Embedded OS offers ‘cognitive’ coexistence to maintain robust ultra low power wireless communication in the most challenging RF environments  

Nordic Semiconductor today announces that Gothenburg, Sweden-based LumenRadio has specified Nordic’s nRF52840 Bluetooth® 5/Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth LE) advanced multiprotocol System-on-Chip (SoC) as the hardware support for its new version of ‘MiraOS’ embedded operating system (OS). MiraOS is an easy-to-install firmware that enhances ultra low power (ULP) wireless technology’s interference immunity while bringing patented mesh support for networks of up to 5,000 nodes enabling Internet of Things (IoT) mesh-networked applications to be rapidly deployed and commissioned. 

The product also offers full IPv6 support, concurrent Bluetooth operation, an open application layer for customer development, over-the-air device firmware updates (OTA-DFU), and easy commissioning via the Nordic SoC’s built-in Near Field Communication (NFC)-A tag or from a Bluetooth 4.0 (or later) smartphone. 

MiraOS is specifically targeted at applications operating in challenging RF environments. The OS includes a ‘cognitive’ algorithm that builds a millisecond-by-millisecond predictive model of the RF environment to predict how the allocated frequency spectrum will be used in the near future. The use model is then employed to select the least-congested frequencies on which the networked devices will operate. LumenRadio explains that this technology, which the company calls “Future-Proof Coexistence Connectivity” (FPCC) enables ULP wireless networks to adapt as greater use is made of the license-free RF spectrum application. MiraOS is also suitable for applications where consistent low power consumption is critical, high-integrity communication is important, and large wireless networks are needed. Target markets include HVAC & Building Control, Security & Access Control, Connected Lighting, Industrial Sensor Networks & Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)/Industry 4.0.

 

The Nordic SoC’s 64MHz, 32-bit Arm Cortex® M4F processor offers ample computational power to run MiraOS and the MiraMesh communication stack, as well as providing Bluetooth and NFC support for commissioning. When running on the nRF52840 SoC, MiraOS enables concurrent communication through LumenRadio’s MiraMesh networking stack and Bluetooth using Nordic Semiconductor’s SoftDevice. Other features include a high-precision time source (<5μs clock drift between neighboring devices) for exact time stamping of data or triggering of events, and Bluetooth LE beacon support.

 

Nordic’s nRF52840 multiprotocol SoC is Nordic’s most advanced ultra low power wireless solution. The SoC supports complex Bluetooth LE and other low-power wireless applications that were previously not possible with a single-chip solution. The nRF52840 is Bluetooth 5-, Thread 1.1-, and Zigbee PRO (R21) and Green Power proxy specification-certified. The SoC combines the Arm processor with a 2.4GHz multiprotocol radio (supporting Bluetooth 5, ANT™, Thread, Zigbee, IEEE 802.15.4, and proprietary 2.4GHz RF protocol software) with 1MB Flash memory and 256kB RAM.

 

“For ultra low power consumption applications, it’s critical to be able to use the frequency spectrum in an efficient way, to ensure energy is not wasted on retransmissions,” says Michael Karlsson, R&D Manager at LumenRadio. “Working together with Nordic Semiconductor has allowed us to combine MiraOS’s FPCC technology with the nRF52840 SoC’s advanced features to bring the benefits of cognitive coexistence to large wireless networks, to meet the demands of ultra low power consumption.”