Short Range –

Technology
Overview
June 2019

Short Range Radio

Confidential
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Product Center Short Range Radio
Wireless made easy

Our technologies at a glance

• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and V2X communications,
individually and in combinations
• Multiradio – concurrent Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
• Wi-Fi - a/b/g/n/ac/ax, 2.4 & 5 GHz
• Bluetooth
• Bluetooth 5 low energy including long range
• Bluetooth BR/EDR
• V2X - 802.11p, 5.9 GHz & 760 MHz

Modules and chipsets supporting

standalone/host-based architectures

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Bluetooth 5.0

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Bluetooth 5.0 feature overview

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Bluetooth 5.0 – Higher data rate

2 Mbps over air

User data throughput 1.4 Mbps

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Bluetooth 5.0 – Lower power

2× speed  ½ active air time Close to ½ power consumption

Improved spectrum efficiency and
coexistence

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Bluetooth 5.0 – Extended range

New coding 125+500 kbps

Better link budget

Up to 4× range
Full house coverage through walls
Extreme line-of-sight range ~1km

Higher output power allowed

Depending on country

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Bluetooth 5.0 – Extended advertising data

8× more broadcast data

From 31 to 255 bytes data
Chaining of advertising packages for >255 bytes
Shorter broadcast time (in advertising channels)

More channels for broadcast data

From 3 to 37 channels
Offloads the 3 advertising channels

Richer beacon-based ”connectionless” solutions:

more sensor data, long URL support, data streaming

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Bluetooth 5.1

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Bluetooth 5.1 – Direction finding

• Bluetooth 5.1 Core Specification was released January 2019

• Main new feature is Direction Finding
• Two methods for determining the direction of the signal
• Angle-of-Arrival (AoA)
• Angle-of-Departure (AoD)

• Enables high accuracy indoor positioning

• Down to sub meter accuracy could be possible2

1 ABI Research
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2 John Leonard, Nordic
Bluetooth 5.1 feature overview

Angle-of-Arrival (AoA) Angle-of-Departure (AoD)

• Asset transmits advertisement message • Infrastructure sends advertisement
• Infrastructure uses multiple antennas to message using multiple antennas
calculate the direction from which the signal
• Asset calculates the direction from
was sent
which the signal was sent
• Position is calculated in the infrastructure
• Position is calculated in the asset

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WiFi

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Wi-Fi Generation 6
Advantages of 802.11ax

• 802.11ax works on both 2.4 and 5 GHz

(802.11ac works only on 5 GHz)

• 802.11ax brings Flexible beamforming:

• Higher performance through improved beamforming • Different coding
schemes per stream
• Better wall penetration, increasing in-door range, • Simultaneous uplink
from each station
through improved beamforming

In dense environments,
• Higher density of devices and less congestion, by smaller dedicated
using OFMDA – allocating smaller dedicated subchannels,
improving throughput
sub-channels to the Stations per station

• Power saving by improving the scheduling of wake-up

and shorter time on-air for the Stations.
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V2X

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V2X Technology facts

• Vehicle to Everything (V2X) is a field-

proven wireless technology that allows
vehicles to communicate with each other
and with the road infrastructure
• Road safety, traffic efficiency, fuel
saving, and convenience are the key
drivers for deployment of this
technology
• V2X DSRC (Dedicated Short-range Radio
Communication) operates in unlicensed
bands and is based on IEEE 802.11p
• 5.855 – 5.925 GHz (known as U-NII-4
band, or Band 47)
• 760 MHz (Japan only)
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Market landscape

• USA National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration issue NPRM (Notice of
proposed rulemaking) for new vehicle in
USA to use 802.11p
• European Commission expects to issue
legislation proposal for V2X
• Car makers: Toyota, VW, GM are
deploying V2X in 802.11p technology
• Korea plans to mandate the technology
from 2020 onwards
• Several large-scale tests are on-going in
different cities and countries

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Building Blocks of V2X Station

(1) V2X module, holds the V2X radio

CAN
(2) Host processor
(2) Host processor, runs the V2X stack and Applications
the V2X application (3)
I2C
(5) V2X stack HW Security Module
(HSM)

