the mistake maker community. (See ULP Semiconductor have ushered features such as over-the-air of thinking we don’t care about Wireless Q Winter 2014, pg 16.) ULP wireless into the open source (OTA) software updates. (See hardware. Right now, Nordic The launch of Nordic’s nRF51 era. Engineers are able to share ULP WQ Winter 2014, pg 18.) engineers are sweating over Series in June 2012 further eased code, improve it, and make it With the advent of devices wireless chip designs that will lead the design process by introducing available to their colleagues in the such as the nRF51 Series SoCs, to Nordic products that consume new software architecture that same way that their peers in the such hardware is readily available less power and take up less space separated the complexities mainstream-computing world to any company developing a while at the same time offering of the RF software protocol have been doing for years. wireless product. Open standard more powerful processors, larger (the ‘stack’ which manages These three developments stacks like Bluetooth Smart are memory resources, and enhanced communication between wireless have lowered the barrier to entry also available to all. That makes radios. But that’s a story for chips) and the application code for professional engineers and the application software the another day. (which customizes the wireless amateurs alike enabling the focus true differentiator between (For more on open source product to suit a particular to switch to creativity. wireless products and accounts software, see page page 16.) 8

www.nordicsemi.com ULP WIRELESS QUARTER | SPRING 2015 | 9 BUSINESS BRIEFING

The power of one percent A wirelessly connected Internet will lead to massive economic gains. ULP Wireless Q reports

he Internet of Things (IoT) represents a Wirelessly monitored jet lofty vision that will engines will slash fuel costs by Tbe realized by fusing $30 billion over 15 years the conventional Internet with the cellular network and adding a third layer of billions of wirelessly-connected ‘things’. These things will comprise the objects we use everyday - washing machines, fridges, coffee machines and even more humble products like pens and spectacles - but instead of today’s dumb products, that operate in glorious isolation, these things will be connected and ‘smart’. How will this make life easier? Imagine, for example, “The technical innovations of the industrial IoT could find an umbrella equipped with a Bluetooth Smart chip connected direct application in sectors accounting for more than $32.3 through the household trillion in economic activity” router to a Cloud server. That umbrella will be constantly fed information about the local General Electric, produced a world’s 43,000 commercial jet can be applied extend far weather. The owner looks report[1] which calculated cost engines the efficiency gains beyond GE’s focus. The technical outside and sees blue skies but saving achieved by connecting in engine maintenance, fuel innovations of the industrial IoT the umbrella knows differently. industrial assets to the Internet. consumption, crew allocation, and could find direct application in As the umbrella’s wireless chip The authors focused on GE’s scheduling would be huge. A one sectors accounting for more than detects the proximity of its business sectors - aviation, power, percent cut in fuel consumption $32.3 trillion in economic activity, owner’s smartphone it sends a health care, rail, and oil & gas - across the global commercial say Evans and Annunziata. As text message reading “take me, and considered the impact of aircraft fleet would slash costs by the economy grows, by 2025, IoT otherwise you’re going to get embedding wireless sensors into $30 billion over a 15-year period. innovations could be applicable wet!”. the array of machines powering Likewise, a one percent to $82 trillion of output or Examples of the IoT’s promise these sectors, from the very efficiency improvement in the approximately one half of the such as this make fun reading but simple to the highly complex. global gas-fired power plant global economy. miss the bigger picture; the real Huge amounts of data from capacity could yield a $66 billion To encourage these technical power of the IoT will be realized in embedded wireless sensors saving in fuel consumption over innovations, there needs to be industrial applications. When he would be sent across the 15 years. The global health care sound commercial incentives coined the phrase “the Internet Internet to powerful Cloud industry could also benefit from for companies to invest in of Things” back in 1999, Kevin servers that use sophisticated the industrial IoT, through a the industrial IoT. While the Ashton got it exactly right when algorithms to determine, for reduction in process inefficiencies: conventional Internet was he said that if computers knew example, how to tune a machine a one percent gain globally originally financed as a U.S. everything using data gathered to enhance performance, and could yield more than $63 Department of Defense automatically it would greatly what a machine’s state of wear billion in savings. Freight moved project, then as an academic reduce waste, loss, and cost. is in order to intelligently decide across the world rail networks, if and scientific tool, only later But perhaps what Ashton when to perform maintenance improved by one percent could being made freely available didn’t realize was precisely by and replace parts. yield another gain of $27 billion for leveraging by commercial how much. Evans and Annunziata in fuel savings. Finally, noted companies, the industrial IoT is estimated the economic Evans and Annunziata, a one unlikely to develop in the same Doing the math significance of connected percent improvement in capital way. The power of one percent Peter C. Evans and Marco machines by calculating the utilization for oil & gas exploration is just the kind of commercial Annunziata have attempted savings gained from just a one and development could total incentive that’s needed. 8 to calculate the savings an percent efficiency improvement. $90 billion in avoided or deferred ‘industrial’ IoT will yield. Evans and For example, if wireless sensors capital expenditures. [1] “Industrial Internet: Pushing the Boundaries of Minds and Machines,” Peter Annunziata, employees with U.S- were fitted to the three main What’s more, the industrial C. Evans and Marco Annunziata, General based industrial conglomerate rotating parts of each of the sectors to which wireless sensors Electric, November 2012.

10 | SPRING 2015 | ULP WIRELESS QUARTER www.nordicsemi.com ANT UPDATE

ANT and the Internet of Things New IoT technology from ANT allows adopters to create overlapping secure mesh networks that operate independently, but co-exist cleanly. Michael Rounding explains

