Dialog Semiconductor introduces ultra-small Bluetooth low power SoCs and modules

     Dialog Semiconductor introduces the world's smallest and most power-efficient Bluetooth 5.1 SoC, the DA14531, and its modules, simplifying Bluetooth product development and enabling wider adoption of Bluetooth Low Power (BLE) connectivity technology. The chip, also known as the SmartBond TINY, is now in mass production. With the launch of this new product, Dialog has the broadest portfolio of Bluetooth SoCs in the industry and will further expand the company's leadership position in the Bluetooth device market. Dialog has shipped 100 million Bluetooth chips annually.

     With the growing demand for wireless connectivity in devices, there is also cost pressure to implement complete IoT systems. SmartBond TINY addresses the challenges of rising IoT device size and cost by reducing the cost of implementing a complete system with a smaller chip size and board size, while ensuring a quality of performance that competitors cannot match. The DA14531 brings wireless connectivity to applications previously unavailable due to size, power consumption or cost, particularly in the growing field of smart healthcare. SmartBond TINY will enable wireless connectivity for applications such as inhalers, dispensers, scales, thermometers, and glucose meters.

     The SmartBond TINY is half the size of its predecessor, with a package size of just 2.0 x 1.7 mm. In addition, the SoC has a high degree of integration, only six external passive devices, a clock source, a power supply to achieve a complete Bluetooth low-power system. For developers, this means the SmartBond TINY can easily fit into any product design, such as electronic stylus, shelf tags, beacons, active RFID tags for item tracking, and more. It is also critical for products and applications that require distribution networks, such as cameras, printers and wireless routers. Consumers will also benefit from the smaller system size and power consumption enabled by SmartBond TINY, such as remote control instead of infrared, and applications such as toys, keyboards, smart credit and bank cards.

     Based on the powerful 32-bit ARM® Cortex M0+, with integrated memory and a complete set of analog and digital peripherals, the SmartBond TINY has achieved a record-breaking score of 18,300 on the latest IoT connectivity EEMBC benchmark IoTMark-BLE. Its architecture and resources allow it to be used as a standalone wireless microcontroller, or to add RF data transfer channels to existing designs that already have microcontrollers.

     The SmartBond TINY module combines the features of the DA14531 main chip, enabling customers to easily incorporate the new SoC into their product development without having to validate their platform, saving them time, effort and cost in product development.The module is also designed to ensure that the system can run a large number of applications while reducing the overall system cost as much as possible. Lowering the cost of BLE modules to less than $1 lowers the barrier to adding SmartBond TINY to your system and will drive many applications to power a new generation of IoT devices.

     The SmartBond TINY and its modules consume only half the power of its predecessor (DA14580 and DA14580-based modules) and all other competing products on the market. TINY's record-low power consumption ensures longer uptime and shelf life, even with the smallest batteries. The DC-DC converter integrated in the DA14531 has a wide operating voltage (1.1-3.3V) and can be powered directly from environmentally friendly disposable silver oxide batteries, zinc empty batteries or printed batteries required for high-volume applications such as connected syringes, blood glucose monitors, temperature strips, etc.

     Sean McGrath, senior vice President of the Connectivity and Audio Business Unit at Dialog Semiconductors, said: "The launch of the SmartBond TINY and its modules builds on Dialog's leading position in the Bluetooth market. By adding wireless connectivity to any device, including disposable devices, the TINY SoC and its modules are set to open new markets and take Bluetooth low-power connectivity to previously untapped areas. The TINY size and power consumption of Tiny and its modules, combined with Bluetooth 5.1 compatibility, will lay the foundation for the next billion IoT devices."