Low energy Bluetooth connectivity for Pokémon GO Plus

The Pokémon GO Plus is a small device that lets gamers play Pokémon GO while on the move and not looking at their smartphone. The device connects to a smartphone via Dialog’s Bluetooth low energy and notifies users about events in the game, such as the appearance of a nearby Pokémon using an LED and vibration alert. Users are then able to interact with the game by simply pressing a button. Pokémon GO is already proving hugely popular around the world.

Dialog’s SmartBond DA14580 Bluetooth low energy System–on-Chip (SoC) with its embedded ARM Cortex M0 processor provides the core silicon for The Pokémon Company and Nintendo’s innovative device driving all of the functionality for the Pokémon GO Plus. The complete system was realised using Dialog’s single-chip solution requiring only a crystal, minimal passive components, a vibration motor, an LED and button. The result is a high value, low cost, small form factor design that can be worn as an accessory to the Pokémon GO app either on the wrist or as a clip-on device.

“The Pokémon Company and Nintendo’s use of the DA14580 is a further endorsement of the success of our SmartBond family,” said Jalal Bagherli, CEO Dialog Semiconductor. “The low power operation along with the small size and low number of external components was critical to Nintendo’s selection process enabling the device to be powered from a standard coin cell battery without compromising on valuable game time,” added Bagherli.

Dialog’s range of Bluetooth low energy SoCs offer ultra-low power and minimal system size. The highly integrated device combine a Bluetooth low energy radio with an ARM Cortex-M0 application processor and intelligent power management. The chip measures 2.5x2.5 mm and requires only five external components to create a low power solution.

More information on the DA14580 and other Dialog Bluetooth low energy solutions can be found here.