CIE Components in Electronics
Medical devices that send small amounts of data wirelessly will be able to run for months or even years on a coin cell battery when they use Laird Technologies new Bluetooth Smart BL600 modules now available from Alpha Micro Components. These product solutions have been designed for applications in the industrial, medical, and M2M communications industries.
The BL600 module is available with either an integrated antenna, an IPEX MHF4 antenna connector, or trade pads for an external antenna and has a compact footprint of 19 mm x 12.5 mm, making it suitable for even the smallest portable devices. A BL600 module can connect to a wide array of external sensors via its I2C, SPI, UART, ADC, and GPIO interfaces.
Jonathan Kaye, Laird Product Manager noted that the modules, each the size of a 5 pence piece, are suited for a broad range of devices including in-home medical devices, battery-powered sensors, data collection devices, and health and fitness equipment and applications.
The world market for Bluetooth Smart, which uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology, is poised for explosive growth. Sales of Bluetooth Smart devices should grow from 5.4 million devices in 2012 to nearly 160 million units in 2016, according to industry analyst IMS Research. Thanks to the innovative smartBASIC programming language that it bundles with each of its Bluetooth Smart modules, Laird is positioned to capture a large share of the market.
“A coin-cell battery supplies enough power for the module for months or even years of data transmissions to a smartphone or other gateway,” Kaye said. “Integration of the new module into a device is fast and easy, and we expect very quick adoption in medical devices and other equipment worldwide.”
“Alpha Micro provides components and solutions from Laird Technologies that protect electronic devices from electromagnetic interference and heat, and enable connectivity through wireless applications and antennae systems,” said Christos Papakyriacou, Managing Director, Alpha Micro Components. “The BL600 modules further extend our comprehensive portfolio offering.”
Alpha Micro’s custom products are supplied to all sectors of the M2M industry, including the telematics, security, smart metering, data transfer and information technology, automotive, medical, rail and industrial automation markets.
