QUARTER 4 | WINTER 2018

COVER STORY Track everything: Nordic’s cellular IoT launched

Bluetooth tech’s final frontier Building a successful standard Wireless transforms healthcare OPINION

Peder Rand

Cellular IoT now available for all

hat Nordic Semiconductor, together with partner Qorvo, has been working on a cellular IoT ESA is using satellites to relay Bluetooth Low Energy signals module, designed from the ground up to meet the LTE-M and NB-IoT specifications, is no to Earthbound beacons secret. The nRF91 Series multimode cellular IoT module combines Nordic’s nRF91 Series TSystem-in-Package (SiP) with Qorvo’s custom RF front-end solution and advanced packaging technology. (See this issue pg8.) Details of the module were revealed in Nordic’s “sneak peek” back in ULP Wireless Q is published January this year and the engineering behind the product, plus likely early applications, have been on behalf of Nordic discussed here and elsewhere in the months since. Semiconductor by Ecritech But what has remained under wraps is the work Nordic has been doing with customers to make sure www.ecritech.com that upon launch, the nRF91 Series meets all the promises the company has made for it. I can’t reveal exactly how many external concerns have worked with pre-production samples of the nRF91 Series, but Editor Steven Keeping I can say it’s a representative sample of the kind of companies—large and small—that have been crying e-mail: [email protected] out for this kind of product. Assistant Editor Nordic’s strategy for cellular IoT is exactly the same as that which has seen it become a leader in Chris Williams Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth LE). We don’t want our customers to be intimidated or constrained e-mail: [email protected] by complex RF hardware and software engineering, instead we want to make it easy for them to rapidly Production Editor realize their Internet of Things (IoT) application ideas by abstracting away complexity via easy-to-use Andrew Woolls-King development tools. e-mail: [email protected] In my role as Nordic’s Product Manager for Cellular IoT, I have the pleasure of informing ULP Wireless Designer Q readers that the nRF9160 SiP—the first member of Nordic’s nRF91 Series—is now available for Julie Coughlan everyone from sole innovators through modest start-ups to huge global electronics firms. The modules e-mail: [email protected] and development tools are now in stock at Nordic’s distributors across the world. Image Editor This is an important moment in Nordic’s history and I’m just one small part of the team that has Neale Hobday worked incredibly hard over the last four years to bring the nRF91 Series to this point. From the e-mail: [email protected] company’s management team and highly talented cellular and low power wireless experts in Finland Print & Distribution and Norway, through to all the support staff, every single person at Nordic has worked tirelessly to Printech Europe ensure the company reached the commercial launch deadline. Combining the complexity of cellular engineering, a new generation of powerful CPUs, and the nuances of low power consumption in a highly-integrated, compact module with an outstanding price/ performance ratio is no mean feat. It’s one that would stretch the resources of a giant global chip maker, let alone a small Norwegian firm that originally carved its niche by pioneering coin-cell powered wireless Subscribe technology. And it’s an achievement we’re proud of. But while we’re pleased with what we’ve achieved so far, the true test will be how the product fares in a highly competitive market. Cellular IoT has a promising future and the work Nordic has done so far Talk to @NordicTweets with customers has given us a high level of confidence that the nRF91 Series is the right product at the right time. I look forward to 2019 with a sense of excitement about how things will proceed from here.

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Peder Rand Product Manager – Cellular IoT Join online forum: devzone.nordicsemi.com

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Karl Helmer Torvmark is Technical Svein-Egil Nielsen is CTO at Nordic John Leonard is Tactical Marketing The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are Product Manager at Nordic Semiconductor. On page 11 he Manager at Nordic Semiconductor. registered trademarks owned by the Semiconductor. On page 9 he takes examines how edge computing will On page 18 he explains how to get Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Nordic Semiconductor is under license. a closer look at what is required to prove invaluable for IoT devices in started developing a solution using make a standard successful the future Bluetooth mesh © Nordic Semiconductor 2018

2 | WINTER 2018 | ULP WIRELESS QUARTER www.nordicsemi.com NEWS

The latest developments from Nordic Semiconductor

Polar GPS multisport watch improves In brief performance across 130 sports Nordic posts record Q3 revenue Finland-based wearable training effort to measure the pioneer, Polar, has released balance between strain and Nordic Semiconductor has its ‘Vantage V’ and ‘Vantage tolerance helping individuals reported all-time high record M’ multisport watches, designed recognize their personal limits. revenue of $78.7 million during Q3 2018. The result represents to improve athletic performance The technology also informs the year-on-year growth of 19.9 across more than 130 different user of over- or under-training. percent. Sales of Bluetooth sport profiles. The Polar Vantage V also offers Low Energy solutions The waterproof watches ‘Recovery Pro’ which offers contributed $54.3 million feature an ‘always-on’ 240 by personalized training guidance (69 percent of total revenue). 240-pixel color touchscreen based on analysis of heart rate Year-on-year growth in both display, GPS tracking, and Polar variability (HRV) orthostatic the consumer electronics ‘Precision Prime’ heart rate results to help recovery and and healthcare sectors was technology. Precision Prime avoid injury, as well as particularly strong. Nordic’s proprietary chips also posted employs a 3D accelerometer, calculating running power solid returns, delivering 35.5 electrodes to measure sensor- without the need for external The Polar watches monitor percent growth over Q3 2017. skin contact, and nine optical cardiovascular load, muscular sensors. LEDs that deploy two load, and perceived load Using Bluetooth Low Energy Cellular IoT to wavelengths of light to measure connectivity provided by Nordic’s heart-rate data from blood The Polar Vantage V also offers nRF52832 System-on-Chip (SoC), boom by 2025 vessels in different skin layers. a barometric altitude sensor. this data is synced to the user’s Global IoT cellular connections According to Polar this sensor Both watches feature Polar’s Bluetooth 4.0 (and later) are expected to hit the 5 fusion technology and its Training Load Pro technology. smartphone, where they can view billion mark by 2025 and proprietary algorithm provide This combines cardiovascular detailed training statistics via the China will continue to lead highly accurate and reliable wrist- load, muscular load, and an iOS- and Android-compatible by contributing nearly two- based heart-rate readings. athlete’s perception of the Polar Flow app. thirds, according to analyst, Counterpoint Research. The research notes that global IoT cellular connections grew IoT gateway and dongle aid development 72 percent in the first half of 2018, which the research firm of commercial mesh networking described as “a considerable increase” as compared to the Fanstel Corp has unveiled an same period last year. China IoT gateway and dongle is the world’s largest cellular enabling OEMs to rapidly IoT market, accounting for 70 percent of the global total. develop RF solutions for commercial mesh networking applications. BBC:microbit Rapidly developing multiprotocol low power RF solutions for commercial The Scottsdale, AZ-based mesh networking applications is easier than ever reaches milestone module manufacturer has developed the ‘BWG840F’ BT840F’ module for ultra low development kit. The kit The Micro:bit Educational Foundation has announced the gateway and ‘USB840F’ power and long range IoT allows users to load firmware manufacture and distribution of dongle to provide long-range applications. The module is into the BT840F module using the 2 millionth BBC micro:bit, mesh wireless connectivity for based on Nordic’s Bluetooth 5 Nordic’s nRF5 Software the highly popular Nordic- IoT Cloud service providers and Thread-compliant Development Kit (SDK) and powered programmable and enterprises employing nRF52840 System-on-Chip nRFgo software tools. computer. The device is now Cloud servers. The products (SoC), enabling multiprotocol The BWG840F gateway’s available in over 50 countries, enable rapid commission and wireless connectivity between Wi-Fi module provides with national projects in deployment of Internet of the gateway or dongle and Internet connectivity, enabling Canada, Croatia, Denmark, Things (IoT) devices in Bluetooth LE or Thread nodes in a mesh network to be remotely Hong Kong, Iceland, Uruguay, and Singapore under way. The commercial mesh networks via a mesh network. controlled. Alternatively, the BBC micro:bit is a pocket-sized Bluetooth Low Energy To support rapid development USB840F dongle plugs into a computer developed to help (Bluetooth LE) and Thread. of IoT mesh networking solutions PC’s USB port and relays data young people get creative The gateway and dongle based on the gateway, Fanstel to any node in the mesh with technology, whatever employ Fanstel’s ‘Bluenor provides the ‘DK-BWG840F’ network. their level of programming experience. www.nordicsemi.com ULP WIRELESS QUARTER | WINTER 2018 | 3 NEWS

In brief Pulse oximeter delivers non-invasive Sensor innovation fosters IoT growth measurement of oxygen saturation

