THE WIRELESS QUARTER. Credit card-sized RF keypads yield 90-percent pass rate. QUARTER In this issue

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1 QUARTER THE WIRELESS QUARTER In this issue p Building practical wireless networks u Avoiding interference on the 2.4GHz desktop p Will ULP Bluetooth make it in healthcare? u ULP Bluetooth and ZigBee compared p People & faces NEW PRODUCT nrf24lu1 redefines benchmark for USB wireless peripherals } The launch of Nordic s brand new nrf24lu1, 2.4GHz single chip transceiver instantly redefines the industry benchmark for size, performance and security of USB dongles for ultra-low power wireless peripherals. The nrf24lu1 enables the development of ultra-compact USB dongles with a unique combination of future-proofed performance and security. This includes native support for up to five bidirectional ultra-low power wireless peripherals communicating simultaneously via a single, full-speed USB 2.0- compliant miniaturised dongle. Full interoperability with Nordic s existing nrf24l01 including its unique Enhanced ShockBurst hardware link layer is also included, plus an 8051 compatible microcontroller, hardware AES security co-processor and 16kbytes of internal Flash memory that can be used to A leading US-based provider of audience response systems Turning Technologies, LLC has standardised on Nordic Semiconductor 2.4GHz transceivers in its TurningPoint software and credit card-sized RF ResponseCard wireless keypads. The keypads, developed by Turning Technologies hardware division Responsive Innovations, enable Microsoft PowerPoint presentations to become completely interactive including nrf24lu1 produces dime-sized USB dongles emulate non-volatile memory. The latter removes the need for an external EEPROM. A full suite of development tools has been launched alongside the nrf24lu1 to allow accelerated, low risk and cost effective adoption of the chip. The suite includes a production-ready USB dongle Reference Design, Software Development Kit and complete Hardware Development Kit. In operation, the nrf24lu1 is a true single chip wireless solution for USB dongles that requires no external voltage regulator as it can be powered directly from the USB bus using an internal voltage regulator. The 5 by 5mm chip also generates all necessary clocks from a single 16MHz external crystal (so doesn t need the additional crystal typical of two-chip approaches). The performance of a USB dongle for wireless peripherals is primarily affected by three factors: The data transfer rate between the PC and USB dongle, the microcontroller employed within the dongle itself for simultaneous data processing, and the on-air data communication rate of the 2.4GHz transceiver used. The nrf24lu1 uniquely delivers a full-speed USB 12Mbps PC to USB transfer rate, a powerful and highly optimised embedded 8051 microcontroller, plus a 2Mbps air data rate. Credit card-sized RF keypads yield 90-percent pass rate real-time feedback and assessments. In the education market, US case studies show failure rates in traditionally hard-to-teach subjects such as algebra can fall by up to 90 percent when this technology is employed in the classroom. Nordic transceivers are used in the new XR ResponseCard (nrf24l01) with LCD screen and the existing RF ResponseCard (nrf24e1). The latter has an installed base of over a million units. By allowing audiences and students to participate in presentations or lectures, a TurningPoint audience response system makes them significantly more engaging, interactive and measurable. The Bluetooth word mark and logo are registered trademarks and are owned by the Bluetooth SIG WELCOME TO THE WIRELESS QUARTER This is the 6th issue of Nordic s quarterly newsletter. It is designed to keep you updated on the latest news and developments at Nordic and is supplied free-of-charge. PLEASE FORWARD THIS NEWSLETTER TO ANY COLLEAGUES OR CUSTOMERS WHO MAY FIND IT USEFUL To subscribe (or un-subscribe) please news@nordicsemi.no NORDIC MARCH

2 ANT UPDATE Dear Reader, This is the last issue of The Wireless Quarter for It does seem incredible that the year is already ending. For all of us at Nordic, 2007 represents a year where the company has taken giant leaps forward to become the leader in our chosen sector of ultra-low power wireless connectivity. While much of our success is based on the PC peripherals sector, we have seen the business expand into several other major consumer areas. As reported in The Wireless Quarter during the year, Nordic has had design wins with the nrf24xxx family in sectors as diverse as sports, audio, medical, networking, VoIP and industrial among others. Hardly a week goes by without the announcement of another success on the news section of our website at These successes from around the globe have enabled Nordic to reinforce its position as the leading solution provider for ultra-low power wireless connectivity. On top of that, we have found time to take a major role in the development of the Wibree open industry wireless initiative (now part of the ultra low power or ULP Bluetooth specification). But we re not about to rest on our previous successes as we look forward to Nordic s R&D team is busier than ever developing the 2.4GHz silicon and software that will continue to set new standards in ultra-low power consumption and price/performance ratio for wireless connectivity. We ve listened to customer feedback and are working to ensure that Nordic offers complete RF Silicon Solutions. Nordic has always been much more than a silicon supplier. The company s staff has consistently worked with individual customers to ensure their applications perform perfectly. But now we have formalised this approach by offering complete RF Silicon Solutions for every new product. RF Silicon Solutions comprise RF silicon (standalone or embedded transceivers), proprietary software stacks (application specific or used for reference designs), reference designs (which can even be used as production-ready products), and development tools (development kits, PC-based software for development kits, software development kits for embedded radios and production test kits). With these RF Silicon Solutions for each new product, customers will be able to develop innovative products with wireless connectivity in less time and at less expense. At Nordic we re looking forward to the new year and to working closely with existing and new customers, not least because it s fun to see the new ways they find to exploit our wireless technology in their latest products. Yours Sincerely, Thomas Embla Bonnerud Product Manager Standard Components With Nordic s RF Silicon Solutions, designers can build cost effective wireless connectivity into their products more quickly Thomas Embla Bonnerud ANT demonstrates its advantages over ZigBee By Brian Macdonald, Director - ANT } Recently, Nordic s nrf24ap1 plus ANT TM with SensRcore TM was compared with a ZigBee system from a well-known manufacturer. Conducted by independent engineering organization Au-Zone Technologies ( the comparison test implemented a simple wireless security system using modules from each company. While the developers were experienced in embedded product design and wireless technologies they had no specific prior experience with either the nrf24ap1 plus ANT or ZigBee, making the trial unbiased. Standard vendor supplied modules from their respective development kits were employed. The specific areas of comparison were: The out-of-box experience for the developer; The effort level of developing the application with standard modules; The quality, accuracy and comprehensiveness of documentation; The performance of firmware