Bluegiga introduced its new Wireless System-on-Module – Bluegiga APx4. The APx4 is a low power wireless System-on-Module that has integrated Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, ARM and Linux offering an ideal development platform for wireless gateways.

The Bluegiga APx4 is a small form factor, low power system-on-module that includes the latest wireless connectivity standards: 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0. The APx4 is based on Freescale's i.MX28 processor family and runs an embedded Linux operating system based on the Yocto ProjectTM. In addition to integrating the 454MHz ARM9 processor, the wireless connectivity technologies and Linux operating system, the APx4 also includes with several built in applications, such as the 802.11 and Bluetooth 4.0 stacks, Continua v.1.5 compliant IEEE manager and many more. This combination provides an ideal platform for designing multi-radio wireless gateways that enables fast time-to-market and minimum R&D risks.

"Integrating Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Bluetooth Smart Ready technologies into a single platform is far from a trivial challenge - especially when these technologies need to seamlessly co-exist. This is exactly what the APx4 accomplishes in addition to providing an ARM9 based Linux platform that allows our customers to quickly and simply add their own applications into it", comments Mikko Savolainen, Bluegiga's VP of Product Management.

The Bluegiga APx4 software can be easily extended or tailored customizing the Linux operating system with applications. The motherboards for the APx4 can be easily extended to include almost anything from 3G modems to Ethernet and audio interfaces to and touch screen displays.The Bluegiga APx4 is an ideal product for applications requiring wireless or wired connectivity technologies and the processing power of the ARM9 processor, such as health and fitness gateways, building and home automation gateways, M2M, point-of-sale and industrial connectivity.

“We have see the demand for wireless connectivity solutions clearly increasing. The APx4 wireless System-on-Module is directly designed to address these connectivity needs and provide a platform for rapid development of new innovative wireless gateways, says Tom Nordman, Bluegiga’s VP of Sales and Marketing, adding that “Bluegiga is very excited to be able to leverage its long experience in wireless connectivity by expanding our product portfolio to include this type of new solutions.”

Key Features

APx4 is a computing platform:

• 450MHz ARM9 core (Freescale i.MX28)
• 64MB RAM
• 128MB Flash
• Real Time Clock
• Linux operating system
• SO-DIMM form factor

A connectivity platform:

• Bluetooth 4.0 dual-mode radio
• 2.4GHz 802.11 b/g/n radio
• Wi-Fi Access Point mode
• 10/100 Ethernet
• USB 2.0 High Speed

With many extension options:

• Up to 800 x 480, 24bit display
• Resistive touch screen
• MMC/SDIO
• Multiple SPI, UART and I²C
• I²S
• PWM, GPIO and AIO

Linux operating system:

• Based on the Yocto Project(TM)
• Thousands of open source software packets available

Built-in Bluegiga applications:

• eHealth software for Continua compliant health applications
• BlueConnector for generic Bluetooth connectivity
• HTTP server with graphical configuration interface

Qualifications:

• Bluetooth
• CE
• FCC and IC

Benefits:

Fully integrated wireless system on a module:

• Low development costs
• Fast time-to-market: shortens development time by twelve months
• Reduced R&D risks

State-of-the-art connectivity:

• Bluetooth 4.0
• 802.11 b/g/n with access point mode
• Seamless Bluetooth and Wi-Fi co-existence

Linux-based:

• Fast software development
• Enables reusing existing applications
• Open source, free development tools
• Community support

Built-in Bluegiga applications:

• Faster development
• Proven, maintained and supported applications

Good extendability:

• Supports a range of applications
• Supports a range of technologies

A qualified solution:

• Proven interoperability
• Minimal qualification costs
• Faster time-to-market