Shenzhen RF-star Technology Co., Ltd. (RF-star), a leading wireless module manufacturer, has released its latest Bluetooth UART transparent transmission protocol for CC2652P-based BLE modules RF-BM-2652P2 and RF-BM-2652P2I. This new offering is set to revolutionize the landscape ofhigh-power Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) modules, by providing developers with robust, long-range wireless solutions tailored for multi-connectivity needs. Enhanced Connectivity with High-Power BLE Modules BLE technology, renowned for its low power consumption and ease of use, has long been a cornerstone of short-range wireless communication. However, as the demand for long-range connectivity in smart home and industrial automation applications grows, the need for high-transmit power BLE devices has become increasingly apparent. RF-star's CC2652P modules, RF-BM-2652P2 and RF-BM-2652P2I, feature a built-in power amplifier with a maximum transmit power of +20 dBm. This extends the transmission range from the conventional 10 meters to hundreds of meters. The New Era of Bluetooth UART Transparent Transmission The introduction of Bluetooth 5.0 transparent transmission protocol -- essentially a serial port protocol -- is excellent news for developers. Equipped with this protocol, the modules can work in BLE master mode, slave mode, master-slave mode, and Beacon mode. Here are some standout features (AT commands) that make these modules a must-have for high-power applications: Adjustable Transmit Power: With 22 levels of transmit power adjustment ranging from -20 dBm to +20 dBm, developers can fine-tune the output power to suit their specific requirements, ensuring optimal performance without unnecessary power consumption. Multi-Device Connectivity: Supporting one-master and multi-slave connections, these modules can handle up to 8 devices simultaneously, making them ideal for complex networks and IoT ecosystems. Extended Broadcast Packets: Customizable extended broadcast packets of up to 251 bytes allow for more data to be transmitted in a single packet, enhancing communication efficiency. High UART Forwarding Rate: A maximum stable UART forwarding rate of 35 KB/s ensures that data transmission is swift and reliable, even in high-traffic scenarios. Observer Mode with A Filter: This feature allows users to monitor and filter specific parameters, offering greater control and deeper insights into the module's operations. Bluetooth Pairing and Bonding Support: Seamless integration with existing Bluetooth ecosystems is facilitated by support for pairing and bonding, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of devices Automatic Reconnection: The automatic reconnection ensures that the module maintains a stable connection, even in the face of temporary disruptions. Multi-Protocol Support: BLE5.2, ZigBee, Thread, etc. Beyond Bluetooth serial port capabilities, the RF-BM-2652P2 and RF-BM-2652P2I modules also support multiple protocols, including Bluetooth 5.2 Low Energy, T...

Wireless Ebike BMS: Battery Management System What functions will be added to the wireless E-bike? Real-time monitoring to prevent over-charging and over-discharging More safety Theft-proof Extend the Battery life Remote control by mobile phone