(3) Hardware Security Module – store signatures Driver

required to authenticate messages

(4) GNSS module/chip – provides positioning and PPS (1) V2X module VERA-P3
signal for synch of V2X radios
V2X chip (4)
GNSS
(5) V2X stack – implementing V2X protocols, handling Firmware 1PPS

and processing of messages, channel switching

Provided by u-blox

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U-blox Short Range
Products

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Typical short range segments

u-blox offers a proven short range radio portfolio for demanding

IoT applications where secure & robust connectivity is a must

Automotive Telematics Industrial automation

• Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) • Fleet management systems • Networked control systems
• In-vehicle-infotainment (IVI) • Vehicle trackers & e-loggers • Handheld operator terminals
• Telematics control units (TCU) • Drive recorders and insurance • Display replacement
• Advanced driver assistance boxes • Networked tools and sensors
systems (ADAS) • Connected tools
• Control units (ACU) • Gateways and hubs
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Typical short range segments

u-blox offers a proven short range radio portfolio for demanding

IoT applications where secure & robust connectivity is a must

Smart city/building Healthcare Retail – point of sales

• HVAC, alarm panels, security • Enterprise patient monitoring • Payment terminals
cameras • Connected home health devices • Vending machines
• Access control, lighting, beacons • Rehabilitation equipment • Cash registers
• Sensors • Fitness equipment • Receipt printers
• Appliances & white goods • Gateways and hubs • Gateways and hubs
• Gateways and hubs

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u-blox short range modules in IoT nodes and
gateways

Cloud applications
Storage, data analysis
Pure connectivity or Processing on-board
Aggregation, algorithms, logics, filter, local control
Standalone
e.g. ODIN-W2

Wi-Fi / Ethernet

Gateways/Hubs

For devices with powerful host CPU

Host-based
e.g. EMMY-W1

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Nodes Pure connectivity or Processing on-board

Sensors, actuators Sensor reading, algorithms, filter, logics, actuator
Standalone control, monitoring
e.g. ANNA-B1

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Host-based and standalone architectures
Host MCU
Host processor
Customer application

Customer application Serial

interface
Stack
MCU MCU MCU
Customer application
Driver AT command interpreter Customer application
Script
& connectivity SW
Script engine + based on 3rd party SDK
SDIO, USB, u-connectXpress u-connectScript
SPI, PCIe
Stack Stack Stack
Firmware

Transceiver Transceiver Transceiver Transceiver

Short range module Short range module Short range module Short range module

Host-based Standalone – u-connectXpress Standalone – u-connectScript Standalone – open CPU

• 3rdparty stack runs on • Stack runs on short range • Stack runs on short range • Stack runs on short range
host processor with open OS module module module
• Application runs on • Application runs on external • Application runs on the u-blox • Application runs on the u-blox
host processor MCU module, based on script engine module, based on 3rd party SDK

Customer 3rd party u-blox

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 Product portfolio
Overview short range modules and chipset

u-connect Grade
Status Open CPU Professional Automotive
software
BR/EDR Low energy

Standalone modules

ODIN-W2 Production ✓ ✓ a/b/g/n 2.4 / 5 GHz ✓ ✓ ✓

NINA-W10 Production ✓ ✓ b/g/n 2.4 GHz ✓ ✓

NINA-W13 Production b/g/n 2.4 GHz ✓ ✓

NINA-W15 Samples ✓ ✓ b/g/n 2.4 GHz ✓ ✓

NINA-B30 Production ✓ BT5 incl. long range ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

NINA-B31 Production ✓ BT5 incl. long range ✓ ✓ ✓

NINA-B1 Production ✓ BT5 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

ANNA-B1 Production ✓ BT5 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

NINA-B2 Production ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

OBS421 Production ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

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Stand-alone modules – professional grade
Multiradio and gateways

