Nordic Semiconductor officially launches the world’s first complete Bluetooth low energy (Bluetooth Smart) mouse and keyboard reference design to customers

Ultra low power (ULP) RF specialist Nordic Semiconductor ASA today announces the formal release of its nRFready µBlue™ Desktop – the world’s first complete reference design for a Bluetooth Smart® (as Bluetooth low energy will now be marketed to consumers) mouse and keyboard combo. The reference design is set to take classic Bluetooth wireless computer peripherals to the next power consumption performance level by delivering over a year of battery lifetime for the mouse, and up to 10 years for the keyboard, from a single pair of AA batteries.

The nRFready μBlue Desktop is based on Nordic's market-leading μBlue nRF8001 Bluetooth low energy Connectivity IC combined with an ultra-low power LPC1100 series ARM® Cortex™-M0 flash microcontroller from NXP Semiconductors. It provides wireless computer peripheral makers with a complete and proven hardware and software reference design that significantly cuts down on development risk, time, and cost. It also delivers a wireless mouse and keyboard battery life performance comparable to Nordic's market-leading proprietary 2.4GHz RF solutions – a first for Bluetooth wireless technology. Based on the new Human Interface Device (HID) over Generic Attribute Profile (GATT) specification recently adopted by the Bluetooth SIG, the design provides dongle-less connectivity with Bluetooth Smart Ready computers (as Bluetooth low energy-compatible hub devices will now be marketed to consumers).

“We strongly believe that Bluetooth Smart wireless technology will play a key role in driving the continued expansion of wireless PC peripherals in the PC market, comments Geir Langeland, Sales and Marketing Director at Nordic Semiconductor. The established success of Nordic Semiconductor's proprietary nRF24L Series 2.4GHz RF solutions proves how crucial battery lifetime is to end users who appreciate having to change [or charge] their wireless mouse and keyboard batteries as infrequently as possible.

Langeland continues: With the nRFready μBlue Desktop and the nRF8001 Nordic is providing a solution that offers a battery performance lifetime that is comparable to that of our proprietary 2.4GHZ RF solutions, and without the need for a dongle because Bluetooth Smart Ready computers and tablets, and indeed connected TVs, set-top boxes (STBs), and smartphones, will all offer Bluetooth Smart connectivity built-in and ready-to-go.

Thomas Embla Bonnerud, Director of Product Management at Nordic Semiconductor, concludes: “With this reference design we are making it super easy for our customers to start developing Bluetooth Smart PC peripherals. We basically provide a complete solution that works out-of-the-box combined with a powerful and flexible framework for developers that is focused on wireless keyboard and mouse product design.”

The nRFready μBlue Desktop (nRF6916) is available for ordering now and will ship from April 2, 2012.