Bluetooth technology has become an indispensable part of modern life, which provides convenient wireless connections for many devices, making it easier for people to use all kinds of smart devices. From connecting headphones to smart home devices, Bluetooth technology has become a common wireless interface in people's lives. This article will show you the development and trends of Bluetooth technology, and product characteristics of the car gauge system-on-a-chip certified by Bluetooth 5.2, which was introduced by onsemi.
Low-cost, low-power, short-range communication technology
Bluetooth technology was first developed by Ericsson in Sweden in 1994. At that time, they hoped to create a wireless technology that could connect mobile phones with other devices and realize data transmission and communication. In order to achieve this goal, Ericsson joined forces with other companies and established the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). The goal of this SIG was to develop a low-cost, low-power, short-range communication technology, which could realize interconnection between devices.
In 1999, the first version of Bluetooth technology was officially launched. At that time, the main application of Bluetooth technology was to connect devices such as mobile phones and headphones, and to realize wireless data transmission. Over time, Bluetooth technology has gradually matured, developed, and improved. At present, Bluetooth technology has become a widely used wireless communication technology, which can be used in mobile phones, tablets, headphones, smart homes, Internet of Things, and other devices.
Bluetooth technology can realize wireless connection, which is convenient for users to transmit data between different devices, and reduces cables between devices. In addition, Bluetooth technology is a standardized technology, and devices can be interconnected through Bluetooth technology without worrying about compatibility issues. Therefore, Bluetooth has become the standard interface of various portable devices. Combined with the low power consumption characteristics of Bluetooth technology, it also helps to prolong the battery life of devices, making it suitable for devices that need to be used for a long time, such as smart phones, smart watches, and smart home devices.
At present, the transmission distance of Bluetooth technology is usually within 10 meters, which makes it suitable for short-range communication, such as connecting mobile phones and headphones, keyboards and mice, etc. Bluetooth technology has a high degree of security, which can protect the security and privacy of data. Bluetooth technology supports security functions such as encryption, authentication, and authorization, which can effectively protect the security of devices and data. Because Bluetooth technology has many advantages, it has become one of the preferred wireless interfaces for many electronic products.
Evolving and developing Bluetooth wireless communication technology
Bluetooth technology is still developing and improving. With the reduction of cost and the development of technology, it has almost become the standard wireless interface of various portable devices. In 2020, the Bluetooth 5.2 standard was released, which provided faster data transmission speeds, shorter delays, and a longer communication range. In addition, Bluetooth 5.2 also introduced some new functions, such as directional broadcasting and data format negotiation, which can improve Bluetooth's ability in indoor positioning and device interoperability.
On the other hand, a new Bluetooth Mesh network has also been developed, which can realize large-scale interconnection of Internet of Things devices. By establishing a mesh network, devices can communicate directly without going through a central controller. This distributed design can improve the reliability and flexibility of the network and make Bluetooth Mesh widely used in smart homes, smart cities, and other fields.
In order to achieve better audio frequency transmission, BLE Audio (Bluetooth Low Energy Audio) also emerged, which enables better radio audio transmission and features low power consumption, allowing users to use devices such as Bluetooth headphones and loudspeakers for a longer time without affecting sound quality, which is a very practical feature for many consumers.
In addition, AOA (Angle of Arrival) and AOD (Angle of Departure) were new features introduced by Bluetooth 5.1, which can achieve more accurate indoor positioning. By measuring the angle of a Bluetooth signal, the position of mobile devices can be accurately calculated, thus achieving more accurate positioning and navigation. These new functions and features make the application of Bluetooth in smart home, Internet of Things, and other fields more possible.
Vehicle radio frequency transceiver with the lowest power consumption in the industry
The NCV-RSL10, a wireless RF transceiver introduced by onsemi, belongs to the RSL10 series. It is a multi-protocol radio system-on-a-chip (SoC) with ultra-low power consumption. It has passed Bluetooth® 5.2 certification for automotive and introduced the Bluetooth® LE MCU with the lowest power consumption in the industry.
The NCV-RSL10 helps to realize advanced new functions, including keyless entry using a fob or smart phone, active safety and diagnostic alerts, and enhanced infotainment controls, while maximizing energy efficiency. The RSL10 has the support of a 2 Mbps data rate provided by Bluetooth 5.2 certified radio SoC, which is twice the speed of previous generations of Bluetooth, and has various functions specially designed and certified to meet the unique needs of automotive. It has built-in data encryption, wettable flank-plated packaging, and higher temperature operating range, and can be used for automotive applications under any standard at any time.
The NCV-RSL10 has a transmission power of −17 dBm to +6 dBm, with a high Rx sensitivity (BLE mode, 1 Mbps) of −94 dBm. It provides 4.3 mA (3.3V power supply) at its Tx peak (PHY)@ 0 dBm, and 2.7 mA (3.3V power supply) at its Rx peak (PHY). Only 25 nA are required for deep sleep and I/O wake-up (3.3V power supply), and 40 nA are required for deep sleep and to active its external 32 kHz oscillator (3.3V power supply). It provides the industry's lowest power consumption in peak reception and deep sleep modes.
Highly integrated SoC meeting various vehicle standards
The NCV-RSL10 conforms to AEC-Q100 Level 2, supports PPAP, ETSI, and FCC certification, can work in the temperature range of 40°C to +105°C, has advanced wireless functions, including Bluetooth 5.2 certified by LE 2−Mbit PHY (high speed), and supports backward compatibility with early BLE specifications. Supported Bluetooth profiles include Proximity, Time, HID over GATT(HOG), alert notification, telephone alert status, location and navigation, Rezence wireless charging, and it also has enhanced data security. An AES128 encryption accelerator module directly embedded in the hardware is adopted to protect device data.
The NCV-RSL10 has an extremely reliable assembly, adopts the wettable flank−plated QFNW48, has 7×7 mm package, is a highly integrated SoC, adopts a flexible dual-core architecture (ARM Cortex-M3 processor, 32-bit DSP), and has a built-in 384 kB flash memory. In addition, the data rate of NCV-RSL10 is 62.5 to 2000 kbps, which supports a flexible power supply voltage range (1.1−3.3 V) and wireless Firmware Over the Air (FOTA) update. The NCV-RSL10 can be widely used in automotive applications such as keyless entry, infotainment control, active safety, autonomous driving, and tire monitoring system/tire pressure monitoring systems.
The RSL10 Software Development Kit (SDK) with the NCV-RSL10 enables rapid development of ultra-low power Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) applications by leveraging convenient abstraction, drivers, and sample applications from Blinky to complete BLE peripherals, and everything in between. The key functions of SDK include free Eclipse®-based onsemi IDE plus support for Keil μVision® and IAR Embedded Work Bench®, complete Bluetooth Low Energy protocol stack, FOTA (Firmware Over the Air) with Android™ and iOS apps, and FreeRTOS™.
Conclusion
On the whole, Bluetooth wireless communication technology has the advantages of wireless connection, low power consumption, compatibility and security, and has been widely used in smart phones, smart home devices, headphones, and keyboards. In the future, with the continuous development of technology, Bluetooth technology will be further upgraded and developed, bringing people a more convenient and efficient communication experience.
The NCV-RSL10, introduced by onsemi, is a car gauge system-on-a-chip certified by Bluetooth 5.2. It has the lowest power consumption in the industry, extremely high security and reliability, and can be used for applications such as keyless entry, infotainment control, active safety and autonomous driving, and will be the best choice for manufacturers interested in developing related products.