u-blox has introduced the NORA-B1 Bluetooth module, the newest member of its short-range radio portfolio. Based on Nordic Semiconductor’s latest nRF5340 Bluetooth low energy chipset – the first to host a powerful Arm Cortex M33 dual core MCU. This module is designed to meet the needs of performance-oriented applications in areas such as industrial, medical, and smart building and smart city markets.
The NORA-B1 helps engineers get maximum value out of a single module. Taking advantage of the chipset’s dual core MCU, the module can handle performance-oriented applications and even drive a display without requiring an external host processer. With one low-power-optimized core dedicated to managing network connectivity and a second-high performance core exclusively running the device application, NORA-B1 enables smooth and uninterrupted operation with minimal processing latency.
The Arm TrustZone technology offers enhanced security, enabling a trusted execution environment by fully separating secure and non-secure Flash, RAM, peripherals, and GPIOs. The module also comes with the state-of-the-art Arm CryptoCell-312, which provides hardware-accelerated cryptography and, in combination with the key management unit (KMU), enables a root of trust and secure key storage.
Compact, extensively qualified, and globally certified, NORA-B1 brings the full promise of Bluetooth 5.2 to wireless applications, while also supporting ZigBee and Thread. LE audio, which can concurrently stream multiple channels with lower power consumption than existing technology, brings a major upgrade to audio data transmission, one of Bluetooth’s most popular use cases.
The combination of the dual core MCU, enhanced security, and Bluetooth 5.2 make the NORA-B1 module a natural fit for a wide range of wireless applications. These include industrial machine control, asset tracking, remote controls and gateways, connected power tools requiring continuous motor control, and advanced medical wearables with demanding security requirements.
The new NORA footprint, which measures only 10.4 x 14.3 x 1.8 mm, provides ease of routing with reduced host board complexity, resulting in cost savings for the end user. It will be available in several antenna variants, including a compact PCB antenna. Qualified for an extended temperature range up to 105 °C, NORA-B1 can operate reliably in harsh environments that are common in industrial settings as well as in smart indoor and outdoor lighting.
Customers will be able to get a hold of NORA-B1 samples in Q4 2020.