Automobile makers has been caught in crunch of electronic components shortage，albeit the trend of intelligent cars is irresistible. As the most instant and impressive evidence of smartness to users, the PEPS （Passive Entry and Passive Start）system is no more a high profile feature only for high end cars. It has been introduced to mid-tier or even economical models by many car makers, emerging brands in particular. In China market where EV sales witness more than 100 percent growth in the first half of 2022, major electric car makers such as BYD, GAC Aion, Geely, Nio, Xpeng and Li Auto have basically equipped all models with PEPS. While that ECU quietly stuns us motorists, have we ever thought of probing the trail of its making and the prospect of its future? Let’s hit the road. PEPS provides motorists with experience of securely entering the car without manually unlocking activity. The engine and HVAC system of the car can be remotely started before the driver or passengers enter the car. While all passengers leave the car, the PEPS will automatically lock the car. In this way, car users enjoy the convenience of passive entry with security reassured. That must be why we name it with the word “passive”. Yesterday: RKE and PKE Currently, mainstream PEPS solutions integrate wireless technologies such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), NFC, RFID (High Frequency and Low Frequency) etc. Well, how do they function? It would be hard to digest if we tell story as of today. So, why don’t we flash back to yesterday？ In the end of 1990s, some high-end car models phased in a remote keyless entry (RKE) system an evolution over the earlier IMMO (immobilizer) solution based on low frequency RFID (125KHz). As a predecessor of the PEPS, the RKE has the key fob to transmit UHF（ultra- high frequency）signals to a RF receiver connected with the BCM (body control module) of the car to verify user identity. Once the ID is verified, the system will execute an open/close-door action driven by the BCM. Such a one-way verification mechanism as shown in Figure 1 can be interpret as an advance-set cipher in a spy movie. When a visiting secret agent comes to a meeting venue, he or she has to speak or show such a cipher. If the cipher is correct, he or she will be allowed in. The drawback of this mechanism is that once the enemy infiltrated and got the cipher, the venue will be instantly broken. Figure 1. Working Mechanism of RKE The RKE solution adopts frequency bands of 315 MHz (in USA, China and Japan etc.), 433.92 MHz (in Europe, China) and 868MHz (in Europe）. In term of signal modulation, most countries adopt the ASK (amplitude shift keying) mode, whereas Japan adopts the FSK (frequency shift keying) mode. IC vendors such as Silicon Labs, Maxim, Microchip and NXP etc. have offerings in this field. By early 21st century, people upgraded the one-way verification mechanism of the RKE to a two-way mechanism called the PKE (passive keyless entry) system, where the verification is n...

With the rapid development of automotive intelligence, digital keys are emerging as a global trend. Their deployment will transform travel and user experiences, reshaping the interaction between people and vehicles within the broader ecosystem. Digital keys, enhanced by Bluetooth® technology, transcend simple car access tools and serve as the initial connection in the smart car experience. Today, every new smartphone now comes equipped with Bluetooth digital key-enabling technology. This advancement enables users to seamlessly enjoy keyless entry, starting, locking, and other security features through their smartphones and smart devices. As a leading global provider of wireless modules and solutions, Shenzhen RF-star Technology Co., Ltd. (RF-star) was honored to be interviewed by Lori Lee, APAC Marketing Director of Bluetooth SIG. During the interview, RF-star’s Marketing Manager, Ms. Qianqian Wen, shared valuable insights into the market trends of digital keys and highlighted the pivotal role of Bluetooth technology in the intelligent vehicle ecosystem. Furthermore, we are eagerly anticipating the upcoming release of the Bluetooth Channel Sounding feature, which we believe will significantly enhance the performance of digital key solutions. Bluetooth SIG's Interview with RF-star In recent years, the new energy vehicle market has grown rapidly. How do you view the importance of digital keys and market trends? The digital key serves as the first connection point for users to experience intelligent cars. At this connection point, security, reliability, convenience, and interactive comfort are all indispensable. The success of the digital key experience design is crucial for car user evaluations and plays a key role in deepening the connection with users. With the maturity of technologies like Bluetooth® Low Energy (LE), near-field communication (NFC), and ultra wide band (UWB), digital keys are entering a period of rapid growth, and integrated solutions will become the market mainstream. What are the technological advantages of Bluetooth technology in digital key solutions? RF-star chose Bluetooth® technology to develop car digital key solutions, primarily because of its low power consumption, high reliability, and broad device compatibility. Bluetooth technology provides stable wireless connections and supports various smart devices like smartphones and smartwatches, enabling users to remotely control vehicles through these devices for keyless entry, starting, and other functions. Additionally, Bluetooth technology’s low power consumption helps reduce operating costs. RF-star also values Bluetooth technology’s iterative capabilities. For example, the upcoming channel sounding feature improves the positioning accuracy of Bluetooth Digital Key solutions and protects the system from relay hijacking. It may become a cost-effective preferred technology in the digital key domain in the future. With the upcoming release of the Bluetooth Chann...

