The development of wireless connection technology:
IoT-based device connectivity is still in its infancy. This means that with the emergence of new applications, the microcontroller (MCU) system is significantly increased in speed, power consumption, range and capacity requirements. Potential business opportunities in this area break the limitations in design. The latest Bluetooth technology alliance (special interest groups) announced that the Bluetooth 5.0 standard is positioned in the typical layout of the electronics industry for the IoT market. The content pointed out that the new BLE standard can provide double the transmission speed, four times the transmission range and the data capacity of the broadcast package is 8 times that of the previous version. These new technical features will greatly facilitate the various connections between IoT devices and our daily lives. As the core of the Internet of Things (IoT) device, the MCU must keep pace with the times, closely follow the development process of the protocol, and support the various features provided by the new standard. The following are the main features of the upcoming BLE standard.
Speed ​​(faster transmission): The Bluetooth 5.0 transmission speed is limited to 2Mbps, which is twice that of the previous 4.2 version.
Transmission distance (farther than the communication distance): The effective working distance can reach 300 meters, which is 4 times that of the old version.
Low power consumption (extended battery/device operating time): Protocol optimization greatly reduces energy consumption and improves its performance.
Broadcasting capacity (biger capacity): Protocol optimization will increase the capacity of the 800% increase in data broadcasting packages.
Security features: High security encryption and authentication ensures that only authorized users are allowed to track device location and security pairing.
Performance in terms of expanded processor capacity, memory, and power consumption will not come out of thin air. For many applications, the underlying hardware (such as the MCU) needs to be adjusted to accommodate these features. Therefore, manufacturers must keep these requirements in mind when designing next-generation MCUs. For example, Cypress's PSoC 6 BLE MCUs (see Figure 1) provide IoT designers with these features in BLE 5.0.
Although these features increase the load on the MCU, they also bring many benefits to end users:
Performance (range advantage): BLE has become the wireless communication protocol of choice compared to other Internet Protocol-based protocols such as Wi-Fi and ZigBee. Improved coverage will ensure that Bluetooth devices (such as speakers, smart door locks, light bulbs, etc.) can be fully connected anywhere in the home. This is a key step in realizing a smart home. BLE 5.0 may also replace high-powered Wi-Fi and control smart home devices. The improved coverage also allows smartwatches and other devices to more easily receive instant notifications from smart phones.
Low power consumption (speed advantage): Faster transmission speed improves responsiveness. For those non-data intensive IoT devices, faster speeds mean lower consumption and longer life. For example, by increasing the transmission speed by two times, the transmission/reception time is reduced by nearly half. This reduces power consumption because the device can quickly enter low-power modes. In addition, higher transmission speeds support periodic device software updates, which will be an important feature of IoT applications.
Wireless connection service (broadcast capacity advantage): The significant increase in broadcast capacity will make information transmission richer and more intelligent. Beacon and other wireless connection services will be able to transmit more information. For example, Beacon can transmit actual content instead of pointing to content via URL. This may redefine the way the Bluetooth device propagates information because it transmits information over a connectionless IoT instead of Bluetooth pairing device mode. This may allow advanced applications such as asset tracking and smart waste management to use mesh networks more intelligently.
Smart touch interface: As mentioned in the first section, IoT devices span consumer, industrial, automotive, and commercial applications. These applications can benefit from a beautiful user interface and product differentiation, such as touch screens, buttons/sliders, and proximity sensing. In order to allow users to enjoy the best experience, the touch monitor also needs to support gesture recognition, waterproof, wrist sensing, and gloved touch. These features can all be achieved through low-power capacitive sensing technology. In addition, touch sensing can also help optimize power consumption, such as using proximity sensing to detect when a user uses the device. Integrating capacitive sensing into the MCU eliminates the need for a separate, dedicated sensing device. In addition, this integration can increase power efficiency, performance, and cost (see Figure 2).
Capacitive sensing is a key technology for innovative applications and product features:
Smart Home Switch - Personal remote control of home devices can bring many benefits to life, as do smart home appliances. Supporting smart home appliances requires two key building blocks: 1. Wireless connection for connecting devices to the cloud; 2. Intelligent switches that can be controlled by multiple sources, such as the cloud, remote control, smartphone, and/or the user himself .
Smart switches with capacitive sensing can implement many advanced features:
Intelligent dimming-capacitive sensing slider provides an intuitive physical interface for dimming function. BLE allows the dimmer to have a wireless connection, allowing it to be placed anywhere in the house.
Storage function - The MCU can save the selected brightness setting in its internal memory and restore the settings in the event of a power interruption or subsequent use.
Safety - The high-voltage AC part of the intelligent switch is isolated from the relay. The user interface of the user entity is only used to handle low-power DC to ensure user safety.
Illumination function - The MCU can provide LED illumination on the switch so that the user can find the switch in the dark. This feature can be started using capacitive proximity sensing.
Gesture Function - The smart switch has the ability to detect close-range and touch gestures and can be quickly and easily configured to run specific tasks.
