Bluetooth Low Energy... The World's Next Great Technology
By Mr. Richard Trueman, Product Manager, Wireless Devices, Panasonic
We often think of the information age as beginning with the birth of the internet, or perhaps, for those of us
who have been around a bit longer, may feel that the information age began at the dawn of the computer age.
Although in reality, the information age began much, much earlier with Johannes Gutenburg's invention of the
printing press in 1450, for it was only after books were no longer written by scribes that information became
available to the masses. Prior to the printing press, scribes copied manuscripts by faithfully reproducing each
character with pen and ink, restricting books and the distribution of information to the very wealthy.
Innovation and its resulting technology broke through.
Every so often a technology emerges that has a profound impact on the world. The printing press, computer and
internet are some of those technologies. Notice that all of these technologies affect the movement of
information. A new technology has appeared on stage that will again significantly impact the world.
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) is the next technology that is poised to revolutionize our interaction with the world
around us. BLE is an ultra-low power wireless network technology capable of forming truly wireless networks.
Have not other wireless network technologies been introduced? Yes, cellular for example, but is cellular truly
wireless? I would argue the answer to be no, because cellular devices must be tethered to accommodate frequent
recharging. To be truly wireless, a technology must be capable of operating from a battery not for days or
months, but years. BLE accomplishes this goal and does it using a small coin cell. In fairness, other wireless
technologies will operate on a battery, but none of the competing topologies combine the unique feature set
found in BLE.
BLE was designed by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (BT SIG) as white board design, free of interoperability
constraints, to move data quickly and securely using the least amount of power possible. This is achieved
primarily using two strategies: first, keep the Bluetooth radio off as much as possible and second, keep the
data load small, so when the radio is active it's on for only a tiny amount of time — think in terms of
microseconds. To maximize BLE's power efficiency the Bluetooth SIG designed a new network without the
constraint of compatibility with existing networks. Yes, that's right, BLE is incompatible with existing
networks such as Bluetooth, now referenced as Bluetooth Classic or Bluetooth 2.1. To overcome this obstacle, BLE
devices are available in as dual mode, BLE plus Bluetooth Classic devices.
Why will BLE have the impact that other wireless network topologies have been unable to achieve? The answer is
the coattails. Bluetooth was launched to eliminate the dangling wire between the cell phone and ear bud, as a
consequence of this application, Bluetooth is the default Personal Area Network (PAN) technology used by nearly
cell phone manufacturers for the past several years. This gigantic base of installed nodes has caused other
products, such as laptop computers, games, medical devices and many more, to adopt Bluetooth. The BT SIG expects
the number of Bluetooth nodes to grow to over four billion in the not so distant future. Cell phone
manufacturers have already adopted dual mode Bluetooth plus Bluetooth Low Energy, so BLE is on a path to being
the ubiquitous PAN standard; coattails.
Panasonic a world leading RF module manufacturer, with over 110 different RF module solutions partners with world
class IC manufacturers such as Texas Instruments, Intel and Toshiba and cutting edge software partners to offer
customers cost engineered, system solutions. Every customer purchasing Panasonic RF modules has the security of
Panasonic's platform guarantee[1]. Go to panasonic.com/rfmodules for datasheets, reference designs, CAD files
and demonstration software. Once the design is complete, Panasonic's engineering team will review your design
to make certain that the application will be successful. All Panasonic modules are fully certified to operate
worldwide.
Panasonic has eight different Bluetooth Low Energy solutions to address a wide range of application requirements.
Both single mode, Bluetooth Low Energy and dual mode, Bluetooth Low Energy plus Bluetooth Classic modules are
available.
PAN1720 - Single Mode, Bluetooth Low Energy
PAN1721 - Single Mode, Ultra-Low Power Bluetooth Low Energy
PAN1326 - Dual Mode, Host Controlled Interface Bluetooth Low Energy plus Bluetooth
Classic
Cost engineered host controlled interface modules are well suited for high volume applications. Modules may be
order with or without an integrated antenna for maximum design flexibility. Available USB, UART and I2C
interfaces simplify integration to existing designs. Optional software stacks from BlueRadios and StoneStreetOne
eliminate the need of becoming a Bluetooth expert to develop firmware. Evaluation kits for all modules speed
hardware designs.
1 - Panasonic Platform Guarantee - Components used in RF module designs eventually reach an end of life, as
these components are replaced and new module series are introduced, Panasonic will prioritize backward
compatibility by introducing footprint compatible replacement series modules whenever possible.
