bluetooth News - Page 35 of 72 - CNX Software

January 30, 2020September 4, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Gateworks GW16122 IoT mPCIe Card Comes with Long Range Sub-GHz and 2.4GHz Radios

Gateworks GW16122 Dual-Band IoT mPCIe Card

Gateworks GW16122 is a mini PCIe card that adds sub-GHz and 2.4GHz radio to the company line of Ventana and Newport Linux SBC’s, and is meant for industrial IoT (IIoT) applications as an alternative to LoRa and Sigfox. The second generation of the card is based on Texas instruments CC1352P dual-band wireless SoC that supports Wireless M-Bus, IEEE 802.15.4g, 6LoWPAN, KNX RF, and Wi-SUN at sub-GHz frequencies (EU: 868MHz, US: 915MHz), and Bluetooth 5 Low Energy, Thread, and Zigbee at 2.4 GHz. Gateworks GW16122 key features and specifications: MCU – Texas Instruments CC1352P Arm Cortex-M4F MCU @ 48 MHz with 352KB flash, 80KB SRAM, dual-band wireless radio transmitter/receiver Radios Sub-1 GHz Radio 868MHz EU, 915 MHz US (default) Low Power, sensor nodes can run on a coin-cell battery -121dBm Receive Sensitivity for long-range communication 20dBm Output Power Texas Instruments TI-RTOS and TI-15.4 Stack M-Bus, IEEE802.15.4g, Contiki 6LoWPAN, Wi-SUN, KNX RF […]

January 22, 2020 by Stephen Vicinanza - 1 Comment

V-Powerbuds Pro TWS Earbuds Support Heart Monitoring & Oxygen Tracking (Crowdfunding)

Vimai V-Powerbuds Pro Multi-function Sport Earbuds Vimai’s V-Powerbuds Pro TWS (True Wireless Stereo) earbuds are multi-function wireless earbuds. In the past, we had reported on the Misfit Specter Bluetooth earbuds that could track fitness input, such as steps, calories, and sleep duration. V-Powerbuds Pro also tracks heart rate, oxygen, and respiration, and supports online & offline voice control. The Component Basics The V-Powerbud Pro are TWS earbuds and have a built-in pulse oximeter to capture heart rate and oxygen levels right from within the ear. The hook design holds the earbuds tightly in place, within the ear, to get an accurate measurement independent of the effects of light. Other types of fitness tracking devices like those located on the wrist, can be affected by light. The Difference From Other Sport Earbuds Although the uses during exercise aspect of this wearable are probably more likely to be a selling point, the […]

January 17, 2020August 6, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 15 Comments

Realtek RTL8720DN Dual-Band WiFi & Bluetooth 5.0 IoT Modules Sell for $4 and Up

BW16 RTL8720DN Dual-band WiFi & Bluetooth Module

There are plenty of 2.4 GHz WiFi modules for IoT project based on processors ranging from Espressif Systems ESP8266 to TI CC3200, or Realtek RTL8710. Some others add Bluetooth 4.2/5.0 such as Espressif Systems ESP32, but it’s much harder to find solutions with dual-band WiFi especially if you have a tight budget for your project or product. But Realtek RTL8720DN – part of AmebaD family – offers just that with the Arm Cortex-M4/M0 wireless MCU supporting dual-band (2.4/5.0GHz) 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, and found in modules currently selling for as low as $3.90 or 24 RMB in single units. B&T BW16 RTL8720DN Module Specifications: Wireless SoC – Realtek RTL8720DN MCU with KM4 Arm Cortex-M4 core @ 200 MHz and KM0 Arm Cortex-M0 core @ 20 MHz Connectivity WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi 4 Frequency Range – 2.412-2.484GHz & 5.180-5.825GHz Data Rates 802.11a: 6,9,12,18,24,36,48,54Mbps 802.11b: 1,2,5.5,11Mbps 802.11g: 6,9,12,18,24,36,48,54Mbps 802.11n: […]

January 8, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

Silicon Labs BG22 Secure Bluetooth 5.2 SoC Promises 10-Year Coin-Cell Battery Life

Yesterday, we wrote about the new Bluetooth LE Audio standard which promises smaller Bluetooth audio devices, or longer battery life, as well as support for multi-stream and broadcast audio. But there has been some other Bluetooth developments with the release of Bluetooth 5.2 specification on December 31st, and the announcement of the first Bluetooth 5.2 SoC courtesy of Silicon Labs. Bluetooth 5.2 Main Changes Bluetooth 5.2 builds upon Bluetooth 5.1 with the following key changes: Enhanced Attribute Protocol (EATT) – Improved version of the Attribute Protocol (ATT), which supports concurrent transactions, allows the interleaving of L2CAP packets relating to ATT packets from different applications and allows the ATT Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) to be changed during a connection. This can reduce latency and improves the responsiveness of Bluetooth LE applications. LE Power Control – Devices can dynamically optimize the transmission power used in communication between connected devices with BLE receivers […]