ecause the Internet enabler for the IoT and allows Roaming nodes can travel ANT is an industry leader of Things (IoT) is an adopters to create overlapping across the network as needed, through its established protocol emerging technology - secure mesh networks that moving their connection and silicon solutions for ULP Ba hot topic in the press, operate independently, but between main member nodes as practical wireless networking on crowdfunding websites, and co-exist cleanly. they come in and out of range. applications. The ANT software in maker campaigns among A distinct advantage surfaces runs on 2.4-GHz wireless silicon others - commercial companies Autonomous networks when two roaming nodes such as Nordic Semiconductor’s are designing new products The new technology uses ANT cross paths: each member nRF51422 ANT chip and with IoT applications in mind. to create self-forming, -healing, node supports connections Dynastream’s (ANT Wireless’ ANT Wireless is no exception and -managing networks that to multiple roaming nodes at parent) N548 module which and is fostering a culture of operate autonomously – no once, allowing for a clean and is also built on the nRF51422.) innovation in this new wireless special network controller, predictable user experience. Applicable in sport, wellness technology space. hub or central master node The transient nature of roaming management, and home health Connecting devices across is needed. All mesh network nodes means that they can monitoring, ANT+ (built on the the IoT for control, monitoring members are battery powered have incredibly low power base ANT protocol) defines or just plain fun involves getting and have equal roles in this requirements. device profiles that specify data devices to talk across low power architecture; there is no Other capabilities of ANT’s formats, channel parameters, multinode mesh networks. significant difference in power new technology complete and network keys. There are ANT Wireless offers an entire consumption from one to the the toolset necessary for the over 100 million devices in the family of multinode solutions next, and any node can become creation of a great IoT solution. field using ANT+ to facilitate built on the ANT protocol. From a bridge to the outside world. Member nodes can be updated interoperability between sensor simple mobile personal area Member nodes can be accessed over-the-air, on-the-fly, and can data. 8 networks (PANs) to large area individually or all at once, also be passively scanned to multinode coverage, there is an allowing for a scaled control obtain in-the-moment network Michael Rounding is Product ANT solution for the multinode experience. information. Tools like these not Manager – ANT Wireless. problem facing any product. The architecture supports only aid in development but also At Mobile World Congress roaming nodes, which join the can extend to supportability in Visit www.thisisant.com/ (MWC) 2015, held in Barcelona main mesh to participate only end products. Imagine having a directory for a complete listing during March, ANT Wireless periodically or on demand. fully featured home-monitoring of ANT+ certified products, announced the latest addition Smartphones, remotes, and station that sets itself up by and www.thisisant.com for to this family. The yet-to-be- intermittent sensors checking in, simply installing and running an more information on multinode named technology is a product are examples of roaming nodes. app on a tablet! solutions.

ANT Wireless offers an entire family of multinode solutions that support roaming nodes like smartphones, which join the main mesh to participate only periodically or on demand

“Connecting devices across the IoT for control, monitoring or just plain fun involves getting devices to talk across low power multinode mesh networks”

www.nordicsemi.com ULP WIRELESS QUARTER | SPRING 2015 | 11 ULP PRODUCT SELECTION GUIDE

Ultra low power wireless connectivity solutions Find the chip you need using this latest listing of every Nordic product

DATE: MARCH 2015

IC Type Peripherals Applications

On-chip Product Product Series ICs Operating Wireless On-chip

Memory ensor lock RF: Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits S Ref. Designs Dev Tools C F itness I lectronics F

Line Band Protocol CPU OTP: One Time B D E

“wireless” “chips” S omparator P WM I2S SPI WLCSP AES U ADC RNG C / MDU Toys P aming Oscillators UART

Programable S 2-Wire SoC G Peripherals Wearables Healthcare C Automation package option package Appcessories ports & P Real Time Battery Monitor S onsumer Transceiver Analog ellphone Accessories Temperature C Connectivity C Wafer-level chip-scale Wafer-level System-on-Chip

2.4-GHz RF 1kB + 256B RAM 16MHz / 32kHz Crystal PC Desktop, Smart Remote, nRFgo Dev Kit nRF24LE1 2.4GHz Proprietary ● 8051 ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 16kB + 1.5kB Flash 16MHz / 32kHz RC R/C Toy Prog. Kit 1kB + 256B RAM 16MHz / 32kHz Crystal PC Desktop, Smart Remote, nRFgo Dev Kit nRF24LE1 OTP 2.4GHz Proprietary ● 8051 ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 16kB + 1kB OTP 16MHz / 32kHz RC R/C Toy Prog. Kit 2kB + 256B RAM PC Desktop, Smart Remote, nRFgo Dev Kit nRF24LU1+ 2.4GHz Proprietary ● 8051 16MHz Crystal ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● nRF24L 16/32kB Flash R/C Toy Prog. Kit 2kB + 256B RAM PC Desktop, Smart Remote, nRFgo Dev Kit nRF24LU1+ OTP 2.4GHz Proprietary ● 8051 16MHz Crystal ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 16kB + 1kB OTP R/C Toy Prog. Kit

nRF24L01+ 2.4GHz Proprietary ● – – 16MHz Crystal ● ● ● ● ● – Eval Kit

nRF24 nRF2460 (mono) 2.4GHz Proprietary ● – – 16MHz Crystal ● ● ● ● ● ● Microphone nRFgo Dev Kit Audio Streamer nRF24Z1 (stereo) 2.4GHz Proprietary ● – – 16MHz Crystal ● ● ● ● ● ● ● – Eval Kit

Bluetooth v4.x 32kB or 16kB RAM 16MHz / 32kHz Crystal nRF51822 2.4GHz ● Cortex M0 ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● PC Desktop, Smart Remote Eval Kit, Dev Kit ● nRF51 & Proprietary 128kB or 256kB Flash 16MHz / 32kHz RC

Sub 1-GHz RF 433 / 868 4 / 8 / 12 / 16 / 20MHz nRF9E5 Proprietary ● 8051 4kB + 256B RAM ● ● ● ● ● ● – Eval Kit nRF900 915MHz Crystal 433 / 868 4 / 8 / 12 / 16 / 20MHz Multiband nRF905 Proprietary ● – – ● ● – Eval Kit 915MHz Crystal

Bluetooth Smart Bluetooth 16MHz / 32kHz Crystal PC Desktop, Smart Remote, nRFgo Dev Kit nRF8001 2.4GHz ● – – ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● v4.x 32kHz RC Smartphone Demo Apps Prog. Kit nRF8000 Bluetooth 16MHz Crystal Key Tag, nRFgo Dev Kit nRF8002 2.4GHz ● – – ● ● v4.x 32kHz RC Smartphone Demo Apps Prog. Kit 32kB or 16kB RAM 16MHz / 32kHz Crystal PC Desktop, Smart Remote, nRF51822 2.4GHz Bluetooth v4.x ● Cortex M0 ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Eval Kit, Dev Kit ● & Proprietary 128kB or 256kB Flash 16MHz / 32kHz RC Smartphone Demo Apps

nRF51 Bluetooth v4.x 32kB or 16kB RAM 16MHz / 32kHz Crystal nRF51422 2.4GHz ● Cortex M0 ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Smartphone Demo Apps Eval Kit, Dev Kit ● & ANT 128kB or 256kB Flash 16MHz / 32kHz RC

