A wearable device may lose interest after a few months of purchase and be thrown into a corner of the drawer indefinitely. However, the new chip should be able to provide better interconnect performance and novel applications to ensure that the new generation of products is welcomed by users.
The research report on the wearable device market shows a lot of information. On the one hand, some analysts believe that the wearable market is at an early stage with great potential for development, while other opponents have criticized there are many problems with wearable devices. According to the Wall Street Journal report, there will be 111.1 million wearable devices in the US market this year, an increase of nearly 40 million compared to the US market in 2015. But the problem is that users who have purchased wearable devices have a high chance of not buying new wearable devices, which is in sharp contrast to mainstream consumer electronics. The report continues to point out that 35% of US consumers use wearables for a period of about six months. In addition, although one in ten American adults purchased a certain type of sports tracking device, nearly half of them will not continue to use it.
We can see that for those who want to exercise and regulate their health, they are interested in pedometers and sleep quality monitors, but once the user is not adjusting his body, this interest and enthusiasm for wearables. It will be greatly reduced. For wearable device manufacturers, wearable technology is an emerging field, the key is to develop a very popular application, which means that users can not do without it, not because of the momentary curiosity.
We have encountered a type of situation before, the early MP3 player has a very obvious advantage compared to the competitor CD player at the time, the user can listen to songs while jogging. But early devices didn't catch on, because loading music was difficult and slow, and limited storage space limited the number of songs. Many Rio MP3 players are also forgotten in the corner of the drawer by the current wearable device. Until Apple introduced the iPod product, the MP3 player made a breakthrough. The iPod has more storage space and is equipped with the iTunes application, which helps users organize and download songs quickly and easily. It is now logical to conclude that the MP3 player is merged with the smartphone.
Currently, commercially successful wearable products have smart bracelets, which have limited functions including motion tracking and sleep quality monitoring. In addition to smart watches, in addition to the integrated smart bracelet, it also provides the function of a smart phone and can send text messages. And notifications, along with several App apps built in, both of which account for almost half of the market share of wearable devices.
However, usually all wearable devices can be connected to a smartphone, and almost all use Bluetooth wireless connectivity. By connecting an app on your phone, you can analyze the data of the wearable device and display the information. At the same time, the smart phone is also a way to connect to the Internet, uploading the user's data to the cloud server, and the user will process the data in the future. The boundaries between the two devices (smart watches and bracelets) are becoming more and more blurred, as the bracelet gains more computing power and the life of the smart watch becomes longer.
Figure 1: Wearables are generally used with smartphones, binding app apps, and supporting Internet connections
In addition, wearable device manufacturers such as industry leader Fitbit are not waiting for an irreplaceable app to appear, and the company is also developing richer product features that increase user dependencies, such as heart rate monitoring. , prompt the user to adjust the breathing rhythm, if the user's heart rate is unstable, this function can calm the user. Fitbit and other features are also exploring how wearable devices can help people with chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes. In addition to helping users adjust the actual value of the breathing rhythm, the development of these features also shows the development of wearable devices, just like the development of MP3 players in the 1990s, from rare novels to the integration of many smart phones. Features such as the powerful Apple iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy phone. These developments are driven by a new generation of smart chips that integrate powerful and efficient embedded processors, interoperable wireless connectivity, rich Flash and RAM resources, and even more sophisticated algorithms and RF communication protocols.
The core of wearable devicesMuch of the development of the wearable market is due to the vision of the Bluetooth Technology Alliance, which merged with the Nokia Wibree Alliance in 2007. Nokia's expectation is that its mobile phone can become the center of personal area network (PAN) wireless connectivity (although Nokia has the most advanced wireless connectivity technology at the time, it is not fully aware of what peripherals need to be developed, but it realizes Wireless sensors such as heart rate monitoring applications will be the first implementation example). The method of integrating wireless Bluetooth technology into mobile devices is mature, but the power consumption is somewhat high. So Nokia and its partners set out to develop "ultra-low-power" wireless technology, using a small-capacity battery while ensuring a reliable connection to the phone.
One of the downsides of Nokia's vision is that it will not be a wireless chip except for its own mobile phone maker's selling point, in addition to the necessary standards of GSM, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. So the Bluetooth technology alliance's way to overcome these problems is to implement a communication technology that is interoperable with standard Bluetooth on the basis of Nokia, which will make this technology part of the international standard without the need for additional chips. . After a series of development and testing work, Bluetooth 4.0 was launched in 2010, and ultra-low-power Bluetooth technology (BLE) is an indispensable part of the standard specification.
Low-Power Bluetooth technology (BLE) supports 1Mbit of raw data transmission bandwidth and can be driven with a small-capacity button battery. What is more to celebrate is that mobile phone operating system vendors such as Apple, Android and Microsoft are beginning to encourage the use of BLE technology to interconnect, and provide API interfaces in different software development kits, which provides great convenience for app developers. Perhaps we are a little surprised by the popularity of BLE technology, analyst firm ABI Research pointed out that from 2016 to 2020, the application of such technology will maintain a compound annual growth of 34%, and in 2020 will reach an astonishing 1.35 billion shipments.
