Nordic Semiconductor, a global contributor in low-power wireless connectivity solutions, has participated in a 5G NB-IoT trial over a non-geostationary orbit satellite operated by Omnispace, the company redefining mobile connectivity for the 21st century. The demonstration, conducted with Omnispace and provider of satellite communications software, Gatehouse Satcom, marks a key step toward bringing seamless, standards-based 5G IoT connectivity to remote and underserved areas.

Nordic Semiconductor design partner HooRii Technology has launched a Matter 1.3 certified module that enables smart smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors to trigger audible alarms and send near real time notifications to connected devices within a Matter ecosystem in the event of an emergency. The ‘HooRii Smoke & CO Alarm’ module is designed for use by IoT device OEMs, and incorporates Nordic’s nRF52840 SoC. The multiprotocol SoC is suitable for developing products for a Matter connected home using Thread connectivity for transport and Bluetooth LE connectivity for commissioning new devices to a network.

Joint Chinese is launching its latest turnkey smart ring design based on Nordic’s nRF52840 SoC. The Bluetooth LE SoC provides connectivity and supervises the health and wellness sensor algorithms. The out-of-the-box solution comes with a breadth of monitoring options, including V02 max, blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), blood glucose estimation, temperature, heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV), as well as sleep and activity data.

“The J-Style JCRing is the future of personal health measurement and has been developed for users who need to continuously monitor their body data, as well as people concerned about their personal health and fitness,” said Yan Hongwu, the general manager at Joint Chinese Limited. “We have worked with Nordic for many years now because the company has a long-standing reputation in health applications and its ultra low power wireless SoCs are ideally suited to resource constrained applications such as smart rings.”

Advanced operation and data security

The J-Style JCRing comes in a miniaturised 8 mm wide and 2.9 mm thick form factor, in a range of U.S. standard ring sizes. Despite its small size, the device offers advanced operation and superior data security, thanks to the Nordic SoC’s rich set of features. The nRF52840 SoC is available in a wafer level chip scale package (WLCSP) to support both cost- and space-constrained wireless designs, while its 64 MHz, Arm Cortex M4 processor with floating point unit (FPU) provides ample computational overhead to supervise the sensors and run the sensor algorithms. The Arm CryptoCell-310 cryptographic accelerator ensures personal data remains secure on the device and during transmission, essential in sensitive health applications.

In typical operation, the J-Style JCRing’s 14.5-21.5 mAh Li-Po battery achieves a life of up to 10 days between recharge, or up to 30 days in standby mode, depending on which features have been activated and the frequency of ring use. This extended battery life is in part thanks to the ultra low power characteristics of the Nordic SoC. The nRF52840 has been engineered to minimise power consumption with features such as the 2.4 GHz radio’s 5.5-mA peak RX/TX currents and a fully automatic power management system that significantly reduces power consumption.

Thanks to the performance of JCRing, J-Style now is one of the leaders in Smart Ring and also aiming to get the smart ring Medical certificate in Q1 2025

Robust and stable wireless connectivity

The nRF52840 SoC’s robust and stable Bluetooth LE wireless connectivity enables the user to view and analyse their health data via the ‘JCRing’ app on their smartphone. The iOS and Android app also enables users to set personalised goals and receive health advice, while female users can manage and track their menstrual cycle.

The endurance of the battery and Bluetooth range is better than similar products on the market because of Nordic’s leadership in ultra low power wireless connectivity. The nRF52840 SoC’s powerful processor and large memory capacity together ensure the complex sensor algorithms can be carried out rapidly and accurately, while the high radio sensitivity guarantees a stable Bluetooth connection.

“Thanks to the great performance of JCRing, J-Style now is one of the top leaders in Smart Ring and also aiming to get the smart ring Medical certificate in Q1 2025.” said Yan Hongwu.

“By providing comprehensive technical information and reference designs, Nordic also simplifies the development process. An excellent team of application engineers provides quick response and professional support.”

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