ANT

nRF24AP2-1CH 2.4GHz ANT ● – – 16MHz / 32kHz Crystal ● ● ● ● ● ● Smartphone Demo Apps ANT Dev Kit

nRF24AP2 nRF24AP2-8CH 2.4GHz ANT ● – – 16MHz / 32kHz Crystal ● ● ● ● ● ● Smartphone Demo Apps ANT Dev Kit

nRF24AP2-USB 2.4GHz ANT ● – – 16MHz Crystal ● ● ● ● ● ANT USB Dongle ANT Dev Kit

Bluetooth v4.x 32kB or 16kB RAM 16MHz / 32kHz Crystal nRF51422 2.4GHz ● Cortex M0 ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Smartphone Demo Apps Eval Kit, Dev Kit ● nRF51 & ANT 128kB or 256kB Flash 16MHz / 32kHz RC

12 | SPRING 2015 | ULP WIRELESS QUARTER www.nordicsemi.com www.nordicsemi.com ULP WIRELESS QUARTER | SPRING 2015 | 13 DEVELOPER ZONE

IPv6 coffee, Bluetooth Smart first steps, PCB tips and more Nordic’s Developer Zone is buzzing with discussion about chips, software, design tips, and more from the ULP wireless world. ULP Wireless Q highlights what’s trending

ince its launch in downloaded from the nRF51822 June 2013, Nordic’s webpage. Developer Zone has For more from Kristin, go to Sfielded over 6000 https://devzone.nordicsemi.com/ questions and picked up a blogs/655/general-pcb-design- huge following of engineers, guidelines-for-nrf51/ hackers, students and just about anyone who’s interested in the Baby steps with Bluetooth Smart company’s products and how – David Edwin (Nordic Employee) best to use them in ULP wireless Are you looking to make your first applications. If you haven’t yet steps with Bluetooth Smart? Are had time to check out the site, you looking for hands-on help to we’ve selected some of the most get started with Bluetooth Smart? popular threads to whet the Playing could be the best form of appetite. But this is just a tiny learning and it’s time to play. sample of what’s trending on The Bluetooth SIG has created the “devzone”; to keep right up the Bluetooth Smart starter kit to date, head over to devzone. that allows you to quickly get nordicsemi.com now. started on BTLE (Bluetooth low energy). The kit includes the source Best of the Blogs code (for the Arduino and the phone i.e. iOS, Android, Ordering coffee over a web interface Blackberry, and Windows 8.1) IPv6-brewed coffee over is now possible with Nordic’s IPv6 Bluetooth Smart – Glenn Ruben over Bluetooth Smart and also has the list of hardware Bakke to purchase to start using the kit. We wanted to demonstrate the The required hardware includes exciting possibilities that IPv6 this demo is MQTT, a TCP based short wavelengths). One of the a Redbearlab BTLE shield and an over Bluetooth Smart enables and protocol. resulting effects is that the phase Arduino or compatible board. we wanted to show that by doing In this demo you can request a of a signal will vary along the This is a great way to get something practical. What better brew through the web interface. transmissions lines, as opposed started on BTLE, and gets you way than brewing coffee over You can also see if the coffee to low frequencies where the ready to play. You can play only IPv6? – not only demonstrating a machine is brewing or idle, the wavelengths are much larger after you know the rules and the connected appliance that can be number of cups brewed etc. – all than transmission lines, and this starter kit helps to understand the controlled and monitored from examples of monitoring a remote effect can be disregarded. If the rules of BTLE so you can quickly the Internet, but also getting a appliance. system (chip and antenna) is not start playing. nice cup of coffee at the end of it. For more from Glen, go to https:// matched, there will be reflections For more from David, go to The coffee machine, being devzone.nordicsemi.com/ of the signal in the transmission https://devzone.nordicsemi.com/ IP enabled, has its own IPv6 blogs/658/ipv6-brewed-coffee- line, resulting in loss. The system blogs/489/baby-steps-with- address which means it is directly over-bluetooth-smart/ can be matched using a 50 Ohm bluetooth-smart/ addressable from the Internet. reference point; matching the Also, native support IP protocols General PCB design guidelines chip and the antenna to 50 Ohm. allow the coffee machine and for nRF51 – Kristin (Nordic The RF part of the schematic Top-trending the cloud application to use Employee) and layout should be a copy of our questions the same protocol without any In RF, things work differently reference design. It means that need of proxy or translations. than in ‘regular’ electronics, not only the component values, ‘Guest’ asked: “How can The application protocol used in due to high frequencies (and but also the geometry, relative I calculate the maximum placement of the components throughput for an application with respect to each other, and running on the nRF51822 and the lengths of the transmission the S110, when connecting lines should be the same as in our to different kinds of Central  
   reference design. The reference devices?”        design for both nRF51822 QFN Ole Morten from Nordic and WLCSP package can be answered: There are primarily 3

