SG Wireless, a Hong Kong-based full-stack IoT solutions provider, has launched new Bluetooth 5.0/Bluetooth LE modules. The SGW1010 and SGW1011 modules are powered by Nordic's nRF52840 Bluetooth 5/Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth LE) advanced multiprotocol System-on-Chip (SoC), and are designed to provide a complete RF solution for use in a range of IoT applications. Applications include connected home, smart city infrastructure, industrial mesh networks, industrial smart lighting, and transport and logistics.
The SGW1010 module provides an embedded PCB antenna, while the SGW1011 module offers a u.FL connector for an external antenna. Both modules take advantage of the Nordic SoC's 64 MHz, 32-bit Arm Cortex M4 processor with floating-point unit (FPU), a 2.4 GHz multiprotocol radio (supporting Bluetooth 5, ANT, Thread, Zigbee, IEEE 802.15.4, and proprietary 2.4 GHz RF protocol software) with 1 MB Flash memory and 256 kB RAM to provide an advanced, highly flexible, ultra low power multiprotocol solution enabling Bluetooth LE connectivity for portable and extremely low power embedded systems.
The SGW1010 and SGW1011 modules with a form factor of 10.2 x 15 x 2.1mm are designed to reduce the engineering efforts and development costs associated with adding Bluetooth 5 to any product, thereby accelerating its time to market. Enabled by the nRF52840 SoC's support for Bluetooth 5, the modules allow OEMs to utilize the Bluetooth 5 Long Range and advertising extension support in IoT product designs. The integrated nRF52840 SoC provides full Bluetooth 5 support, including 2x on-air raw data bandwidth (2Mbps); 4x range; and 8x broadcasting ability with advertising extensions that increase the advertising packet payload size to 251 bytes. The nRF52840 SoC's new radio architecture with on-chip PA provides -95 dBm RX sensitivity (at 1Mbps in Bluetooth LE mode), a maximum output power of 8dBm, and a total link budget of 103 dBm.
Nordic's nRF52840 multiprotocol SoC is Nordic's most advanced ultra low power wireless solution. The SoC supports complex Bluetooth LE and other low-power wireless applications that were previously not possible with a single-chip solution. Designed to address the inherent security challenges that are faced in IoT, the nRF52840 SoC incorporates the Arm CryptoCell-310 cryptographic accelerator, offering best-in-class security. The SoC is supplied with Nordic's S140 SoftDevice, a Bluetooth 5-certified software protocol stack for building long-range and high data Bluetooth LE applications. The S140 SoftDevice offers concurrent Central, Peripheral, Broadcaster, and Observer Bluetooth LE roles, and supports high throughput and long-range modes as well as advertising extensions.
The SG Wireless certified BLE modules are developed as accelerators to enable OEM finished products to be built with high value, long-range and multi-protocol functions, and the least possible engineering efforts. SG Wireless selected Nordic's nRF52840 SoC for the modules for many reasons, but the performance of the SoftDevice and the SoC's multiprotocol support were key. In addition, Nordic's interactive DevZone forum was a good platform for technical discussion and information sharing, as well as offering excellent support and fast response times from Nordic's application engineers.
