We are very pleased to announce the latest additions to our growing Wi-Fi portfolio, the 60 Series System on Module (SOM) and the Summit Software Stack.

The Summit Software Stack is an enterprise-grade software update that unlocks the full potential of Laird Connectivity’s 60 Series modules. It includes optimizations that reduce channel scan times, provides up to 15 times faster roaming, and up to 50 percent more consistent roaming when compared with other radios.

The new 60 Series SOM is based on the Microchip SAMA5D36 and brings all of Laird Connectivity’s industry expertise and capabilities into one solution. The 60 Series SOM provides superior enterprise-class Wi-Fi connectivity with full support for 2×2 MU-MIMO 802.11ac WLAN plus Bluetooth 4.2 dual-mode. This solution includes Laird Connectivity’s newly released “Chain of Trust” security architecture which provides layers of enterprise-grade security to protect from external threats. This architecture is designed with multiple layers of signing, verification, and isolation to ensure the device only runs trusted software and protects the host application from intrusion attempts. These capabilities along with FIPS 140- 2 certification make the 60 Series SOM the ideal platform for wireless bridges, main processing units, or IoT gateways for medical and industrial applications. Engineering samples will be available in December 2018.

Read the press release for more information.

Are you attending electronica? Visit us at, Hall C3, Stand #124 to learn more about the 60 Series SOM and Summit Software Stack as well as our full end-to-end connectivity solutions which can help solve your critical wireless and IoT challenges.

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We are excited to announce that the BL651 Series is now available for your design! The BL651 is the latest addition to our Nordic family of Bluetooth 5 offerings which provides the BLE 5 features you want and the flexibility to design your way. Building on the success of the BL652 and BL654 series, the BL651 is a cost-effective solution for simple Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) applications that provides all the capabilities of the Nordic nRF52810 silicon in a small, fully certified module.

Laird is at the forefront of developing Bluetooth solutions for a range of applications, delivering the latest feature enhancements of Bluetooth technology. We carefully design and tests our solutions to maximize the performance from Nordic Semiconductor silicon. The BL651 delivers the benefits of Bluetooth 5 in a small, fully certified module with simple soldering castellation for easy prototyping and mass production manufacturing. Designers can use the Nordic SDK and SoftDevice or Zephyr RTOS to build their BLE application. In addition, the BL651 Series is 100% PCB footprint drop in compatible with the BL652 Series of modules, allowing flexibility to upscale your designs if more flash/RAM or further feature sets are required during the design process.

Choosing Laird means having all the solutions, tools, and support you need to build you wireless design. With decades of experience in working with Bluetooth and multi generation BL65x developments using Nordic silicon, Laird is the ideal Bluetooth partner. OEMs and developers have the essential elements and support to accelerate wireless developments for many of the most challenging industrial settings and applications, ranging from IoT sensors to medical, wellness, and fitness devices to industrial sensor networks and more.

Visit our product page for documentation, a full list of specifications and features, and links to buy directly from our distribution partners.

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The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) recently announced their decision to deprecate and withdraw older versions of Bluetooth Core specifications from v2.0 to v4.1. Firstly, there is no need to panic. Secondly, here is what you need to know.

1. Customers who have already certified/listed their product with the Bluetooth SIG are not affected – once certified, always certified.
   –  Additionally, none of this has any impact on Laird’s ability to produce and supply any of our Bluetooth modules.
2. Bluetooth v2.0 has been deprecated for some time now and is finally coming to an end. Products using a Bluetooth v2.0 radio (e.g. Laird’s TRBLU23-00200 or BT730) must be Bluetooth SIG listed before January 28, 2019. However, it is important to note that as the standard is already deprecated, it will mean a $25,000 listing fee as opposed to the usual $4,000/$8,000.
3. The biggest area for review is the mass deprecation of Bluetooth v2.1 – v4.1 on January 28, 2019 and complete withdrawal by July 1, 2020. Again, any certification/listing at these specification levels must be completed before the start of 2019 to keep costs at the usual $4,000/$8,000 listing fees.

To clarify the terms ‘Deprecate’ and ‘Withdrawn’ from a Bluetooth SIG perspective – once a specification is Deprecated, it will not be maintained (Errata and TSEs will not be processed for that specification) and SIG members will only be permitted to complete Qualifications/Declarations that refer to, or use, existing qualified products that use that specification. Once a specification is Withdrawn, it will not be maintained (Errata and TSEs will not be processed for that specification) and members will not be permitted to complete Qualifications/Declarations for any product using that specification and will not be able to add new models to existing Qualification/Declarations that use that specification.