14 | SPRING 2015 | ULP WIRELESS QUARTER www.nordicsemi.com DEVELOPER ZONE

factors that determine maximum on the nRFgo Starter Kit, one with throughput with BLE: operation a PCB antenna and one with an type, connection interval, and SMA connector. The motherboard number of packets transmitted from the nRFgo Starter Kit is then per connection event. used to provide power and I/O For high-throughput access. applications, you should make sure The Development Kit also to use either Write Commands includes an nRF51 Development (Write without response) or USB dongle, which is a Notification. In each such Write small dongle with a Segger Command or Notification, you programmer chip and an can have 20 Byte data. Given a  
   nRF51822 chip. This is used, for number of packets per interval, example, as the dongle for the n, and a connection interval, T,        Master Control Panel. the maximum throughput can be With the Evaluation Kit on the calculated from n x 20 Byte x 1/T. First, there is the concept of responses) or just sends such other hand, you get this same For Ole’s full answer go to Central/Peripheral, which has packages, without ever entering a dongle and just one other board, https://devzone.nordicsemi. to do with establishing a link. connection. the Evaluation Kit itself. The com/question/3440/how-do-i- A Peripheral can advertise, to For Ole’s full answer go to https:// Evaluation Kit board is a stand- calculate-throughput-for-a-ble- let other devices know that it’s devzone.nordicsemi.com/ alone board that includes an link/ there, but it is only a Central that question/232/what-is-a-client- on-board Segger programmer can actually send a connection and-server-in-ble/ and has two buttons/LEDs. The ‘Guest’ asked: “When working request to establish a connection. Segger chip also provides a virtual with Bluetooth low energy, one When a link has been established, ‘Guest’ asked: “What’s the serial port that can be used to sees a lot of different names for the Central is sometimes called a difference between nRF51822 talk to the nRF51822 from the PC. roles, which is confusing. What is Master, while the Peripheral could Evaluation and Development Most importantly, the Evaluation actually the difference between be called a Slave. Kits?” Kit does not come with a separate them all, master, slave, central, The Core Specification also Ole Morten from Nordic programmer that can be used to peripheral, client, server and so defines the roles of an Observer answered: The difference is program custom boards. on?” and a Broadcaster. These are primarily that the Development For Ole’s full answer go to Ole Morten from Nordic basically just non-connecting Kit is made to be used with the https://devzone.nordicsemi. answered: No wonder you are variants of the Central and nRFgo Starter Kit, while the com/question/609/whats-the- confused, but there are two Peripheral, in other words devices Evaluation Kit is a standalone kit. difference-between-nrf51822- different kind of roles in BLE that that just listen for advertisement With the Development Kit, you evaluation-and-development- it’s useful to separate. packages (and possibly send scan get two different modules that fit kits/ 8

ULP Wireless Q now available as a digital Download FREE from Apple Newsstand download on Apple iPad and receive automatically Nordic Semiconductor’s ULP Wireless Q keeps you up to date on every quarter everything that’s happening in the Bluetooth Smart, ANT+, and proprietary ultra low power wireless technology sector And now, if you own an Apple iPad® you can download the digital version for free from Apple Newsstand (itunes.apple. com/us/app/nordic-semiconductor-ulp- wirelessq/id806052005?mt=8) and have new issues automatically delivered every quarter The digital version of ULP Wireless Q, designed to make the most of the iPad’s large high-resolution display, includes all the interactivity you’d expect, including links back to relevant articles archived on the Nordic website, new product releases, analysts’ information, blogs, videos, and much more ULP Wireless Q – your essential quarterly guide to ultra low power wireless technology in digital, electronic (PDF), and print format

www.nordicsemi.com ULP WIRELESS QUARTER | SPRING 2015 | 15 INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE Opening the doors Open source software is coming to the previously closed world of ultra low power wireless, reports Sally Ward-Foxton

Sally Ward-Foxton is a freelance journalist specializing in electronics

pen source, or the concept of users of software collaborating Oto improve it, has gone from strength to strength in recent years. And the concept seems to work. Since the inception of the open source operating system Linux in the early 1990s, it has come to be regarded as one of the most stable operating systems out there, and is used in web servers across the world as well as many mainframes and supercomputers. A better example of the open source model would be hard to find; the Linux kernel is also the basis for Google’s Android operating system. Today, a proliferation of versions of Linux for different power (ULP) wireless specialist development kits, we realized designs, called the Developer applications exists, and a vast Nordic Semiconductor. “When that there was a significant Zone, and as part of that, community collaborates to fix people make changes, they development community working started a Github account. bugs, add new features, and test have to go through an [informal] on our intellectual property [IP], Bonnerud sees it as an the different versions. Following accreditation process by people and that a lot of the activity came opportunity to get developers Linux’s example, the base of who are members of that Github from non-traditional customers to contribute – if they find a open source software available account. So you don’t just spawn like innovative start-ups. bug, for example, they fix it and has grown at a rapid pace and thousands of really lousy copies; “We came to a point where share it. Some of the first code today community development they sit in limbo for a bit until there were enough developers libraries to be shared include sites like Github.com offer a wide people agree the changes have working on our stuff that they software for microcontrollers range of software for all kinds improved things, and then [the started to share code, despite our used in combination with of applications. The site makes software] becomes a new fork of ‘closed door’ license agreement,” Nordic’s nRF8001 Bluetooth it easy for developers to build that library.” he says. “The community had Smart connectivity chips. Today, things together by providing already built an entire OSX developers have modified this a mechanism for sharing code New to wireless toolchain for our IP and shared it. code to run on microcontrollers libraries and evaluating code that Despite the success of the open We made the decision that this from Atmel, Microchip, TI and has been produced by members. source movement in many was not something we wanted to other chips and shared it for But with so many developers applications and markets, it’s stop, rather something we wanted fellow engineers to use too. of different skill levels working on a new idea for the traditionally to encourage and drive further.” “We know that the majority of any one project, how is quality conservative ULP wireless sector. Today, Nordic has removed a investment that our customers maintained and what happens if “Traditionally we had the lot of the barriers to getting hold make in our chips is actually the work someone produces isn’t ‘industry-standard’ formal of its technical documentation software, and a lot of the up to the right standard? control on allowing access to and software. Some software can innovative software developers “What you tend to find is that our software and development even be downloaded without a grew up with open source, so it self-polices. People give credit kits,” explains Thomas Embla non-disclosure agreement (NDA) they know that model, they or criticism to any new copies Bonnerud, Director of Product and even without registration. trust it, they like it,” Bonnerud of the original code,” says John Management at Nordic. “But once The company opened a forum says. “They co-operate across Leonard, Tactical Marketing we started to ship a significant for developers to offer support to companies to such a degree that Manager with 2.4 GHz ultra low number of Bluetooth Smart those working on Nordic-based you might be surprised to see