ODIN-W2 NINA-W10 NINA-W15

The most versatile industrial IoT gateway modules The smallest industrial Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Secure industrial multiradio made easy
modules
• Dual-band Wi-Fi & dual-mode Bluetooth • Simultaneous Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth dual-mode
• Wi-Fi station / access point • Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n • Superior security functionality with built-in secure boot
• u-connect software for accelerated time to market • Dual-mode Bluetooth v4.2 • u-connect software for accelerated time to market
• Open CPU with Arm® Mbed™ • Powerful open CPU support for customized applications • Small footprint and multiple antenna options
• High speed RMII interface • Small footprint and multiple antenna options • Pin compatible with other NINA modules
• Wi-Fi enterprise security • Pin compatible with other NINA modules • Global certification
• Global certification • Global certification

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Stand-alone modules – professional grade
Bluetooth dual-mode

NINA-B2
Secure industrial dual-mode Bluetooth made easy
• Simultaneous dual-mode Bluetooth
• Superior security functionality with built-in secure boot
• u-connect software for accelerated time to market
• Small footprint and multiple antenna options
• Pin compatible with other NINA modules
• Global certification

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Stand-alone modules – professional grade
Bluetooth low energy

ANNA-B1 NINA-B3 NINA-B1

The smallest industrial Bluetooth 5 module Full Bluetooth 5 made easy Stand-alone Bluetooth low energy modules with
NFC
• Ultra compact SiP (6.5 x 6.5 x 1.2 mm) • Full Bluetooth 5 with high data rate and long range
• Bluetooth 5 and Bluetooth mesh • u-connect software for accelerated time to market • The most advanced Bluetooth low energy modules
• u-connect software for accelerated time to market • Pin compatible with other NINA modules • Bluetooth 5 and Bluetooth mesh
• Open CPU for customer applications • Superior security functionality • u-connect software for accelerated time to market
• Internal antenna / antenna pin • Global certification • Open CPU for customer applications
• Global certification • Multiple antenna options • Hardware optimized for performance and low power
consumption
• Pin compatible with other NINA modules
• Multiple antenna options

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Stand-alone modules – professional grade
Wi-Fi

NINA-W13
The most secure industrial Wi-Fi modules
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n
• Superior security functionality with built-in secure boot
• Small footprint and multiple antenna options
• u-connect software for accelerated time to market
• Pin compatible with NINA modules
• Global certification

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 Product portfolio
Overview short range modules and chipset

Operation Grade
Status
temperature ◦C Professional Automotive
BR/EDR Low energy

Host-based modules
2x2 MIMO 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
JODY-W1 Production ✓ ✓ BT5 -40 .. +85 ✓ ✓
2.4 / 5 GHz
1x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
JODY-W2 Development ✓ ✓ BT5 2Mbps -40 .. +105 ✓ ✓
2.4 / 5 GHz
2x2 MIMO 802.11ax/ac
JODY-W3 Development ✓ ✓ BT5 incl. long range -40 .. +85 ✓ ✓
2.4 / 5 GHz
1x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
EMMY-W1 Production ✓ ✓ -40 .. +85 ✓ ✓
2.4 / 5 GHz
1x1 802.11a/b/g/n
ELLA-W1 Production ✓ -40 .. +85 ✓ ✓
2.4 / 5 GHz

LILY-W1 Production 802.11b/g/n 2.4 GHz -40 .. +85 ✓

VERA-P1 Production 802.11p 5.9 GHz -40 .. +95 ✓

802.11p 5.9 GHz

VERA-P3 Development -40 .. +105 ✓
802.11a 5 GHz

Chipset
802.11p 5.9 GHz, 760 MHz
UBX-P3 Prototypes -40 .. +105 ✓
802.11a 5 GHz

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Host-based modules – professional grade
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

