Arrow Electronics adds Tiger board for multi-protocol wireless devices
Arrow Electronics has extended its SmartEverything family with the Tiger board. It has the NXP Semiconductor Kinetis KW41Z multi-protocol wireless microcontroller for low-power connected devices.
According to Arrow, the Tiger board can be used for products like smart door locks, portable healthcare technology, wearable sports monitors, RF remote controls, wireless computer keyboards and mice, gaming controllers, security access-control systems, smart energy products, and networking equipment. Arduino connectors allow users to add value with extra features to their designs. The Kinetis KW41Z’s integrated security features include a hardware AES-256 cryptographic accelerator and a True Random Number Generator, designed to keep data and assets safe.
The board includes the Arm Cortex-M0+ core, the Kinetis KW41Z wireless microcontroller contains both a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) v4.2 radio and an IEEE 802.15.4 radio, and can run multiple wireless protocols concurrently. There is also built-in Wi-Fi to extend the connectivity options available to users. It can support a smart end-node application bridging Wi-Fi to Thread or BLE. It can be used in equipment to be controlled locally by a smartphone, such as in-home smart lighting, or remotely as part of a Cloud-connected network, or it can function as a small gateway. In addition, BLE can be used for easy commissioning of products to an IEEE 802.15.4 mesh network.
With -95dBm typical BLE sensitivity and -100dBm typical generic FSK (at 250kbit per second) sensitivity, both radios enjoy a strong RF link budget to maximise communication range and immunity to interference. By integrating a buck-boost DC/DC converter capable of operating from 0.9 to 4.2V, the Kinetis KW41Z MCU also ensures low peak current in receive and transmit modes to help extend battery life.
Arrow Electronics provides services and products to industrial and commercial users of electronic components and enterprise computing solutions. Arrow serves as a supply channel partner for more than 150,000 original equipment manufacturers, value-added resellers, contract manufacturers, and commercial customers through a global network. The company maintains over 300 sales facilities and 45 distribution and value-added centres, serving over 80 countries.