16 | SPRING 2015 | ULP WIRELESS QUARTER www.nordicsemi.com INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

how much code they actually community must be balanced share, even between start-up against any potential risks. For companies that are competing example, what happens if some with each other.” unscrupulous company takes Nordic’s code and without Cautious Approach breaching any license, ports it to Despite open source gaining such a device that directly competes momentum over many years, with Nordic’s own product? some major wireless System- “If they really want to copy on-Chip (SoC) manufacturers our code, they are going to do keep even basic information that anyway,” Bonnerud says. about their products, like data “What we’d be doing [by keeping sheets, a closely-guarded secret. the closed license] is creating A significant development community is working on Nordic’s intellectual problems for our users and trying property through the company’s software development kits to protect against something we can’t really protect against because it takes the agreement of anyway.” only a few key personnel. At a glance Nonetheless, some careful Aside from company cultures management is required on though, there are other factors Ë A large community is Nordic’s part. The company must collaborating on ultra low at play. The tens of thousands make sure it engages actively power wireless of developers working on applications enough with the community so applications based on Nordic’s that it remains the key maintainer devices and kits is in direct Ë Nordic has made some of for all of its open source software its code libraries and contrast with the big players, development kits (SDKs). The SDKs available to the who tend to be focused on a open-source community idea is to test future versions of smaller number of key accounts. the SDKs that involve community A large number of developers is Ë Software developers are contributions so that Nordic needed to make up an effective increasingly becoming can guarantee the quality and key decision makers on community so the momentum components in their approve them for production Nordic has built for its technology, companies use. If this doesn’t happen combined with momentum proactively, the community from the uptake of Bluetooth may ‘fork’ the SDK; this means Smart in Internet of Things (IoT) its Cloud technology is actually an improved version may exist Bonnerud’s view is that their applications, really lends itself to open-source technology. It is that doesn’t have Nordic’s culture and mindset naturally the open-source approach. an established concept in many stamp of approval, leading to prevents these larger companies “I do think you will see others different fields.” confusion. Commitment to from making the step to a more follow [Nordic’s approach],” Of course, with any strategic following through and serving open approach, whereas younger, Bonnerud continues. “What decision like this, there are the community in the right way is more dynamic companies such as we are talking about is very pros and cons to be carefully therefore required. Nordic are able to make strategic normal in other industries; if considered. The value of opening Ultimately, Nordic’s view is that decisions like this a lot more easily you look at Microsoft, a lot of up some of Nordic’s code to the the pros of working with the open source community outweigh the cons, since making developers’ lives easier is a good way to get “Innovative software them on side. “In the traditional developers grew up with open semiconductor world, you sell source, so they know that [your product] to the customer’s purchasing officer and he or model, they trust it, they like it” she ‘forces’ their developers Thomas Embla Bonnerud to use your IC, because it fits the purchaser’s parameters [such as cost and availability],” says Bonnerud. “But these days you see that more and more developers are the key component selection decision makers and they will have a tendency to pick the things they like to work on. Lowering the [technical] barrier, making things easily available, open sourcing, these are the kind of things that today’s developers really care about.” 8 www.nordicsemi.com ULP WIRELESS QUARTER | SPRING 2015 | 17 INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

How IPv6 will widen the scope of the Internet of Things Within five years, up to 30 billion devices, each requiring its own IP address, will be connected to the Internet. Caroline Hayes explores the implications

PC or dedicated Bluetooth- Caroline Hayes to-Internet hub to connect is a U.K.-based technology a sensor to the Internet is a journalist good way to experiment with the IoT, it’s impractical in the he Internet of Things long term because it would be (IoT) offers a myriad of far too expensive to use such opportunities, possibly devices to route traffic from the Tonly restricted by the billions of sensors that could inventiveness of the OEM. For eventually make up the network. example, smart cities will rely The Bluetooth Special on the IoT to advise where Interest Group (SIG) has traffic congestion is lightest, addressed this challenge, to re-route vehicles, or with Bluetooth Version 4.2 where and when utilities are (v4.2). required, and the most cost- efficient times to use them. Optimized for IoT Wireless sensors at the This latest version of edge of the IoT will monitor Bluetooth technology factory equipment and (released in December conditions for optimum 2014) enhances the performance. In the technology for IoT use with home, these sensors will capabilities such as the communicate with lighting ability to detect, access, and heating systems, via and control any Bluetooth the Internet, to initiate Smart device over the operation when needed. Internet, using standard Even domestic appliances Hypertext Transfer Protocol will be able to communicate (HTTP). This allows a to advise of when a service is mobile application or due, sending an alert to the web browser to review Smart cities will rely on the IoT to run more efficiently owner’s smartphone to book the status of Bluetooth a service. Other opportunities life and lowering maintenance MAC) authenticated encryption Smart devices remotely, using an are in health care and fitness, overheads. (See box “A tale of two algorithm for confidentiality and Internet connection. for example sending data to the technologies” on page 19.) authentication. (This is important, The latest Bluetooth Core Internet to track blood glucose Bluetooth Smart technology’s as data sent over the air must Specification also provides levels, heart rate or other vital ultra low power operation be secure – you don’t want your for Bluetooth Smart devices signs. And IoT beacons will allows months, or even years, neighbor knowing your blood to be able to connect and provide contextual information of uninterrupted operation pressure readings, for example!) communicate with standard web and inform a shopper which from small batteries, and the Bluetooth Smart also benefits servers, using a Generic Attribute stores are close by, and which are technology benefits from an from a large ecosystem of Profile (GATT) service, called the holding a sale at the moment. established, open standard, Bluetooth Smart Ready devices, HTTP Proxy Service – or HPS. But if the IoT is to reach this underwriting interoperability. such as smartphones. There were But perhaps the most potential, the wireless sensors Bluetooth Smart saves power 1.3 billion Bluetooth Smart devices important enhancement of on its fringes will need to be by sending packets of data in 2013, a figure expected to Bluetooth v4.2 is its support unobtrusive, reliable, and low quickly (raw data transfer speed grow to 3.3 billion by 2016. These for Internet Protocol version maintenance. Bluetooth Smart is 1Mbps) and then returning devices can be leveraged to 6 (IPv6). Using the Internet is an ideal technology for IoT quickly to a sleep state. It relay information from Bluetooth Protocol Support Profile (IPSP) sensor applications because it is is also a secure technology Smart sensors to the Internet; no the Bluetooth Smart device purpose designed for frequent with full AES-128 encryption competing technology can boast can be allocated an IPv6 transmission of sensor data using the CCM (counter with this level of support. address and use the protocol to while consuming very little cipher block chaining message However, while using the communicate with other IPv6 power – extending battery authentication code, or CBC- resources of a smartphone, tablet, sensors or other devices directly.