New research from analyst China-based Creative Gartner has highlighted the Medical has launched its top strategic Internet of Things ‘PC-60F’ Bluetooth Low (IoT) technology trends it Energy (Bluetooth LE) fingertip says will drive digital business innovation from 2018 to 2023. pulse oximeter for use in hospitals, According to the research, clinics, and the home. The product sensor innovation will evolve uses proprietary algorithms and continuously in the next five non-invasive optics to accurately years, enabling a wider range measure an individual’s current of situations and events to be oxygen saturation (SpO2), pulse The PC-60F fingertip pulse detected, while current sensor rate (PR), and perfusion index (PI). oximeter is designed for use in solutions will fall in price to hospitals, clinics, and the home SpO is an important become more affordable, 2 physiological parameter or packaged in new ways to support new applications. The reflecting respiration and display operation, and Bluetooth characteristics of the Nordic report said new algorithms will ventilation function, while PI is a LE wireless connectivity to an SoC, as well as the ability for the also emerge to deduce more measure of blood flow through individual’s Bluetooth 4.0 (and device to automatically power information from existing the small vessels of the body’s later) smartphone or tablet. on or off when a patient’s finger sensor technologies. extremities. Together the Creative Medical’s iOS- and is inserted or removed. measurements provide medical Android-compatible partner app, “We selected the nRF52810 Beacons help U.S. practitioners with key insights ‘@Health’, immediately displays SoC for its competitive cost, low into the health status of patients. the SpO , PR value, and other key power consumption, and high shoppers find way 2 Nordic’s nRF52810 System-on- health metrics, and allows the overall performance,” says Han The largest shopping mall in North Chip (SoC) acts as the fingertip user to store and manage data. Haiyang, a Director at Creative America is leveraging the power of Bluetooth Low Energy beacons oximeter’s core microcontroller. The fingertip oximeter Medical. “The Nordic SoC’s to improve customer navigation The SoC’s powerful 64MHz, employs two AAA alkaline powerful CPU capability and and guest experience. The Mall 32-bit Arm Cortex M4 processor batteries to support up to 36 Flash memory and RAM of America in Bloomington, enables SpO2 signal acquisition hours of continuous working, resources also allow us to run MN, encompasses 520 stores and algorithm operation, OLED thanks in part to the low power the SpO2 arithmetic effectively.” on five levels and welcomes more than 40 million visitors each year. After having trouble implementing a Wi-Fi indoor Nordic announces nRF52840 SoC support navigation solution, it turned to Bluetooth LE-enabled beacons. for Bluetooth LE with Amazon FreeRTOS In the future it also hopes to take advantage of Bluetooth’s asset Nordic Semiconductor has “We are pleased to see AWS tracking capabilities to monitor announced that the nRF52840 add Bluetooth LE support to the location of key equipment, or multiprotocol Bluetooth Low Amazon FreeRTOS and name assets in need of maintenance. Energy (Bluetooth LE) System- the nRF52840 as one of the first on-Chip (SoC) is one of the first chips to officially support it,” Wearables market devices to support Bluetooth says Nordic Semiconductor LE with Amazon ‘FreeRTOS’. The nRF52840 SoC is CTO, Svein-Egil Nielsen. undergoes change one of the first chips to support Amazon FreeRTOS is a real Bluetooth LE with Amazon FreeRTOS “As many customers’ de Growth in the sales of wearables time operating system (RTOS) facto, ultra low power IoT continued in Q2 2018, increasing for microcontrollers that makes with Nordic Semiconductor,” connectivity chip of choice, 8.3 percent year-on-year to small, low-power edge devices says Dirk Didascalou, Vice offering a wide breadth of a total of $4.8 billion, analyst International Data Corporation easy to program, deploy, secure, President, AWS IoT, Amazon connectivity options with has revealed. However, some connect, and manage. The RTOS Web Services, Inc. “By allowing outstanding energy efficiency, mature markets in North is based on the FreeRTOS kernel, Amazon FreeRTOS applications the nRF52840 is an excellent America and Western Europe a popular open-source operating to communicate over Bluetooth complement to, and expands, saw a decline during the system for microcontrollers, and LE, we are making it easy for our the solution and product period, it said. “The decline in extends it with software libraries customers to securely connect application range possible with mature markets is by no means that make it easier to securely their Bluetooth LE devices to Amazon FreeRTOS.” worrisome as these markets are connect low-power devices to AWS IoT via a mobile device. The Beta release of the RTOS in the midst of transitioning to AWS Cloud services like ‘AWS [They can then] build innovative, includes a GATT/GAP API, a more sophisticated wearables,” IDC said. “While the previous Internet of Things (IoT) Core’ or low power applications custom profile for provisioning generation of wearables was to more powerful edge devices including analyzing sensor data, Wi-Fi over Bluetooth LE, and focused on providing feedback running ‘AWS IoT Greengrass’. and monitoring and managing companion iOS and Android like step counts, upcoming “We are delighted to work fleets of devices.” software development kits. generations are more capable.”

4 | WINTER 2018 | ULP WIRELESS QUARTER www.nordicsemi.com NEWS

Do-it-yourself Harry Potter coding kit teaches programming skills to all ages

A U.K.-based educational technology processor manages the raw sensor data and, company, Kano, has released the using Bluetooth LE wireless connectivity, ‘Harry Potter Kano Coding Kit’, a relays the data to the user’s device. Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth LE) do-it- From the Kano app hosted on the device, yourself (DIY) wand that helps people of all users can see their wand movements brought ages learn how to code. to life on-screen, for example, moving floating The coding kit includes a multi-platform feathers, growing pumpkins, or throwing Kano app that lets makers follow 70 step- flames. by-step coding challenges using intuitive “A positive user experience of the Harry coding ‘blocks’ and a JavaScript inspector. Potter Kano Coding Kit relies on the ability Once the wand is paired with a Bluetooth to achieve a ‘first time, every time’ 4.0 (and later) tablet, laptop, or desktop connection between the hardware and the computer, users can bring their coding Kano allows makers of Kano App,” explains Ricardo Luz, Senior creations to life. all ages to bring their Technical Product Manager at Kano. The wand employs a nine-degrees-of- coding creations to life “We wanted to bypass a complex initial freedom (9DoF) inertial measurement unit set-up, and thanks to Nordic’s SoftDevice we (IMU)—including a three-axis accelerometer, movement, speed, and direction of use, as were able to implement a seamless and rapid three-axis gyroscope, and three-axis well as a Nordic nRF52832 System-on-Chip connection between the kit’s hardware and magnetometer—that tracks the wand’s (SoC). The SoC’s powerful Arm Cortex M4F the app.” Wireless barriers control access to parking spots A German smart systems developer is The smart piloting a smart parking barrier solution in parking barriers the city of Bad Homburg that protects are being trialed in the German parking spaces and charging stations city of Bad designated for use by electric vehicles Homburg (EVs). Makaio’s ‘Parketeer’ barriers incorporate a Nordic nRF52832 System- on-Chip (SoC) providing Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth LE) wireless connectivity between the EV driver’s Bluetooth 4.0 (and later) smartphone, as well as between adjacent barriers and a Nordic nRF51822 SoC-based Laird ‘RM186-SM’-powered gateway. locate a parking spot and/or charging station, they connect to the barrier via the app and The barrier-to-barrier connectivity they can use the ‘Parketeer Bad Homburg’ the barrier is lowered enabling access. The allows a barrier that is in Bluetooth LE iOS and Android smartphone app to locate barrier in turn relays this data to the range of the driver’s smartphone to and reserve a parking spot to ensure its gateway, which updates parking spot instruct an out-of-range barrier to open if availability when they reach their destination. availability for other users. the space it protects is the driver’s When the parking spot is reserved, the When the driver returns to their vehicle preference. The gateway relays parking request is sent via the Cloud to the gateway, and exits the parking space, they press spot availability data to and from the preventing that parking spot being accessed ‘stop parking’ in the app, the barrier is Cloud via LoRaWAN technology. by another user. raised, and the customer’s account is In operation, when a driver needs to As the user approaches the parking spot, billed. In brief AI advancements boost smart toys Bluetooth LE smart textiles on the rise Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), urban populations, According to a new report by research analyst, MarketResearch. and increasing awareness of technology is set to drive significant Biz, the integration of Bluetooth Low Energy technology into growth in the smart toy market, research analyst Zion Market smart textiles is set to provide the sector with significant growth Research claims. The company said the global smart toy market prospects in the next 10 years. It said smart textiles involving this was valued at $3.87 billion in 2017, but could grow to as much technology could monitor and validate various physiological data as $5.41 billion by 2024, with emerging countries such as India such as temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure, and would and China key in driving the sector’s development. However, drive growth particularly in military and defense applications, unsecured connectivity and privacy issues may hamper overall where smart fabrics could, for instance, change color to produce growth the research noted. camouflage effects for protection. www.nordicsemi.com ULP WIRELESS QUARTER | WINTER 2018 | 5 NEWS

Gateway and sensors deliver remotely operable home automation AXAET, a China-based The ETMars app allows the user Internet of Things (IoT) The gateway can control to define individual scenarios or solutions company, has up to 20 peripheral modes—such as ‘home mode’ or sensors simultaneously released the ‘ETMars’ smart- ‘away from home mode’—and home automation ecosystem, also offers ‘scene linkage’, designed to provide a connected, allowing the user to define linked remotely-operable home- triggers and execution automation network. conditions for multiple The system comprises a scenarios. gateway and a range of peripheral For example, at night the user sensors to monitor and detect could request that once the smoke, gas, and water ingress, as bedroom lights are dimmed, the well as provide home security, and curtains close automatically and remotely-control appliances and the security sensors in other lighting in the home. parts of the home be activated. The gateway employs Nordic’s “AXAET selected the nRF52832 System-on-Chip (SoC) nRF52832 SoC for the gateway to provide wireless connectivity for its large memory allocation, between the gateway and the radio sensitivity, and specifically sensors, as well as the user’s because of its ability to connect Bluetooth 4.0 (and later) to 20 devices simultaneously,” smartphone or tablet when they says Mr. Jacky, AXAET Manager. are at home. “The software architecture The gateway can control up Bluetooth LE communication was key, it enables developers to to 20 peripheral sensors with the gateway. If the user is implement applications directly simultaneously, thanks to the away from home, the gateway without having to consider nRF52832 SoC’s ability to support allows remote monitoring and complex protocol logic. multiple concurrent connections. control of the sensors from the “Such an architecture brings Each sensor employs Nordic’s ETMars iOS or Android app on great convenience to nRF52810 SoC to enable their mobile device via the Cloud. application development.”

Nordic nRF91 Series is successfully demonstrated on public cellular network

Nordic Semiconductor has successfully the coming years towards truly massive demonstrated its nRF9160 multimode IoT based on the cellular technologies of LTE-M/NB-IoT System-in-Package (SiP) LTE-M and NB-IoT,” says Ove Fredheim, module operating in both LTE Cat M1 (LTE-M) Head of the Business Market in Telenor and Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) modes on Norway/CMO Business. “These devices Telenor Norway’s public cellular network. will enable the world’s innovators to build The nRF9160 SiP connected to Telenor’s products that will make large scale IoT Norway-wide cellular IoT network which and smart cities a reality.” was switched on for the first time at the Meanwhile, the nRF9160 SiP was also Nordic Edge Expo, a three-day ‘smart city’ recently named a 2019 CES Innovation exhibition and conference held in late Awards Honoree in the ‘Embedded September in Stavanger. The new network Products’ category of the CES 2019 is the first in Scandinavia to offer Innovation Awards. commercial support for LTE-M and NB-IoT, a Nordic has successfully demonstrated the A panel of judges, including designers, crucial step in the progress of widespread nRF9160 SiP on a public network for the first time engineers, and members of the technical deployment of cellular IoT as a low power media, reviewed submissions based on wireless area network (LPWAN) technology. product communicating via a commercial design, functionality, consumer appeal, “The nRF91 Series has been extensively network that supports both LTE-M and engineering, and how the products tested by Nordic and leading customers for NB-IoT,” says Peder Rand, Product Manager compare with their competition, before months, but this is the first opportunity for Cellular IoT, Nordic Semiconductor. arriving at the decision to honor Nordic’s we’ve had to openly demonstrate the “Telenor envisages a sharp ramp-up over cellular IoT solution.