drivers, API s and sample code; The performance of the demo systems once implemented; The cost and size of the wireless sensor modules. At Nordic Semiconductor and ANT, we know that ZigBee s relatively complex protocol and nodes of varying functionality make setting up even a simple network difficult and time consuming. And that s without considering the issues of size, cost and power consumption. In comparison, Nordic Semiconductor and ANT s technology is intentionally engineered to simplify practical wireless network development and optimise network operational efficiency. But would these advantages come to the fore in Au-Zone s unbiased test? We needn t have worried. Au-Zone s test exposed the deficiencies of ZigBee while underlining the nrf24ap1 plus ANT with SensRcore s key advantages of simplicity, small size and ultra-low power consumption. When it came to setting up the security network ZigBee took twice as long to configure as Nordic and ANT s technology (at hrs compared to 83 hrs). And even then, Au-Zone considered the ZigBee application as a work in progress, [with] some outstanding issues to be addressed. Au-Zone continued by saying: Overall the ANT PC application [SensRcore development platform] was a much more pleasant experience. Once the network configuration was understood, the developer was able to concentrate specifically on the application development and not worry about the underlying ANT protocol. In addition, Au-Zone said that Nordic and ANT s technology offered significant advantages over ZigBee for short range wireless sensor implementations requiring low power operation. Au-Zone concluded: The quality of the Nordic and ANT module, firmware support and documentation enabled the implementation of a more robust system with half the development effort; The Nordic and ANT module require only 60 percent of the area of the ZigBee module with an equivalent antenna implementation; The Nordic and ANT module requires significantly less power permitting higher data sensor rates using small coin cell batteries. While we re confident of the advantages of our product, it s good to have some occasional independent backing. 2 NORDIC WIRELESS QUARTER Q4 2007

3 NEWS COMPUTER PERIPHERALS Kensington slims down computer peripherals integration } Kensington has managed to combine many previously standalone computer input devices into one for mobile users. Yet the Kensington SlimBlade Lifestyle Collection, which includes five products that communicate using Nordic s ultra-low power nrf24l01 2.4GHz transceivers, still combines ultra thin design with multiple layers of functionality in a robust set of devices designed to work in any environment. The SlimBlade Presenter Media Mouse, for example, offers the 3- in-1 functionality of a previously separate wireless mouse, presenter and RF controller product, yet is percent thinner than most standard notebook mice. Further, it communicates like most of the SlimBlade Collection via a microsized USB wireless receiver about one third smaller than traditional USB wireless receivers, small enough to be stored within the housing of the mouse products themselves when not in use. This level of integration is a must have for the techsavvy mobile professional Kensington is targeting with the SlimBlade Collection, explains PROTOCOL SOFTWARE Nordic-developed RF protocol stack gives desktop control devices best-in-class battery life } The Wireless Desktop Protocol eliminates the need for engineers to write or source a protocol when employing Nordic s ultra-low power 2.4GHz transceivers in wireless computer peripherals. It is available to all Nordic customers developing projects with any Nordic 2.4GHz transceiver(s). This complete, off-the-shelf RF protocol communication software stack is designed to enable robust, high-performance wireless connectivity for a wide range of advanced RF control Christine Dumery, Marketing Communications Director at Kensington. Travelling executives need to get the most out of their computers in all the terrain settings that comprise a full mobile experience be it an office desk, an airport seat, a hotel room or their sofa at home. By combining a unique feature set with unrivalled simplicity, each SlimBlade product is designed to work flawlessly and intuitively to fit its user s lifestyle there can be no performance compromises. In the Kensington SlimBlade Lifestyle Collection that comprises wireless mice, RF controllers and presenters plus a magnetically modular wireless keyboard, keypad, laser mouse and RF controller Media Notebook set this is achieved by using ultra-low power Nordic nrf24l01 transceivers in each input device and the micro USB receiver (apart from the SlimBlade Trackball Mouse that employs Bluetooth wireless technology but can function alongside any SlimBlade product). The ultra-low power performance of the Nordic nrf24l01 transceivers allows a pair of AAA 1.5V cells to power the wireless link of each SlimBlade device for up to a year under heavy usage conditions and provides a 10 m (30-ft) operating range even when obstructions such as people or furniture are in the way. devices, and includes an Enhanced ShockBurst link layer with all necessary upper protocol layers. It is also pre-optimised for ultra-low power consumption on the device (controller) side by minimising the time on air. This enables the implementation of products with best-in-class battery lifetimes. Excellent 2.4GHz co-existence performance is assured thanks to an advanced asynchronous frequency agility transmission scheme, and unique ReverseBurst feature allows simple highthroughput data streaming from the host (appliance being controlled) to the device (controller), making it a perfect solution for the bidirectional communications demanded by advanced Media Centre remote controls with displays. The protocol stack also provides native support for star topology networking of up to 5 control devices with bidirectional data comms to one host. 3-in-1 desktop bundles (mouse, keyboard, remote) are therefore easily developed. IN BRIEF Wireless home automation Norwegian domestic heating, control and automation specialist, NOBO Heating, has incorporated Nordic Semiconductor nrf /868/915MHz multiband transceivers into the heart of its newly launched and stylish Orion EC 700 wireless home automation and control system. This allows multi-zone wireless control and automation of domestic heating, lighting and electrical appliances. Foot warmer is cosy for winter sports Austrian winter footwear heating and drying specialist, Therm-ic, has specified Nordic nrf24e1 2.4GHz transceivers into its ThermiControl wirelessly controlled foot warmers. These ensure foot temperature is controlled in winter sport and cold working environments to prevent injury and fatigue. Wireless sensor networking out of the box Designers can now build functioning wireless sensor networks (WSNs) within minutes using a development kit from ANT with Nordic 2.4GHz transceivers. The ANTDKT3 WSN development kit uses Nordic Semiconductor nrf24ap1 and nrf24l01 2.4GHz transceivers running the ANT wireless sensor network protocol to offer the easiestto-use wireless sensor networking development kit available. NORDIC WIRELESS QUARTER Q