18 | SPRING 2015 | ULP WIRELESS QUARTER www.nordicsemi.com INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

software stack into the wireless IoT-connected wireless sensors will System-on-Chip (SoC) powering improve the efficiency of escalator the connected thing. Such a stack maintenance, cutting costs must comprise IP, Constrained Application Protocol (CoAp) and Message Queue Telemetry Transport (MQTT), in addition to the SoC’s Bluetooth Smart stack and application code. Only with At a glance a compatible, capable SoC and Ë IPv6 will provide 340 optimized software will vendors undecillion IP addresses, be able to run end-to-end IP and plenty enough for every eliminate the expensive router or ‘thing’ to have its own IP gateway. “It is the software that address will allow for adaptability,” says Ë Bluetooth v4.2 supports Bonnerud. IPv6, taking Bluetooth Nordic Semiconductor has Smart from a smartphone- addressed this challenge with centric structure to end- the released of a Software to-end communications Development Kit (SDK) for IoT Ë Development tools allow applications using IPv6 over developers to experiment Bluetooth Smart. The SDK is with IPv6 over Bluetooth based on the company’s nRF51 Smart as part of a Series SoCs and is Arduino heterogeneous network and Raspberry Pi-compatible (allowing these inexpensive computing devices to be used as “I believe that the [existing] Internet will not adapt to the IoT, but that headless routers). The SDK allows the IoT will be an extension of the Internet as we know it today” developers to experiment with nRF51 Series Bluetooth Smart “IPv6 over Bluetooth Smart” multicasting to transmit a packet to what Bonnerud describes as devices talking directly to other capability eliminates the need for to multiple destinations in a single, the bigger IoT around us all. “Now Bluetooth Smart sensors as part an expensive router (however, send operation. This feature is we can take Bluetooth Smart of a heterogeneous IP network. because Bluetooth Smart is a optional in IPv4. from being smartphone-centric For Bonnerud, the introduction short-range technology, sensors to a wider range of applications,” of an SDK that allows developers might require the use of an Untethered access he enthuses, contrasting it with to play with IPv6 over Bluetooth inexpensive ‘headless’ router to For Thomas Embla Bonnerud, one view of the IoT comprising Smart is an important step: “The relay packets to the Internet). Director Product Management Bluetooth Smart devices and main driver for the IoT is the Currently, the majority at Nordic Semiconductor, IPv6 proprietary mesh solutions. interaction between the Cloud of devices, smartphones, presents an exciting opportunity. “I believe that the [existing] and the device,” he says, citing computers, games consoles “It means you can connect a Internet will not adapt to the the contemporary example of and other devices use IPv4 to device to the Internet and talk to IoT, but that the IoT will be an wearables, where a Cloud service communicate over the Internet. a Cloud service or a web service extension of the Internet as we makes, for example, a fitness Unfortunately, the 4.3 billion IP all the time – not just when a know it today,” says Bonnerud. tracker smarter, by analyzing addresses generated by IPv4’s smartphone is active,” he says. For this to happen, he insists that statistics and intelligently 32-bit address scheme are fast “IPv6 for Bluetooth Smart can use there is no place for proprietary presenting trends. being exhausted. (In February a headless router bringing end-to- technology: “There has to be This interaction promises even 2011, the last block of 16 million end communications between the open standards based on IP.” bigger opportunities. One of IPv4 addresses was allocated to ‘thing’ and the Cloud service.” This The key technical challenge Bonnerud’s favorite examples is regional registers.) extends the reach of Bluetooth is to integrate a complete IP escalator monitoring whereby IPv6 uses a 128-bit address IoT sensors constantly report scheme which generates 3.4 temperature and vibration x 1038 (or 340 undecillion) A tale of two technologies allowing a Cloud server to trigger addresses. The address format From the release of Bluetooth Core Specification version 4.0 maintenance based on the actual is hexadecimal and separated (“Bluetooth v4.0”) the technology split into two interoperable state of the moving stairway by colons (for example, “2015:9 variants: Bluetooth Smart and Bluetooth Smart Ready. Bluetooth rather than a calendar flagging ce8:0011:ae3g:5f6a:6742:b21c:0 Smart (previously known as Bluetooth low energy) is an ultra periodic overhauls. eg6”), whereas IPv4 is decimal, low power form designed for wireless devices with limited “IPv6 over Bluetooth Smart formatted as four numbers, from power resources (such as IoT sensors). Bluetooth Smart Ready will move the Internet from 0 to 250, and separated by a full is the successor of the familiar technology used in cellphones, a human-centric network stop (for example, “192.168.0.3”). smartphones, and PCs, and offers higher bandwidth at the to a ‘thing’ dominated one,” The longer addresses simplify expense of power consumption. Bluetooth Smart chips can concludes Bonnerud. “And address allocation and make communicate with Bluetooth Smart Ready chips but not once that happens, we’ll be very routing more efficient. previous versions of the technology; Bluetooth Smart Ready can pleased we’ve got the freedom Another progression is that communicate with all Bluetooth chips, including legacy devices. of an inexhaustible addressing the IPv6 specification uses scheme.” 8 www.nordicsemi.com ULP WIRELESS QUARTER | SPRING 2015 | 19 TECHNICAL BRIEFING

Book excerpt: ‘Getting Started with Bluetooth Low Energy’ The second excerpt from a new book on the fundamentals of Bluetooth Low Energy / Bluetooth Smart wireless technology looks at the technology’s throughput and range