January 7, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments

Bluetooth LE Audio Supports LC3 Codec, Multi-stream & Broadcast Audio, Nordic Semi Evaluation Kit Unveiled

I first heard about Bluetooth LE (Low Energy)- part of Bluetooth 4.0- in 2013 with RFDuino board, and it came to prominence once Android 4.3 added support later this year. Bluetooth LE is using to transmit messages using as little as energy as possible for example to synchronize data between a smartphone and a smartwatch. But if you ever had to transmit audio, you had to rely on Bluetooth Classic which, albeit considering low power, consumes more energy. But you should soon have much longer battery life on your Bluetooth headphone or battery-operated speaker, as the Bluetooth SIG has just announced Bluetooth LE Audio which adds a new codec and support for multi-stream and broadcast audio. The new high-quality, low-power audio codec used in the new Bluetooth standard is called the Low Complexity Communications Codec (LC3). The chart above shows the results of listening tests between LC3 and SBC codecs […]

January 4, 2020 by Stephen Vicinanza - 11 Comments

Fingerbot Bluetooth Mechanical Finger Enables Automation for most Home Appliances (Crowdfunding)

Adaprox Fingerbot Smart Home Automation Fingerbot is the place where IoT meets analog and creates a solution for smart home automation that works with Alexa, Google Home, Siri, and many smart home apps. What is Fingerbot? Adaprox, a team of engineers, programmers, and designers, designed the finger-sized device that can handle on/off for devices, repetitive motion tasks, toggles or switches. Fingerbot Does What? The little robot can work through voice or app, and can handle all activation and deactivation of traditional appliances, lighting and can even use its soft “finger” on a touchscreen for repetitive tasks in the home, all done mechanically. How Does It Work Fingerbot is designed to be attached to the device it is controlling with double-sided tape or velcro. This creates a firm grip on the surface so that its finger can control the device properly. The velcro option allows for switching Fingerbot between appliances, and […]

January 3, 2020January 3, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 13 Comments

Espressif Systems ESP32 Gets Bluetooth LE 5.0/5.1 Certifications

Espressif Systems ESP32 was introduced in 2016, and one of the key differences between ESP8266 and ESP32 was that the latter supported Bluetooth 4.2. But since then, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) released Bluetooth 5.0 (2016) with higher speeds and longer range, and Bluetooth 5.1 (2019) adding direction finding for indoor positioning applications. One would have thought that upgrading from Bluetooth 4.2 to Bluetooth 5.0/5.1 might have required a new radio, but apparently not. As you can see from the above link and screenshot, ESP32 is now Bluetooth LE 5.0-Certified having passed SIG Bluetooth LE 5.0 certification. That means the Bluetooth protocol version supported by the ESP32 microcontroller has been upgraded from Bluetooth LE 4.2 to Bluetooth LE 5.0 with improved stability and compatibility. Another link also shows Bluetooth 5.1 certification for ESP NimBLE Host stack. Sadly that does not mean ESP32 suddenly supports the longer range and higher […]

January 2, 2020May 17, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 12 Comments

Xiaomi Smart Multi-mode Gateway Supports Zigbee 3.0, WiFi, Bluetooth, and Bluetooth Mesh

Xiaomi has introduced several inexpensive home automation products over the years, often under their Mijia brands with for example a WiFi to IR blaster, a Zigbee & WiFi smart home kit, a smart door lock, or a smart speaker among other products. Recently, the company has launched the Xiaomi Smart Multi-mode Gateway that supports Zigbee 3.0, WiFi, Bluetooth, and Bluetooth Mesh. Xiaomi Mijia Smart Multi-mode Gateway (model ZNDMWG03LM) key features and specifications: Connectivity ZigBee2.0 / ZigBee3.0 2.4GHz Wi-Fi 2×2 MIMO Bluetooth & Bluetooth Mesh Compatible with Apple Homekit Max range – 200 meters (Line-of-Sight) Up to 32 devices Power Supply – 5V/1A Dimensions – 90x25mm Temperature Range – -5℃-50℃ Humidity – 0%-95%RH, non-condensing The gateway can be controlled via Mi Home app running on Android 5.0 or iOS 12.0 smartphones. It’s compatible with Apple Homekit, Xiaomi Mi AI speaker, and the earlier Zigbee/WiFi kit with Aqara gateway and Zigbee sensors […]