4 WIRELESS NETWORKING Building practical wireless networks Building a practical wireless network can be a daunting challenge. Nordic s nrf24ap1 eases the task The nrf24ap1 combines an ultralow power transceiver for wireless communications with ANT TM s production-proven ultra-low power wireless sensor networking (WSN) protocol, to create a single chip networking solution. The nrf24ap1 is the answer for users who are looking for an easy-to-implement 2.4GHz transceiver for global operation, but who don t necessarily want to spend months integrating a networking standard protocol into their system. The nrf24ap1 suits almost all practical, ultra-low power wireless networking applications from simple point-to-point to complex meshes. Operating in the globally available licence-free 2.4GHz Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) band, the nrf24ap1 has been intentionally engineered for simplicity and efficiency. A typical use case is a group of runners each monitoring their heart rate and speed with the data from the wireless sensors being communicated to a sports watch. The nrf24ap1 meets the tough power constraints of this coin cell-powered application while its Time Domain Multiple Access (TDMA)-like adaptive isochronous interference avoidance scheme ensures none of the signals clash. The protocol is able to Figure 1: A simple wireless sensor network support multiple data transfer modes up to 20kbps net data rate (transmitting at 1Mbps raw data rate). The nrf24ap1 is ideally suited to all forms of WSNs used to monitor and control systems in the sports, wellness, home and industrial sectors. These types of networks are forecasted to grow exponentially in the next five years and are characterised by low data rate transmission of small amounts of sensor information between tens or even hundreds of interconnected devices. Typical applications measure parameters that don t change rapidly (for example, temperature or humidity) so updates every few seconds are satisfactory. Technologies such as Bluetooth wireless technology and Wi-Fi are designed to transfer data much more rapidly, so can t meet the special requirements of battery life, size and system cost of WSNs. In contrast, the nrf24ap1 meets these exacting requirements. The ANT protocol determines how one With the nrf24ap1, a cyclist can monitor their heart rate and speed using wireless sensors that communicate data to a sportswatch The nrf24ap1 ably meets the battery life, size and system cost requirements of wireless sensor networks wireless node communicates across a wireless link with another by establishing standard rules for co-existence, data representation, signalling, authentication and error detection. The protocol is critical in ensuring reliable network transmission over the specified range within demanding power constraints. It includes features that ensure ultra-low power consumption (down to an average current draw of 10 microamps in continuous operation) and constant monitoring of the integrity of the link. Networking with the nrf24ap1 Each wireless networking sensor, controller or actuator combines with an RF transceiver to form a network node. The abstract model of the transceiver comprises a physical layer (PHY), such as the nrf24ap1, protocol stack, such as ANT, and an application layer that forms the specific instruction set for the application supported by the network. The nrf24ap1 is a compact solution requiring lower microcontroller resources outside the radio than, for example, ZigBee, considerably reducing system costs. Each nrf24ap1 channel consists of one or more transmitting nodes and one or more receiving nodes depending on the network topology. Any node can transmit or receive so the channels are bi-directional. In addition, every node is capable of 4 NORDIC WIRELESS QUARTER Q4 2007

5 TECHNICAL BRIEFING determining the best time to transmit based on the activity of its neighbours, so no coordinator or supervisory node is required. (See figure 1.) nrf24ap1 with ANT accommodates three types of messaging: broadcast, acknowledged and burst (see Figures 2(a), (b) and (c)). Broadcast is a one-way communication from one node to another. The receiving node transmits no acknowledgement. This technique is suited to sensor applications and is field proven as the most economical method of operation. Acknowledged messaging confirms receipt of packets. The transmitter is informed of success or failure, although there are no retransmissions. This technique is suited to control applications. Finally, nrf24ap1 can use burst messaging; this is a multi-message transmission technique using the full data bandwidth and running to completion. The receiving node acknowledges receipt and informs of corrupted packages that the transmitter then resends. The packets are sequence numbered for traceability. This technique is suited to data block transfer where data integrity is crucial. The nrf24ap1 s ability to build a WSN on an ad hoc basis simplifies interconnection. Nodes can easily join and leave the network and fewer system resources are required. The nrf24ap1 is an ideal protocol for WSNs because of its inherent ability to support ad hoc interconnection of tens or indeed hundreds of nodes. Other technologies such as ZigBee complicate network building by introducing reduced function (i.e. devices that can only operate as slaves), full function (i.e. devices that can only operate as masters) and coordinator nodes. These are distributed throughout the network to supervise subsets of nodes, adding complexity and increasing system resources. The coordinator first forms a subset cluster and then handles requests from neighbouring coordinator nodes wishing to attach their clusters to the overall mesh (see figure 3). Such networks can t be constructed on an ad hoc basis, which then makes it difficult for nodes to join and leave. The ANT protocol The ANT protocol is characterised by its low overhead that enables it to operate efficiently with minimal system resources and ultra-low power consumption at low cost. It features low latency and the ability to trade-off data rate against power consumption. ANT is a production-proven protocol designed for maximum flexibility, scalability and ease-of-use, with integrated Figures 2(a), (b) and (c): nrf24ap1 messaging types; broadcast, acknowledged and burst network and channel management. Standards-based protocols such as Bluetooth wireless technology and ZigBee (based on IEEE ) are loaded with extra features that typically creep into consortia specs in order to keep all contributing parties happy. This increases the protocol s size, reducing efficiency and increasing power consumption. A protocol stack determines how communication across a wireless link is handled by establishing standard rules for co-existence, data representation, signalling, authentication and error detection. Perhaps more importantly, a protocol also has to be able to routinely handle situations where several devices are trying to communicate simultaneously. A protocol determines how these communications are handled so that devices can co-exist and broadcast routinely. In WSNs with complex networks, ANT is able to manage hundreds of nodes such that transmissions do not clash or interfere with each other. A protocol is designed to suit specific communications requirements depending on the constraints of a given application. For example, ANT is designed primarily for sensor networks; data from the sensor is periodically broadcast across the link to a supervisory system. If data is sent but occasionally not received this is not a problem because another, updated transmission follows soon after. However, if it s essential that every piece of data is received for instance when data is being backedup the protocol would include instructions for the receiving node to send back an acknowledgement that the message was either received OK, or should be resent. Data is sent across a wireless link in packets of a predetermined size. Each packet comprises an overhead (information required to set-up the communication with a specific node and to determine