However, BLE is just an advanced wireless connection technology that integrates the physical layer and implements a 2.4 GHz wireless communication protocol stack to manage the communication process in firmware. Early chips also required a separate low-power microprocessor such as TI's MSP432 to regulate the operation of the RF transceiver. It's all a bit complicated and unacceptable, more like the art of design than just a project. In 2012, Nordic Semiconductor of Norway introduced the nRF51 series BLE SoC chip, which integrates the ARM Cortex-M0 processor, high-speed link 2.4GHz radio, Flash and RAM, ADC and DAC conversion modules, and certain I/O resources for the first time. This design eliminates the need for engineers to use a two-chip wireless interconnect solution that enables ARM applications to run wirelessly and simultaneously.
The solution for the two chips takes up space and the power consumption increases accordingly, because the processor needs to be able to run the application code while maintaining wireless connectivity (this special feature is not ideal with traditional processors). In addition, engineers must use two different development environments, and then ensure an efficient combination of the application and the BLE communication protocol stack (often with some difficulty). This is not only a challenge for sports watch manufacturers (such as Suunto, Garmin), but also a very big question for the emerging wearable devices. We also have to face more problems, such as greater complexity, larger PCB area, and higher power consumption issues.
This ARM core-based BLE SoC device is a big driver for the wearable market. It is no coincidence that the choice of ARM processor is based on low power, mobile applications, and worldwide. The widespread adoption ensures better support, a more familiar development environment, and an open source extension source code library. Another sensible choice is that Nordic Semiconductor's development environment enables wearable device developers to focus more on application code development without worrying about integration of software and BLE protocol stacks. This part of the work has been done with professional tools. Significantly reduces the complexity of radio frequency (RF) engineering – allowing wearable device designers to focus on differentiated designs.
Broadcom follows the footsteps of Nordic Semiconductor, and now every company, Cypress Semiconductor, Dialog Semiconductor, NXP and STM Microelectronics, has introduced a similarly highly integrated BLE SoC device with ARM Cortex-M0 or -M3 embedded. Processor, 2.4GHz wireless, Flash and RAM, and peripherals.
Figure 2: Block diagram of the BCM20732S chip designed by Cypress Semiconductor. This highly integrated BLE SoC device is currently being produced by several semiconductor suppliers. The SoC integrates an ARM processor, 2.4GHz wireless, Flash, RAM, power management module, ADC and DAC, and I/O resources. (Source: Cypress Semiconductor)
So far, the company has been a leader in the introduction of the nRF52 family of chips since 2015. This family of devices uses a more powerful processor, the ARM Cortex-M4F combined with a 2.4GHz radio, and Flash and RAM resources. The company claims that "this SoC provides a single-chip solution for complex BLE application designs." More importantly, in addition to the added functionality, this series of chips consumes half the power of the nRF51 series, which undoubtedly increases the battery life of the final product.
However, this is only the beginning. The interconnection of smart phones has promoted the development of BLE. Wearable devices adopt more advanced wireless technology. This market is expected to expand the shipment of 245 million units per year, and is expected to reach 25 billion US dollars by 2019. Market value (according to CCS Insight's forecast). Many semiconductor companies are involved in this huge market, and other suppliers' response to Nordic Semiconductor's ARM Cortex M4 core BLE SoC is bound to accelerate the launch of more powerful products.
Development and diversityWith the latest generation of Bluetooth Smart SoC devices, OEMs can further enhance the experience of wearable device users by developing sports watches. For example, GPS features are popular among amateur and professional athletes even if they are expensive. The purpose of the sports watch design is to count speed, heart rate and power data to help improve athletic performance. However, products like Suunto and Polar are very small and need to be recharged almost every day. Wearable devices with a large market share must be able to run for one week or longer with full charge.
Fitbit's new Charge 2 product demonstrates how heart rate data can be processed and processed from device-integrated monitors to provide users with more accurate calorie consumption data and how it changes over time in aerobic exercise conditions ( How a user's exercise situation is compared with users of the same age), when the pressure rises, the user's breathing rhythm is also notified. Although Fitbit does not want to disclose the secrets of product design, we can scientifically guess that the algorithms for these additional analysis functions are implemented on the BLE SoC processor.
The company and its competitors are also working hard to promote their products to more users, including some patients with chronic diseases, such as diabetes. Current wearable devices are not able to measure blood glucose directly – it is quite difficult to track the health of diabetes using non-invasive sensors at the moment – ​​but the bracelet can effectively motivate diabetics to stay on exercise. Daily exercise can both lower blood sugar levels and reduce the effects of long-term illnesses such as cardiovascular disease. For example, researchers found that maintaining 1400 steps per day reduced diabetes mortality by 21%.
