On Wednesday, June 25, 2014 Dave Richkas, Bluetooth Product Line Manager at Microchip Technology Inc., sat down with Mat Dirjish, Executive Editor of Sensors Magazine at Sensors Expo 2014 in Rosemont, IL, to detail the company’s first Bluetooth® 4.1 Low Energy module, the RN4020.
To see the Sensors Expo 2014 video interview, CLICK HERE
Carrying worldwide regulatory certifications and Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) certified, the integrated Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) stack and onboard support for the common SIG low-energy profiles speeds time to market while ensuring Bluetooth compatibility, eliminating expensive certification costs and reducing development risks. Also, the module is pre-loaded with the company’s Low-energy Data Profile (MLDP), which enables designers to stream any type of data across the BTLE link.
The RN4020 is a stack-on-board module, which means it can connect to any microcontroller with a UART interface including hundreds of PIC® MCUs or it can operate standalone without an MCU for basic data collection and communication, i.e., a beacon or sensor. This standalone operation is facilitated by unique no-compile scripting that allows module configuration via a simple ASCII command interface.
Measuring 11.5 mm x 19.5 mm x 2.5 mm, the RN4020 includes all hardware, software, and certifications necessary to add low-energy connectivity to any design, while easing End Product Listing (EPL) via QDID Bluetooth compatibility testing. All of the programmable profiles are stored and selectable on the module, which also provides a built-in PCB antenna with 7 dBm transmit power and a receive sensitivity of -92.5 dBm, enabling operation over 100 meters.
Pricing and Availability
The RN4020 Bluetooth Low Energy Module is available today, for $6.78 each/1,000.
Development Support
Microchip also offers the RN4020 Bluetooth Low Energy PICtail/PICtail Plus daughter board (part # RN-4020-PICtail), which is available now for $49. This board enables code development via USB interface to a PC, and over the onboard In-Circuit Serial Programming™ interface for Microchip’s PICkit™ or MPLAB® REAL ICE™ tools.
For more information, visit http://www.microchip.com/get/CLU6
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