By Jean-Pierre Joosting
Microwave Engineering Europe
Small SoC offers best-in-class RF performance and boasts software-programming-free, and ultra-low power consumption features.
Claiming to be the smallest software-programming-free Bluetooth beacon product, the IN100 SoC from InPlay will significantly lower the technical barriers, allowing any developer to easily build their own wireless applications without worrying about learning the complex Bluetooth protocol stack and embedded software development.
Based on InPlay’s NanoBeacon™ technology, this SoC, with a package size as small as 2.5- × 2.0-mm, is ideal for enabling next generation active RFID or wireless sensor applications. The developer simply configures the predefined ID and advertising parameters in the IN100's One-Time Programming (OTP) memory, and as soon as the device is powered on, it runs as a Bluetooth advertiser and broadcasts with the specified ID information.
The IN100 also supports various types of sensor interfaces, including analog and digital sensor interfaces. Developers can easily connect the IN100 to a sensor, configure its threshold, and once the threshold is reached, wirelessly publish alerts or raw sensor data information via its Bluetooth air interface.
The device boasts a low power consumption of 1.4 µA average at 10 second advertising interval and 650 nA average with a 1 minute advertising interval. The advertising data payload can be configured dynamically with an external MCU via UART interface.
Enhanced security includes authentication of advertiser's ID and privacy of advertising payload. Other features include a 1-wire bus for I/O and space constrained applications, built-in ultra-low leakage load switches, and a wide operating voltage range (suitable for all types of batteries) of 1.1- to 3.6-V.
The IN100 SoC is available in DFN8 (2.5- × 2.0-mm) and QFN20 (3- × 3-mm) packages. Samples are available now, with mass production expected in the first quarter of 2021.
