In the recent years, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are two of the crucial technologies in accelerating the adoption of smart home and IoT devices. Wi-Fi technology is well known for its high transmission speed and extensive coverage, providing a reliable connectivity solution for various devices in smart homes. Meanwhile, Bluetooth technologies is known for its low energy consumption and shorter distance communication, which is suitable for connecting smartphones, wearable devices, as well as some small sensors and health trackers. This article will explore the latest trends in the development of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technologies in smart home and IoT applications, along with the related solutions offered by Murata.
The application characteristics of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth in smart home and the IoT.
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technologies play important roles in smart home and IoT applications. They are both wireless communication technologies but have different application scenarios and characteristics. In smart home and IoT applications, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth technology is chosen based on specific requirements and device characteristics, sometimes even used together to achieve comprehensive connectivity and control.
Wi-Fi technology is commonly used to connect various smart devices in homes, such as smart speakers, smart lighting, and smart plugs. Wi-Fi offers a longer communication range and higher transmission speeds, making it suitable for applications requiring large data transfers and high-speed connections. However, Wi-Fi consumes relatively more power, so it may not be ideal for battery-powered devices. Bluetooth technology however is typically used to connect smartphones, tablets, and wearable devices such as Bluetooth headphones and smartwatches. In smart homes, Bluetooth is also commonly used to connect smaller devices such as thermometers and health trackers due to its shorter communication range and lower power consumption.
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technologies continue to develop and complement each other.
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technologies are continuously evolving to meet the demands of updated applications. The latest developments primarily focus on improving transmission rates, reducing power consumption, enhancing communication range, and better supporting interoperability for IoT applications. The current generation of Wi-Fi 6E is an extended version of Wi-Fi 6 that utilizes the 6 GHz wireless spectrum, providing a wider frequency range and reducing interferences, further enhancing wireless network performance and capacity.
The newer generation of Bluetooth 5.x provides faster transmission rates, longer communication ranges, and lower power consumption, making Bluetooth technology more flexible and practical in IoT and smart home applications. Bluetooth 5.x introduced LE Audio features, supporting multi-point audio and improved audio quality, further expanding Bluetooth technologies in audio transmission and connectivity.
Highly integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth module in a compact-sized from Murata
Murata’s all-in-one Wi-Fi® integrated with Bluetooth module enables direct connectivity to the internet and Bluetooth devices simultaneously, making them the most flexible wireless technologies for IoT products. They also offer a variety of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules supporting multiple wireless standards such as IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth standard 4.1/4.2/5.0/5.1/5.2/5.3. The host processor interfaces include SDIO or PCIe for high-throughput applications with only a radio module, and UART with embedded MCU modules for moderate applications along with Bluetooth interface via UART to meet various IoT and smart home needs. All of Murata’s module are FCC/IC reference certified, providing a significantly reduced time to market products bypassing the certification efforts in multiple countries.
Type 2EL
The Murata Type 2EL is a small-sized high-performance module based on the NXP IW612 chipset, supporting Wi-Fi® 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.3 BR/EDR/LE, and 802.15.4 supporting Thread. It supports PHY data rates up to 601Mbps on Wi-Fi® and 2Mbps on Bluetooth. The WLAN section supports SDIO v3.0 DDR50 interface, while the Bluetooth section supports high-speed 4-wire UART interface and PCM for audio data.
The Type 2EL module features an impressive small-shielded form factor, facilitating integration into size and power-sensitive applications such as IoT, handheld wireless systems, and gateways. The Type 2EL module operates in a temperature range of -40°C to 85°C, with dimensions of only 8.8 x 7.7 x 1.3 mm and weighing only 0.22 grams. It supports Moisture Sensitivity Level (MSL) 3 and adopts surface mount technology, complying with RoHS standards.
Type 2EA
On the other hand, the Murata Type 2EA is a small-sized high-performance module based on the Infineon CYW55573 chipset, supporting Wi-Fi® 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax 2×2 MIMO and Bluetooth 5.3 BR/EDR/LE. It supports PHY data rates up to 1.2 Gbps on Wi-Fi®, 3Mbps PHY data rates on Legacy Bluetooth (EDR), and 2Mbps PHY data rates on Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). The WLAN section supports PCIe v3.0 Gen 2 and SDIO 3.0 interfaces, while the Bluetooth supports high-speed 4-wire UART interface and PCM for audio data. This is crucial to provide high-performance capabilities to meet IoT requirements and suitable for industrial IoT, smart homes, video/audio streaming, xR (AR/VR) glasses, and gateways.
