BLE SoC family expands Dialog’s SmartBond supported applications

By Carolyn Mathas, contributing writer

Dialog Semiconductor unveiled what it claims is its most advanced, feature-rich multi-core microcontroller units (MCUs) for wireless connectivity. The SmartBond DA1469x family of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) SoCs expands the range of applications supported by the company’s SmartBond technology. The family includes four variants for greater processing power, resources, range, and battery life, targeting IoT-connected consumer applications. Three integrated cores sense, process, and communicate between connected devices.

The sensing functionality of the DA1469x family is enhanced given that the M33 application processor and M0+ protocol engine is complemented with a sensor node controller (SNC) based on a programmable micro-DSP that runs autonomously and independently processes data from the sensors connected to its digital and analog interfaces, waking the application processor only when needed. A power management unit (PMU) controls the different processing cores and activates them only as needed.

The DA1469x product family is the first wireless MCU in production with a dedicated application processor based on the Arm Cortex-M33 processor, according to the company. The M33 offers greater processing power for intensive applications including high-end fitness trackers, advanced smart home devices, and virtual-reality game controllers.

An emerging application is the deployment of accurate positioning through the angle of arrival and angle of departure features of the Bluetooth 5.1 standard. The radio front-end performance and configurable protocol engine of the DA1469x complies with the new standard, expanding opportunities for devices that require accurate indoor positioning such as building access and remote keyless entry systems.

A new integrated radio offers double the range, and an Arm Cortex M0+-based software-programmable packet engine implements protocols and provides full flexibility for wireless communication.

Features include up to 144 DMIPS, 512 Kbytes of RAM, memory protection, a floating-point unit, and a dedicated crypto engine. The PMU provides three regulated power rails and one LDO output supply external system components, eliminating a separate power management IC (PMIC). Included is a range of interfaces including a display driver, audio interface, USB, high-accuracy ADC, and a haptic driver.

The DA1469x variants will begin volume production in the first half of 2019. Samples and development kits are available — click here . Hands-on training for SmartBond products including the DA1469x will be available via a Dialog worldwide SmartBond Wireless Microcontroller Technology Tour .