how the information will be reliably sent) and payload (the actual useful data). Information too large to be sent using a single packet is broken down into a number of standard packets and re-assembled at the receiver. In ANT s case, the bits required to set-up communications are minimised so that a packet is shorter for a given payload. The efficiency of a protocol is measured by the ratio of overhead to payload. For example, one generic protocol competing with ANT features a packet of 160 bits comprising 128 bits of overhead and 32 bits of data yielding an efficiency of 20 percent. In comparison, ANT s efficiency is 47 percent. The efficiency of the protocol combined with the radio s bandwidth largely determines the battery life of the transceiver. The nrf24ap1 combines the highly efficient ANT protocol with a raw data bandwidth of 1Mbps (compared to ZigBee s less efficient protocol and 250kbps raw data rate). Consequently, the nrf24ap1 can be engineered to spend long periods in ultra-low power sleep mode (consuming just microamps), wake up quickly, transmit rapidly (because consumption rises to tens of milliamps during transmission) and then return to sleep mode. Figure 3: Some wireless technologies, such as ZigBee, employ nodes with varying capabilities to construct networks, complicating the process NORDIC WIRELESS QUARTER Q

6 WIRELESS NET DESIGN LINE Avoiding interference on the 2.4GHz wireless desktop The 2.4GHz band is home to so many competing RF sources that an effective interference avoidance scheme is mandatory. But in battery-powered applications, standards-based synchronised schemes aren t a good choice. Thomas Embla Bonnerud explains Contemporary IEEE.802.xx standardsbased wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth wireless technology and ZigBee crowd into the 2.4GHz band, along with various forms of wireless Ethernet and USB. In addition, many proprietary manufacturers, including Nordic Semiconductor, use 2.4GHz technology. There are several established techniques for ensuring communications in the presence of interference including the bullish approach of simply repeating the transmission on high power until it finally gets through to the elaborate direct sequence and frequency hopping spread spectrum schemes used by Wi-Fi, Bluetooth wireless technology and ZigBee. These latter schemes work well, but when it comes to ultra-low power wireless connectivity where the unit s current can t exceed the peak current of coin cells or other small batteries, and the batteries need to last for months or even years these schemes demand more power than is available. Consider wireless peripherals for a PC. End users expect to use several 2.4GHz peripherals simultaneously (e.g. keyboard, mouse, gamepad and for the latest media centres, RF remotes) often in very close proximity to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth-equipped products. To meet consumers expectations 2.4GHz peripherals must communicate with no loss of user data and remain highly responsive even in the presence of other active 2.4GHz RF sources. Interference avoidance The three popular IEEE-based wireless technologies, Wi-Fi/ZigBee and Bluetooth wireless technology employ Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) and Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) schemes respectively to maintain link integrity. These work well, but they do add a The wireless desktop is no place for peripherals without good 2.4GHz interference immunity significant communication overhead. For low data throughput systems like mice and keyboards, the overhead and hence power consumption penalty means battery life falls short of consumers demands. In the case of FHSS (and other solutions based on synchronous protocols), the overhead is in the form of synchronisation exchanges over the air that occur whether the system is transferring useful data or not. This synchronisation ensures that all the participating devices hop between allocated frequency channels simultaneously. In DSSS, the overhead comes in the form of the spreading codes sent instead of the raw user data. This causes a DSSS system to transfer a higher volume of data than would be the case with just the raw data, increasing power consumption. Both FHSS and DSSS add complexity and represent a fixed overhead because neither can be reduced or switched off when little or no interference is present. AA, AAA or coin cell powered-devices such as mice and keyboards struggle to cope with FHSS s fixed overhead. ZigBee, championed as a low power technology and using DSSS, Nordic Semiconductor s recently released nrf2601 Wireless Desktop Protocol (WDP) is well suited to devices with limited battery power is undoubtedly easier on batteries than Bluetooth wireless technology but targets an entirely different market with low duty cycle sensors and support for complex mesh networking. ZigBee s power consumption (and complexity) make it unsuited to wireless desktops that don t need such features. In comparison, Nordic Semiconductor s recently released nrf2601 Wireless Desktop Protocol (WDP) is well suited to devices with limited battery power. The WDP uses the high speed features of the Nordic nrf24l01 transceiver. While running on the nrf24l01 chip (consuming around 12mA (peak) when transmitting or receiving at 0dBm and 2Mbps) with typical usage patterns, the WDP endows a wireless mouse with a battery life of a year on two AAA batteries compared to a month for an equivalent Bluetooth mouse. An asynchronous protocol The WDP only changes frequency channel if transmission conditions deteriorate on the channel in use. If the channel needs to TO SEE THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE GO TO: 6 NORDIC WIRELESS QUARTER Q4 2007

7 Design Center Learning Center Product Center When DSSS and FHSS fail: Avoiding interference on the 2.4GHz wireless desktop Battery life is critical in wireless desktop applications and batteries don't last all that long when standard-based interference protocols are applied. Here's a lower-power way to co-exist. WiMAX Access Service Network in WiMAX: The role of ASN-GW--Part I PRECISION DESIGN How to succeed the first time with ultra-small QFN packages WIMAX WiMAX roundup: Part 3: Evolving ecosystems BLUETOOTH Implementing solid security on a Bluetooth product SOFTWARE DEFINED RADIO Basics of Software Defined Radio, Part 1 MORE DESIGN CENTER MOST POPULAR ARTICLES How to succeed the first time with ultra-small QFN packages Remote control: Easy RF design delivers more features than IR at low cost Testing n systems - Part 2: MIMO configuration analysis Avoiding Interference in the 2.4-GHz ISM Band WiMAX chipset roundup - Part 1 MORE TOP RATED ARTICLES How to mitigate n interference with PC peripherals MORE How to make systems combine security with affordability How AWPP will make mesh networks easier to deploy ZigBee SoCs provide cost-effective solutions Array Processors Enable Flexibility in FFT Designs Site Search: All Articles Products Courses Papers News Webinars Web Welcome, Guest Home Design Center Learning Center Product Center News Blogs Forums Careers Site Features Technical Paper Library Webinars Latest Technical Papers Wireless Portal Technology An Overview and Perspective MD8470A Speeds Development of Video Chips for Cell Phones The Building Blocks of a Wireless Communications System WiMAX: IEEE e-2005 Introduction to OFDMA Measurements Selecting the Most Suitable Generator for Analog to Digital Converter Test Applications Introduction to MIMO Systems Designing a Great Wireless Appliance: Principles and Applications Featured Technical Papers MD8470A Speeds Development of Video Chips