Nordic Semiconductor highlights sample applications for smartphones, PCs, and tablet computers using its ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart wireless connectivity solutions at the world's largest consumer electronics exhibition

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Las Vegas, NV

2013/01/08

Ultra low power (ULP) RF specialist Nordic Semiconductor ASA (OSE: NOD) today announces formal demonstrations of sample applications - in the toys, sports & health, lifestyle, and security sectors - that the company is showing at CES 2013.

Nordic's applications provide designers with an ideal starting point and ready-built design framework to accelerate development of ANT+ and Bluetooth® Smart applications and accessories. The sample applications complement Nordic's ANT™ and Bluetooth Smart products to offer a product development solution compatible with ANT+ and Bluetooth v4.0 (which includes Bluetooth low energy as a hallmark element).

The demonstrations include Nordic ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart-powered applications that will enable designers to take advantage of a huge new market for "appcessories" - an accessory paired with an "app".

The latest smartphones from major manufacturers incorporate chips and software supporting ANT+ or Bluetooth v4.0 that can communicate with ANT+ peripherals or Bluetooth Smart devices. This functionality promises many new opportunities for compact wirelessly-connected products powered by coin cell batteries such as handset accessories, sports & fitness monitors, and healthcare sensors. (See "About ANT/ANT+" and "About Bluetooth low energy wireless technology, Bluetooth Smart, and Bluetooth Smart Ready" below.)

The demonstrations include:
  • The nRF Utility 1.2 (iOS) App, which works with a wide range of ANT+ and Bluetooth smart accessories such as wireless heart rate straps, foot pods, bike speed & distance-, cadence-, and power-sensors, temperature, proximity tags, weight scales, blood-pressure monitors and -glucose monitors. The app runs on recent generation iPhone®, iPad®, iPad mini or iPod touch® devices for Bluetooth Smart functionality, and in conjunction with a Wahoo Fitness ANT+ enabled dongle or case for ANT+ functionality;
  • The nRF Utility 1.2 (Samsung) App, which runs on Samsung's Bluetooth v4.0-enabled devices. This app works with a wide range of Bluetooth smart accessories and complements Nordic's nRF800x and nRF518xx Series Bluetooth low energy chips. The app runs on Samsung Galaxy S3 and Samsung Note 2 handheld devices. Both iOS and Samsung versions of the nRF Utility have been updated for CES 2013;
  • The nRF Copter App, which runs on recent generation iPhones and remotely controls a Bluetooth smart toy helicopter. The app complements Nordic's nRF518xx Series Bluetooth low energy chips;
  • The nRF Temp App, for Bluetooth smart temperature sensors. Used together with Nordic's own temperature sensor, nRF TEMP, users can measure and record temperature from sensors in different locations;
  • The nRF HRM (Motorola) App, for Motorola Droid RAZR. The app demonstrates the use of heart rate monitors employing Nordic's nRF800x series Bluetooth low energy solutions;
  • The nRF Proximity (iOS) App, which is a security application for Bluetooth smart proximity tags. By using Bluetooth Smart-enabled tags, the user can tag valuables and receive an alert if they move out of range. This app complements Nordic's nRF8002 single-chip Bluetooth low energy solution for proximity tags.

The sample applications are based on Nordic's market-leading ANT chips, µBlue™ nRF800x single-chip Bluetooth low energy solution (see "About nRF8001/2" below"), and nRF51 Series multiprotocol Systems-on-Chip (SoCs). The nRF51 series SoC architecture is designed specifically to minimize average current consumption and enable single-chip implementations of a wide range of wireless applications (see "About nRF51 Series" below).

Held in Las Vegas from January 8 to 11, 2013 and boasting more than four decades of success, the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is owned and produced by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), a U.S.-based trade organization. In 2012, more than 3,100 exhibitors showcased their latest products to an audience of over 153,000.

At CES, Nordic is also underscoring its collaboration with long time design partner ANT wireless--the Canadian developer of ANT RF protocol software and ANT+ managed networks--by sponsoring the ANT+ Pavilion. ANT chips are used in over 30 million devices worldwide.

"CES is the premier exhibition for introductions of the latest consumer electronics devices," says J. Darren O'Donnell, Nordic Semiconductor's Director of Sales - Americas. "It's therefore fitting that we are able to demonstrate, together with some key clients, the leading edge in ANT+ and Bluetooth low energy-enabled wireless apps and appcessories. These markets are in their infancy, and the demonstrations will show designers just how ultra low power wireless technology can enable exciting new products to satisfy exploding demand."

µBlue™ is a trademark of Nordic Semiconductor.

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