Nordic Semiconductor Demonstrated Contactless Payment, Wearables Wireless Charging, Thread Networking, and Bluetooth 5 Enhancements at CES 2017

Nordic Semi demonstrated Bluetooth® low energy- (including Bluetooth 5) and IEEE 802.15.4-enabled technologies last week at International CES 2017. 

Among the exhibits was a demonstration of how Nordic’s nRF52 Series Systems-on-Chip (SoCs) are increasingly being used at the heart of wearable contactless payment technology. The demonstration showed a Bluetooth low energy wearable using the nRF52832 SoC’s Near Field Communication (NFC) interface for payment. Using the SoC’s NFC capability for this purpose simplifies the product’s design, lowers cost, and reduces space requirements.

Nordic also showed how it is helping advance AirFuel resonant wireless charging with wireless charging in a small form factor technology demonstrator with a wearable device that uses an nRF52832 SoC to implement a AirFuel Power Receive Unit (PRU).

Nordic showcased home-automation demonstrations, one using Bluetooth low energy and the other using a Thread network based on the IEEE 802.15.4 low power wireless network standard. The latter demonstration employed the nRF52840 SoC (and associated Development Kit), Nordic’s latest addition to its nRF52 Series. The SoC is a multiprotocol, ultra low power wireless connectivity solution supporting Bluetooth 5, IEEE 802.15.4, ANT+, and 2.4GHz proprietary RF protocols.

Nordic also demonstrated the capabilities of the nRF52840 SoC and S140 SoftDevice (Nordic’s latest RF protocol ‘stack’) - including the range and throughput enhancements of Bluetooth 5. The SoC and SoftDevice have been engineered to build on the mature architecture of the existing nRF52 Series SoCs to support complex Bluetooth low energy and other low-power wireless applications that were previously not possible with a single-chip solution.

Other demonstrations included the ‘nRFready Smart Remote 3 for nRF52 Series’ reference design targeting remote control OEMs/ODMs and manufacturers of smart TVs, set-top boxes, and digital media devices; the Power Profiler Kit, a low-cost and simple method to measure dynamic power consumption in embedded solutions; and a candy dispenser remotely controlled via Bluetooth low energy and the Physical Web (to avoid the need for a smartphone app installation).

For additional Nordic product information or technical support, contact Symmetry Electronics, an authorized distributor of industry leading wireless, audio/video and embedded chips, modules and dev/eval tools, call (877) 466-9722.