for Cell Phones Anritsu Design for Manufacturing: What Designers Need to Know About the Change in Yield Management Mentor Graphics Wi-Fi Certified Makes It Wi-Fi: An Overview of the Wi-Fi Alliance Approach to Certification Wi-Fi Alliance MORE TECHNICAL PAPERS Sponsored Links A2e Technologies - Embedded Design Services A2e Technologies (A2e) is an Electronic Design Services (EDS) firm providing embedded design and pr... EO/IR/Laser Specialists Learn About Exciting Projects with Lockheed Martin BLOGS The porcupine problem SDR folks (NXP calls its embedded vector processor an SDR solution) should sit up and take notice. I was under the impression that the RF component was the toughest nut to crack. Maybe NXP had done it. The 700-MHz auction challenge WiMAX and the ITU UWB on ice? MORE BLOGS Sponsor NEW RF Technical Papers Phase-Locked Loop Simulation Modeling and Simulating a ZigBee Wireless Transmitter Path Bluetooth Transciever Design with VHDL-AMS View all RF papers here! NEWS IBM launches 'next wave' of autonomic computing IBM says the new capabilities will expand the role of self-managing, self-healing Special offer: Fabless Semiconductor Startups HiPer Silicon analog/mixed-signal IC design tools give you fast start computing systems. for end-to-end design. They'r... CSR sees sales, margins 1.2 Million Data Sheets on ICs, Semis, Passives Search & compare over 100 million parts, download data sheets, buy increase in Q3 from franchised distributors. Big operators, vendors join New Agilent Acqiris Digitizer, 2 ch, 1-2 GS/s,<15W Extremely low-power consumption, high throughput digitizer with 1 Femto Forum GHz analog bandwidth. Linux developers give Google a belated welcome to mobile party MORE NEWS PRESS ARTICLES Figure 1(a): WDP in low latency mode: The host constantly monitors predetermined channels waiting for a communication initiated by the device Figure 2(a) above and (b) below: Latency and power consumption increase with number of retransmits Figure 1(b): WDP adapts to interference on channel 1 ( F1 ) by shifting the device s transmitting frequency to channel 2 ( F2 ) be changed, the new one is selected from a channel table subset of allowable 2.4GHz channels known to both host and device. The system is asynchronous i.e. there are no fixed timeslots so there is less added latency when retransmits are required, quick transition from sleep mode to data transfer and an inherent ability to scale to several devices. (The WDP has native support for up to five). Moreover, power consumption in the peripheral devices is minimised, as there s no requirement for synchronisation beacons. It s important to note the star network formed between the PC host and peripheral devices is not a Personal Area Network (PAN) like that formed by a Bluetooth master and its slaves. With the WDP, each peripheral device has no knowledge of its companions, and isn t synchronised to their communications. The WDP host has two modes of operation, low latency and low power. In the first mode, because the PC powers the USB donglemounted transceiver, there is no current rationing (nonetheless, RF front end current is still only 12.3mA). However, if the PC goes into sleep mode and suspends the USB bus, the protocol can enter a low power mode and reduce the drain to a minimum, enabling the application to meet, for instance, the 500µA average USB suspend mode requirement. Remote wake up is maintained in this mode. Moreover, this mode is very useful in meeting other power rationing demands in the host such as those needed to meet green marking of an end product. In the low latency mode, the host (typically a USB dongle on the host PC) monitors all channels in the channel table for the same duration in continuous rotation. In the low power mode, channels are monitored infrequently in a burst-like way; in between bursts, the transceiver enters a sleep mode. When initiating a transmission the device (mouse, keyboard or remote control) wakes up from sleep and transmits the data a userdefinable number of times on the previously used good channel so if no interference is detected, communication is re-established within a few milliseconds depending on the number of RF channels the WDP utilises. However, if after the defined number of times the device is unable to communicate with the host it will switch to another channel (in 130µs) as defined in the channel table. The channel table is continually adapted to take into consideration other WDP-based desktop peripheral systems in the area so after a short period of operation, the likelihood of multiple systems trying to communicate on the same channel is low. Figure 1(a) shows the scheme operating in low latency mode. The host cycles through a configurable number of RF channels (3 in this case). The listen time on each channel must accommodate two transmission (TX) attempts from a device (in a typical PC peripheral set up this will be typically 700 to 800µs). Meanwhile, the device transmits on a single channel (channel 1). (Note that by using the Enhanced ShockBurst feature of nrf24l01 it can do this in short bursts, minimising the time on air and allowing the device radio to return to the standby mode quickly where it consumes just tens of microamps). In this example, the first four bursts coincide with the host s time scanning channels 2 and 3, so no acknowledgment is received. When the host returns to channel 1 it coincides with the device channel; the packet is received by the host and an acknowledgment is sent back. The host and device then exchange the data. For devices with fixed report rates (like mice), the WDP in the device keeps track of the host timing and adjusts the first transmission attempt of the next report to coincide with when the host is back on channel 1. For non-fixed report rate devices (keyboards and remotes), the device simply goes to sleep and runs a similar linkup attempt the next time a button is pressed. Even with a worst case link-up delay like that shown in Figure 1(a) the link up time is still less than 3 x 700 to 800µs (2.1 to 2.4ms). Figure 1(b) shows what happens if interference is encountered. If channel 1 becomes blocked by a competing RF source, the device first tries communicating on the last known good channel for a duration equal to that of the host cycling through all used channels, before switching to channel 2. Once the host is on channel 2 it acknowledges the transmission and communicates on the new, clear channel (that is used from then on). Latency and RF power consumption in the device increase linearly with the number of retries performed by the nrf24l01. Figure 2(a) illustrates the added latency against number of retransmits, adding up to just over 3.5ms for eight retransmits. Figure 2(b) shows the average nrf24l01 current consumption against the number of retransmits. Advertise With Us The full version of this article was originally published in Wireless Net Design Line. This website is part of CMP s TechOnline community and has a subscriber base of 8500 wireless specialists NORDIC WIRELESS QUARTER Q

