Feature Wireless Technology
Putting Soc in to IoT T
John Sharples at LPRS explores how the current trend for connectivity is driving the demand for low cost high performance short range radio modules
he world in which we live today has changed dramatically over the last 20 years. A key enabler, perhaps even the main driver of change has been the development of the Internet and the services it can deliver. Imagine a life without Google, LinkedIn, Facebook or YouTube? These have all arrived in the last 15 years! Extend that thought and consider that the IPhone, generally regarded as a ground breaking mobile device, was only launched in 2007. Today we look to be on the verge of a new revolution with what some are calling the ‘Internet of Things’. (IoT)
The IoT looks set to enable the phys- ical world to become a type of giant information system enabled through sensors and actuators embedded in physical objects and linked wirelessly using the Internet protocols. Many of the objects that surround us
today, and that we take for granted, will develop an ability to communicate their status directly to your smart phone/tablet and thus allow you to monitor or take control from any mobile connected location in the world. Much has been written about the benefits of ‘smart’ meters, however if you add to that the potential to control heating, lighting, air conditioning, alarms plus a myriad of household appliances it quickly becomes apparent that the influence of wireless technology is moving quickly from its previous base of industrial machine to machine (or Industrial, Scientific and Medical as some would call it) and into the
consumer arena where lower cost devices are prevalent. As a result a major shift in the type of device being wirelessly enabled will occur with resultant pressure on prices. Whilst some devices may be connected via a ‘wired’ connection many will exploit the benefits of ‘wire- less’ for the last few metres particularly if they are portable or battery powered. The design of such wireless links at the component level is not trivial and the most certain route to success is often the use of a ready built pre-certified wireless module. Developments in the radio module market have been equally dramatic, the rise of Zigbee and other Mesh Networking methods have transformed the application suitability of low power radio modules to such an extent that major manufacturers across the globe are investing heavily in new products to address these market opportunities. We are all aware that the last decade has seen a major shift in the manufac- turing power base with the emergence of the powerful Asian economies. The wireless module market has not been immune to these changes.
The rise of high tech manufacturing in the Far East has seen price point’s drop for basic radio modules. However design engineers regularly point out that cost of the radio module is a small part of their overall challenge. LPRS (Low Power Radio Solutions was one of the first suppliers to market a ‘type approved’ radio in a modular package. The company was also the
Figure 1:
Wireless Mike introduces The eRIC (easyRadio Integrated
Controller) from LPRS
John Sharples is Managing Director of LPRS
LPRS
www.lprs.co.uk/elec Enter 209
first company to bring to the market a radio module with an embedded commu- nication software protocol (easyRadio). By making the RF interface much easier for the design engineer it ensured more wireless integrated applications made it to market quicker and more cost effectively. The company’s latest brain-child is the eRIC (easyRadio Integrated Controller). By using System on Chip (SoC) technology not only gave the company some interest- ing new design features but combined the two most expensive parts of the module (the Microcontroller and the RF Engine) thus effectively halving the cost. The module is a simple to learn, com- plete development radio module which complies with EU/FCC/IC standards. eRIC is the starting block from which the company plan to make simple global wireless connectivity achievable for all. It provides engineers with ‘out of the box’ functionality for immediate proof of concept and then quickly on to full development and production. Utilising the versatility of the SoC, in this case TI CC430F5137, the com- pany has split the 32k flash memory, using 16k to provide the user with the easyRadio Operating System and boot- loader and left the other half free for the engineer to add their own user codes and configuration. Free compiler tools and TI code compiler studio IDE are provided. Within the eROS the user selects simple commands to change the module frequency, power settings, data rate and TX and RX buffering. With 18 re-mapable IO’s, this device can control and interrogate data from a high number of sensors and devices just as required by developing markets. This module is supplied as just two options both of which can be configured by the user as a transmitter, a receiver or a transceiver. Between the two modules they offer selectable frequency ranges to cover worldwide markets.
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SEPTEMBER 2013 Electronics
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