The device features features Bluetooth long range and is suitable for industrial and indoor positioning applications
Providing smart lighting in harsh environments such as manufacturing sites, warehouses and hospitals is the ANNA-B4 module, a feature-rich, ultra-compact Bluetooth 5.1 system-in-package (SiP) by u-blox.
ANNA-B4 combines the Nordic nRF52833 chipset’s feature set with u-blox’s chipset and module design into a compact and powerful component. The SiP supports Bluetooth mesh, long-range and direction finding, Thread and Zigbee, operation up to 105 °C, and is globally certified.
One SiP, two variants
The ANNA-B4 is available in two product variants. The first, ANNA-B412, comes with an easy-to-use u-connectXpress command API that is based on industry-standard AT commands for accelerated time to market. Superior security functionality including secure boot helps prevent malicious attacks by ensuring that only authenticated and authorised firmware and updates can run on the device.
The second variant is ANNA-B402, which features a powerful open CPU architecture for custom applications and adds support for the Zigbee and Thread wireless communication protocols. In addition to enabling concurrent communication over multiple wireless protocols, the module lets product developers build solutions using Bluetooth low energy, Zigbee, or Thread using one single module.
ANNA-B4 is a perfect fit for established use cases such as smart lighting networks that coordinate their light intensity in response to presence detection and ambient light sensors using mesh technology. Indoor asset tracking stands to benefit from ANNA-B4’s small size, low power demand and its support for Bluetooth direction-finding, which lets users precisely locate tagged mobile assets in indoor environments. Indoor asset tracking is gaining traction in a variety of settings including smart buildings, factories, hospitals and warehouses.
“ANNA-B4 packs quite a punch when it comes to enabling applications in harsh industrial environments. Its ultra-compact size, which includes a high performing antenna, Combined with the latest Bluetooth technologies, support for Thread and Zigbee, and an operating temperature of up to 105 °C enable applications in a broad range of market segments,” says Len Albertsson, Product Strategy, Short Range Radio at u-blox.
Measuring just 6.5 6.5 mm including its integrated antenna, samples of the ANNA-B4 SiP will be available in January 2022.
