Toshiba’s bluetooth low energy communication IC used in wearables

Toshiba America Electronic Components (TAEC) has launched the latest addition to its line of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication ICs for use with wearables and devices for the Internet of Things (IoT)

The TC35667WBG-006 adopts Bluetooth Core Specification v4.1, enabling its use with scatternet devices and Bluetooth Smart applications including wearable sport and lifestyle products and devices for the IoT.

The Bluetooth Core specification for version 4.0 and higher defines two standard scatternet functions.

Adopted devices have to support either multiple or simultaneous connections with master and slave devices, or multiple connections between two or more master devices at the same time.

Toshiba said it's new IC supports both functions with BLE, simplifying creation of a network with very small devices.

Deepak Mithani, senior director of the mixed signal business unit, system LSI group at TAEC, said: "Growing connectivity and shrinking device thickness are hallmarks of many new Bluetooth Smart products that are coming to market.

"Toshiba's newest BLE chip was developed to meet both of these requirements. In addition to being optimised for support of scatternet and multipoint connections, the IC comes in a small, thin chip-scale package, allowing designers to integrate this functionality without impacting the size and weight of their end products."

The TC35667WBG-006's combination of functionality and compact size – wafer chip-scale package (WCSP) dimensions are just 2.88mm x 3.04mm x 0.3mm high – makes it well suited to equip a BLE communication network in low-profile applications, according to TAEC.

Compatible with voltages of 1.8V to 3.6V and temperatures of -40 to +85 degrees C, the new IC operates with current consumptions down to 5.9 milliamps and has a deep sleep mode that, when activated, reduces current consumption to just 0.5 microamp.

On-board functionality includes DC/DC converter, low-dropout regulator, general-purpose ADC, and pulse-width modulation.

User program function and a wake-up signal for a host device are also available, according to the company.