RF-star Technology, as the official third-party IDH of Texas Instruments (TI), recently released the 2.4 GHz multi-protocol wireless module RF-BM-2340B1. This module is independently developed based on TI CC2340R5 SoC. The module is embedded in a powerful 48 MHz ARM® Cortex®-M0+ processor, 512 KB Flash and 36 KB RAM, a transmit power of up to +8 dBm, and a high-performance onboard PCB antenna. It also supports BLE 5.3, ZigBee, SimpleLink™TI 15.4-stack and Proprietary systems. Its standby current is less than 700 nA, about 40% lower than the market average, which can extend battery life. And the integrated Balun can reduce the external component layout to make the design cost-effective.

Mark Powell, CEO of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), predicts that the total global Bluetooth device shipments will be 5.5 billion in 2023, and the number will rise to 7 billion by 2026. During 2022-2026, the compound annual growth rate will reach 9%. As a senior member of SIG, TI has been working in the Bluetooth field for about 20 years. Till now, Bluetooth Low Energy has always been one of the technologies that TI focuses on.

From the release of the CC254x in 2010 to the launch of the CC2340x series in 2022, TI's BLE products have been upgraded to the fourth generation.

• The first generation of CC254x is the first batch of BLE SoCs in the industry, and the current cumulative shipments exceed 500 million pieces.
• The second generation of CC2640/264x, its CPU is updated to ARM core from the 8051 core of CC254x. It is also the first SoC with Bluetooth 5.x standard on the market supporting positioning and mesh network.
• The third generation CC26x1/2 have made product expansions in terms of packaging, modules, and flash. Those series support dynamic multi-protocol management, and can be widely applied to gateway, sensor controllers, grid infrastructure, and other complex applications.
• The fourth generation CC2340x is based on TI's years of wireless connection expertise, re-optimized the radio frequency, and integrated the external balun into the chip to improve the integration. In addition, the optimized design also reduces the receiving and transmitting power consumption of the RF circuit, enhances the stability of the RF connection, and has excellent low power consumption performance and high-quality RF performance.

RF-star Technology RF-BM-2340x series BLE modules adopt TI original CC2340 SoC, in SMT package, with all GPIOs lead-out, supporting multiple antenna output modes, and embedding with BLE 5.0 transparent transmission protocol in Master-Slave mode. The powerful functions make it suitable for building automation, building safety, ESL, Electronic point of sale, medical sensors for personal care (measurement of blood glucose/blood pressure/insulin), power tools, energy storage, and many other subdivisions. RF-BM-2340x series modules have the following features:

1. High performance, ultra-low power consumption, high-cost performance

The module has a built-in ARM Cortex M0 core, which can run up to 48 MHz. The power consumption during operation is as low as 55 μA/MHz, and the standby current is less than 700 nA, which can extend the battery life. Another featured function is the 2.4 GHz radio frequency transceiver, which supports BLE and IEEE 802.15 .4. The transmission power reaches up to 8 dBm to enhance the RF connection performance. 26 GPIOs in total are led out, and any GPIO can be routed as the functional digital peripherals. The flash memory is up to 512 KB, which can fully improve the design flexibility.

2. Support 2.4 GHz Multi-Protocols

The module is compatible with varied protocols of PHY and MAC. It supports BLE 5.3, ZigBee 3.0, SimpleLink™TI 15.4-stack and Proprietary systems, which can expand more application scenarios.

3. Support Bluetooth 5.0 UART Transparent Transmission

In order to help customers reduce the difficulty of product development and shorten the period, RF-star Technology has worked out the Bluetooth 5.0 UART transparent transmission firmware in Master-Slave mode for RF-BM-2340x series modules, which can shorten the time of the product to market.

4. Support OAD function

Through the OAD function, the firmware of the Bluetooth module can be updated online wirelessly, which is convenient and quick, improves the stability of the device, and provides a better customer experience.

5. ZigBee 3.0 Mesh Ad hoc network

RF-BM-2340x series modules support ZigBee 3.0 mesh which provides larger coverage, stronger signal stability, and higher network security by establishing a network, suitable for smart home, building automation, and other field network solutions.

Typical applications:

With the module's bigger flash and longer battery life, engineers can implement more daily connected applications, such as:

• Industrial equipment:

The ultra-low power consumption of the CC2340 series can help extend battery life. For example, the coin cell life can be extended up to 10 years in wireless applications of ESL and TPMS.

• Medical equipment:

For example, for blood glucose meters, the CC2340 series BLE modules can provide end products with a shelf life of 18 to 24 months due to their low standby current, and it works in low energy mode for up to two weeks powered by a coin cell.

• Building automation:

In the control center application of the smart home, the wireless protocol support of RF-BM-2340x and the output power of up to+8 dBm can be fully utilized. Meanwhile, this module can also be embedded in the terminal node equipment to achieve sensor monitoring and operational control.

• Personal medical:

RF-BM-234x series BLE modules can achieve low power consumption when electric toothbrushes and other products are in sleep mode and extend battery life. It also collects user usage habits to the intelligent management background and enables users to enjoy personalized settings and real-time feedback.

More applications:

About RF-star Technology

Shenzhen RF-star Technology Co., Ltd. (RF-star) is a high-tech company focusing on radio frequency devices and has been certified by Texas Instruments as a third-party IDH of low-power RF products for more than a decade. RF-star provides IoT wireless modules and a full set of solutions, including BLE, Wi-Fi, Matter, Wi-SUN, Sub-1G, ZigBee, Thread, etc. For more information, kindly visit the company website https://www.rfstariot.com/or contact us at info@szrfstar.com.