Control function - supports the development of an ecosystem based on the Internet of Things MCU and capacitive sensing, simplifies the management of the switch, and is compatible with multiple sources of control.
Human detection - Based on capacitive sensing technology, any conductive material including the human body can be detected within a specific range (due to the presence of mass). Capacitive sensing technology enriches the functional characteristics of Internet of Things (IoT) devices. For example, for reasons of safety and low power consumption, the wearable device needs to be able to detect whether the device is worn by the user on the wrist. Its working principle is very simple. When the user wears the device, the capacitive sensor detects the wrist band on the wrist and triggers the locking device to prevent others from peeping into the important data. Similarly, when the user does not wear the device, it will enter the low-power mode of operation. These designs help to extend battery life, which is also an important consideration for any wearable product. 
Capacitive touch sliders - sliders are an important user input mechanism that helps users easily interact with IoT products. Compared to large-screen devices, this feature is especially suitable for small wearable devices. Considering that this screen may be small, when the user's finger is overlaid on the screen, it is difficult to watch and change parameters or navigate the menu. The capacitive slide module allows the user to swipe between different menus/screens with just one swipe. The same slider electrode can be used as a point capacitive touch button for entering data or selecting menu items. The following figure shows the embodiment of a capacitive touch slider.
IoT sensors and interfaces:
IoT applications usually consist of sensors, security processors, and wireless links. Sensors are the key technologies for IoT applications. Humans communicate with the external environment through the senses. Sensors can enhance people's interaction with their surroundings.
Internet of Things applications generally contain one or more sensors. These sensors are mainly divided into digital sensors and traditional analog sensors. Analog sensors continuously output analog signals, such as current or voltage, continuously. The corresponding measurement value is obtained through the range of the sensor. There are a variety of analog sensors on the market, including ambient light sensors, temperature sensors, acoustic sensors, and UV sensors.
In contrast, digital sensors are digital sensors that convert and transmit data. The digital sensor converts the measured value directly from analog to digital output. In many applications, digital sensors are gradually replacing analog sensors. Digital data transmitted through cables or other media will not generate transmission losses. Commonly used digital sensors include acceleration sensors, pressure sensors, magnetometers, and GPS.
Whether the analog or digital sensor requires an interface circuit to transfer data to an IoT-based MCU. The signal conditioning circuit is used to process/improve the signal output of the analog sensor. These circuits are often referred to as analog front ends (AFEs). The AFE includes a bias circuit, an amplifier, multiple comparators, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), multiple analog multiplexers, multiple reference voltages, a filter network for noise suppression, offset cancellation, etc. Error Suppression Technology and an Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) for digitizing and processing sensor data. In contrast, digital sensors only require a digital communication channel and need to use a Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter (UART), Integrated Circuit Bus (I2C), Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), or SPI communication port to transmit their output to the MCU.
Connecting a sensor to a conventional microcontroller requires building an interface circuit off-chip, although some devices may already have a fixed ADC integrated into the MCU. For IoT applications, the ideal combination is to implement a complete analog and digital component with a highly integrated MCU.
Use case of analog front end in the Internet of Things:
Let's take heart rate monitor (HRM) as an example to understand what IoT applications have for analog front end (AFE). When the HRM is operating, an analog signal conditioning circuit is required for its proper operation. There are several ways to measure heart rate. The three most commonly used are:
Electrocardiogram (ECG): When the heart is depolarized and repolarized, currents can flow and spread throughout the body. These electrical pulses are detected by placing the electrodes at specific points on the human skin. The electrocardiogram (ECG) tracks the heart's overall beating rhythm by detecting these different electrocardiographic pulses. These electrical signals range from 0.1mV to 1.5mV due to the spacing between the heart muscle's jumping action and the sensed body point. The potential difference between the two pitch input points is amplified by the operational amplifier. The signal is converted by ADC sampling analog data, and integrated ADC sampling is used to guide the compensation current into the feedback loop of the amplifier. Power consumption can be saved by cutting off the battery-powered unit in the analog section of the sampling room.
Cardiogram (PCG): The heart valve produces contracted and dilated sounds when it is opened and closed, usually heard by a stethoscope. The microphone is used to collect the heartbeat and measure the heart rate based on the signal acquired. These sounds are shown as rhythmic heart beats. This acoustic characteristic is used in the heart sound recorder to determine the heart rate. The electrical signal from the microphone is amplified and the external filter is eliminated by a noise filter. Use a digital filter to filter out noise and rhythmic sounds from the ADC data so that the heart rate can be calculated correctly.
Developers have many options when designing IoT devices. By understanding various functions based on the MCU of the Internet of Things, selecting an integrated processor simplifies design, improves performance, significantly improves product efficiency, and reduces overall system cost. In addition, developers can implement innovative applications that make the device easier to use, leading to other products in the market.
Get the following related material information, please click:
PSoC 6 BLE Family Datasheet
PSoC6 BLE Architecture Technical Reference Manual (TRM)
PSoC6 BLE Register Technical Reference Manual (TRM)
AN210781 - Getting Started with PSoC ® 6 BLE
AN217527 - PSoC® 6 Hardware Design Considerations
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