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The latest developments in technology

The ARMY Bombs can The future of be wirelessly pacemakers controlled to is wireless create stunning visual effects

Wireless lightsticks take center stage Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth LE) lightsticks are proving a hugely popular addition to Korean pop (‘K-pop’) concerts, sending synchronized pulsing patterns of light—called ‘oceans’—across vast Doctors implant and program pacemaker stadiums and arenas. One of the biggest names in K-pop, using Bluetooth LE technology Korean boy band, BTS, have long been superstars in Korea, Japan, and China, but Doctors in the U.K. are among the first in the world to implant and program a pacemaker in the past few years have played concerts using Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth LE) technology. in 32 cities across 16 countries reaching Dr John Paisey, a consultant cardiologist at University Hospital Southampton (UHS) number one on the U.S. charts. The band’s NHS Foundation Trust, performed four of the first five procedures in the world at adoring fans are known as the ‘ARMY’, an Southampton General Hospital. After implanting a new longer-life pacemaker known as acronym for Adorable Representative MC Azure, doctors then used a lightweight and portable iPad-controlled system known as for Youth. SmartSync to program the cardiac leads. Any self-respecting ARMY member is the The Azure pacemaker is fitted with ‘BlueSync’, a Bluetooth LE device developed owner of an ‘ARMY Bomb’, a Bluetooth LE by Medtronic which not only automatically connects the device wirelessly to the wirelessly connected glowing lightstick that programming system, but also to an app on a patient’s smartphone to monitor their heart can be purchased in advance of a concert, health. It is the first time a pacemaker has been fitted, programmed, and then been able enabling every fan to directly play a part in to transmit data immediately to a smartphone app using Bluetooth LE. the choreographed light show. “This is extremely exciting technology which enables us to co-ordinate everything from Once the ARMY Bomb has been paired the implantation of a pacemaker and its initial programming through to ongoing real-time with the user’s smartphone, they enter monitoring via a smartphone all by [Bluetooth LE],” says Dr Paisey. “It is another major the seat number they will be sitting in development in using technology to improve efficiency, reliability, and accuracy, and at the concert, and register via an app. ensure patients can transmit their data consistently and seamlessly through an app – it is At the concert the lightstick is set to the definition of technological innovation in healthcare.” concert mode, and can then be wirelessly In 2014, doctors at UHS implanted the world’s smallest pacemaker, known as the Micra controlled to twinkle on and off, create Transcatheter Pacing System, which is one-tenth the size of traditional models and is intricate light patterns, or spell out a placed directly in the heart. message across a crowd of 45,000 fans.

Bluetooth LE-controlled cyborg cockroaches on a mission A tiny neuro-controller created by inside the UConn device that tracks an insect’s researchers at the University of Connecticut linear and rotational acceleration, identifies (UConn) could provide more precise control its compass heading, and detects the ambient of futuristic biobots, such as cyborg temperature surrounding the creature. cockroaches that are already being tested The information gathered by the for use in search-and-rescue missions inside microcircuit is transmitted to the operator’s collapsed buildings. smartphone via Bluetooth Low Energy The neuro-controller microcircuit Cockroaches may one day have an important (Bluetooth LE) technology. As the insect’s developed at UConn is part of a tiny role to play in search and rescue heading, acceleration, and other data comes electronic ‘backpack’ that can be attached operators can trick the insect into thinking in, operators can extrapolate the insect’s to the insect with its wires connected to the it has detected an obstacle, causing it to trajectory, adjust the antennae stimuli insect’s antennae lobes. By sending slight move in another direction. accordingly, send the appropriate electrical electrical charges to neural tissue in either The controller’s value comes in the form of impulses to the insect remotely, and steer it in the insect’s left or right antenna lobe, an advanced 9-axis inertial measurement unit a desired direction. www.nordicsemi.com ULP WIRELESS QUARTER | WINTER 2018 | 7 NEWS EXTRA

Nordic nRF91 Series roll-out brings cellular IoT to any application From asset tracking to medical monitoring, Nordic’s easy-to-design-in cellular IoT delivers a compact, low power, secure LTE-M and NB-IoT module for everything

here are 20 million IoT module to incorporate shipping containers in Arm’s latest Cortex M-33 the world and six million microprocessor core at its heart. are on the move at any The microprocessor is supported T 3 time. Each holds around 40m by 1 MB of Flash and 256 kB of of valuable cargo. Keeping track RAM. The nRF9160 SiP is also the of where everthing is and how first module to incorporate Arm’s it’s being handled is a logisticial TrustZone and CryptoCell security nightmare; but Nordic’s nRF91 for Internet-level encryption and Series promises to sweep away application protection. Both these the complexities of asset tracking technologies are designed for and do the same for thousands of efficient embedded IoT products other monitoring challenges. that require the highest levels of Nordic Semiconductor is best performance in processing, power known for its commercial and consumption, and security. technical leadership in Bluetooth “Security is paramount to any Low Energy. But now, the IoT application,” explains John commercial launch and immediate At just 10 by 16 by 1 mm, the nRF9160 SiP (right of center) integrates Leonard, Tactical Marketing availability—from key distributors everything a cellular connection and IoT application may need Manager at Nordic. “By such as Digi-Key Electronics, incorporating Arm TrustZone, Mouser Electronics, and Premier “The nRF9160 certifications. Such certifications the nRF9160 SiP features both Farnell—of the nRF9160 System- denote approval for deployment trusted and non-trusted execution in-Package (SiP) extends the SiP offers the on cellular networks and cellular zones. Critical aspects such as company’s wireless Internet of developer a IoT applications around the world. cryptographic elements and Things (IoT) offering to the low Nordic partnered with RF key storage reside in trusted power cellular IoT sector. different design specialist, Qorvo, to design and areas which can’t be accessed Cellular IoT is a low power approach to fabricate a SiP that more closely by outsiders. Together with the wireless area network (LPWAN) resembles an integrated chip CryptoCell security, TrustZone technology that takes advantage competing units” (IC) than a module. The nRF9160 ensures the nRF9160 is the of the mature and established SiP employs Qorvo’s proven RF cellular IoT device with the most global cellular network. Cellular Semiconductor’s team came front-end, advanced packaging, advanced security available.” LPWANs form robust, long-range together when the company hired and MicroShield technology to The nRF9160 SiP is supported connections between local area some of the smartest cellular R&D deliver a compact solution that by a development kit (DK), networks (LANs) of short-range engineers in the world. (See ULP combines high performance with SiP module samples, LTE-M wireless sensors and the Internet WQ Summer 2018 pg14.) Most of low power consumption. firmware, and a software DK - forming key element of the IoT. Nordic’s cellular IoT design team “[We are] excited to see with application examples for (See ULP WQ Spring 2018 pg10.) have been working in cellular our leading RF and advanced Cloud connectivity. This includes “Nordic Semiconductor for their entire careers and have packaging technology playing Nordic’s nRF Connect for Cloud expanded the application- used that expertise to design the a key and enabling part of new and nRF Connect for Desktop range of Bluetooth Low Energy nRF9160 from the ground-up. products targeting the emerging PC-based tool, plus support for by abstracting away from the low power cellular IoT market,” Segger Embedded Studio. (See designer all unnecessary technical Strategic partnership says Eric Creviston, President ULP WQ Spring 2018 pg18.) complexity,” explains Peder Rand, At just 10 by 16 by 1 mm, the Mobile Products at Qorvo. The tools are designed to Nordic Semiconductor’s Product nRF9160 SiP is suitable for even The nRF9160 SiP supports accelerate development of Manager – Cellular IoT. “The the most compact devices.Yet the global operation with a single sensor-to-Cloud IoT applications nRF9160 SiP module promises product is a complete solution SiP thanks to the combination including asset tracking, utility to do the same for cellular IoT that integrates everything a of Nordic’s multimode LTE-M/ metering, industrial connectivity by taking a completely different cellular connection and IoT NB-IoT modem, SAW-less and predictive maintenance, approach to competing solutions.” application needs (apart from transceiver, and Qorvo’s custom smart city and infrastructure, Cellular is a notoriously complex battery, SIM, and antenna). RF front-end. The SiP features agrotech, and medical. wireless technology that only a The nRF9160 SiP is GCF integrated GPS support to The nRF9160 SiP module is handful of engineering teams certified—the industry ‘quality allow a combination of GPS available now. NB-IoT and GPS worldwide have the expertise mark’ for compliance to the and cellular for more accurate functionality is in limited sampling and experience to design 3GPP LTE specification—along positioning than either alone. and will be available for evaluation from the ground-up. Nordic with U.S. FCC and European CE The product is the first cellular during Q1 2019. 

