STMicroelectronics BlueNRG-LP Bluetooth LE system-on-chip

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STMicroelectronics has revealed its latest BlueNRG-LP Bluetooth LE system-on-chip (SoC), which leverages the latest Bluetooth features to increase communication range, raise throughput, strengthen security and save power.

The Bluetooth LE 5.2-certified SoC supports concurrent connections up to 128 nodes, enabling seamless low-latency control and monitoring large numbers of connected devices, for instance from a stylish and intuitive smartphone app. The ultralow-power radio is optimised to consume as little as 3.4 mA in receive mode, 4.3 mA when transmitting and less than 500 nA quietly waiting for wake-up events, cutting by half the size of battery needed in most applications and prolonging runtime.

Combined with high RF-output power, which is programmable up to +8 dBm, and RF sensitivity up to -104 dBm, the radio SoC can natively cover a large area in beacons, smart lighting, gaming, building automation, industrial and tracking applications. Furthermore, the communication range can be extended without limit by seamlessly adding Bluetooth LE Mesh. In addition, the product supports Bluetooth Long Range mode, which uses coded physical layers (Coded PHY) with forward error connection (FEC) to extend radio-communication range up to hundreds of metres, as well as GATT (generic attribute) caching to connect quickly and efficiently.

The device comes with ST’s third-generation Bluetooth Low Energy protocol stack certified to Core Specification 5.2 and designed to match its ultralow-power architecture. It also supports an L2CAP connection-oriented channel (CoC), which eases large bidirectional data transfers, multi-role simultaneous connectivity and channel selection algorithm #2 (CSA #2), which permits robust connections in noisy environments such as home, building or industrial networks.

Enhanced security mechanisms included in the integrated Arm Cortex-M0+ microcontroller (MCU) comprise a secure bootloader, readout protection for the entire 256 KB embedded flash, a 48-bit unique ID, customer key storage, a true random-number generator (RNG), a hardware public-key accelerator (PKA) and a 128-bit AES cryptographic co-processor. The SoC also integrates an embedded RF balun, DC/DC converter and capacitors for the HSE (high-speed external) oscillator and internal low-speed ring oscillator, simplifying circuit design.

With 32 or 64 KB RAM and a choice of temperature range up to 85 or 105°C, designers have the flexibility to choose a configuration that best meets their needs.

For more information: www.st.com/bluenrg-lp-pr.