Next-gen BLE chips sport ASCII-style command interface to eliminate complicated coding

Microchip Technology, a leading provider of microcontroller, mixed-signal, analog and Flash-IP solutions, today announced two next-generation Bluetooth Low Energy solutions with an easy-to-use ASCII-style command interface that makes the devices easy to configure and eliminates any complicated code compiling. The RN4870 and RN4871 support the latest Bluetooth 4.2 specification and have a Bluetooth stack on board with a scripting engine to enable standalone operation and eliminate microcontroller use for simple applications. These next-generation Bluetooth devices enable fast time to market and improve the total manufacturing cost.

The RN4870 and RN4871 devices deliver up to 2.5 times the data throughput improvement over previous generation products based on the Bluetooth 4.0 standard. In addition, the new Bluetooth solutions offer Federal Information Processing Standards based connection security coupled with advanced features. The devices can seamlessly transfer serial data over BLE devices and can support different beacon formats like iBeacon or Eddystone via a single command. Both devices with a

shield option are fully certified to meet worldwide regulatory standards and are available with compact package options as small as 6 x 8 mm. This, combined with Microchip’s user-friendly interface, helps speed customers’ time to market.

“This latest offering from Microchip will ultimately enable Internet of Things developers to build better end applications with lower power consumption,” said Steve Caldwell, vice president of Microchip’s Wireless Solution Group. “With our products, developers can reduce design complexity and shorten time to market significantly. These new RN-style modules are the easiest way for customers to get started with Bluetooth Low Energy solutions in their products.”

Each module has an on-board software stack and pairs well with any of Microchip’s large range of low-power microcontrollers or any microcontroller with a UART interface. The RN4870 and RN4871 are designed to complement Microchip’s diverse low-energy solutions designed for IoT applications.

Microchip Technology
www.microchip.com