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What makes a standard successful? Just because a wireless technology becomes a standard doesn’t guarantee mass adoption. An established ecosystem is vital too, says Karl Helmer Torvmark

Karl Helmer Torvmark is a 5G is the hot new Technical Product technology, but 4G Manager with Nordic has a long way to run Semiconductor

tandards are great and there are so many to choose from! While this Sstatement appears to ring true, closer inspection reveals very few standards reach ubiquity. Some are successful in one or two markets; for example, the Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) standard—a clever and long-lived technology which allows musical devices that make and control sound to communicate with each other—has remained dedicated to serving a narrow sector since it was first introduced in 1983. In contrast, standards aiming for true ubiquity must aim for adoption in hundreds of millions (if not billions) of devices. “Many standards It’s hard to both launch a standard In addition to an established Examples of wired- and wireless- and build a supporting ecosystem ecosystem, adoption of a communication standards that have failed because from scratch. Even a company standard relies on ease of use. have achieved mass adoption they’re too fiddly with the resources of Intel was Consumers are not generally include USB, Ethernet (actually, reportedly close to giving up on engineers and demand that their the twisted-pair-based successor for the end-user promoting USB before it finally technology “just works”. Many to the original coax-based to set-up” got traction in peripherals after standards have failed because Ethernet), Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth the firm ‘seeded’ the market by they’re too fiddly for the end-user. technology. Cellular is another. per-second IEEE 802.11-1997 supporting the technology in PCs Bluetooth LE is one example Strictly speaking, cellular beginnings to the current seven- for several years. where configuration can be communications are not gigabit-per-second 802.11ad Of the other successes, made simple. By using Near governed by a single standard. manifestation. And Bluetooth Wi-Fi built on the successful Field Communication (NFC) to But from a disjointed start technology has evolved from wired Ethernet standard to automatically instigate paring comprising multiple analog its early serial-port or wireless- create “wireless Ethernet”. when a Bluetooth LE device implementations through the headset focus to spawn the And Bluetooth Low Energy and a smartphone are touched transitory situation of competing current Low Energy version. This (Bluetooth LE) started out as the together, the technology has GSM and CDMA standards, we version has cemented its status Nokia-sponsored Wibree before eliminated all complexity. do now have a refined selection as the Internet of Things’ (IoT) merging with the Bluetooth SIG Cellular technology still of global cellular standards. lingua franca, allowing wireless to ensure interoperability with has some way to go to match (Although non-harmonized sensors to communicate with billions of smartphones. Bluetooth LE’s simplicity. Today’s global spectrum allocations mean smartphones, tablets, and PCs. NarrowBand IoT (NB-IoT) and physical SIM cards are a hassle engineers must still contend with LTE Cat-M1 (LTE-M)—the low and could stall the introduction of multiple frequency bands.) GSM Ecosystem importance power, low bandwidth modem NB-IoT and LTE-M modems. But turned into EDGE which turned Nine out of 10 start-ups fail, and specifications introduced in tomorrow’s eSIMs will automate into 3G which morphed into 4G or the same is true of standards. Release 13 of the 3GPP telecoms the modem-commissioning Long Term Evolution (LTE). And What determines which standards alliance’s LTE standard—build on process and make it simple to now 5G is the new hot technology. succeed and which fail? Many the established cellular ecosystem. add a new device to the cellular Is 5G making 4G obsolete? factors come into play; technical With an NB-IoT or LTE-M modem, network. No, because as the LTE name merit, market timing, openness, just a base-station software Such simplicity will multiply hints, there is a lot of “long term” industry participation, sometimes upgrade enables a battery- the new mobile specifications’ evolution of 4G still to come. just luck. But building on an powered device to connect to the chances of making it as the Wi-Fi has come a long way existing ecosystem is perhaps the Cloud from anywhere that has next big thing in wireless from its humble one-megabit- key contributor to success. cellular coverage. communications. 

www.nordicsemi.com ULP WIRELESS QUARTER | WINTER 2018 | 9 ANALYSIS

Hybrid connectivity solutions expand IoT boundaries More companies can now reliably connect to the Cloud thanks to emerging solutions combining Bluetooth Low Energy and LPWANs

o eventually connect billions or even tens of billions of devices to Tthe Internet around the world, Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity solutions will need to deliver on a scale far beyond anything yet seen. To do that requires a technology which bridges the gap between short- range Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth LE), Thread or Zigbee sensor networks, and the Cloud. A Wi-Fi Local Area Network (LAN) affords one solution for fixed installations in offices and buildings but is impractical when sensors are constantly moving or Bluetooth LE and LPWAN are remotely located. technologies open the door to Low power wide area IoT networks that can deliver networks (LPWANs) based on asset tracking solutions on kilometer-plus range, low power an unprecedented scale consumption RF technology provide an answer. Restricted throughput is the obvious trade- the numbers are different, the “The growth of station is kilometers away. off, but this is not a problem conclusion is the same: LPWANs Bluetooth LE/cellular IoT when dealing with the modest are among the fastest growing LPWANs are solutions are set to follow. Such data volumes gathered by sensor IoT connectivity technologies. likely to stimulate modules will combine mature networks. Working together, the Meanwhile, global demand for Bluetooth LE SoCs with a new short- and long-range ultra-low- Bluetooth LE continues to soar a booming class of low-power cellular power capabilities of Bluetooth on the back of the IoT market. market for hybrid IoT modem such as Nordic’s LE and LPWAN technologies According to the Bluetooth SIG’s forthcoming nRF91 Series. open the door to IoT networks Bluetooth Market Update 2018, Bluetooth LE/ Together with long-range for markets including smart around 5.2 billion Bluetooth chips cellular IoT wireless connectivity, these cities, smart agriculture, building (of which 97 percent will include cellular IoT modems incorporate management, electric metering, LE technology) will be shipped in modules in the powerful processors and large and asset tracking. 2022, up from 3.6 billion in 2017. next few years” Flash memory enabling “edge Projections for LPWAN Given the link between Bluetooth processing” of aggregated sensor deployments cover a wide range. LE and LPWAN will be critical data within the modem followed For example, IoT Analytics, a across numerous sectors, these Bluetooth LE and proprietary by rapid transmission of valuable provider of IoT market insights, two technologies are likely to LPWAN technology into a information rather than raw data expects there to be more than develop into a booming market product, enabling long-range at periodic intervals. Such an 1.1 billion LPWAN connections for hybrid Bluetooth LE/LPWAN wireless connectivity between operational mode is important by 2023 following compound modules in just a few years. Bluetooth LE devices and the when data cost is metered. annual growth rate of 109 Cloud. The module’s integrated A key advantage of cellular IoT percent over a five-year period. Modules enter the market Nordic nRF52832 Bluetooth LPWANs is that they can leverage At the other end of the scale, Hybrid modules are already LE System-on-Chip (SoC) can existing worldwide cellular IoT new research by Statista projects reaching commercialization. communicate with other nearby infrastructure. The end result? that in 2021, approximately 3.44 One module has been developed Bluetooth LE devices and then If you can point to dry land on a billion devices worldwide will be by Japan-based company transfer its aggregated data to the map, you can probably build a connected via LPWAN, compared Braveridge. The company’s LPWAN chip in the module, which powerful IoT network there using to 687.4 million in 2016 and just module is a ready-made solution can then forward the data to the Bluetooth LE and low power under 1.34 billion in 2018. While enabling an engineer to build-in Cloud even if the nearest base cellular wireless technology. 

10 | WINTER 2018 | ULP WIRELESS QUARTER www.nordicsemi.com ANALYSIS

Edge computing vital for even simple IoT devices The lessons learned building advanced Bluetooth Low Energy wearables can be applied to Internet of Things devices, says Svein-Egil Nielsen

Svein-Egil Nielsen is CTO of Nordic Semiconductor

dge computing is a nec- essary progression for connected devices and Eapplications. Consider the evolution of Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth LE) Systems-on- Chip (SoCs). Early versions, such as Nordic’s nRF51822, had sufficient embedded processing power to maintain the Bluetooth wireless link and run simple applications. But as Nordic’s SoCs evolved Today’s Bluetooth LE wearables look like into the nRF52 Series, they the forerunners of gained sufficient processing enterprise IoT devices power (and the memory to make the most of it) to power activity monitors that not “The ability to (for example, health data) servers that cellular IoT LPWANs only measured heart rate, is transmitted across the will enable, edge computing steps taken, distance walked, transfer only the wireless link, security is vital. may be even more important and calories burned but also most relevant Such information is valuable for IoT devices than it’s proven perform more sophisticated and attracts the attention of to be for Bluetooth wearables. functions such as heart-rate information will hackers, keen to find and exploit As networks scale to hundreds variability monitoring, sleep be vital for any any weakness. Security and of millions and then billions of quality assessment, and fall encryption mechanisms are sensors, network data costs detection. Today, single-chip commercially-viable now mandatory for any edge- quickly escalate. The ability to Bluetooth LE solutions are IoT application” computing device. transfer only the most relevant used in the most sophisticated information will be vital for any wearables such as the latest Finding the balance commercially-viable application. generation of medical products Today’s Bluetooth LE wearables Most of the raw computing will like the constant glucose by transmitting information look a lot like the forerunner have to be done at the edge. monitors that help Type 1 without the need for extended of an enterprise IoT device. Edge computing opens up diabetics keep their blood sugar on-air transmissions that would Wearables developers solved great opportunities. However, in a healthy range. (See this otherwise be needed to stream many of the same challenges finding the right balance issue pg14.) raw data. (And would quickly facing today’s IoT albeit on a between edge- and Cloud- Each generation of wearables drain a wearable’s modest smaller scale. computing requires end-to- is required to monitor and collate battery.) The latest cellular LTE Cat end knowledge of the full a larger amount of raw data. Because users don’t always M1 (LTE-M) and NarrowBand application, including the cost Developers need increasingly carry their smartphones, IoT (NB-IoT) standards for of power, data transfer, and powerful embedded processors wearables must operate low power wide area networks Cloud services. Developing to crunch raw data on the device autonomously. If there is no (LPWANs) will allow IoT devices end-to-end prototypes could (at the application’s edge) wireless connection to pass to connect to the Cloud over be the easiest way to find the before forwarding a refined on information, the wearable long distances through existing optimum balance. And thanks form (useful ‘information’) to a waits patiently and stores all telecoms infrastructure. (See to simplified development smartphone app and then the the new data until the until the ULP WQ Autumn 2018, pg9.) tools, kits, software, and Cloud Cloud. This edge computing smartphone is back in range. But even with the direct solutions, this task is becoming enables low-latency monitoring Now that personal information connectivity to powerful Cloud much simpler. 

www.nordicsemi.com ULP WIRELESS QUARTER | WINTER 2018 | 11 ULP PRODUCT SELECTION GUIDE

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

Wireless Protocol IC Type On-Chip Peripherals Applications

ICs Dev Tools WLCSP

CPU Memory PA Clocks I2S SPI GPS GPS AES USB ANT Toys MPU ADC PDM QSPI PWM UART TRNG LTE-M 2-Wire Zigbee Thread NB-loT Beacon 802.15.4 Metering NFC-A tag NFC-A Wearables Smart City Healthcare FPU & DSP Operating Band Operating Agriculture Transceiver Bluetooth 5 Bluetooth LTE Modem LTE Automation Smart Home Connectivity On-chip Balun PC Peripherals Asset Tracking Asset Arm TrustZone Mesh Networks Arm CryptoCell Smart Buildings Real Time Clock Time Real System-on-Chip Sports & Fitness 2.4GHz Proprietary 2.4GHz Industrial Systems Industrial Bluetooth Low Energy Low Bluetooth Gaming / VR + AR System-in-Package Consumer Electronics Consumer Analog Comparator Automotive Graded Automotive Temperature Sensor Temperature

nRF91 Series

LTE: 1, 2, 3, 4, Arm 1MB Flash

˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ nRF9160 5, 8, 9, 12, 13, 17, Cortex-M33 64MHz / 32kHz nRF9160 Dev Kit 18, 19, 20, 26, 28 256kB RAM

nRF52 Series

Arm 1MB Flash Single Board Dev Kit,

˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ nRF52840 2.4GHz Cortex-M4 256kB RAM 64MHz / 32kHz Power Profiler Kit