JODY-W1 EMMY-W1 ELLA-W1 LILY-W1

Smallest, most flexible modules The most robust and comprehensive Best-in-class transmission power The most economical, lean, and
supporting Wi-Fi Real Simultaneous modules with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and sensitivity compact Wi-Fi modules
Dual Band (RSDB) coexistence • Automotive and professional grades • Extremely small footprint
• Dual band Wi-Fi with 2x2 MIMO • Automotive and professional grades • Dual-band Wi-Fi, 2.4 & 5 GHz • On-board antenna
802.11a/b/g/n/ac • Dual-band Wi-Fi with IEEE 802.11ac • Bluetooth v3.0+HS • Integrated LTE filter
• Real Simultaneous Dual Band (RSDB) • Dual-mode Bluetooth v4.2 with BR/EDR • High transmission power and sensitivity • Micro access point feature for up to 8
Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz and Bluetooth low energy
• Simultaneous client and micro access clients
• Dual-mode Bluetooth • Simultaneous client and micro access point operation with up to 10 clients • Wi-Fi direct
(Bluetooth/Bluetooth Low Energy) v4.2 point operation for up to 10 clients
• Low power consumption
• Simultaneous operation modes: access • Integrated LTE filter
point (AP), station (STA), Wi-Fi Direct
(P2P)
• Optimized for parallel operation of Wi-Fi
and Bluetooth

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Host-based modules – automotive grade
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

JODY-W1 EMMY-W1 ELLA-W1

Smallest, most flexible automotive modules The most robust and comprehensive modules with Best-in-class transmission power and sensitivity
supporting Wi-Fi Real Simultaneous Dual Band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth coexistence
• Automotive and professional grades
(RSDB)
• Automotive and professional grades • Dual-band Wi-Fi, 2.4 & 5 GHz
• Dual band Wi-Fi with 2x2 MIMO 802.11a/b/g/n/ac • Dual-band Wi-Fi with IEEE 802.11ac • Bluetooth v3.0+HS
• Real Simultaneous Dual Band (RSDB) Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz and 5 • Dual-mode Bluetooth v4.2 with BR/EDR and Bluetooth low • High transmission power and sensitivity
GHz energy
• Simultaneous client and micro access point operation
• Dual-mode Bluetooth (Bluetooth/Bluetooth Low Energy) • Simultaneous client and micro access point operation for with up to 10 clients
v4.2 up to 10 clients
• Low power consumption
• Simultaneous operation modes: access point (AP), station • Integrated LTE filter
(STA), Wi-Fi Direct (P2P)
• Optimized for parallel operation of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

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V2X chipset and modules – automotive grade

UPX-P3 V2X chipset VERA-P1

Smallest concurrent dual-channel V2X chip The most flexible and best performing V2X
modules in the market
• Compact 9 x 11 x 1.04 mm V2X chip
• Co-packed power management unit • Automotive grade 802.11p V2X transceiver modules for
infrastructure and vehicles
• Concurrent dual channel / diversity for robustness and full
coverage around the vehicle • Compliance with WAVE and ETSI ITS G5 for US and
Europe operation
• Operating temperature of -40 °C to +105 °C
• Product variants: Non-concurrent dual-channel with
• Low power consumption – less than 1 W
antenna diversity or concurrent dual-channel without
• Supports smart antenna deployment antenna diversity
• Communication range of more than 1 km (with
line-of-sight)
• Fully operational in -40 °C to +95 °C ambient temperature

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u-connect software

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u-connect by u-blox
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity software for u-blox modules

Go wireless in no time

Accelerated time to Flexible design choices to Easy integration in new Secure IoT, pre-flashed at 15+ years of software
market for Wi-Fi and fit needs and experience and existing products delivery development experience
Bluetooth connectivity

u-connectXpress u-connectScript
Zero programming - configure connectivity Smart applications - embedded on module
u-connect
Variants to fit design choices and needs

u-connectXpress u-connectScript
Zero programming - configure connectivity Smart applications - embedded on module

- Easy to configure connectivity by commands - Fast, easy and interactive development

- Time to market approach - Cost optimized, no external MCU needed
- Focus on application, wireless managed behind the scene - Power efficient with u-connect streams
- unique u-connect streams concept - JavaScript, widely adopted gives short learning curve
- 15+ years of development, 130+ commands - Introduced in NINA-B3, to be expanded in portfolio

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Open CPU

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NINA-B1, NINA-B30 & ANNA-B1 open CPU with
Nordic SDK

