Adoption of communication functions in wearable devices expected to accelerate

Toshiba Corporation announced the release of two Bluetooth ICs, “TC35676FTG/FSG” and “TC35675XBG,” which support Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) version 4.1 communication technology.

“TC35676FTG/FSG” has built-in flash ROM, and “TC35675XBG” supports both flash ROM and NFC Forum Type 3 Tags for P2P communication. It was announced that samples would be released simultaneously with the announcement.

The “TC35676FTG/FSG” is an addition to the “TC35667FTG/FSG” lineup released last year. These ICs are designed with proprietary low-power circuitry and consume low power by integrating a highly efficient DC-DC converter.

The newly released IC adds Flash ROM to this technology, allowing it to store user programs and various data for independent use. In addition, this new IC expands its internal SRAM specifications, increasing the user program area capacity to 64KB, which enables the internal ARM processor to execute various application programs.

This product is an addition to the “TC35670FTG” lineup. The NFC tag integrated into this product can expand the capabilities of the “TC35676FTG/FSG” by easily providing Bluetooth P2P pairing and power switching functions simply by placing it against another NFC-enabled mobile device.

These two new IC products feature built-in flash ROM, eliminating the need for an external EEPROM and improving cost-performance ratios by reducing the number of external components and PCB dimensions. Additionally, these products consume low power comparable to existing ICs and extend the operating time of applications using small coin cell batteries.

For example, when using a CR2032 coin battery, the new IC product enables the beacon to operate for more than 6 months.

These new IC products promote the adoption of Bluetooth LE communication technology in high-end small products such as wearable medical devices, sensors, and toys, and enable device manufacturers to optimize the value of their products.