Arm 512kB or 256kB Flash Single Board Dev Kit,

nRF52832 2.4GHz ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ 64MHz / 32kHz ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ Power Profiler Kit, ˜ Cortex-M4 64kB or 32kB RAM Nordic Thingy:52 Arm 192kB Flash Single Board Dev Kit,

˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ nRF52810 2.4GHz Cortex-M4 24kB RAM 64MHz / 32kHz Power Profiler Kit

nRF51 Series

128kB or 256kB Flash Single Board Dev Kit,

˜ ˜ ˜ Cortex M0 ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ nRF51822 2.4GHz 32kB or 16kB RAM 16MHz / 32kHz Dongle

128kB or 256kB Flash Single Board Dev Kit,

˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ nRF51422 2.4GHz Cortex M0 32kB or 16kB RAM 16MHz / 32kHz Dongle

˜ ˜ ˜ 256kB Flash and ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ Single Board Dev Kit, nRF51824 2.4GHz Cortex M0 16kB RAM 16MHz / 32kHz Dongle

nRF8000 Series

˜ ˜ – ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ nRFgo Dev Kit, nRF8001 2.4GHz – 16MHz / 32kHz Prog. Kit

nRF24AP Series

nRF24AP2-1CH 2.4GHz ˜ ˜ – – 16MHz / 32kHz ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ANT Dev Kit

nRF24AP2-8CH 2.4GHz ˜ ˜ – – 16MHz / 32kHz ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ANT Dev Kit

nRF24AP2-USB 2.4GHz ˜ ˜ – – 16MHz ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ANT Dev Kit

nRF24L Series

˜ ˜ 8051 16kB + 1.5kB Flash ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ nRFgo Dev Kit, nRF24LE1 2.4GHz 1kB + 256B RAM 16MHz / 32kHz Prog. Kit

˜ ˜ 16kB + 1kB OTP ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ nRFgo Dev Kit, nRF24LE1 OTP 2.4GHz 8051 1kB + 256B RAM 16MHz / 32kHz Prog. Kit

˜ ˜ 16/32kB Flash ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ nRFgo Dev Kit, nRF24LU1+ 2.4GHz 8051 2kB + 256B RAM 16MHz Prog. Kit

˜ ˜ 16kB + 1kB OTP ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ nRFgo Dev Kit, nRF24LU1+ OTP 2.4GHz 8051 2kB + 256B RAM 16MHz Prog. Kit

nRF24L01+ 2.4GHz ˜ ˜ – – 16MHz ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ Eval Kit

nRF24 Series

nRF2460 (mono) 2.4GHz ˜ ˜ – – 16MHz ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ nRFgo Dev Kit

nRF900 Series

433 / 868 ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ nRF9E5 915MHz 8051 4kB + 256B RAM 4 / 8 / 12 / 16 / 20MHz Eval Kit

433 / 868 ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ nRF905 915MHz – – 4 / 8 / 12 / 16 / 20MHz Eval Kit

12 | WINTER 2018 | ULP WIRELESS QUARTER www.nordicsemi.com www.nordicsemi.com ULP WIRELESS QUARTER | WINTER 2018 | 13 TECHNICAL PERSPECTIVE

Connected medical devices transform healthcare

Traditional healthcare systems are close to breaking point, but increasingly sophisticated connected medical devices are now providing a viable alternative. ULP Wireless Q reports

e all want to live a costs of healthcare delivery monitoring devices, such as by stimulating sensory nerves long life, we just are spiraling to unsustainable smartphones] is an emerging in the patient’s calf that then don’t like the idea levels, outpacing economic trend in the remote patient carry neural pulses to the user’s Wof getting old in growth and demanding a major monitoring market space,” states brain which trigger a natural the process. It’s the great paradox transformation in the way all Technavio. “Increasing aging response to block the pain of the aging process but life public and private stakeholders population, chronic diseases, and signals. Employing Nordic- expectancy is on the rise, and so approach the delivery of healthcare costs, are driving the powered Bluetooth Low Energy are the health challenges that come care. Traditional healthcare adoption of mobile healthcare (Bluetooth LE) connectivity, with a graying population. institutions can’t, the WEF says, technologies, helping healthcare users can control their device via According to the World deliver health all by themselves. organizations reduce medical an app on their smartphone or Health Organization (WHO), for But transformative change, costs and utilize effective remote tablet, wirelessly calibrating Quell babies born in 2015 average life fortunately, is in train. patient monitoring.” to their personalized therapeutic expectancy now stands at 71.4 According to a recent report intensity, start or stop therapy, years. By 2050, the proportion by analyst, Technavio, the Tech empowerment adjust intensity level, track sleep, of the world’s population over global remote patient market Founded in 1996 as a spinoff activity, pain, and gait, as well as the age of 60 will nearly double is expected to see a CAGR of from the Harvard-MIT Division of modify other settings to meet to some two billion people. almost 16 percent between Health Sciences and Technology, their unique pain relief needs. Today, 125 million people are 2018 and 2022, driven by the Waltham, MA-based NeuroMetrix According to Andres Aguirre, aged 80 years or older. By emergence of digital healthcare is one company pioneering the Senior Algorithm and Software 2050, there will be almost this services and the concept dubbed belief that not only can mobile Engineer at NeuroMetrix, many living in China alone. The ‘Healthcare 3.0’. Healthcare 3.0, health technology empower connected medical devices are problem, according to the WHO, in essence, is about facilitating a people to reclaim their lives gaining popularity due, he says, is that there is little evidence consumer’s ability to retrieve and from chronic disease, but also to the convergence of at least to suggest that older people contribute to their personalized transform medicine as a whole. two factors: “The near ubiquity today are experiencing their health-related data, empowering The company recently released of mobile devices has led to the later years in better health than them to play a more active role in ‘Quell 2.0’ a wearable device that development of apps for nearly their parents, meaning we face a the management of their health uses prescription-strength nerve- every aspect of life including major challenge ensuring welfare rather than relying on traditional stimulation technology to block health and medicine and medical systems are going to be able to healthcare infrastructure. pain signals in the body. devices,” says Aguirre. “For cope in the future. “The increasing popularity of Designed for people with example, hearing aids have As the World Economic m-health [delivering healthcare a wide range of chronic pain improved greatly not only by Forum (WEF) puts it, the through mobile patient conditions, the device works advances in the amplification

14 | WINTER 2018 | ULP WIRELESS QUARTER www.nordicsemi.com TECHNICAL PERSPECTIVE

Quell 2.0 is a wearable device devices suddenly have the means using prescription-strength to communicate with their nerve-stimulation technology loved ones and to control their to block pain signals computer and environment.”

Remote care Applications that not only encourage individuals to play a proactive role in the management of their own health, but also enable both clinician and patient interaction, and the seamless, remote exchange of patient data to healthcare providers are also on the rise. U.S., Florida-based ActiGraph, a leading provider of medical-grade wearable activity and sleep monitoring solutions, recently launched a wearable that provides in-depth user activity data to assist in clinical trials and academic health research. The ‘CentrePoint Insight Watch’ comes in a patient- friendly smartwatch form factor and employs a triaxial MEMS A new range of medical devices accelerometer to capture is supporting a and record continuous, high- graying population resolution raw acceleration data, providing detailed feedback on technology itself, but also by the individual’s activity intensity, the addition of apps that allow energy expenditure, steps taken, users to modify their hearing and sleep efficiency. While a depending upon environment wearable that monitors this and context. sort of activity data is hardly “Second, there are massive uncommon, the ability to almost un-met medical needs that may instantly relay that information be [resolved] at least partly by to researchers and clinical trial new connected medical devices. sponsors enabling them to For example, there is also a monitor and manage patient data, growing need for solutions to wear compliance, and identify support the aging population. solutions, Control Bionics, “There are massive trends in near real time, is. Continuous monitoring of recently unveiled ‘NeuroNode’, To achieve this, data is blood pressure and sleep in the described as the world’s un-met medical transferred from the watch home can provide more holistic first wearable EMG assistive needs that may be across a high throughput Nordic- and real-time information to technology device, giving people met at least partly powered Bluetooth LE wireless medical professionals as well as with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis link to a charging cradle, that is immediate feedback to patients.” (ALS)—also known as motor by new connected in turn connected to a cellular Moving forward, Aguirre says, neuron disease (MND)—or any medical devices” network-enabled home gateway researchers will be focused other condition causing paralysis via a USB connection. From increasingly on interpreting the and/or loss of speech, the ability there, information is sent to the huge amount of data acquired to communicate with family, powered Bluetooth LE wireless link. CentrePoint Cloud platform from by connected medical devices friends, caregivers, and clinicians. A companion app allows the user where healthcare researchers can across populations and within The small, non-invasive, and a clinician to customize the easily access and monitor patient individuals, and using that medical-grade wireless sensor device to match the user’s abilities. data remotely. This is convenient information to personalize is placed on the skin over the “NeuroNode gives those with for both clinician and patient. treatment and feedback. muscle chosen to be the ‘switch’. ALS/MND, spinal cord injury, or any If the bad news is that the Another company reinventing When the user attempts to move condition resulting in paralysis and number of people with chronic connected medicine and that muscle, the NeuroNode difficulty with speech a connection conditions is on the rise, the good empowering individuals to interprets the signals sent from to the world,” says James Schorey, news is that emerging wireless proactively manage their own the brain to the muscle—even Chief Technology Officer at technology and connected health and wellbeing outside of if there is no visible muscle Control Bionics. “Because the medical devices are keeping pace, hospital walls is Milford, Ohio- movement—and uses those NeuroNode doesn’t require enabling greater consumerization based Control Bionics. EMG signals to control the movement, patient populations of healthcare and offering The developer of wearable user’s paired computer, tablet, that previously couldn’t be served previously unimagined, yet viable electromyography (EMG) or smartphone via a Nordic- by traditional assistive technology solutions .  www.nordicsemi.com ULP WIRELESS QUARTER | WINTER 2018 | 15 TECHNICAL PERSPECTIVE