Flexibility & access to all hardware capabilities

• SDK for application development in NINA-B1/NINA-B30/ANNA-B1
• Allows for optimization and tuning of specific use cases
• Reuse between Nordic chipset generations MCU

• Supports features such as:

Customer application
• Bluetooth 5 high speed: 1.4 Mbps throughput
• Bluetooth 5 long range, coded PHY (NINA-B3) Stack

• Bluetooth Mesh
Transceiver
• FOTA
• Apple HomeKit, AirFuel
• Advertising extensions
• IPv6 with cloud connectivity

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NINA-W10 open CPU with Espressif ESP-IDF

Flexibility & access to all hardware capabilities

• Support Wi-Fi features such as:
• Station and Access Point modes
• Security with WPA, WPA2, WPS, TLS, DTLS MCU

• Proprietary Wi-Fi mesh

Customer application
• Support Bluetooth features such as:
• Bluetooth BR/EDR and Bluetooth low energy Stack

• SPP, DUN, A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP, GATT profiles

Transceiver
• Other features such as:
• Web server
• UART, RMII, I2S, I2C, SDIO, ADC, DAC, GPIO, PWM, CAN interfaces
• Cryptographic hardware acceleration
• Audio codecs

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NINA-B1 & ANNA-B1 open CPU with Wirepas
connectivity software

Dedicated software for large scale, low power professional mesh solutions
• Decentralized network management
• Scalable solution
• High reliability - no single point of failure MCU

• All nodes are of the same type

Customer application

• All nodes can route data

Wirepas connectivity

• Wirepas delivers connectivity software for NINA-B1 / ANNA-B1

Transceiver
• License from Wirepas required
• Bluetooth radio is used
• Bluetooth stack is replaced by Wirepas Mesh stack

• Wirepas SDK allows customers to add application

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Supporting tools

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Supporting products
Evaluation kits and Blueprints

Evaluations kits Blueprints s-center PC evaluation tool

• Serves as a complete starter kit • Information package to be used as • For u-blox stand-alone Wi-Fi and
allowing easy evaluation and reference designs Bluetooth modules
prototyping • Schematics, bill of material, layout and • Makes it easy to:
• To be used either with u-blox Gerber data
• Scan for devices, set up connections,
u-connect software or with open CPU • Provides a reference for integration configure module and settings
of the u-blox modules. Gives an
• Save/restore complete module
example of choice, placement and
configuration
layout of the components.

41 u-blox AG, Confidential Learn more about the different EVK’s and Blueprints
 The NINA modules series

NINA-B2 NINA-B3
Bluetooth dual-mode, Bluetooth low energy 5, with long range
u-connectXpress 802.15.4 (Thread and Zigbee), u-connectXpress
10×10.6 / 10×14 mm /u-connectScript/open CPU, 10×11.6 / 10×15 mm

A series of pin compatible

NINA-B1 modules for different use cases NINA-W15
Bluetooth low energy 5, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth dual-mode,
u-connectXpress/open CPU u-connectXpress
10×10.6 / 10×14 mm Available with 10×10.6 / 10×14 mm
u-blox u-connect software
and as open CPU

NINA-W13 NINA-W10
Wi-Fi, u-connectXpress Wi-Fi, Bluetooth dual-mode, open CPU
10×10.6 / 10×14 mm 10×10.6 / 10×14 mm

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NINA series – Pin compatibility across technologies

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Solutions roadmap
Application boards 
2019 2020 2021

• Solution with short-range, positioning and cellular

C208 • NINA-B3, ZOE-M8, SARA-R4
• Tracking reference application using JavaScript
• Utilization of powerful MCU in NINA-B3 as main processor
Q3/19 • u-connect stream concept with integration of cellular and positioning
• NINA nested design, small size 30x40 mm target

• Small sensor device for evaluation of

C209 Bluetooth Mesh
• NINA-B3 with select interfaces and
sensors
• u-connect software
• USB stick form factor
• Xplr kit, bundled in sets of 4

Production In definition Engineering Samples

Development Considered Start of production
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Thank you for your
attention

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