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Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on Nordic Semi unveils nRF54LS05A and nRF54LS05B entry-level, ultra-low-power Bluetooth LE SoCs

Nordic Semi unveils nRF54LS05A and nRF54LS05B entry-level, ultra-low-power Bluetooth LE SoCs

Nordic nRF54LS05A nRF54LS05B

Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF54LS05A and nRF54LS05B are entry-level, ultra-low-power Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) Arm Cortex-M33 microcontrollers designed to be used as the main wireless SoC in simple applications such as sensors, tags, beacons, remotes, and PC peripherals, or operate as a Bluetooth LE companion device in more advanced products. Both SoCs are clocked at 128 MHz, feature Nordic’s 4th-generation Bluetooth LE radio, analog/digital interfaces, and advanced security. They also come with 0.5 MB of Non-Volatile Memory (NVM), and the only difference is that the nRF54LS05A is equipped with 64 KB of RAM, while the nRF54LS05B offers 96 KB. Nordic Semi nRF54LS05A/B specifications: CPU Arm Cortex-M33 core @ 128 MHz Performance – 250 CoreMark/mA @ 3V, 500 CoreMark Memory nRF54LS05A – 64 KB RAM nRF54LS05B – 96 KB RAM Storage – 508 KB NVM Wireless Bluetooth LE – 1 Mbps, 2 Mbps 2.4 GHz proprietary – GFSK: 4 Mbps, 2 Mbps, 1 […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - 1 Comment on STMicro STM32C5 entry-level, 144 MHz Cortex-M33 MCU features up to 1MB flash, 256KB SRAM, Ethernet, CAN Bus

STMicro STM32C5 entry-level, 144 MHz Cortex-M33 MCU features up to 1MB flash, 256KB SRAM, Ethernet, CAN Bus

STM32C5 Series

Not to be confused with the just-released STM32U3B5/C5 ultra-low-power MCUs, the entry-level STM32C5 Arm Cortex-M33 MCU family is designed for industrial sensors, smart home devices, electronic locks, thermostats, wearables, robotic actuators, and computer peripherals. The MCUs are manufactured using ST’s 40 nm flash process, clocked at up to 144 MHz, and feature 128 KB to 1 MB of flash and up to 256 KB of SRAM, with a dynamic power consumption of <80 µA/MHz. Key features include Ethernet, USB, OctoSPI, CAN bus, DMA, and various peripherals, including ADCs, comparators, and an op-amp. Security is also enhanced, with the series targeting SESIP3 and PSA Certified Level 3 through features such as side-channel attack-resistant crypto, Hardware Unique Keys (HUK), and a Coupling and Chaining Bridge (CCB) for secure key storage. STM32C5 key features and specifications: MCU core Arm Cortex-M33 32-bit CPU @ 144 MHz with single-precision FPU, DSP instructions, and MPU Performance […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - No Comments on DFRobot launches low-power, low-cost Fermion: BMV080 air quality sensor module

DFRobot launches low-power, low-cost Fermion: BMV080 air quality sensor module

Fermion BMV080 Fanless Air Quality Sensor (PM1, PM2.5, and PM10)

Just last year, we reported on the SparkFun Air Quality PM1/PM2.5/PM10 Sensor, based on the Bosch BMV080 fanless air-quality sensor and priced at around $65. DFRobot has now launched a low-cost alternative, the Fermion: BMV080, which provides the same fanless, laboratory-grade PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 sensing capabilities for just $29.90. The sensor uses laser-based light-scattering technology with fanless optical counting to detect particles as small as 0.5 μm. This avoids fan noise, dust buildup, and mechanical wear, which are common with fan-based PM sensors, and, on top of that, it has a service life of up to 10 years. It measures particulate concentrations in a 0–1000 μg/m³ range with 1 μg/m³ resolution and ±10 μg/m³ of accuracy. The sensor supports I2C and SPI interfaces, and consumes about 70 mA in continuous measurement mode with a 6 μA sleep current, making it suitable for battery-powered systems. DFRobot’s Fermion: BMV080 specifications: Sensor IC […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments on STM32U3B5/C5 ultra-low-power MCU features 640 KB RAM, 2 MB Flash, and HSP accelerator to run AI without batteries

STM32U3B5/C5 ultra-low-power MCU features 640 KB RAM, 2 MB Flash, and HSP accelerator to run AI without batteries

STM32U3B5 STM32U3C5 block diagram

STMicroelectronics has added two members to the STM32U3 ultra-low-power Arm Cortex-M33 microcontroller family: the STM32U3B5 and STM32U3C5 MCUs get more resources with up to 640 KB SRAM and 2 MB flash, as well as an HSP (hardware signal processor) accelerator to run AI/ML workloads without batteries, just using energy harvesting. The new chips are still clocked at up to 96 MHz, benefit from a near-threshold design (down to 0.65 V), allowing a power consumption of just 117 Coremark/mW in active mode, and can operate up to 105°C ambient temperature. They come with one additional group of interfaces, bringing the total to four SPI and I2C, two I3C and CAN-FD, and five UARTs, as well as five more 16-bit timers, for a total of 10. The STM32U3C5 also includes a cryptocore to accelerate encryption and decryption operations, and supports the CCB (Coupling and Chaining Bridge) hardware security feature, both of which […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - No Comments on Upgraded FGH200M Wi-Fi HaLow module features Morse Micro MM8108 SoC, handles up to 8,191 IoT devices