Bluetooth tech’s final frontier Nordic customer, Firmwave, is combining ESA’s near-Earth orbit satellites with Nordic’s Bluetooth Low Energy beacons to build an inexpensive broadcast system. ULP WQ reports

ccording to Mike Hibbett, Business Development Manager Awith Firmwave, a Dublin-based technology design company, “today’s technology allows us to reconsider applications that were previously impractical”. What Hibbett modestly underplays is that it still takes clever engineers to pick which advanced technology can be best applied to solve a previously intractable engineering problem. And to choose Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth LE), an RF technology designed for low-cost, short range wireless Internet of Things (IoT) applications, as the basis of a low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite broadcast system borders on genius. Firmwave is based at DCU Alpha, an innovation campus at Dublin City University (DCU), and specializes in the design A low-cost, beacon-based system will help ESA maximize the use of its spaceborne assets of Bluetooth LE IoT solutions such as sensors and gateways. onboard radio to retransmit, vast Another complication is the effect three frequencies. Changing DCU Alpha is also home to swathes of the planet can be of an LEO satellite’s velocity. this behavior demands coding the European Space Agency serviced from one spacecraft. Orbital speed is determined changes deep in the stack. (ESA) Maker-Space for Satellite ESA Maker-Space realized by how far the satellite is from Communication, the agency’s that if Bluetooth LE signals could the ground; the lower the craft Innovative solutions offshoot that encourages be sent via satellite, inexpensive flies, the faster it has to travel to Firmwave’s engineers commercial companies to help battery-powered receivers could stay aloft. This velocity imparts demonstrated their expertise out with space research. be widely distributed and used Doppler shift on the radio signal by coming up with practical Back in early 2018, an invitation to send messages via Bluetooth affecting its frequency. solutions to these tough to tender from ESA Maker- beacons to smartphones in close ESA’s specification called for a engineering challenges. Initially Space fell on Hibbett’s desk. proximity. Such a system would system that could communicate the team narrowed down the The challenge issued by the form a cost-effective method with a satellite orbiting at a height Bluetooth LE chip selection to organization was to enable it to of conveying information. ESA of between 160 and 2500 km. Nordic’s nRF52832 System-on- “maximize its spaceborne assets,” just needed the help of some At 160 km, the orbital velocity is Chip (SoC) which, despite being in other words, increase utilization innovative engineers to put the around 7.8 km/s and Doppler shift primarily designed for 2.4 GHz of satellites. Specifically, ESA idea into practice. adds up to 60 kHz to the signal ISM band operation, is capable of Maker-Space asked companies to It’s not a trivial engineering frequency as the satellite nears receiving an RF signal of up to 2.5 put together a proposal to use a problem. Bluetooth LE radios and decreases it by up to a 60 kHz GHz. Moreover, the chip features satellite to transmit Bluetooth LE operate in the 2.4-GHz industrial, as it moves away. The Doppler a receive sensitivity of -96 dBm – signals down to Earth and then Scientific, and Medical (ISM) effect has to be compensated by providing a reasonable margin to rebroadcast them using beacons. band which sits between 2.4 and the radio software, otherwise the receive a weakened signal even 2.483 GHz. The signals from the signal will be lost. when the satellite is orbiting at the A tough challenge ESA satellites are broadcast in Finally, when making “non- high limit of the ESA specification Among other tasks, satellites the ‘S band’ between 2.488 GHz connected” Bluetooth LE while being low on the horizon. operate as radio relays. Earth- and 2.495 GHz. Further, while transmissions (i.e. one-way, using However, the Nordic SoC’s bound transmitters are limited ESA’s satellites carry radios with the protocol’s three advertising nominal receive sensitivity by obstacles such as mountains a transmit power exceeding 90 channels), the Bluetooth assumes the use of a linear and the planet’s curvature, but dBm, once that signal travels LE RF software (the ‘stack’) polarized antenna. These by beaming the message up to down to Earth, signal strength can blocks out-of-band signals and are optimized for picking up a satellite and then using the be reduced to -77 dBm. continually hops between the signals typical of Bluetooth LE

16 | WINTER 2018 | ULP WIRELESS QUARTER www.nordicsemi.com TECHNICAL PERSPECTIVE

applications (i.e. transmitted therefore faster. For example, in a horizontal plane over short the SDK contains an Eddystone ranges) but are not so good for beacon example making that side the right hand circular polarized of the process simple. (RHCP) S band transmissions “Finally, although the Nordic coming from overhead. stack [SoftDevice] is good, it Firmwave’s team optimized is not accessible to external sensitivity by matching the developers. So the fact the chip SoC with an antenna designed seamlessly runs alternative open- specifically for RHCP signals. source stacks such as our choice, There was also a need to MyNewt, allowed us to modify the modify some of the Bluetooth LE Bluetooth LE stack but still gain stack code to make the satellite all the advantages of Nordic’s link work. The key change was proven hardware, software to alter the operating frequency architecture, and development to 2.488 GHz to suit the S band tools,” says Hibbett. transmissions and then to prevent the protocol performing A low-cost, beacon-based system will help ESA maximize the use of its Putting it into practice Bluetooth tech’s conventional spaceborne assets Part of ESA Maker-Space’s frequency hopping so that it requirement was for the company remained locked to the single solving the engineering solutions channel. Other protocol changes to come up with application ideas. included disabling Bluetooth LE Firmwave’s suggestions ranged tech’s cyclic redundancy check from the mundane—updating a (CRC) and modifying advertising fleet of beacons’ firmware saving packets. The engineers then wrote a technician being dispatched some firmware to compensate or sending information to public for Doppler shift however fast the installations such a bus shelters satellite was moving and whatever which could then be passed on its orbital position. via the beacon to passenger The Firmwave team quickly Firmwave’s solution uses two Bluetooth Low Energy modules connected smartphones—to the life-saving. realized that engineering via the modules’ UART ports One example of the latter is a single Bluetooth LE SoC “Bluetooth Low Energy getting emergency information to module to perform both chip is ideally suited to beacon people where cellphone coverage the satellite reception and applications but less expensive will soon be beamed is non-existent. beacon transmission would than an nRF52832. thousands of kilometers “Bluetooth hardware is ideal be impractical. Such an “The modules are certified into space and then for these applications because arrangement would require products and because the one back down to Earth” it’s robust, inexpensive, has long running two Bluetooth stacks, using the modified Bluetooth LE battery-life and can be constantly one modified for the former stack only receives, it requires for this application? updated while in-situ,” explains task and a conventional stack no re-certification. The second “There were four key reasons,” Hibbett. to deal with the latter. Although module is unmodified so, of explains Hibbett. “First and “A lot of people carry the Nordic chip is capable of course, no additional certification perhaps most significantly, cellphones to areas where there’s concurrently running two stacks, is needed,” explains Hibbett. Nordic’s nRF52832’s datasheet no signal,” he adds. “For example, Firmwave took the far simpler To prove the concept, notes that the radio can operate imagine a mountain pass that has route of employing two separate the Firmwave team used an up to 2.5 GHz, sufficient to pick been blocked by a landslide. The modules (based on Nordic nRF52 Earthbound software defined up the part of the S band we satellite could be programmed Series SoCs) each dedicated radio (SDR)—which could needed to cater for. Just having to send information to beacons to a specific task. Because the accurately emulate the strength this information in the datasheet located at the bottom of the modules sit adjacent they can and Doppler shift of the LEO made the component selection pass, notifying people that the be linked via a wired connection satellite’s transmissions—and far quicker. road tens of kilometers up the between each SoC’s UART port. two Nordic nRF52 Development “Second, the Nordic chip, mountain is blocked, improving “Adding a second module Kits (DKs). One DK acted as the particularly when equipped with safety. does increase solution cost,” satellite receiver and the other as a the RHCP antenna, has excellent “But even we can’t imagine explains Hibbett. “But with high- Bluetooth (Eddystone) beacon. receiver sensitivity. Signal many of the potential applications quality, off-the-shelf modules strength is one thing when the based on this technology. After like the Raytac [nRF52832] Selecting Nordic satellite’s overhead, but quite all, who’d have guessed that product we used costing just Hibbett has worked with another when it’s low in the sky,” Bluetooth LE—a technology $3.50, it is a small price to pay for Nordic’s wireless technology Hibbett adds. “The extra decibels originally designed for short- shortened development time and for over a decade and respects you gain from a particularly range communication between increased flexibility of the end the company’s ultra low power sensitivite Bluetooth LE SoC a smartphone and a close-by product. Some additional cost wireless technology heritage. make a lot of difference.” peripheral—will soon be beamed could be shaved in commercial But while it’s a leader, Nordic isn’t “Third, Nordic’s DKs and thousands of kilometers into applications by employing a the only supplier of Bluetooth software development tools space and then back down to module with an nRF52810. This LE SoCs; so why did Firmwave are so comprehensive it makes Earth. Perhaps the Moon will be is a good option because the choose the company’s products the design process easier and next.” www.nordicsemi.com ULP WIRELESS QUARTER | WINTER 2018 | 17 TECHNICAL BRIEFING Getting started with Bluetooth mesh Bluetooth Low Energy has been enhanced by the addition of a mesh specification. John Leonard explains how to begin a Bluetooth mesh project