Below are the current deprecation and withdrawal dates as outlined by the SIG: 

• Withdrawal of the following on January 28, 2019:
  • Bluetooth Specification Version 2.0 + EDR
• Deprecation of the following on January 28, 2019 and withdrawal on July 1, 2020:
  • Bluetooth Specification Version 2.1 + EDR
  • Bluetooth Core Specification Addendum 1
  • Bluetooth Specification Version 3.0 + HS
  • Bluetooth Specification Version 4.0
  • Bluetooth Core Specification Addendum 2
  • Bluetooth Core Specification Addendum 3 revision 2
  • Bluetooth Core Specification Addendum 4
  • Bluetooth Specification Version 4.1

The Bluetooth SIG is also working to implement a new policy to help members and their customers update their qualifications to the latest version of any Bluetooth specification. Specifically, members with an existing qualification may update to the latest specification version by completing any tests that have changed or been added since their original qualification – provided that the only changes are to update the existing features in the original qualification to the current requirements of the latest specification and do not include the addition or removal of any features, members will not be required to pay any fee. It’s important to note that this policy is still being defined and not yet final.

For questions about any of these Bluetooth SIG changes or to review your Bluetooth module options relating to this, please contact Jonathan Kaye, Senior Director, Product Management.

Summary Table 

Source: Bluetooth SIG Email

Per the Bluetooth SIG’s announcement, they will help by advising those updating members identify which tests have been changed or added since the original qualification. In addition, any members referring to the original qualification will be advised by the SIG of the availability of the upgraded qualification and will be permitted to update their referring qualifications/declarations to refer to the upgraded qualification without being charged a fee for doing so. The SIG will announce more details of how this will be implemented over the coming months.

The post What You Need to Know About Bluetooth SIG Deprecation of BT v4.1 and Older Specs appeared first on Laird Technologies Wireless Connectivity Blog.

Our BL654 is coming soon! Based on Nordic’s nRF52840 chipset, the BL654 is our most powerful Bluetooth module yet, with Bluetooth 5, NFC, Thread (802.15.4, Zigbee), and BLE Mesh capabilities on one module. We’ve added schematics and 3D models to the software download center – simply log in to view them, here. We’ve also put together an overview video. It provides high level information about the BL654 and gives a first look of the development kit. Engineering samples are available now for select customers, and modules are scheduled to be released for mass production by end of June 2018.

The post Get a First Look at Laird’s BL654 Bluetooth 5 Module appeared first on Laird Technologies Wireless Connectivity Blog.

Did you miss our last webinar, “BLE Mesh – A Practical Guide to Simplify Product Development Time“? Don’t worry, the recorded presentation and PowerPoint slides are available to download on our website.

The release of BLE Mesh has led to numerous articles, blog posts, and webinars cataloging its features and capabilities but little has gone into actually highlighting where OEM product developers should focus on in the 708 page specification. In the informative presentation and Q&A session, Laird’s BLE Technology Leader, Mahendra Tailor, shared real development experiences and learned information from his work in understanding, developing, and implementing the BLE Mesh specification into a real world capable solution for Laird’s Nordic based BLE module portfolio.

Click here to download the presentation.

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Introducing Laird’s upcoming Bluetooth 5 solution, the BL654 Series. This new solution builds upon the field-proven BL600 and BL652 series, reducing engineering burden and design risk, and speeding time-to-market when integrating Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). Some of the key enhancements include:

• Up to four times the range and twice the data throughput
• NFC and Thread (802.15.4) integration
• BLE Mesh capabilities.

Based on Nordic Semiconductor nRF52840 silicon, the BL654 ultra-small modules, development kits, and USB-packaged adapter provide a secure, robust, multi-wireless plus Cortex -M4F MCU platform for any product design. This solution delivers maximum development flexibility with programming options for the Nordic SDK in C, a simple, intuitive AT Command Set, as well as Laird’s smartBASIC event-driven programming environment.

The BL654 series of modules is scheduled to be released for mass production by end of June 2018, with engineering samples available now for select customers.

Click, here, for more information and access to preliminary documentation.

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Laird’s BT85x and BT860 Series are now shipping! These USB and UART HCI modules and adapter leverage the Cypress CYW20704 A2 chipset to provide low power consumption with outstanding range for applications needing both Classic Bluetooth and BLE support. The BT85x and BT860 Series build on the success of the original BT8x0 line of modules, giving customers more options and flexibility for using the enhanced throughput and security benefits of Bluetooth v4.2 in their end devices.

The BT85x and BT860 Series are smart options for companies looking to retrofit legacy devices with the newer Bluetooth v4.2 specification which supports enhanced data rates and security features. These modules present a Bluetooth standard HCI interface with native support for Windows, Linux and Android Bluetooth software stacks for operating system backed devices and are ideal when designers need both performance and minimum size.

The BT85x and BT860 Series join Laird’s rapidly expanding portfolio of embedded wireless modules. Paired with comprehensive IoT product design and development capabilities from strategy through production, Laird is a trusted partner for customers looking to create wireless innovations quickly to succeed in the market.

