Over the last few years, the adoption of Bluetooth technology has risen significantly. This has been driven by the need for a simple, low power wireless technology that is easily available across devices. The technology has evolved from the original classic version to now support low power applications, mesh, direction finding and increased data rates up to 2 Mbps. Bluetooth has become the default wireless technology used by fitness trackers, wireless headphones, wireless speakers and a host of other applications. The demand for this technology is expected to continue to grow over the next few years. everything RF has compiled a list of the Top 10 most popular Bluetooth modules on the website in 2020.
Ultra-Low Power Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Combo Solution for IoT Applications
The CYW43012 from Cypress is an Ultra-Low-Power Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Combo Solution for wearables, smart home products, and portable audio applications. The chip simultaneously supports dual-band 2.4 and 5 GHz Wi-Fi and dual-mode Bluetooth/Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.0 applications. It prolongs battery life by leveraging 28 nm process technology to cut power consumption up to 70 percent in receive mode and up to 80 percent in sleep mode. It is available in a 251-pin WLCSP package that measures 3.76 mm x 4.27 mm, 0.2 mm pitch, and is ideal for IoT and embedded applications. Click here for more details.
Bluetooth 5.2 Low Energy Modules for Advanced Applications
The NORA-B10 Series from u-blox are Standalone Bluetooth 5.2 Low Energy Modules with an integrated MCU for industrial automation, medical and healthcare, smart cities, and smart buildings. These modules are built on the Nordic nRF5340 chip and have dual Arm Cortex-M33 processor cores with integrated flash and RAM. This BLE Module has a range of wired interfaces such as UART, QSPI, SPI, I2C, USB, QDEC, PDM, PWM, and ADC. These modules come with an internal PCB antenna that provides a robust low-profile solution with high performance and extensive range. They measure 10.4 x 14.3 x 1.8 mm and are suitable for applications such as connected tools, advanced and medical wearables, smart lighting, asset tracking, indoor location, low power sensors, as well as wireless-connected and configurable equipment. Click here for more details.
Dual-Band Wi-Fi / Bluetooth 5.0 Module for IoT Applications
The SPB228 from H&D Wireless is Dual-Band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0 module built on a 28 nm process. It supports WLAN (802.11 a.b.g.n) 2x2 MU-MIMO dual-band (2.4 and 5 GHz) and Bluetooth (5 Classic and LE) for Linux and Android platforms. This low power module provides a feature-rich client solution with a nominal 867 Mbps (Wi-Fi) data rate and supports the concurrent or independent operation of WLAN and Bluetooth. This FCC, IC, and CE compliant module is available with dual MHF4 connectors that support a flexible choice of antennas and measures 12 x 16 mm. It is ideal for applications such as video, audio, home security, and control, gaming tablets, mobile computing, and real-time video streaming. Click here for more details.
Zigbee, Thread & BLE 5.0 Multi-Stack, Multi-Channel Controller/Transceiver
The QPG7015M from Qorvo is a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Multi-Protocol Multi-Channel Communication Controller for set-top boxes, gateways, Zigbee nodes, and other Smart Home devices. This Transceiver is compliant with the IEEE Standard 802.15.4 for Zigbee and Thread, and the Bluetooth Core Specification v 5.0 for Bluetooth Low Energy, providing robust spread spectrum data communication with a highly secure encrypted and authenticated data flow. The QPG7015M provides a high-speed serial interface (SPI, UART, or USB) to the host processor. The Coexistence Interface and Attenuator Control enable coexistence with other potentially interfering radios (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi) within the same host device. This module is available in a 4 x 4 mm LGA-32 package with 0.4 mm pitch. Click here for more details.
Low-Cost Bluetooth Low Energy Module for IoT Applications
The SmartBond TINY DA14531 from Dialog Semiconductor is a Bluetooth Low Energy Module with an integrated antenna. Based on a Bluetooth 5.1 SoC, this module is optimized to significantly reduce the cost of adding BLE functionality to an IoT system. Its easy-to-use design and software allow developers to quickly and intuitively develop highly functional connected devices, targeting the next generation of the connected consumer, connected medical, smart home, and smart appliance applications. This DA14531 module incorporates two unique software features to eliminate the complexity of BLE development. The first is the configurable Dialog Serial Port Service (DSPS) software, which emulates a universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter (UART) serial port over BLE, removing the need to write Bluetooth software for ‘BLE Pipe’ applications when connecting the module to a host MCU’s serial port. This hand solderable stamp type TINY module offers 9 GPIO’s and measures 12.5 x 14.5 mm. Click here for more details.