Here comes intelligent irrigation! What are the differences between traditional irrigation and intelligent one? Save water Save energy Save labor Remote control Real-time soil moisture monitoring Easy installment With wireless technologies such as Wi-SUN, Sub1G, LoRa, LoRaWAN, agriculture will become more and more intelligent.

In the first half of 2022, the shipment of the global New Energy Vehicle (NEV) market took off, and the sales of NEVs in mainland China in the first half of the year were particularly prominent, creating an astonishing result of a year-on-year increase of more than 100%. When new energy vehicles become a household topic, people's requirements for battery systems become increasingly high. They expect manufacturers not only to improve battery life, but also to ensure safety and stability. As a result, a major innovative technology in the industry is about to emerge, that is, wBMS, or wireless battery management system. The cost of BMS accounts for about 20% of the power battery of NEVs. The traditional BMS connects the battery packs with cables, and then bridges them with daisy chain interfaces. The use of cables and mechanical interfaces is space consuming, which actually squeezes the room for battery energy density improvement. The wireless BMS replaces the traditional ring circuit by deploying wireless modules on the BMS host and the battery pack node, realizing the star + ad hoc network mode for necessary communication of battery management. The wireless method not only increases the energy density improvement space, but also greatly reduces the labor in the battery assembly stage. And with wireless solutions manufacturers does not need to consider investment big money on isolation between the high and low voltage circuits in the battery. In the traditional mode, in event of an accident or aging caused by long distance riding, some cable might get broken or contact of some interface would become poor. It is easy to cause the power battery system to disfunction. In that case, the power battery needs to be replaced as a whole. The potential economic loss to the car owner is considerable. The wireless method does not have the problem of wire and interface failure, and because of its wireless characteristics, it naturally has the advantage of modularization. Even if there is a problem with a certain part of the battery pack, you can just take out the faulty battery pack for replacement without disposing the entire power battery. Due to the above-mentioned advantages, leading car makers began to consider wireless BMS technology from 2019. So far available or upcoming models with wireless BMS technology include: BMW i3 (2022), GM's Hummer EV (2024). Texas Instruments, which is deeply involved in the field of automotive electronics, took the lead in launching the CC2662R-Q1, the world's first wBMS SoC solution that complies with ISO 26262 ASIL D standard. The chip deploys the TI's proprietary Simplelink wBMS protocol over the 2.4GHz band. The solution can manage and support up to 100 nodes, and specified to couple with BQ79616-Q1 battery monitor, it can be used for different configurations, such as 16, 32, and 64-cell battery systems. The wireless approach in which the battery module transmits battery data directly to the BMS MCU overcomes the challen...

The liquid level gauge is a special instrument for liquid level monitoring that integrates the functions of liquid level detection, data acquisition and transmission. It is mainly used to monitor the real-time data of the liquid level in the container and the natural environment. The Bluetooth module is implanted to make it wireless. Thus, after the liquid level gauge completes the sensing, the signal transmission and information interaction can be completed wirelessly, making its deployment safer, more convenient and more reliable in use. Challenge Liquid level gauges are usually used in harsh industrial environment which is subject to high temperature, strong corrosion, strong adhesion, dust and soot, making it great danger to manually survey with traditional liquid level gauges. Manually measured and recorded data is also subject to inaccuracy. However, factories keep elevating bars for the quality, immediacy, reliability and storability of sensing data. Traditional liquid level gauges can no longer meet such requirements raised in latest industrial production scenarios. At the same time, complex terrains of some industrial sites make it extremely difficult for equipment wiring. The deployment and construction cost of traditional wiring methods between transmission nodes is high, and the cost for maintaining the system will also be high. Solution By building a Bluetooth module into the liquid level gauge, the liquid level gauge can transmit data such as its power level, sensing signal strength, liquid level data information, and alarm information to the terminal device in real-time through the wireless network. The terminal equipment stores and analyzes the data, makes inquiries or  raise alarms, thereby realizing convenient deployment, collection, and maintenance while ensuring the safety of personnel. Keep tracking consumption status in real-time The wireless liquid level gauge is made by connecting the meter with a built-in Bluetooth module functioning as a data-transparent transmission unit. The receiving end of the wireless liquid level gauge is responsible for the data display and gauge setting. It also distill and output analog and switch signals to the terminal equipment. It detects liquid level in closed or open containers, processes relevant data, and automatically raise alarm and augment data whenever the level reaches a preconfigured threshold or the battery’s voltage is too low. It thus enable us to reduce manual intervention in survey and ensures the accuracy of the measurement as well. Through the terminal equipment, we can better monitor and manage the liquid level of the tank, tracking the consumption level in real-time, and ensuring the safety of personnel. Low deployment and maintenance costs The wireless level gauge greatly reduces the cost of trenching and wiring and later line maintenance. It does not need to lay cables, nor damage existing structures of the factory, saving labor and engineering costs. Meanwhile, wir...