he modulation rate IC manufactured by Nordic BLE, but the peer device you are Operating range of the Bluetooth Low Semiconductor. Nordic’s radio pushing data to (typically a smart The actual range of any wireless Energy (BLE) radio is set hardware and BLE stack impose device such as a smartphone or a device depends on a wide Tby the specification at the following data throughput tablet) can add further limitations. variety of factors (operating a constant 1Mbps. This sets the limitations: The nRF51822 can Your smartphone or tablet environment, antenna design, theoretical upper limit for the transmit up to six data packets might also be busy talking to enclosure, device orientation, throughput that BLE can provide, per connection interval (limited other devices, and vendor- etc.) but Bluetooth Low Energy but in actual terms, this limit is by the IC); each outgoing data implemented BLE stacks is unsurprisingly focused on very typically lowered significantly packet can contain up to 20 inevitably have their own short-range communication. by a variety of factors, including bytes of user data (set by the limitations, which means the Transmit power (typically but not restricted to bidirectional specification unless higher packet central device might not actually measured in dBm) is usually traffic, protocol overhead, CPU sizes are negotiated). be able to handle data at the configurable over a certain range and radio limitations, and artificial Assuming the shortest maximum data rate either. And (usually between -30 and 0 dBm), software restrictions. connection interval (the because of multiple other factors, but the higher the transmit power To illustrate some of these frequency at which the master the actual connection interval (better range), the more demands practical restrictions, consider and the slave exchange packets) might be spread out further or are placed on the battery, the following basic preconditions of 7.5 ms, this provides a more irregularly than you had reducing the usable lifetime of the we’ll use for a calculation: A maximum of 133 connection originally planned. battery cell(s). central (master) device has events (a single packet exchange So, in practice, a typical It’s possible to create and initiated and established a between the two peers) per best-case scenario should configure a BLE device that can connection with a peripheral second and 120 bytes per probably assume a potential reliably transmit data 30 meters (slave) accessory; while in connection event (6 packets maximum data throughput in or more line-of-sight, but a typical an active connection, the * 20 user bytes per packet). the neighborhood of 5-10 kbytes operating range is probably closer specification defines the Continuously transmitting at per second, depending on the to 2 to 5 meters, with a conscious connection interval to be the the maximum data rate of the limitations of both peers. (See effort to reduce the range and interval between two consecutive nRF51822 would suggest the box “Racing to Idle”.) This should save battery life without the connection events (a data following real-world calculation: give you an idea of what you can transmission distance becoming a exchange before going back to an and can’t do with Bluetooth Low nuisance to the end user. 8 idle state to save power), and this 133 connection events per second Energy in terms of pushing data connection interval can be set to a * 120 bytes = 15960 bytes/s or out to your phone or tablet and This is the second in a series of value between 7.5 ms and 4 s. ~0.125Mbit/s (~125kbit/s) explain why other technologies extracts from “Getting Started For this example, we’ll use the such as Wi-Fi and classic with Bluetooth Low Energy” by nRF51822, a widely available That’s already significantly lower Bluetooth still have their place in Kevin Townsend, Carles Cufí, SoC (system on chip) BLE than the theoretical maximum of the world. Akiba, and Robert Davidson and is reproduced with permission of the book’s publishers O’Reilly (www. oreilly.com). Copies of the book are Racing to Idle available from http://shop.oreilly. In a world where things usually get faster with time, 10 kbytes per second might seem slow and com/product/0636920033011. counterproductive, but it does highlight the primary design goal of Bluetooth Low Energy: low do, as well as from Amazon. energy! Even transmitting at these relatively modest data rates, 10 kbytes per second will quickly Co-author Carles Cufí is a Senior drain any small coin cell battery, and the Bluetooth SIG made a clear, conscious effort not to design yet Software Engineer with Nordic another generic wireless protocol and slap the label “low power” on it. Instead, they wanted to design Semiconductor. the lowest power protocol possible, optimizing in every way possible to achieve that goal. The easiest way to avoid consuming precious battery power is to turn the radio off as often as possible and for as long as possible, and that is achieved by using short burst of packets (during a connection event) at a certain frequency (determined by the connection interval). In between those, the radio is simply powered off. This means low amounts of data transmitted in short bursts, with connection intervals spread as far apart as possible to save battery life. The user-selectable 7.5 ms–4 s connection interval offers a sufficiently wide window to allow product designers to make the right tradeoff between responsiveness (a short connection interval) and battery life (a longer connection interval), without straying too far from the narrow design goals behind BLE.

20 | SPRING 2015 | ULP WIRELESS QUARTER www.nordicsemi.com NORDIC INSIDE

Magellan Echo Smart Watch

A few years ago smartphones looked to be driving the digital watch market into terminal decline. Fast forward to 2013, and with 3.1 million smartwatch Recent research from the University of Birmingham in the U.K. found that a person’s units sold and a market size of internal ‘body clock’ can affect sporting $700 million, according to analyst performance by as much as 26 percent, Smartwatch Group, the watch is depending on the time of day an activity is making a comeback, and smart undertaken and whether they consider sportswatches like the Magellan themselves an early riser or a ‘night owl’. According to the research, early risers reach Echo are leading the charge their athletic peak around lunchtime, while night owls are best around eight in the evening.

The Pulsar NL C01 is generally acknowledged as being the world’s first ‘smartwatch’. Released by Seiko The Magellan Echo uses Nordic in 1982 the NL C01 sold for $3995 or Semiconductor’s µBlue™ nRF8001 chip to $10,295 adjusted for inflation in 2015. provide Bluetooth Smart connectivity. The Early adopters didn’t get a lot for their chip’s ultra-low power (ULP) operating money, the watch’s only smart characteristics help the Magellan Echo to function was the ability to store 24 be powered by a single CR2032 coin cell digits in its user-programmable battery. This supports a traditional memory. A year later Seiko released lightweight (44 gram) sportswatch form- the Data 2000 watch which came with factor while leveraging Bluetooth Smart an external keyboard for data entry wireless technology to connect to the and the capability to store 2000 latest smartphone sports apps and GPS characters. In contrast, the Magellan functionality. Echo sports smartphone connectivity, runs for months from a coin cell battery, displays real time data from sports apps on a high resolution The Magellan Echo smart sports watch is display, and can receive firmware designed for both professional and updates over the air, all for $149.99. weekend athletes, allowing them to control compatible smartphone apps from their wrist as well as remotely controlling common smartphone functions such as music replay. The smartwatch can function as an everyday watch while also offering specialized app support for golf, skiing, hiking, running, and other outdoor activities, creating a personalized data set so the user can analyze their performance over time. Magellan Echo Smart Watch This sports watch can stream smartphone sports app data for up to 11 months

www.nordicsemi.com ULP WIRELESS QUARTER | SPRING 2015 | 21 IN THE PRESS

Meeting the challenge of the IoT John Leonard discusses the future of the Internet of Things with EETimes China

