Nordic Semiconductor has announced that Dynastream Innovations has selected their next generation nRF52832 multiprotocol System-on-Chip (SoC) for its D52Q ANT module. The D52Q module is a certified product that gives manufacturers a drop-in RF solution with concurrent ANT™ and Bluetooth low energy (formerly known as Bluetooth Smart) RF software protocol operation. The module enables customers with limited RF design expertise to quickly develop wireless products.
The D52Q ANT module has been designed to enable a wide range of sports/fitness and IoT connected products where small size, low power consumption, performance, and range are key operational factors. The module is Bluetooth 4.2 (the latest version of the standard) qualified and carries certifications for operation in major markets including the U.S., Canada, the European Economic Area, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Korea.
It is available in two variants, the D52QD2M4IA and D52QD2M4IA-A:
- The D52QD2M4IA is a 20 by 20-mm module with up to 30 GPIOs offering an upgrade path to this more capable and power efficient ANT/Bluetooth low energy module for existing ANT-module based (fitness equipment) products - as well as being a general purpose solution for emerging IoT commercial control applications;
- The D52QD2M4IA-A is a 20 by 20-mm module with an onboard three-axis accelerometer and up to 24 GPIOs that enables power- and cost-efficient ANT implementations of high-node count motion based control/monitor products for IoT segments. A smaller 9.8 by 14-mm form factor module, the D52M, will join the D52 series product line in Q4 2016.
The nRF52832 SoC’s ARM CPU delivers up to 60 percent more generic processing power, offering 10 times the Floating Point performance and twice the Digital Signal Processing (DSP) performance compared to competing solutions. The integrated 2.4 GHz multiprotocol radio offers ANT or Bluetooth low energy operation individually or concurrently, depending on the selected SoftDevice (RF protocol software stack) with -96 dB RX sensitivity and 5.5 mA peak RX/TX currents. It also features 512 kB Flash memory and 64 kB RAM, and an NFC tag for consumer-friendly “Touch-to-Pair”.
Mike Rounding, Product Manager at ANT Wireless, a subsidiary of Dynastream Innovations sais - “The new D52Q module provides our customers with one of the most advanced dual-protocol ANT and Bluetooth low energy module products with industrial temperature range on the market. Manufacturers and developers depend on the flexibility of the ANT protocol to build integrated ecosystems such as ANT+ in sport and fitness, and for broader high-node count, battery-operated mesh applications in the IoT. D52Q modules are an ideal platform to fast-track a product into these markets.”
This new module represents a perfect solution for developers requiring a ‘drop-in’ solution easily able to support the most complex ANT wireless applications while at the same time freeing them from the complexities of RF engineering and compliance testing. Simultaneous Bluetooth low energy support brings additional wireless connectivity flexibility.
It is designed to be used as a drop-in replacement for Dynastream’s AP2, C7, and N5 M4 form factor products, easing migration. A starter kit (D52DK1) for evaluation and product development is available.
The nRF52832 SoC-based D52Q module will feature in workshops and training modules at the 2016 ANT Wireless Symposium taking place October 4 to 7, 2016 in Banff, Canada.