RF-star, a leading manufacturer of wireless modules and provider of wireless connectivity solutions, proudly announces the expansion of its Bluetooth module lineup tailored specifically for automotive applications. The latest BLE modules include the RF-BM-2642QB1I and RF-BM-2340QB1, designed to excel in automobile-critical applications such as digital car keys, T-Box, Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS), Passive Entry Passive Start (PEPS), and more. Designed to meet the evolving demands of the automotive industry, RF-star's new modules offer a host of features to enhance reliability, durability, security, and ease of integration. Compliance and security assurance are paramount in automotive applications. RF-star’s new Bluetooth Low Energy modules are based on TI chips, specifically the CC2642R-Q1 and CC2340R5-Q1 MCUs meeting Automotive Electronics Council (AEC-Q100) standards. RF-BM-2642QB1I and RF-BM-2340QB1 BLE modules integrated with the automotive-qualified MCUs can operate in Grade 2 temperature range (–40 °C to +105 °C), guaranteeing their reliability and durability in harsh automotive environments. Additionally, RF-star's CC2642R-Q1 and CC2340R5-Q1 modules incorporate AES 128-and 256-bit cryptographic accelerator, ECC and RSA public key hardware accelerator and true random number generator(TRNG). These advanced security enablers with robust encryption protocols and authentication mechanisms, provide peace of mind to both automakers and end-users. Rich resources and ease of use are also taken into consideration by project decision-makers. Their high-performance processor and abundant resources, eg., RF-BM-2340QB1 with 512 kB Flash and 36 kB RAM, offer ample opportunities for firmware development. Meanwhile, they also support over-the-air upgrade (OTA). Besides, the automotive modules feature UART, SPI, I2C, I2S, ADC and more digital peripherals, flexible RF output modes(eg., PCB antenna, IPEX connector and half-hole ANT RF pin), and user-friendly development kits. Hence, it is quite easy to integrate into existing vehicle architectures, especially the auto aftermarket applications. Best of all, both support Bluetooth 5.0 Low Energy serial port transmission for master-slave wireless connections. These rich functions with AT commands streamline the integration process, reducing complexity and accelerating time-to-market for automotive projects. Whether experienced engineers or newcomers to wireless connectivity, they can leverage RF-star's Bluetooth modules easily to unlock their full potential in ongoing projects. RF-star - A powerful supplier with abundant experience stands out among competitors. Certified with ISO9001 and IATF16949 (automotive sector quality management systems), the enterprise and the manufacturer meticulously adhere to international quality management standards. RF-star is also honored as a member of the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) and Intelligent Car Connectivity Industry Ecosystem Alliance (ICCE). Beyond indis...

RF-star Weekly Case Card: BLE Electric Valve Let's see what disadvantages the BLE electric valve has: Difficult to monitor High operating costs Lack of flexibility How does the BLE electric valve work? Real-time monitoring, improve the work efficiency Easy to control by remote, achieve a higher production efficiency Easy installation and maintenance, ensure the safety of the workers Lower operating costs Reduce batch loss For more solution support, contact us at www.rfstariot.com