Modules and development kits are commercially available now. Learn more about the BT85x and BT860 modules, here!

The post New BT8x0 Series of Bluetooth HCI Modules Now Available! appeared first on Laird Technologies Wireless Connectivity Blog.

Everyone has an opinion when it comes to technology, but one thing we can all agree on is the importance of security. No matter the industry, it is always a top concern. Since introduced in 2004, Wi-Fi Protected Access II (WPA2) has been the primary security offered by the Wi-Fi Alliance. However, since its adoption 14 years ago, technology has evolved while WPA2 has more or less stayed the same. Cyber attacks have become more sophisticated, attackers have access to greater computing power, and new attack methods are being developed. The emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT) has brought forth an ever-growing number of devices equipped with Wi-Fi connectivity, and all are vulnerable to these attacks. Vulnerabilities, such as the recent KRACK bug, have reinforced the call for better security. Last week, the Wi-Fi Alliance released the long-awaited update to WPA2. WPA3 is the latest level of security that provides configuration, authentication, and encryption enhancements to Wi-Fi CERTIFIED devices.

What’s New with WPA3:

• Opportunistic Wireless Encryption (OWE): This is a new feature in WPA3 that replaces the 802.11 “open” authentication that is widely used in hotspots and public networks. Unencrypted open networks have no security at all, so anyone with a wireless sniffer can intercept the data being shared on the network. Implementing OWE provides these networks with encryption without authentication. No provisioning, no negotiation, and no credentials are required – it just works.
• Simultaneous Authentication of Equals (SAE): SAE replaces WPA-PSK to mitigate attacks against Pre-Shared Keys.
• Device Provisioning Protocol (DPP): Replaces WPS to mitigate security flaws and provides a user-friendly way to provision devices without displays and/or keyboards.
• Suite B: Stronger link-layer encryption and stronger authentication methods – Suite B uses a set of cryptographic algorithms defined by the United States NSA. WPA3-Enterprise adds on an optional interoperability certification of Suite B cryptographic algorithms to meet market needs for strong, uniform algorithm use.

WPA3 is a much-needed security update that addresses many of the concerns and known weaknesses of WPA2. In addition to improving security, WPA3 is much more user-friendly by simplifying the configuration of complex security protocols. This makes complex security more accessible to broader markets and device types, which benefits everyone using Wi-Fi.

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Laird has released a new firmware package for the BL652 series of Bluetooth modules enabling alpha BLE Mesh functionality, based on Nordic’s BLE Mesh SDK (v0.10.0). With just a few development kits and our engineering BLE Mesh-capable firmware, you can begin working with BLE Mesh in minutes!

The firmware package is supported by multiple, in-depth articles, tutorials, and sample smartBASIC applications to assist in understanding and implementing early stage BLE Mesh applications. The new firmware package and Release Notes are available under the “Software Downloads” tab on the BL652 product page.

Visit the “Documentation” tab for associated application notes including:

• BLE Mesh Introduction
• BLE Mesh Application Level Overview
• BLE Mesh Security Overview
• BLE Mesh – BL652 Sample smartBASIC Application

The BL652 brings industrial security and feature expansion to Laird’s proven BLE modules. In addition to BLE Mesh capabilities, Laird’s BL652 brings developers a stable, hostless Bluetooth environment with Bluetooth 5 functionality, NFC, a small form factor, class-leading Nordic silicon, optimized low power schemes, and smartBASIC programming language.  Laird’s innovative BL652 series and decades of expertise in Bluetooth module design speed your product to market.

Visit the BL652 product page for more information about this series of modules and access to software and all documentation including user guides, application notes, release notes, certification information, and more.

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BLE is a leading technology in the growing Internet of Things (IoT). The latest specification, Bluetooth 5.0, was specifically designed with the IoT in mind, providing increased range, speed, and broadcast messaging capacity in addition to enhanced security features introduced in version 4.2 of the spec. As a result, BLE devices can now offer significantly improved throughput to securely handle the massive amounts of data within the IoT. Recently, experts from Laird hosted a live webinar and Q&A session titled, “The Evolution of Bluetooth 4.0 to 5.0: Your Guide to What You Need to Know“.  The presentation features an in-depth analysis of the changes in the physical signaling as well as feature differences brought in each update since the initial Bluetooth 4.0 release. This technical overview also offers a more detailed look at what makes Bluetooth 5 such an important update for designers creating the next generation of Bluetooth connected devices.

Topics include:

• Providing an overview of the progression of BLE
• A summary of where Bluetooth 5 currently stands in the industry
• Thorough examination of the BLE Specification from 4.0 to 5.0
• Q&A with the presenters

Download the full presentation and video recording of the webinar, here.

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