Delivering more available memory, Bluetooth 5-ready hardware, automotive qualification and a new ultra-small wafer-chip-scale package (WCSP) option, Texas Instruments (TI) announced Thursday two new devices in its scalable SimpleLink Bluetooth low energy wireless microcontroller (MCU) line.
The devices continue to feature advanced integration including a complete single-chip hardware and unified software solution with an ARM Cortex-M3 based MCU, automatic power management, highly flexible full-featured Bluetooth-compliant radio and a low-power sensor controller.
Built upon the CC2640R2F wireless MCU, which offers the longest range with the lowest power, the CC2640R2F-Q1 wireless MCU brings best-in-class RF to the automotive market. For car access and emerging applications such as assisted parking, car sharing and in-car cable replacement, the new AEC-Q100-qualified device will support Bluetooth 5 in the second half of this year. Pre-release samples of the CC240R2F-Q1 device will be available mid-February.
TI Bluetooth enhance Internet of Things (IoT) applications with the SimpleLink CC2640R2F wireless MCU which offers more available memory for richer, more responsive and high-performance applications. The device comes in a tiny 2.7×2.7 mm chip-scale package (WCSP) option that is less than half the size of TI’s smallest 4×4 mm QFN package, while delivering long range with low power consumption. The CC2640R2F is ready for the Bluetooth 5 core specification which offers longer range, higher speed and more data for enhanced connection-less applications in building automation, medical, commercial and industrial automation.
Hit the road with the SimpleLink CC2640R2F-Q1 wireless MCU that enables smartphone connectivity for car access including passive entry passive start (PEPS) and remote keyless entry (RKE), as well as emerging automotive use cases with AEC-Q100 qualification and Grade 2 temperature rating. Additionally, the CC2640R2F-Q1 device is the industry’s first solution to be offered in a wettable flank QFN package which helps reduce production line cost and increases reliability enabled by optical inspection of solder points.
These additions – along with more processing power, more security and even more memory coming later this year – will allow developers to reuse their project across pin- and code-compatible ultra-low-power CC264x wireless MCUs as application demands grow and change. The scalable SimpleLink CC264x wireless MCU family will enable product optimizations based on size, system cost and application requirements rather than using a one-size fits all solution.
Additionally, the CC264x family is supported by a unified software and application development environment, royalty-free BLE-Stack software, Code Composer Studio integrated development environment (IDE), system software and interactive training materials.
Bluetooth 5 is coming with longer range, higher speeds and increased broadcasting capacity, making it a great wireless RF protocol for low-power, mobile personal networks and remote controls as well as longer-range building and IoT networks.
The SimpleLink CC2640R2F wireless MCUs’ highly flexible radio fully supports these new Bluetooth 5 specifications and the accompanying software stacks will be available in the first half of this year, making it among the initial devices in mass production with Bluetooth 5 capability.
Developers can get started with the SimpleLink Bluetooth low energy CC2640R2F and CC2640R2F-Q1 wireless MCU-based development kit through the TI store and authorized distributors.