Embedded Bluetooth 4.0 module for Lighting Control Applications
The CBM-002A/B from Casambi is a Class 2 embedded Bluetooth 4.0 module designed to be integrated into LED drivers, different lighting control applications, light fixtures, and LED bulbs. The module provides an output power of up to 4 dBm and has an RX sensitivity of -93 dBm. It can be controlled wirelessly with Casambi smartphone and tablet applications using Bluetooth 4.0 protocol and automatically forms a wireless mesh network. It can be mounted both in horizontal and vertical position making it very versatile for projects with different form-factors. Click here for more details.
Bluetooth 5.0 Low Energy RF Module with Integrated Antenna
The PAN1780 Series from Panasonic is a Bluetooth 5.0 Module based on the Nordic nRF52840 single-chip controller. The module supports a data rate of up to 2 Mbps using the high-speed LE 2M PHY or a significantly longer range using the LE coded PHY at 500 kb/s or 125 kb/s. It delivers a Tx power of up to 8 dBm and has a receive sensitivity of -95 dBm @ 1Mb/s. The module requires a DC supply from 1.7 to 5.5 V and has a current consumption of 4.8 mA (Tx and Rx mode), and 1 µA (sleep mode). It is available in a module that measures 15.6 x 8.7 x 2 mm with a ceramic antenna and supports AT Commands. The module also supports Type 2 Near Field Communication (NFC-A) for use in simplified pairing and payment solutions (external antenna required). Click here for more details.
Wi-Fi 6 / Bluetooth 5.0 Combo Module for Smartphones
The AP6275P from SparkLAN is a Wi-Fi 6 (WLAN 802.11.ax/ac/a/b/g/n) and Bluetooth (5.0) Combo module. This module provides faster speeds with better coverage and the capacity to improve the battery life of IoT sensors. It supports key Wi-Fi 6 innovations including OFDMA and MU-MIMO (2T2R) technologies for better performance in crowded environments, advanced roaming capabilities, and WPA3 security protocols. The module follows advanced encryption standards such as 64/128-bits WEP, WPA, WPA2, WPA3, 802.1x and measures 15 x 13 x 1.55 mm in size. It is specifically developed for tablets, AR, VR, IoT, smartphones, service provider & Home Appliances, and portable devices. Click here for more details.
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Combo Module for Industrial Automation Applications
The WE310F5 Series from Telit are fully integrated, single-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules designed for industrial automation, energy management, building automation, and data logger applications. The modules support Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n) and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE5) at 2.4 GHz. They reduce the integration time by supporting Firmware Over-the-Air (FOTA) features and are secured with WPA3 protocol, the next generation, cutting-edge Wi-Fi security specifications. The WE310F5 modules also offer multiple provisioning schemes and can be configured securely via a smartphone or a laptop. They are available in an LGA package with two variants – WE310F5-I (Integrated Antenna and measures 18 x 15 mm ) and WE310F5-P (External Antenna and measures 14.3 x 13.1 mm). Click here for more details.
2.4 GHz Bluetooth 5.2 Module for Industrial and Building Automation
The BGM220P from Silicon Labs is a 2.4 GHz Wireless Gecko Bluetooth Module that is designed and built to meet the performance, security, and reliability requirements of battery-powered IoT products. It supports Bluetooth 5.2 (BLE), direction-finding, and Bluetooth mesh low power node protocols. The module delivers a Tx power of up to 8 dBm and has an Rx sensitivity of -98.9 dBm at 1 Mbps. It requires a DC supply of 1.8-3.8 V and draws a current of up to 10.6 mA (Tx) and 4.3 mA (Rx). The BGM220P is available in a module that measures 12.9 x 15 mm with a built-in antenna. It is ideal for asset tags and beacons, portable medical, connected home, industrial and building automation, Bluetooth mesh low power nod, sports, fitness, and wellness devices applications. Click here for more details.
Note: This list has been compiled based on actual analytics data from everything RF. It consists of the products that were most viewed by users on everything RF in a specific category in 2020 (not in any specific order). We have limited the number of products shown for each company to 1, even if there were multiple products from a single company.
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