The Type 2EA module features an extremely compact form factor, facilitating integration into size and power-sensitive applications such as IoT, handheld wireless systems, and gateways. The module supports HCI UART, PCM, and I2S Bluetooth interfaces, and can operate within a temperature range of -40°C to 85°C with dimensions of 12.5 x 9.4 x 1.2 mm and weighing only 360 mg.
Type 1YN
Murata Type 1YN is a small-sized high value module based on the Infineon CYW43439 chipset, supporting Wi-Fi® 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth 5.2 BR/EDR/LE. It supports PHY data rates of up to 65Mbps on Wi-Fi® and up to 3Mbps on Bluetooth. The WLAN section supports SDIO v2.0 interface, while the Bluetooth section supports high-speed 4-wire UART interface and PCM for audio data.
The Type 1YN module is embedded with reference clocks and MAC/BD addresses, and can operate within a temperature range of -40°C to 85°C. With dimensions of 6.95 x 5.15 x 1.1 mm, it supports MSL 3 and adopts surface mount technology, complying with RoHS standards. It supports NXP i.MX Linux and FreeRTOS, as well as Infineon WICED development platforms.
Ultra-low power, small-sized, and secure Bluetooth from Murata
Bluetooth can directly connect to smartphones, tablets, and laptops with a very low current consumption, making it the most common wireless technology for battery-powered IoT products. Murata offers various Bluetooth modules certified by Bluetooth SIG, supporting Bluetooth 4.1/4.2/5.0 BR/EDR/LE communication. Dual-mode devices are compatible with both Classic Bluetooth (BR/EDR) and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). Small applications can run on modules with Bluetooth host stacks and connect to processors via UART or SPI interfaces.
Type 2EG
Murata's Type 2EG is an ultra-low-power, ultra-small, and secure Bluetooth Low Energy 5.2 wireless module suitable for IoT edge devices in industrial and medical applications. The Type 2EG adopts onsemi's RSL15 wireless SoC, featuring a 48MHz Arm Cortex-M33 MCU core with 80kB RAM (including 64kB user RAM) and 512kB flash memory. It supports UART, QSPI, SPI, GPIO, ADC, DAC, PWM, I2C interfaces, and the Arm CryptoCell 312 security subsystem, certified by FCC/IC, ETSI, and MIC (Japan) regulatory bodies.
Type 2EG features a powerful MCU core tailored for user applications, boasting ultra-low power consumption and an integrated IoT network security platform, along with a rich array of peripheral interfaces, all packed into an extremely compact size. It offers both onboard and external antenna options.
The Bluetooth v5.2 in 2EG provides increased throughput, enhanced broadcast capacity, and improved Channel Coexistence Algorithm (SCA) to meet long-range and proximity requirements. It measures 7.4 x 7.0 x 1.0 mm (maximum) in size, utilizing an LGA package with a built-in PCB antenna and optional pin pad antenna for external use. It can achieve a maximum transmit power of 6dBm and has a receiver sensitivity of -96 dBm @ 1Mbps. With ultra-low power consumption, it draws 4.3 mA @ 0dBm during transmission and 2.7 mA @ 1Mbps during reception. It supports sleep mode with a power consumption of 36nA @ 3V VBAT.
Conclusion
The continuous development and evolution of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technologies in smart home and IoT applications have brought about more convenience and possibilities for intelligent living. The high-speed transmission and wide coverage of Wi-Fi technology enable smart devices to quickly connect and achieve interoperability, providing users with a more intelligent home experience. Meanwhile, the low power consumption and short-distance communication characteristics of Bluetooth technology allow devices to communicate with each other more efficiently, realizing the smart control and monitoring functions of smart home devices. The highly integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules developed by Murata are poised to accelerate the development of smart home and IoT devices, making them worthy of further exploration and adoption.