John Leonard is Tactical Marketing Manager, Nordic Semiconductor

he recent adoption of the Bluetooth mesh 1.0 specification allows Tdevices (“nodes”) within a Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth LE) network to communicate directly with companion nodes without recourse to a central hub device. Such a system extends communication range, flexibility, and reliability, and is a prerequisite for a local area network (LAN) Internet of Things (IoT) wireless technology. Key applications for Designing smart lighting is made Bluetooth mesh include enterprise simpler with Nordic’s Bluetooth lighting installations, back-ends for mesh development tools managed beacons, and industrial monitoring. (For an introduction to Bluetooth mesh see ULP WQ communication across a mesh “Nordic’s SDK Bluetooth mesh doesn’t require Autumn 2017, pg10.) network is facilitated by messages. Bluetooth LE vendors to update However, the Bluetooth A state is a value representing accelerates their PHYs or software stacks mesh specification also brings a condition of an “element”. An to support its functionality. In new design challenges such as element is an addressable entity the design of addition, Bluetooth mesh isn’t provisioning and configuring of a device or node. Each device Bluetooth mesh limited to PHYs compliant with the network and working with has at least one (primary) element the latest version, Bluetooth Bluetooth mesh’s “Models”. and might have one or more applications” 5; legacy products employing Fortunately, those challenges secondary elements, all of which Bluetooth 4.0, 4.1, and 4.2 can also can be overcome by turning remain unchanged throughout support the technology. to the silicon, firmware, the node’s lifetime after initial of messages that a Client uses development kits (DKs) and configuration. An element to request, change, or ‘consume’ Mesh development tools software DKs supplied by Nordic ‘exposing’ a state is called a corresponding Server states, However, Bluetooth mesh does Semiconductor. “Server”. An element ‘accessing’ a as defined by a Server Model. require the introduction of the state is referred to as a “Client”. The Client Model does not itself vendor’s implementation of a What are Models? Server, Client and “Control” are have states. A Control Model compliant mesh stack. The stacks Bluetooth mesh offers flexibility the three types of Model defined can combine Client Model include a completely new host when building mesh applications in the specification. A Server functionality (to communicate layer that shares some concepts because developers can construct Model is composed of one or with other Server Models) and with the Bluetooth LE host layer Models which enable devices more states spanning one or more Server Model functionality (to but is not compatible with it. with many different customized elements and defines a set of communicate with other Client Nordic’s Bluetooth mesh behaviors. Models is a complex mandatory messages that it can Models). A Control Model may stack comes as part the nRF5 subject which merits further transmit or receive, the element also contain a set of rules and SDK for Mesh, an SDK that also reading, but in essence, a Model behavior when it deals with the behaviors that coordinate the includes a selection of drivers, defines the required mesh “states”, messages, and any additional Control Model’s interactions libraries and examples for mesh the “messages” that act upon behavior that occurs after between other Models to which applications. Because Bluetooth those states and the associated messages are dealt with. the Control Model connects. mesh requires no changes to behavior of those states. All A Client Model defines a set (See Figure 1.) existing PHYs or stacks, Bluetooth

18 | WINTER 2018 | ULP WIRELESS QUARTER www.nordicsemi.com TECHNICAL BRIEFING

Figure 1: The element-Model structure of a Bluetooth mesh device that implements a Control Model

COURTESY: BLUETOOTH SIG BLUETOOTH COURTESY: The Nordic nRF52 DK works well with nRF5 SDK for Mesh mesh development work can network, called “provisioners”. The “Configuration Server” is used by Client Models to send be performed using existing (In the development case the a mandatory requirement for messages to Server Models. (hardware) development kits provisioner is the nRF52 DK.) The Bluetooth mesh nodes and is Configuration of publication incorporating the target device provisioner supplies new devices used to represent the mesh states is generally controlled such as Nordic’s nRF52 DK. (See with the information they need to network configuration of a by a provisioner via the ULP WQ Autumn 2018, pg20.) join a network. device. The Configuration Server Configuration Model. Armed with some familiarity The API allows the developer handles the communication When using the Nordic nRF5 of Nordic development tools and to start listening for the with, and instructions from, the SDK, messages are published the SDK, and at least three DKs unprovisioned device waiting to Configuration Client (controlled using the “access_model_ (or one DK and two Nordic SoC- join the network. The device will by the provisioner). publish()” API function, which based modules) to form a small communicate using a broadcast Configuration starts after publishes a message according network, it is relatively easy for beacon sent on one of Bluetooth provisioning is completed. The to the publication settings a developer to put together an LE’s three advertising channels. provisioner reads the composition (interval, destination) of the initial Bluetooth mesh application. Incoming link requests on the data of the provisionee to identify Publishing Model. The first step is to build the channel will be automatically the metadata of the device and Subscriptions are used to mesh stack. In Nordic’s case accepted by the provisioner. which Models are bound to which receive unsolicited messages the stack is built using one of When the link has been element in the device. Then the from nodes. The Nordic SDK the Integrated Development established, it is authenticated application and/or network key(s) “access_model_subscription_ Environments (IDEs) that using an out-of-band (OOB) are added and bound to the list_alloc()” API function allocates support the company’s method for enhanced security to different Models. a subscription list enabling development tools. For example, ensure that the device joining the Adding more nodes is achieved Models to subscribe to an with SEGGER Embedded Studio, network is the intended target. by repeating the provisioning and address. The subscriptions allow the stack is built by using one An API event then provides the configuration process for each Models to listen for published of the examples included with provisioning data and the device new device. messages such as those carrying the Bluetooth mesh SDK and key to the device. data from sensor nodes. compiling using the IDE. The nRF5 SDK for Mesh Publishing and subscribing During the development The target PHY on the DK is includes a light switch example After adding and configuring process it might be advantageous then erased and reprogrammed that shows how to develop network devices, Bluetooth to connect a non-Bluetooth with both the compiled Bluetooth applications with both provisioner mesh requires the developer mesh-enabled device such as a mesh stack and SoftDevice and provisionee roles. In the to configure the “publication smartphone to the network to, for (Nordic Bluetooth LE stack). Once demo, a light switch Client Model state” of the Models and to set example, configure smart lighting the stacks are programmed and (the switch) is the provisioner and “subscriptions”. The publication from an app. This is achieved verified, the SDK can be used to the light switch Server Model (the state includes things like the by adding the smartphone as a set-up and build mesh networks. bulb) is the provisionee. address used to publish state Proxy Node interfacing via both Nordic’s example makes the events, with what key and using the node and device’s Generic Provisioning most of the fact that the simplest what “time-to-live” (TTL) value. Attribute Profile (GATT). Nordic’s development server in the Bluetooth mesh Messages are sent when they Developers familiar with tools include an application specification is a Generic OnOff are “published” from each Model’s designing using Bluetooth LE programming interface (API) Server, representing that the publish address. Publication is will be at an advantage when which is used to add new devices server is either “on” or “off”. used, for example, by a sensor getting started with Bluetooth to the mesh network (called The simplest Client is a Generic node reporting data. Messages mesh. However, Nordic’s nRF5 “provisioning”). Provisioning is OnOff Client that’s able to control can be published just once or SDK for Mesh does ease the path handled by devices previously a Generic OnOff Server via repeated and are sent to either for inexperienced developers configured for the provisioning messages defined by the Generic a unicast-, group-, or virtual- to accelerate the design of task and already part of the OnOff Model. address. Publication is also Bluetooth mesh applications.  www.nordicsemi.com ULP WIRELESS QUARTER | WINTER 2018 | 19 TECHNICAL BRIEFING

Bluetooth 5 range put to the test German component distributor Rutronik and Nordic performed experiments using the nRF52840 SoC to check the performance of Bluetooth 5 long-range functionality

he introduction of Bluetooth 5 added Bluetooth 5 wireless’ some key capabilities long-range feature promises much for outdoor applications Tto Bluetooth wireless such as smart agriculture technology, notably increased throughput, range, and advertising extensions. Nordic’s nRF52840 SoC was one of the few devices on the market to offer all of Bluetooth 5 wireless’ features from the date of adoption. Some competitive chips were slower to offer the long-range feature because it required a significant firmware upgrade. Specifically, the range boost comes from the use of Forward Error Correction (FEC) to detect and fix packet corruptions during data transfer. This improves the Bit Error Rate (BER), effectively increasing the sensitivity of the receiver by enhancing the transmitter. “Bluetooth 5 of around 17.5 percent. Outdoors, date Rutronik’s. The company Theoretically, for the Bluetooth 5 for similar operational scenarios, notes that although a 12-dB long-range feature, the increase wireless’ long-range range improved from 455 m increase in receiver sensitivity in sensitivity should be around feature effectively to 527 m, an improvement of is theoretically possible, actual 12 dB (throughput 125 kbps) around 16 percent. devices achieve around 8 dB compared to (non-FEC) 1-Mbps increases the While this is a marked which equates to a range boost mode which is good enough for a sensitivity of the improvement in range, such of 2.5 times. quadrupling of range. receiver” improvement falls well short Nordic performed its tests Because the technique of what might be theoretically using an nRF52840 SoC running reduces the packet data payload, expected from the new no FEC (raw data throughput of the downsides are reduced raw things like trees, buildings, and technology. Rutronik noted that 1 Mbps) then with full FEC (125 data rates, longer transmission even the weather get in the way. the indoor radio environment kbps). For a normal Bluetooth times (reducing battery life), was particularly hostile. The 5 connection, the range for the and a greater risk of interference Put to the test tests were performed in an former operational mode was from other 2.4 GHz radio sources. Rutronik is a German component office with lots of walls, people, 682 m and for the latter 1,300 But for some applications, distributor of Nordic’s wireless and furniture. In addition, many m. That’s an increase of around for example smart-lighting or SoCs, including the nRF52 Series other 2.4-GHz devices such as 91 percent or just under double -agriculture, the potential of Bluetooth 5 chips. The company Wi-Fi routers and wireless mice the range. Nordic’s engineers a quadrupling of range is well put the nRF52840 SoC’s long- and keyboards were present. also noted that the impact of worth the trade-off. range feature to the test using Similarly, the company noted external factors is so great that it But the promise of 4x the Nordic’s nRF52840 Preview the outdoor results were likely is impossible to generalize what range is one thing, actual range Development Kit (PDK) in both to have been compromised by improvement in range Bluetooth in practice is quite another. There indoor and outdoor applications. weather, ground reflection, and 5 can bring. Tests in the target are many factors that attenuate The results were compared with less-than-optimum positions of application are therefore advised. a Bluetooth 5 signal. In part this Nordic SoCs running Bluetooth 5 the respective transmitter and attenuation is due to interference in ‘normal’ mode (i.e. without FEC). receiver antennas. The company Further information: Rutronik’s from other 2.4-GHz wireless Indoors, the results showed further noted that a wider white paper, which also considers technologies such as Wi-Fi, that a Bluetooth 5 SoC without range of tests would need to be throughput and energy ANT+, Thread, and Zigbee, but FEC (raw throughput 1 Mbps) performed to establish Bluetooth consumption, is available from perhaps a bigger factor is the offered a range of 51 m. With 5 range performance across a www.rutronik.com/white-paper- impact of obstacles between maximum FEC, that improved range of typical usage scenarios. on-the-real-world-performance- transmitter and receiver. Indoors to 60 m (at similar output power Nordic has performed its of-bluetooth-low-energy-5/ these obstacles comprise people, but a raw throughput reduced to own Bluetooth 5 outdoor Nordic’s tests are detailed here: walls, and furniture; and outdoors 125 kbps); a range improvement experiments, which post- tinyurl.com/BT5Nordictest. 