Upgraded FGH200M Wi-Fi HaLow module features Morse Micro MM8108 SoC, handles up to 8,191 IoT devices

Quectel Wi Fi HaLow FGH200M

Introduced at MWC 2026, Quectel FGH200M Wi-Fi HaLow module, based on Morse Micro MM8108 SoC, is an upgraded version of the previous MM6108-based FGH100M module designed for long-range, low-power IoT connectivity. It operates in the sub-1-GHz band (850–950 MHz), with a range of up to 1 km, and is designed for applications such as smart homes, industrial automation, smart agriculture, smart cities, building automation, warehouses, campuses, and large-area IoT networks. The module operates on 1/2/4/8 MHz channels, with a maximum physical data rate of 43.3 Mbps and a transmit power of 26 dBm, allowing a single access point to theoretically connect up to 8,191 IoT devices. It connects to the host through USB 2.0, SDIO 2.0, or SPI interfaces. The ultra-compact (11.0 × 10.0 × 2.0 mm) LGA package operates in industrial environments with a temperature range of –40°C to +85°C. Quectel FGH200M Specifications: SoC – Morse Micro MM8108 32-bit […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - 2 Comments on Renesas RA0E3 Arm Cortex-M23 MCU is a stripped-down RA0E1 for cost-sensitive applications

Renesas RA0E3 Arm Cortex-M23 MCU is a stripped-down RA0E1 for cost-sensitive applications

FPB RA0E3 RA0E3 Fast Prototyping Board

Back in 2024, Renesas first released the RA0E1, an ultra-low-power Cortex-M23 MCU designed for cost-sensitive applications, followed by the RA0E2, with extended temperature range support (-40°C to +125°C). The company has expanded its lineup with the RA0E3, a stripped-down version of the RA0E1 with less memory, fewer peripherals, and fewer GPIOs, designed for small and budget-focused applications for sensing, motor assist, safety, and basic system control. The MCU retains the same 32 MHz Arm Cortex-M23 (Armv8-M) core but now comes with 16KB flash and 2KB SRAM. It features an 8-channel 16-bit TAU timer, a 32-bit interval timer, a 10-bit ADC with a temperature sensor, a Data Transfer Controller, and serial interfaces including SPI, I²C, and UART (with LIN support). Additionally, it comes with up to 17 GPIOs, pull-ups, open-drain support, and built-in clock sources. It has an operating voltage range of 1.6V to 5.5V and supports −40°C to +125°C operation […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear Elite wearable platform offers 5G RedCap, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 6.0, built-in AI accelerator

Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear Elite wearable platform offers 5G RedCap, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 6.0, built-in AI accelerator

Snapdragon Wear Elite

Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear Elite is described as the “world’s first Personal AI wearable platform”, and features an NPU for on-device AI delivering up to 12 TOPS of performance at low power, supporting 2B parameter models. It delivers up to 5x single-core CPU improvement and up to 7x faster GPU compared to the previous-generation Snapdragon W5+ Gen 2 Wearable Platform while offering up to 30% more battery life for multi-day battery life, thanks to a 3nm architecture. The new Snapdragon Wear Elite platform also supports fast charging with up to 50% charge in under 10 minutes. Snapdragon Wear Elite specifications: CPU – Up to 2.1 GHz GPU Qualcomm Adreno 3D GPU supporting OpenGL ES 3.2, Vulkan 1.2, and OpenCL 2.0 APIs 2.5D GPU co-processor clocked at up to 500 MHz ISP – Qualcomm Spectra AI accelerator – Qualcomm Hexagon NPU; up to 12 TOPS of AI performance; support for up tp 2B […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - No Comments on Quectel RM255C mid-tier 5G RedCap M.2 and LGA modules support LTE Cat 4 fallback, multi-constellation GNSS

Quectel RM255C mid-tier 5G RedCap M.2 and LGA modules support LTE Cat 4 fallback, multi-constellation GNSS

Quectel RG255C NA (Left) and RM255C GL (Right) mid tier 5G RedCap GPP release 17 modules

Quectel has just announced two new 5G RedCap modules, the RM255C-GL (Global, M.2) and RG255C-NA (North America, LGA), both of which are 3GPP Release 17-compliant 5G RedCap (Reduced Capability) modules designed to bridge the gap between LTE Cat 4/6 and full-featured 5G. Both the modules support 5G Sub-6GHz SA with LTE Cat 4 fallback, peak data rates of up to 223 Mbps downlink and 123 Mbps uplink, and backward compatibility with Rel-15/16 networks. Additionally, the modules support optional multi-constellation GNSS via Qualcomm IZat Gen 9VT technology along with various interfaces such as USB 2.0 and PCIe 2.0 (plus UART, SPI, I2C, SGMII, PCM on the RG255C-NA). Both support dual SIM, DFOTA, and embedded protocol stacks, and are suitable for industrial IoT, smart grids, video surveillance, mobile hotspots, wearables, and other medium-speed applications. Quectel RM255C-GL and RG255C-NA specifications: Connectivity 5G NR – 3GPP Release 17 RedCap (Reduced Capability) Sub-6 GHz Standalone (SA) […]