U-blox's subminiature modules are high performance low power Bluetooth (BLE) modules in a small package

U-blox's subminiature ANNA-B4 module is a high-performance BLE module in a small package. Nordic Semiconductor's modules are based on nRF52833 chips and offer stand-alone versions with an open CPU (ANNA-B402) or u-connectXpress (ANNA-B412). The size of the System Level Package (SiP) module is only 6.5 mm x 6.5 mm, including the antenna.

The ANNA-B4 module comes with an easy to integrate internal chip antenna and an antenna pin for optionally connecting external antennas. The series can be used with internal or external antennas, which have been certified worldwide. This reduces the client's time, cost, and effort to integrate ANNA-B4 into the design. To ensure operation in harsh professional environments, the module has an extended temperature range from -40°C to +105°C.

The ANNA-B402 features Bluetooth 5.1, an embedded Arm® Cortex®-M4 microcontroller with FPU, and state-of-the-art power performance. With 512 kB of flash memory and 128 kB of RAM, it can support advanced applications developed using an open CPU architecture and the Nordic Semiconductor SDK. Wired interfaces such as UART, USB, high-speed SPI, I²C, I²S and GPIO can be used to connect peripheral components.

The ANNA-B402 supports Bluetooth direction finding, Angle of arrival (AoA) and Angle of departure (AoD). This allows for more accurate positioning than using only the strength of the received signal. The module uses Bluetooth remotely to provide extended communication range or more reliable connectivity. Large-scale industrial mesh networks can also be built with Wirepas Massive mesh stacks or Lumenradio MiraOS.

In addition to Bluetooth low power, support is provided for Zigbee and Thread protocols, as well as NFC. Specific applications include smart lighting, asset tracking, indoor positioning, sensors, and wireless connectivity and configurable devices.

The ANNA-B412 module comes with u-connectXpress software, which provides support for u-blox Low Power Bluetooth serial port services, GATT clients and servers, beacons, Bluetooth Remote, NFC™, and both peripheral and central roles. u-blox u-connectXpress software allows hosts to easily configure connections using AT commands via the UART interface. With the secure startup feature, the module provides first-class security by ensuring that the module can only be launched using authenticated u-connectXpress software.

Features

● Ultra-compact (6.5mm x 6.5mm) package
● Robust SiP with integrated antenna and antenna pins for external antenna connection
● Bluetooth 5.1, including Bluetooth mesh networking and remote
● Indoor location orientation support
● Extended temperature range: -40°C to +105°C
● Global certification

Applications

● Smart city
● Industrial automation
● Intelligent building
● Indoor positioning
● Health care
● Wearable device
● Retail