The 2023 Best of Sensors Awards recognizes the most creative and inventive people, companies, and products in 14 categories of sensors. Each award finalist is selected by a panel of industry professionals. This year, Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. was presented the award in the connectivity category on June 21 at Sensors Converge Conference and Expo held in Santa Clara, Calif., for its work on the Type 2EG Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) module.
The Type 2EG is an ultra-low power, ultra-small, and secure Bluetooth Low Energy 5.2 wireless module. Its common use is for connected IoT devices in medical and industrial applications. The Type 2EG is based on the RSL15 secure Bluetooth 5.2 MCU from Onsemi. Because it supports new Bluetooth 5.2 specifications, it can support up to 10 simultaneous connections and has a long range and a high transmit rate.
Battery-powered IoT devices equipped with wireless connectivity have changed the way we monitor and control things remotely. This technological breakthrough has been made possible primarily because of two important features: secure data communication and extended battery life.
"We are proud to launch this best-in-class product as it helps resolve two of the most pressing issues for those designing IoT applications: power efficiency and security," said Jue Chang, senior marketing manager at Murata Manufacturing. "This announcement underscores our commitment to developing the game-changing solutions that the market demands and leveraging our trusted relationships to make it happen."
To provide a root of trust and enhance data security, the Type 2EG solution incorporates Arm TrustZone and Arm CryptoCell-312. Arm TrustZone creates isolated secure zones in the microprocessor to separate sensitive operations from less critical ones and Arm CryptoCell-312 enables secure data transmission and storage.
The Type 2EG stands out in the Bluetooth Low Energy module market by offering the most energy-efficient performance. Its built-in microprocessor is equipped with an Arm Cortex-M33 processor, known for its power efficiency. This processor conserves power by remaining in a low-power sleep state during periods of low activity.
This compact module has a size of only 7 mm by 7.44 mm by 1.0 mm. Within this tiny form factor, it combines several components, including a Bluetooth Low Energy System-on-Chip (SoC), an RF frontend, fast and slow clocks for both operational and sleep modes, a high-value inductor for efficient power management, and an on-board antenna.
These features make it a complete and reliable solution for IoT device designers, simplifying the system design process and reducing time-to-market. The module is suitable for medical applications, such as wearable health monitors, remote patient monitoring systems, and other connected medical devices. It also can be used in industrial IoT devices to monitor and control equipment.
Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. is a worldwide leader in the production of ceramic passive electronic components, primarily capacitors, and holds several patents for technology related to capacitors. It also has a majority market share in sensors, ceramic filters, and high-frequency parts.
To learn about the other winners of the 2023 Best of Sensors Award, check out this article.