Wearable devices based on BLE SoC are currently introducing additional features such as changes in heart rate and oxygen content in muscles. Changes in the two heartbeat intervals are important indicators of cardiac changes. Two people with the same heartbeat may have very different heart conditions. For healthy people, according to a British health care company study, lower heart rate differences are manifestations of over-exercise, when wearables The user can be promptly advised to reschedule the exercise plan. For those who have had heart surgery, the lower heart rate difference is a sign of poor recovery or a heart attack. Muscle blood oxygen content is characterized by the amount of oxygen in the blood, which may be higher than the traditional measurement master, such as the oxygen saturation of the finger. Muscle blood oxygen content can be a good indication of the degree of user movement close to fatigue, the US company Moxy is one of the pioneers of this technology.
Although it’s good for everyone to improve their physical fitness, the event itself may not have enough motivation for most users to buy a wearable device; OEMs believe that maintaining a “more satisfying†life The state may be more attractive. So we can see some BLE-based wearable devices with "active lifestyle management" as their main function. These products are gradually breaking the line between medical devices and wearable devices, and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reclassified these products: "General Health Equipment." A typical product in this category is the product designed by Vinaya, ZENTA, which will be available in the spring of 2017.
This product integrates an accelerometer, microphone, biometric sensor and haptic engine to capture noise, motion and biosignals including heart rate, heart rate change rate, breathing pattern, skin electrical activity, skin temperature, pulse transit time, pulse rate and Blood oxygen saturation and so on. ZENTA collects this information and has learning algorithms to process it, generating a document for the user to help them maintain a more balanced lifestyle. Whether Vinaya has a scientific basis for ZENTA's product features and more people need to participate in the discussion, but this device shows Nodrdic Semiconductor's nRF52832 BLE SoC can handle multiple sensors continuous data input, complex algorithms and maintenance and intelligence Seamless connection of mobile phones.
Figure 3: The ZENTA wearable device from Vinaya is a new generation of representative products that integrate multiple sensors and complex algorithm processing to provide users with more product value. (Source: Nordic Semiconductor Corporation)
The huge prospects for wearable devices are not limited to consumer power. For example, Honeywell, the American automation control company, has worked hard in this area. The company has teamed up with chip maker TI (Texas Instruments) to develop a monitoring product for firefighters. Firefighters wearing BEL SoC wearables can monitor firefighters' heart rate, breathing, movements, gestures, etc., and then transmit the information to mobile devices (similar to smartphones but with a more powerful Intel Quark SE microcontroller). The data is then further transmitted to the cloud server via WiFi or cellular network. The advantage of using multiple sensors to capture different signals is to better reflect whether the firefighter is in good physical condition.
Figure 4: The two companies Honeywell and TI are working closely to extend wearables to other areas. For example, they jointly developed data for a mobile terminal mobile wearable device and further transmitted it to the cloud service (Source: Intel)
The key is integrationThe first generation of wearables is similar to the first generation of mobile phones - very useful in their own applications but with limited limitations. With the advancement of BLE SoC, battery, firmware and hardware platforms, the functionality of the product has also changed significantly.
However, the problem still remains that unless the user performs professional sports training, the products with more functions will not be able to maintain long-term appeal. However, in order to reflect value, wearable devices can at least provide users with useful data analysis and guidance, so that users will slowly appreciate such products rather than just a novelty, and subsequent products can integrate more valuable products. Features to encourage potential users to purchase. According to a Forbes survey, more than 50% of iPhone users in the US will upgrade their phones when new products are launched. Although their current phones are suitable, why can't wearables do this?
However, the real key to the long-term prosperity of the wearable device market is continuous integration. Text, Internet connection, MP3 player, camera, not to mention Bluetooth wireless connection has become a basic function of today's smart phones, so that smart phones have certain unreachable properties. The same health tracking, stress management, chronic disease mitigation, productivity and safety features (and possibly more) can be integrated into wearable devices, making it a very important consumer electronics product. That is to say, the future development of wearable devices becomes more and more difficult to predict. According to research by Endeavour Partner, many innovations come from some links between technology and human physiology and biological characteristics. Endeavour Partner pointed out this aspect. Few people can understand that we can't clearly see what products are not needed or impractical in the mass market.
However, regardless of the commercial application that the final wearable device developer will launch, chip vendors will continue to work to improve BLE SoC performance, enabling it to meet the growing computing and communication performance needs of wearable devices.
About the Author:
Lynnette Reese is a technical engineer at Mouser Electronics and graduated with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Louisiana State University. Prior to joining Mouser Electronics, she has 15 years of experience in embedded hardware and software. Her company has TI (Texas Instruments), Freescale (Freescale) and Cypress (Cypress) semiconductors. Of course, her career began as an application engineer at Johnson Controls.
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