20 | WINTER 2018 | ULP WIRELESS QUARTER www.nordicsemi.com NORDIC INSIDE Freedrum Virtual Drumkit

This Bluetooth Low Energy virtual drumkit allows drummers to practice anywhere by creating sounds from sensor-tracked drumstick movements

According to analyst QY Research Reports the wireless audio market is expected to grow from $16.3 billion in 2016 to $31.8 billion by 2023, propelled by increasing consumer demand for audio gadgets. Freedrum allows keen drummers to take their virtual drumkit with them wherever they go, listening to the generated audio live on their smartphone or tablet

Extreme Sport Drumming is a competition for determining the world’s fastest drummer. A drummer’s speed is recorded by a digital counting device to determine who can play the most single strokes in 60 seconds. In 2013, Thomas Grosset set the current world record at 1208 strokes per minute, equivalent to striking the drum more than 20 times per second

The basic design of the drum has remained virtually unchanged throughout history and is considered to be the oldest musical instrument—other than the human voice—still in existence today. Early drums dating from 6000 BC have been found in Neolithic or ‘New Stone Age’ period excavations, and are believed to have had a ceremonial rather than musical purpose

Freedrum comprises four wireless devices fitted to a pair of drumsticks and the user’s feet. Built-in gyroscopes and accelerometers track the direction and angle of movement, detecting ‘impacts’ that translate to actual drum sounds on a smartphone app using MIDI-over-Bluetooth Low Energy wireless connectivity

Nordic’s nRF52832 SoC not only provides wireless connectivity for Freedrum, but its powerful 64MHz, 32-bit Arm Cortex M4F processor also delivers the processing power required to cope with the complex floating-point computations necessary to run Freedrum’s detailed angle- tracking algorithms at high speed. In addition, the processor manages Freedrum’s raw sensor values, and supervises the Bluetooth LE RF protocol software

www.nordicsemi.com ULP WIRELESS QUARTER | WINTER 2018 | 21 CASE STUDY

EMG assistive wearable helps people with disabilities stay connected Thanks to Bluetooth LE connectivity, Control Bionics’ NeuroNode allows those with paralysis and loss of speech to communicate with loved ones, reports Kalon Huett

NeuroNode into a generic 2.4GHz Kalon Huett is an NeuroNode is out-of- radio for the testing laboratory. Australia-based the-box ready to be Nordic had a ready-made solution freelance journalist used on the user's device via Bluetooth LE for this, and their online support allowed us to take the Nordic s wirelessly-enabled radio test software and easily medical devices prove adopt it to our product,” he says. vitally important across The NeuroNode is compatible Athe healthcare sector, with most popular personal one developer of wearable EMG devices. By selecting Bluetooth (electromyography) devices has Low Energy (Bluetooth LE)— now provided the market with a enabled by Nordic’s nRF52832 communication and connectivity System-on-Chip (SoC)—over solution for sufferers of paralysis alternative wireless protocols and loss of speech. to provide the connectivity for Cincinnati, Ohio-based the device, Control Bionics’ Control Bionics describes the developers have taken advantage ‘NeuroNode’ as the world’s of this wireless technology’s first wearable EMG assistive in-built interoperability. technology device of its kind. “It was important for the The company has high hopes NeuroNode system to have cross- not only for this revolutionary platform capability,” Schorey consumer product, but for says. “By making it function as the future of the wearable an HID [human interface device] medical device sector. Bluetooth LE wireless keyboard, “The NeuroNode allows the NeuroNode is instantly people to find their voice again connectable to iOS/OSX, and reconnect with family, friends, Android, and Windows platforms. and the rest of the world,” says amyotrophic lateral sclerosis “The NeuroNode This means the NeuroNode is James Schorey, Chief Technology (ALS)—also known as motor out-of-the-box ready to be used Officer at Control Bionics. neuron disease (MND)—or any allows people on the user's preferred device via “Because the NeuroNode other condition causing paralysis to find their Bluetooth LE.” doesn't require any movement, and/or loss or difficulty of speech, voice again and The NeuroNode represents patient populations that the NeuroNode system offers the evolution of Control Bionics’ previously couldn't be served by users the invaluable ability to reconnect with earlier EMG assistive technology traditional assistive technology control a paired computer, tablet, the world” device, the NeuroSwitch. devices suddenly have the or smartphone via EMG signals. “This next generation device means to communicate with Thanks to this technology, users and private practices across the is a significant upgrade on the other people and control their with a disability are now also able U.S. and Australia. NeuroSwitch. Specifically, it is own personal devices and to communicate more effectively five times smaller, wearable, and environment.” with loved ones, caregivers, and Bluetooth LE versatility features vastly enhanced power The NeuroNode device uses clinicians. They can, for example, Medical device manufacturers consumption as well as Bluetooth a small, non-invasive, medical- access social media or send and like Control Bionics must develop LE wireless connectivity,” says grade wireless sensor placed receive emails and text messages, products in accordance with Schorey. on the skin over a muscle to as well as play games, watch and U.S. Federal Communications What is the next step for interpret the signals sent from download online entertainment, Commission (FCC) regulations. Control Bionics and how does the the brain whenever the user use environmental control The FCC oversees the RF company see current and future attempts to move that muscle. systems, and operate external spectrum where wireless consumer uptake for wearable Control Bionics’ iOS companion devices. technologies operate in the U.S. medical devices? Schorey says a app, the ‘NeuroNode Controller’, In addition to the helpful role According to Schorey, Nordic’s clear roadmap is in place: “We will allows the user and clinician to it plays in the lives of individual support proved instrumental continue to evolve by developing customize the NeuroNode to consumers, the NeuroNode is when Control Bionics was lighter, simpler, smaller, and more match the user’s abilities. also being used as an assessment preparing to apply for FCC powerful devices, which will allow Designed specifically for tool for speech language certification for the NeuroNode. us to increase market share and people diagnosed with pathologists in both institutions “We needed software to turn the even expand into new markets.” 

22 | WINTER 2018 | ULP WIRELESS QUARTER www.nordicsemi.com PEOPLE & PLACES

Andrzej Puzdrowski

Model engineer mixes work with fun

i, I’m Andrzej Puzdrowski everyone, including myself, being and I’m a Senior When he’s not assembling incredibly self-motivated. We Firmware Engineer a model train at home, are people who enjoy what we Andrzej likes to take his based in Kraków, do, we love developing products. H family on adventures Poland. At present I am heavily You could call us enthusiasts and involved in Nordic’s real time perhaps even geeks! operating system (RTOS) efforts, Outside of work, I am a simultaneously working as the husband and father of four code-owner for certain codes and children. I really appreciate the on developing Zephyr software. fact Nordic respects the value My main focuses include Flash of our private lives, so it is not storage, file systems, bootloader, hard to keep the right balance and device firmware update between work and family. (DFU) technicalities. Spending quality time with my As Zephyr is an open source family is important and special. project, I cooperate and I really like traveling, hiking, and collaborate extensively with taking my family to see different engineers from other companies. sights. Even a small journey I also contribute to Internet with the kids can sometimes be Engineering Task Force (IETF) “Our internal challenging, both physically and standardization works. Prior to Personal Profile mentally, but I love it. I usually my role as a Senior Firmware NAME: software team take on the role of ‘tour guide’. Engineer, I was an nRF SDK Andrzej Puzdrowski is made up of I also like to keep busy software development team JOB TITLE: renovating and working on member at Nordic for one-and- Senior Firmware Engineer highly-skilled and various DIY projects at home. a-half years and a Nordic lead JOINED NORDIC: One of my other favorite things developer for Arm Mbed OS for 2015 open-minded to do since childhood is assemble IoT devices. Each time I have BASED: engineers, which 3D models, although these days changed roles within Nordic Kraków, Poland helps create a great I don’t find enough time for this my new responsibilities have INTERESTS INCLUDE: hobby. For the past four years I’ve overlapped to a certain extent Traveling, hiking, cycling, environment” had the model of a Polish Ol-49 with my previous position. swimming, reading, 3D steam locomotive on my desk. I enjoy working on model assembly, computer Something I always find time games, playing guitar multinational, multicompany for is reading. It could be science projects such as Zephyr, fiction, history, physics and MCUboot, and formerly Arm engineers and exchange our Two years ago, at an internal astrophysics, military strategy, Mbed OS. Our internal software combined experience. Thanks software team ‘hack-week’ social or science and technology news; team is made up of highly- to the open-source nature of event in Trondheim, we organized whatever I’m reading, I tend to get skilled and open-minded the project I am also close to the ourselves into small teams a little bit addicted. engineers, which helps create potential end user – I can see their working on interesting projects As for the future, my goal is an environment conducive to struggles, interact with them, and based on our common ideas. to help create the best support creativity, self-development, and importantly learn how to create Many of us became so involved in open-source projects and knowledge sharing. The open- more user-friendly software. in the projects that we ended up provide as much functionality source nature of the project From a technical perspective I working through the night. This as possible in our products, to also provides opportunities enjoy working with and learning was not a business project with a establish an advantage over our to work with talented external the latest technologies. deadline, it was simply a case of competitors. 

Back issues of ULP Wireless Quarter: An archive of previous ULP Wireless Q editions in PDF format is available from: www.nordicsemi.com/News/ULP-Wireless-Quarter-Archive You can also subscribe to receive future editions from this web page

www.nordicsemi.com ULP WIRELESS QUARTER | WINTER 2018 | 23 Cellular IoT made easy

nRF9160 DK Easy-to-use cellular IoT development kit with software development environment

BUY ONLINE nordicsemi.com

NS18_N51_PG24_D1jc.indd 14 13/12/2018 2:20 pm