IOT747 and AntennaWare Launch Reference Design for Wearable Applications

February 16 2023, 00:45
IOT747, a Cambridge, UK-based supplier of wireless modules and solutions announced a partnership with AntennaWare, the Northern Ireland-based developer of Bluetooth and Ultra-Wideband (UWB) antenna solutions for wireless wearables. The partnership integrates AntennaWare BodyWave Antenna with the IDC737 Bluetooth module in an example reference design for long-range and wearable applications.
 
The new reference design board from IOT747, with the IDC737 Bluetooth module and the external Antennaware BodyWave antenna on the right.

The IDC737 module incorporates the newest range of Qualcomm chips, enables multi-connections, and can transmit as well as receive audio and data over Bluetooth simultaneously. The IDC737 is the company's version of its original IDC747 module but with support for an external antenna, and is a fully integrated Dual Mode Bluetooth and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) module.

The IDC737 comes with an RF point for an external antenna in a small form factor at 11.8mm x 18mm, already Bluetooth, FCC, and CE certified. The Bluetooth 5.2 solution offers Bluetooth Low Energy and very low power consumption in every use case (<20mWatts while streaming music, <0.2mWatt connected idle) and supports ranges up to 100m, depending on the antenna used, with the ability to be embedded in metal surroundings, with the external antenna positioned to optimize radio performances.
 

For audio applications, the IDC737 integrates all high quality  audio codecs, including aptX , aptX-HD, aptX Adaptive, AAC and SBC. In addition the user can configure the module to transmit the audio received via a high-quality integrated Analog Codec (96dB SNR) or directly to a digital interface. The module offers a high level UART command interface that provides full control of all profiles needed such as HFP (Wide Band Speech HandsFree) and A2DP/AVRCP (Music Streaming).

AntennaWare provides solutions that outperform current industry standard devices. As the only antenna specifically designed for wearables, its BodyWave antenna technology has the highest performance on the market, with increased radiation efficiency, increased detuning immunity and a unique BodyWave propagation. Combining the IDC737 module with an AntennaWare BodyWave enables an increase in range by up to 20dB.

"Given the high performance of the IDC737, the demand has been overwhelming in particular in critical wearable applications. Now combining IDC737 with BodyWave’s unique technology, customers can target long range or generally radio demanding scenarios," says Rafik Jallad, IOT747 Director. "By leveraging the IDC737 features with BodyWave’s performances, we continuously raise the bar on what is achievable in wearable Bluetooth devices."

"This alliance with IOT747 is a clear indication of the need for AntennaWare’s Bodywave patented antenna’s. We’re delighted to be working with Rafik Jallad and we’ll be showing the modules at MWC 2023 Barcelona and Embedded World in Nuremberg,” comments Gareth Conway, AntennaWare's CEO.

IOT747 is a leading provider of Bluetooth modules and solutions to connect to smartphone and portable devices. Its IDC modules and software are deployed in over one million devices including wireless speakers, headsets, automotive infotainment systems, industrial applications as well as general consumer electronics. 
www.iot747.com
 
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About Joao Martins
Since 2013, Joao Martins leads audioXpress as editor-in-chief of the US-based magazine and website, the leading audio electronics, audio product development and design publication, working also as international editor for Voice Coil, the leading periodical for... Read more

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