8 BLUETOOTH EVOLUTION CONFERENCE REPORT Will ULP Bluetooth wireless technology shape up for healthcare? At the recent Bluetooth Evolution Conference* in London, the key applications for ultra low power (ULP) Bluetooth wireless technology were described. One of the most hotly debated applications was healthcare, reports Thomas Embla Bonnerud Healthcare is crying out for a standardised wireless solution such as ultra low power (ULP) Bluetooth wireless technology. At present, hospitals and healthcare institutions all over the world use a wide range of fragmented systems for tracking, monitoring and recording patients and their medical data both within hospitals and at home. While out of necessity, management methods and approaches have evolved to work around the challenge, the disjointed nature of patient monitoring and tracking between various treatment inpatient and outpatient stages (including the home) is ripe for higher efficiency and, thus, lower cost approaches. ULP Bluetooth wireless technology could be the enabler for many new approaches. ULP Bluetooth wireless technology could be used to allow automatic wireless tracking and monitoring of patients via dedicated, ULP Bluetooth wireless technology-enabled instruments and wearable sensors from the moment they come into contact with the healthcare provider, until the moment they leave the system. These systems could be engineered to seamlessly handover from one treatment phase to the next, while at the same time giving healthcare staff rapid access to information telling them everything that has gone before. Tracking and monitoring technology needn t be restricted to inpatient and outpatient facilities at the hospital. It is perfectly suited to extend to patients homes. Indeed, as it was explained at the conference, the unobtrusive nature of wireless technology ideally matches the trend in healthcare towards making sure people are treated in hospitals and healthcare institutions when it is the only ULP Bluetooth wireless technology will enable unobtrusive monitoring of health indicators which can then be relayed via a cellphone while patients go about their normal lives The unobtrusive nature of wireless technology ideally matches the trend in healthcare towards making sure people are treated in hospitals when it is the only alternative alternative. This trend is only likely to accelerate as healthcare costs escalate. ULP Bluetooth wireless technology in health ULP Bluetooth wireless technology would enable wireless monitoring and hence remote management of what are fast becoming today s big killers: the chronic diseases such as hypertension (blood pressure), heart disease and diabetes. Another market with huge potential for ULP Bluetooth wireless technology in healthcare is enabling elderly independence i.e. giving the elderly the ability to age with dignity, for as long as possible, in their own homes. With greying populations in the developed and developing world growing, managing the cost of treating and caring for the elderly is PHOTO COURTESY OF BLUETOOTH SIG 8 NORDIC WIRELESS QUARTER Q4 2007

9 BRIEFING fast becoming one of the key contemporary political issues. Potentially, ULP Bluetooth wireless technology could be part of the solution one that not only meets the financial restraints of healthcare providers and governments, but that also gives elderly people what they want: a chance to live independently for as long as possible. In reality, this means automating the monitoring and care of large numbers of people at home, and minimising costly home visits. With the appropriate infrastructure (see sidebar below A friend of the sick ) ULP Bluetooth wireless technology could be used to remotely monitor correct intake of medication, whether the user had successfully got out of bed and eaten on time, and, in a less palatable but nonetheless equally important role, for personal cleanliness monitoring after bouts of incontinence. Too early to predict Although the case and potential for ULP Bluetooth wireless technology in healthcare was made quite strongly during the conference, it has to be stressed that its adoption or more particularly speed of adoption was heavily debated. A number of attendees felt that the universal use of ULP Bluetooth wireless technology in healthcare although technically feasible and eminently desirable was years from adoption and that any discussion of likely product applications and volumes was woefully premature. Although certain senior speakers from the healthcare sector said ULP Bluetooth wireless technology was what the sector had been demanding, the doubters cautioned that healthcare was a naturally conservative market and that the decision makers of that industry would need a lot of convincing about the performance and reliability of the technology. Moreover, it was noted that attempts to introduce wireless into the healthcare sector in the past had resulted in a loss of credibility due to technical problems relating to poor interference immunity. In a healthcare environment, there are likely to be many wireless sensors and devices transmitting in close vicinity to each other. While ULP Bluetooth wireless technology s frequency hopping schemes will almost certainly be more than capable of handling such hostile radio environments, a cynical medical community will need some convincing. That said, ULP Bluetooth wireless technology is unlikely to ever be used in safety-critical areas (i.e. in intensive care or emergency room systems that keep patients alive) because of the use of the unlicensed ISM band. This would be because performance could not be guaranteed (and litigation issues are the core worry here) to meet the required medical-grade availability and reliability standards, potentially leaving makers exposed to crippling legal suits. A long haul to adoption The overriding message from the conference was that while ULP Bluetooth wireless technology has enormous potential in healthcare for in-house and home-based patient tracking, monitoring and medical data recording many observers still predict a long haul, rather than immediate wave of adoption. This conclusion is despite the fact that ULP Bluetooth wireless technology addresses one of the healthcare industry s biggest challenges cost effectively keeping greying populations out of hospital and in their homes for as long as possible. All this, however, is unlikely to afflict another of ULP Bluetooth wireless technology s prime target sectors: sports equipment. Here, ULP Bluetooth wireless technology-enabled applications could well appear even before the end of For more on this, look out for the first issue of The Wireless Quarter in * Organised by IMS Conferences see www. imsconferences.com/bluetooth Thomas Embla Bonnerud is Product Manager Standard Components with Nordic Semiconductor. Bonnerud presented at the Bluetooth Evolution Conference and sat on several Q&A panels at the event. A friend of the sick ULP Bluetooth wireless technology s interoperability and ability to run from 3V coin cell batteries for up to a year make it an ideal technology for unobtrusive monitoring. In one suggested application scenario, patients carry on their daily lives at home while ULP Bluetooth wireless technologyequipped sensors monitor vital signs such as blood pressure, temperature, blood glucose or heart rate. In addition, motion sensors could be used to indicate whether medicine containers had been accessed at prescribed times, or whether patients were moving around the house in a normal routine (rather than remaining stationary which could indicate lack of self care). Standalone ULP Bluetooth chips fitted to these wireless sensors are able to run off coin cells for long periods due to very low duty cycle operation and ultra-low power consumption. These chips enter ultra-low power sleep modes, ULP Bluetooth is an ideal technology for unobtrusive monitoring waking periodically to send data in short bursts, utilising the 1 to 2 Mbps bandwidth of ULP Bluetooth wireless technology, before returning to sleep mode. Data is transmitted to a cellphone or PC equipped with a dual mode ULP Bluetooth chip. The cellphone or PC saves the data before periodically transmitting it via the local GSM system or over the Internet for interpretation by healthcare professionals. NORDIC WIRELESS QUARTER Q