time and will likely carry on for John Leonard is Tactical Marketing many years. There is no single Manager with issue that is preventing progress, Nordic Semiconductor just decisions to be taken about how the IoT as a whole will work. EETimes China: What At this stage, IPv6 traffic is pretty opportunities does the much a given as the preferred Internet of Things (IoT) protocol for transportation of present to semiconductor data across the IoT in the same companies? way that IPv4 has been used for John Leonard: The opportunities HTTP traffic. At the endpoints of for semiconductor companies wireless networks, data will flow are numerous and occur all the using several types of physical way up the value chain. For layers (PHY) such as Bluetooth example, the IoT will provide a Smart, Wi-Fi or 802.15.4. Much much better way of interfacing of today’s work is focused on the physical world with the digital making sure IPv6 runs smoothly The IoT will bring one by using wireless sensors to many opportunities over these different technologies. measure, record, and transmit to semiconductor information about their local companies EETC: What is Nordic’s roadmap environment. Technologies such for IoT products? as Bluetooth Smart will power such as wearables, toys, health- develop applications quickly JL: Nordic has always focused many of these wireless sensors. care products, and domestic with minimum risk because the on connecting “things-to-things” But this is just one example appliances. application code and protocol – long before the IoT was a hot of an IoT opportunity, others software are cleanly separated. topic. For example, in 2003, include Wi-Fi hubs to connect EETC: What product solutions Among other benefits, this Nordic was the first company sensors that aren’t equipped with does Nordic provide for the IoT arrangement makes it easier for to use ULP wireless technology Internet Protocol (IP) software sector? engineers to re-use application to connect things-to-things (for to the Internet and Cloud-based JL: Nordic’s nRF51 Series code from previous product example, a Sunnto sportswatch servers to process data from Systems-on-Chip (SoCs) are an iterations rather than starting to a heart rate monitor) and sensors and use the information ideal solution for the endpoints of development from scratch each things-to-a-PC (the same watch to generate value. the IoT. Not only do the devices time. to a desktop computer via a support Bluetooth Smart, but USB dongle). A year later, it EETC: What challenges does the also ANT+ (RF protocol software EETC: What’s the largest was the first company to make IoT bring? from Dynastream Innovations, a bottleneck in rolling out the IoT? a lowly pedometer smart by JL: The key activity right now is long time Nordic Semiconductor JL: Wide-ranging discussions connecting it to the Internet at either end of the chain. One design partner) and Nordic’s own about how the IoT will operate (via a PC). Then in 2010, the end is formed by the back-end proprietary 2.4-GHz protocol. have been going on for a long company pioneered the use integration that needs to ensure Nordic’s nRF51 Series SoCs of Bluetooth Smart to connect services can communicate combine a powerful 32-bit ARM appcessories to smartphones, seamlessly and that applications Cortex-M0, multiprotocol 2.4- and now, in 2014, it is leading the can access these services. At the GHz radio, and flash memory on way in developing chips that will other end of the IoT, the challenge a single chip. The ARM processor connect products directly to the is to handle the huge volume of is easily able to handle any Cloud, underpinning the growth information passing from and application software as well of the IoT. to compact wireless sensors. as looking after the wireless An example of this strategy is A notable enhancement to the protocol. the recent launch of Nordic’s most latest version (v4.2) of Bluetooth Nordic chips bring together advanced feature-rich Bluetooth technology, for example, IoT connectivity with the Smart protocol stack to date - the facilitates IP-connected operation computational power to S130 SoftDevice, a Bluetooth (leading to wireless sensors which run applications on a single 4.1-compliant protocol stack - can directly communicate across device. The company’s chips that allows the development of the Internet). Such functionality are specifically designed to be EETimes China Nordic nRF51 Series SoC-based will become increasingly extremely power efficient and This article was first published in peripheral wireless sensors that important as the number of the nRF51 Series’ unique software EETimes China in December 2014 don’t always need a smartphone sensors proliferates into sectors architecture makes it easy to present to operate. 8

22 | SPRING 2015 | ULP WIRELESS QUARTER www.nordicsemi.com PEOPLE & PLACES

Ebbe Rømcke

Formulating optimized work processes leads to job satisfaction

i, I’m Ebbe Rømcke demanding customers, more and I’m the Quality Ebbe Rømcke recently complex products, larger Director for Nordic completed a marathon bike production volumes, new ride from Trondheim to Oslo HSemiconductor. technologies, more staff, more I joined Nordic initially in disciplines within the company, 1990 where I worked for three and more international office years as a Digital Designer in locations. Trondheim before leaving the Outside of work I enjoy company to join Normarc (now keeping fit by road cycling: I Indra Navia), where I again prioritize training for several worked as a Digital Designer on hours, no matter the weather the company’s air traffic control conditions, whenever I have the Instrument Landing Systems chance. (ILS) platform. Last year I completed a 540 I rejoined Nordic in 1997 km tour from Trondheim to Oslo when the company opened its with my local cycling club. This first offices in Oslo, again as a was really challenging and at Digital Designer, and was later times pushed me to my mental promoted to Project Manager, and physical limits, although Group Manager, and finally staying positive for my team Quality Director in 2002. mates and making fun of my My main role is to ensure own physical pains did help Nordic delivers what it agrees to keep me going. deliver to customers, at the time I also enjoy spending time with it agrees to deliver it by liaising real kick out of solving genuine my wife, dog, and our four (now closely with all departments problems with customers in Personal Profile mostly young adult) children. involved including internal sales such a way that we end up with NAME: It’s been a real joy seeing four & marketing, development, a strengthened relationship on Ebbe Rømcke quite different personalities production, administration, and the back of it. JOB TITLE: grow up to be independent external distributors, contract And although we always Quality Director human beings, making their JOINED NORDIC: manufacturers, and customers. strive for perfection, this own choices and forming their 1990 & 1997 (rejoined) One of the things I really includes implementing lessons own lives. The problem is that BASED: like about my job is that I learnt from any (near) failure Oslo, Norway my male dog Rico seems to am genuinely interested in scenarios and adapting to new INTERESTS INCLUDE: think this applies to him too – formulating and maintaining challenges. From a quality Family; Cycling; Sailing; which is a real problem given his optimized work processes and perspective, this includes Woodturning fondness for the female dogs in communications and I get a having more customers, more our neighborhood! 8 “I get a real kick out of solving genuine problems with customers in such a way that we end up with a strengthened relationship on the back of it”

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www.nordicsemi.com ULP WIRELESS QUARTER | SPRING 2015 | 23  

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