February 3, 2015, Seoul – STMicroelectronics (ST), a global semiconductor company contributing to customers across a wide range of electronic applications, has launched a new version of its award-winning BlueNRG Bluetooth® SMART network processor. It supports the latest Bluetooth 4.1 version and introduces 1.7V operation to enable battery-powered applications to operate for longer periods.

The new BlueNRG-MS network processor features an ARM® Cortex®-M0 microcontroller running a Bluetooth PHY, 2.4GHz wireless connection, and Bluetooth 4.1 protocol stack, along with a dedicated AES-128 security coprocessor. With APIs, power management functions, and flash memory already integrated, it enables direct connection to an application host controller via a simple SPI bus while applying clear software separation between the network processor and the host microcontroller.

The new Bluetooth 4.1 specification further enhances energy efficiency and supports a dual-mode topology that includes devices acting as master and slave. New Low-Duty-Cycle Directed Advertising technology minimizes energy consumption when connecting to a recognized device. In addition, Bluetooth 4.1 introduces L2CAP (Logical Link Control and Adaptation Protocol), enabling flexible data exchange through multi-channel communication and quality of service.

ST's BlueNRG-MS network processor can power devices such as hubs that act as peripherals to collect sensor data and transmit it to smartphones. It also enables the control of massive sensor networks with unlimited communication ranges using a single smartphone. By following the latest trend toward IP-based connectivity added in Bluetooth 4.1, BlueNRG-MS helps developers seize new opportunities in the Internet of Things (IoT).

BlueNRG-MS is currently available in a 5mm x 5mm x 1mm QFN32 package, with prices starting at $1.50 per unit for orders of 1,000. A CSP option with a footprint of 2.6mm x 2.6mm and a height of 0.56mm is scheduled to be available starting in April 2015.