STMicroelectronics has launched its third-generation Bluetooth System-on-Chip (SoC), enhanced with Bluetooth direction finding technology for location tracking and real-time positioning applications.
By determining the direction of a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) signal, the Bluetooth 5.3 certified BlueNRG-LPS SoC can accurately estimate movement and location with centimeter precision. It uses Bluetooth-specified technology, including angle of arrival (AoA) and angle of departure (AoD), calculated from signals captured by an antenna array.
With this feature, the SoC now enables a wide variety of applications that require indoor navigation, geofencing and asset tracking, as well as real-time location of tools, assets and goods.
With its simplified architecture and I/O peripherals and program and data memories (192 KB eFlash and 24 KB SRAM, respectively) sized for lightweight end products, BlueNRG-LPS is ideal for high-volume, cost-sensitive applications. These include general purpose wireless sensors, medical devices, keyless entry systems, remote controls and remote smart metering.
Also integrating a high-efficiency step-down converter and protection circuits, the SoC further simplifies and reduces the required bill of materials (BOM) and enables a much cheaper two-layer PCB design. The architecture supports the latest Bluetooth LE Power Control specification, which allows fine-tuning of RF output power in 1dBm increments and up to +8dBm, to enable longer battery life.
Additionally, Bluetooth path loss monitoring improves radio link quality and prevents interference, ensuring robust connections for better interaction between devices, even in crowded locations, and faster response times. Support for long-range Bluetooth 5.3, 2 Mbps high-speed data rate, periodic advertising, simultaneous connection and multi-functional specifications also ensure superior user experiences with equipment powered by BlueNRG-LPS. There are also dedicated hardware functions and cryptographic IPs to support enhanced security.
The STEVAL-IDB012V1 tool is available to support the evaluation and development of BlueNRG-LPS.