10 ESM CHINA ULP Bluetooth wireless technology and ZigBee compared ESM China recently interviewed Chim Chan, Nordic s Greater China sales manager about ultra low power (ULP) Bluetooth. This is an excerpt from the interview published in ESM China s September 2007 print issue and online ESM China (ESMC): What are the differences between ULP Bluetooth wireless technology and ZigBee? Chim Chan (CC): Nordic Semiconductor is not a supplier of ZigBee, so I can only make general statements about that technology. My understanding is that ZigBee is targeted at mesh networking where power consumption and cost are constraints. Typical applications are home automation, industrial networking and other wireless sensor networks where many sensors need to transmit relatively small amounts of data relatively infrequently. Consequently, the radio can spend much of its time in a lowpower sleep mode, saving battery capacity. Backed by an alliance of powerful silicon vendors, ZigBee is based on the IEEE standard PHY (the actual radio) and Media Access Control (MAC) layers, supporting the alliance s own Network (NWK) and Application (APL) layers. It can transmit on either 868 or 915MHz, or 2.4GHz. Most development efforts are focused on the 2.4GHz band as this is generally accepted as the global licence-free band and allows the highest transmission rates (up to a claimed 250kbps raw data rate). Compared to Bluetooth wireless technology which is designed for larger bandwidth, higher duty cycle file transfers, for instance cellphone to PC ZigBee is undoubtedly cheaper, simpler and more power efficient. But it is not the optimum engineering solution for mesh networking applications. Proprietary alternatives such as our nrf24ap1 running the ANT TM protocol use far less power, are comparable in price, simple to implement, scalable and proven. Perhaps that s why ZigBee has so far failed to catch the engineering community s attention but this is a conversation for another time. Furthermore, because it is designed for large static networks, ZigBee is ill-suited to the ad hoc star networks typical of consumer electronics applications. Nordic Semiconductor has been very successful in leading the ultra-low power short-range wireless connectivity niche for consumer applications with its proprietary technologies. For example, Nordic s nrf24xxx family of 2.4GHz transceivers are used in millions of wireless mice, keyboards, health sensors and sports watches across the globe. The company s success is founded on products that are simple to build-in, use little power, are immune from interference from other 2.4GHz radios, and are cost-effective, compact and robust. But, as with all proprietary technologies, Nordic s transceivers lack the ability to interoperate with 2.4GHz devices from other manufacturers. That s why Nordic Semiconductor decided to become a founder member of the Wibree Alliance, an open industry initiative driven by handset manufacturer Nokia and set up to promote interoperable ultra-low power wireless transceivers. In June, Wibree was adopted by the Bluetooth SIG and renamed ULP Bluetooth wireless technology. The Bluetooth SIG appreciates that its current technology is limited to applications with relatively large (often rechargeable) batteries. The SIG knows that its members want to embed wireless connectivity into The Bluetooth SIG knows that its members want to embed wireless connectivity into everything from biomedical monitors, to watches, toys, and sports goods. ULP Bluetooth wireless technology fills this gap everything from biomedical monitors, to watches, toys, and sports goods (such as linking a sensor in a running shoe to an MP3 player). ULP Bluetooth wireless technology fills this gap. Note that what I say here about ULP Bluetooth wireless technology is based on provisional information and could change when the final specification is published. ESMC: How is progress towards ZigBee single-chip integration and the ULP Bluetooth interoperability specification? CC: Again, it s difficult for me to comment specifically on ZigBee as Nordic Semiconductor is not part of that initiative. But as an outsider, I m not aware of many efforts to integrate ZigBee onto a single chip. It s a tough challenge because 10 NORDIC WIRELESS QUARTER Q4 2007

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Õ ûœœ! ifg D mn3 võ 2007<09=27> Û, StevenKeeping ( â çô' Î (Æ Ø ) ÿÿ åàg kã/,l D / \ M : \ I &3 9l v ICn Ÿ - fiflº Eµ Î pq{ Â]ÊÁ ËÈ!Í MV-6ÎPöD ÏÌÓ Ô} appleò! À=ÚÛ!ÙîÚv pqkã{ı ˆ v {çˆap O2008<üKÿ µr Ç- KL åà 1G ÖÑ rsgñ jk r! CPU DSP MCU! FPGA PLD pˇ/!è "#! NAND NOR SRAM $ps%! LCD Panel OLED Panel LED &Î '() ª*Ù â >> `+ø!u,-rl.u:/ - å{ù0 New! 1 {2R%vß {33Ø U :,- \'U {", - {;-45û633B78' º&ÇMTK"Ôo äã å{- 9:7v ;#,- {"U _H45%ö â 0'v U {<ø=å)}>?û@a ø 7 `+ø åa!ø=ù0!bcjkáà Hot! v ICn Ÿ Ÿ fi v MP3åD flº 7 =6h«E'+F Hv IC_ HrLπGn flº Eµ7HÖ á 'fleµµfl-,i JK3 3è L ËMN...MOµ P>> Qfiº '8v ICèÔRˇ flº -áÿnµ"*str U\VWXYZ --Qfi,[flº \Lflº,](^6D) º -_`Ì!20<v IC_HLaÒ bcdµeãhv IC_HL-Sf ûœœ GPSU EMS U p kl» gh ADI DRAM GPS ïi,-jk LED IR lv Õ PRESS ARTICLES ZigBee does have quite a large protocol demanding the resources of relatively powerful microcontrollers. Integrating a microcontroller and ZigBee radio onto a single chip is possible, but it s going to be difficult to keep the price down. Regarding ULP Bluetooth wireless connectivity: Nokia, Nordic Semiconductor and other members of the Wibree Alliance were aiming to release the Wibree spec during the first half of As far as I know, this date has not significantly changed now that the Bluetooth SIG is in charge of producing the ULP Bluetooth specification. I read somewhere that the Bluetooth SIG expects members to be producing sample dual mode parts before the end of Nordic Semiconductor plans to introduce samples of its standalone devices before the end of this year. There is currently no information regarding whether the Bluetooth SIG plans to significantly change the draft Wibree specification, but I think that the SIG would prefer to keep the changes to a minimum. ESMC: What are the target markets for each technology? How do you think the two technologies will co-exist? CC: The envisaged market for ULP Bluetooth wireless technology is clear. It is targeted at those manufacturers who want to add a low cost, ultra-low power, robust 2.4GHz PHOTO COURTESY OF BLUETOOTH SIG Above, the sports sector is a prime target for ULP Bluetooth Left, initial applications for ULP Bluetooth technology will include PC peripherals PHOTO COURTESY OF FRWD TECHNOLOGIES wireless link to their product in order to transmit small volumes of data to a central resource such as a cellphone or PC. Because ULP Bluetooth wireless technology can run from coin cell batteries, it can be integrated into thousands of low-power items which will form PANs with dual mode Bluetooth chipequipped devices. Initial applications for ULP Bluetooth wireless technology include leisure, healthcare, entertainment and office. So, for example, a person taking a workout could use their smartphone equipped with a Bluetooth dual mode chip as the centre of a PAN comprising ULP Bluetooth wireless technology equipped running shoes, ULP Bluetooth wireless technology-equipped heart rate belt and ULP Bluetooth wireless technologyequipped sportswatch. It s also possible that this data could be sent to a suitably equipped GPS unit that could be used to make predictions about where the user will be physically located in the future based on their current rate of progress. Again, commenting as an outsider, ZigBee is targeted at mesh networking applications, sometimes called wireless sensor networks. These