Nordic Semiconductor nRF52 Series-Based Bluetooth Smart Modules Provide Unparalleled Processor Performance For Complex Wireless Applications

Ultra low power (ULP) RF specialist Nordic Semiconductor ASA recently announces that McKinney, Texas-based Argenox Technologies has selected Nordic’s next generation nRF52832Bluetooth Smart System-on-Chip (SoC) for its AGX-832 module. The AGX-832 is a fully integrated, ultra low power Bluetooth Smart module designed to enable a wide range of connected products where small size, low power, performance, and range are key factors. It takes advantage of the nRF52832 SoC’s 64MHz, 32-bit ARM Cortex-M4F CPU which makes the device the most powerful single-chip Bluetooth Smart solution commercially available.

The module’s compact 9.7 by 14.3 by 2mm form factor makes it suitable for a wide range of space-constrained applications including Bluetooth Smart connected sensors, smartphone accessories, Internet of Things (IoT) connected devices and appliances, home and industrial automation and control, and beacons.

The AGX-832 allows product manufacturers to speed up development, production and time-to-market of next generation Bluetooth v4.2-enabled. The module includes an integrated antenna, is optimized to achieve maximum range, and is certified to FCC, ETSI, and CE standards - eliminating the need for the customer to have any RF design expertise.

The nRF51832 SoC’s high performance CPU, along with a full range of programmable on-chip analog and digital peripherals which reduce demand on the processor’s resources, allows the module to power even the most complex wireless applications. The AGX-832 also provides up to 32 general-purpose input/outputs (GPIOs) and -20dBm to +4dBm output power. The firmware shipped with the module enables some products to run with little or no coding changes on the customer’s side.

The nRF52 Series is Nordic Semiconductor’s sixth generation of ultra low power (ULP) wireless connectivity solutions. The nRF52832 features a 64MHz, 32-bit ARM Cortex M4F CPU which 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 2.4GHz multiprotocol radio offers Bluetooth Smart (fully compatible with Bluetooth Version 4.2 (v4.2)), ANT and proprietary 2.4GHz support with -96 dB RX sensitivity and 5.5 mA peak RX/TX currents. The nRF52832 also features 512 kB Flash memory and 64 kB RAM, a fully-automatic power management system that reduces power consumption by up to 80 percent compared with the nRF51 Series, on-chip analog and digital peripherals for glueless interfacing to external components, and an NFC tag for consumer-friendly Touch-to-Pair.

“We selected the nRF52832 because it combines very low power, a high performance processor and a lot of advanced peripherals that help make Bluetooth Smart-enabled products smarter and better,” says Argenox Technologies Founder and CEO, Gustavo Litovsky.

"While helping customers develop products we found that they are looking for the Bluetooth Smart SoC to replace other devices and reduce cost, power consumption and size. The nRF52 allows applications that previously required a separate high-end processor to be implemented with a single device. This makes the end solution faster to develop, lower cost and more reliable, while allowing the designer to make fewer trade-offs in their selection of features.”

“Argenox is one of the first module manufacturers to bring a product to market based on the nRF52832 SoC,” says Geir Langeland, Director of Sales & Marketing, Nordic Semiconductor. “The company has taken full advantage of the nRF52832 SoC’s powerful new features to offer a module that’s compact and can be utilized by engineers with limited RF experience, yet can support the most demanding Bluetooth Smart applications. Returning customers can also gain advantage by using the module because it is fully compatible with application software developed for nRF51 Series allowing reuse of proven code.”

Argenox also offers complete support for Nordic’s nRF51 and nRF52 Series SoCs, providing custom product design, hardware, firmware, and mobile application development.