nRF51824, Latest Connected Car and Intelligent Automotive Applications

Nordic Semiconductor (Country Manager for Korea: Soo-chul Choi) announced the launch of the nRF51824 Bluetooth® Low Energy (formerly named Bluetooth Smart) SoC for intelligent automotive applications in the latest connected cars and in-vehicle wireless charging.

The nRF51824 has obtained AEC-Q100 stress test certification for automotive standards for ICs and is based on Nordic's highly successful nRF51822 Bluetooth Low Energy SoC (consisting of 256kB flash and 16kB RAM products), which has already been proven in the field, and provides the same various functions and performance.


John Leonard, Product Marketing Manager at Nordic Semiconductor, stated, “The automotive sector is evolving rapidly with the emergence of connected cars and the rapid rise of in-vehicle connected ecosystems,” and added, “This will further expand from in-vehicle user interfaces and Bluetooth-enabled smartphones and tablets that can connect wirelessly to various other factory-installed elements that can be wirelessly controlled and configured.”

In addition, John Leonard said, “This will lead to the development of an in-vehicle connected ecosystem that includes numerous wireless sensors for improved driving experience, safety, and diagnostics.” "For example, this includes intelligent seats, intelligent steering wheels, RKE (Remote Keyless Entry) systems, intelligent mirrors, infotainment systems, and intelligent accident and incident proximity reporting," he said.

Furthermore, he stated, "This will be a great opportunity for aftermarket equipment suppliers to provide innovative in-vehicle systems capable of intercommunication with smart mobile devices," and emphasized, "The nRF51824 is the world's most powerful automotive-certified Bluetooth Low Energy SoC, perfectly meeting the requirements of these applications."

In addition, engine room system manufacturers can utilize Bluetooth's wireless capabilities to reduce the cost and weight of existing cable rooms, thereby further simplifying factory assembly processes, maintenance, and replacement tasks, and improving fuel efficiency.

Leonard pointed out that the potential for the features and benefits of connected cars does not end here, stating, “In-vehicle wireless charging of smart mobile devices will likely become one of the most widely used connected car features.” He explained, “This is why the nRF51824 supports Nordic’s nRF5 SDK for Airfuel, a major wireless charging standard, and Nordic’s S130 SoftDevice, which allows multiple devices to be charged simultaneously on a single charging pad.”

Samples of the nRF51824 are currently available in a 6x6 48-pin QFN package.