applications require large numbers of inexpensive nodes running for years on batteries. I can see the need for such applications after all, we already deal with such customers because they often select our nrf24ap1 because it s perfect for the job. Despite the hype, practical implementations of ZigBee are rare, because it s still relatively expensive, hard to set up, and battery life is proving disappointing. Because of this, I see proprietary technologies dominating this sector for some time yet. Because ULP Bluetooth wireless technology and ZigBee are different technologies, targeted at consumer oriented PANs and wireless sensor networks respectively, there is little or no chance of co-operation and integration. The Bluetooth SIG and ZigBee Alliance have never worked together, and ULP Bluetooth wireless technology as an extension of the existing Bluetooth specification isn t going to change that. I think the technologies will co-exist, providing ZigBee can resolve the problems it has with practical implementations, because the market for wireless technologies will be so big. ULP Bluetooth wireless technology has a bright future because it is a logical extension of a mature and proven technology. ESMC: What do you think are the main challenges in the market promotion of Zigbee/ULP Bluetooth technology? CC: ZigBee is struggling to find a niche because cost, battery power and ease-ofimplementation aren t living up to the hype. ZigBee really isn t Wireless control that Simply Works, despite the slogan. ULP Bluetooth wireless technology is still at the draft stage and engineers are waiting to see how long the standard takes to be ratified. But ULP Bluetooth should reach the market much quicker than Bluetooth wireless technology did because it is already at such an advanced stage Nokia has been working on this technology since 2001, and the Wibree forum have been drafting the specification since October In addition, Nordic is developing the hardware and software right now, and Bluetooth chip suppliers are busy working on the dual mode chips. Probably the only major issue to rapid uptake of ULP Bluetooth is fear among non-rf designers about designing-in the technology. Nordic Semiconductor works with these type of customers all the time and we overcome these fears by offering comprehensive RF Silicon Solutions in the form of chips, software, development kits and reference designs to lower the learning curve and accelerate time-to-market. An edited version of this article was originally published in ESM China. ESM China is published in Simplified Chinese and distributed to a BPA audited circulation of over 36,000 Chinese engineering professionals NORDIC WIRELESS QUARTER Q

12 THE PEOPLE & FACES Behind Nordic Semiconductor The nrf24lu1 (see front cover) is the latest Nordic transceiver to redefine what s possible at 2.4GHz Nordic Semiconductor is now widely regarded as the leading expert in ultralow power 2.4GHz wireless technology Bertel-Eivind Flaten R&D Director Hi. My name is Bertel-Eivind Flaten and I m Director of Research & Development (R&D) at Nordic Semiconductor. I m responsible for the development of all new Nordic 2.4GHz components at our R&D headquarters in Trondheim, Norway. I ve been with Nordic since June 1996, when my first task was to map out the company s strategy for making the wholesale shift to becoming a supplier of standard wireless components and all the technical R&D challenges and implications this would entail. A year later, the strategy was formalised and I was privileged to become the R&D Director within the newly formed wireless components division. I passionately wanted the initiative to succeed given that in large parts it included my original proposal. Thankfully, moving to standard wireless components has proved to be a very successful strategy for the company both technically and commercially. As a result I was promoted to R&D Director for the entire company two years ago. This work includes the development and rollout of our first ultra low power (ULP) Bluetooth transceiver. Nordic Semiconductor is now widely regarded as the leading expert in ultra-low power wireless (basically 3V coin-cell powered and/or one-year plus battery lifetimes) technology whether it s Nordic s proprietary 2.4GHz technology today or standards-based ULP Bluetooth tomorrow. Ultra-low power wireless is all we focus on. While it is an honour to be perceived as the leading expert, it also makes Nordic a prime target for competitors, and responsible for establishing cost, power and performance benchmarks for ultra-low power wireless. That s a huge responsibility on my department s shoulders: It means we have to continue to develop 2.4GHz transceivers currently in and around the 1-2Mbps data rate performance envelope that meet the core wish list of customers and that no other semiconductor rival can match, no matter how hard they try. As director of R&D it s my job to lead and motivate our technical development teams to meet this objective not only during the good times but also during the darkest and most punishing moments. These are the moments when the temptation is to accept good enough but when the right decision is to work harder to attain genuine excellence. This means at times having to solve problems that initially seemed impossible; backing maverick engineering ideas because they might just work ; but knowing when to steer well clear of other ideas we instinctively sense will never work (wisdom, as they say, is knowing the difference). While this does occasionally mean working through the night and consuming pots of strong coffee in order to hit deadlines, when we hear of yet another global brand designing-in Nordic technology to their latest product it makes it all worth it in an instant. I don t for one moment accept any more than a tiny part of the credit for the results such as Nordic s newly launched nrf24lu1 2.4GHz transceiver because our success is due to the collective brilliance and ambition of our technical teams, and that s far greater than the impact of any one person. The other side of R&D is technical support: giving customers the critical advice that enables them to designin our products quickly without getting hung up on the inevitable technical queries and issues that may occur. One of the things I really like about my job is that every single day there is a new challenge that can t necessarily be solved with a standard approach. You have be prepared to think laterally and draw upon the collective experience and expertise of the teams. I love that, because you come away feeling that you have created something that was truly better than the sum of its parts. Outside of work, I enjoy Norway s summer months where it s daylight most of the time. This is in complete contrast to the winter months where in northerly Trondheim it s dark most of the time. Although the glorious Northern Lights - once believed in ancient times to be the sprits of dead Norwegian warriors but now known to be the Earth s magnetic field deflecting fast moving charged particles from the Sun - go a long way to make up for it. I also love hiking and skiing in the beautiful, serene and somewhat deserted Norwegian mountains we are so lucky to have here. The nearest most people are likely to get to this experience is the cross trainer in their local gym (although a lot of these will one day almost certainly carry Nordic ultralow power wireless technology so they ll at least spiritually be closer to the real Scandinavian thing). Bertel-Eivind Flaten PLEASE FORWARD THIS NEWSLETTER TO ANY COLLEAGUES OR CUSTOMERS WHO MAY FIND IT USEFUL To subscribe (or un-subscribe) please news@nordicsemi.no