Low power consumption, multi-protocol, built-in NFC option: NXP's new wireless MCU!

NXP Semiconductors has announced the launch of a new ultra-low-power, multi-protocol wireless microcontroller (MCU) series, the K32W061/41 . The new low-power devices complement the company's recently launched pin-compatible JN5189/88 (Thread/Zigbee) and QN9090/30 (Bluetooth LE) MCUs, providing original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) with an easier migration path to help them support existing and emerging smart homes and build use cases.

Reducing power consumption in today’s smart home and IoT devices is critical to maximizing performance from a single coin cell battery. The NXP K32W061/41 MCUs achieve this through multiple low power modes and low transmit/receive radio power consumption capabilities.

“As the number of wireless technology options continues to grow, the demand for ultra-low power connectivity in the smart home continues to grow,” said Tom Pannell, senior marketing director, connectivity solutions at NXP. “With the launch of our new multiprotocol wireless microcontrollers, NXP’s broad technology portfolio and expertise enables OEMs to easily design reliable, feature-rich BLE, Zigbee and Thread IoT devices that deliver ultra-low power performance for connected applications.”

The K32W061 and K32W041 feature an IEEE 802.15.4 radio supporting Thread and Zigbee network protocols, Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0 and integrated NFC NTAG (K32W061). The devices also support a wide operating temperature range (-40°C to +125°C). As a founding member of the Zigbee Alliance and Thread Group, a co-founder of the NFC Forum and a member of the Bluetooth SIG, NXP leverages its wireless expertise and broad MCU capabilities to integrate the latest connectivity standards and appropriate smart peripherals. These peripherals support a variety of use cases, including:

• Home and Building Automation

• Security and access control

• Smart thermostats and door locks

• Gateway and sensor network applications

The K32W061/41 wireless microcontroller devices feature an Arm Cortex-M4 microcontroller running at 48MHz and have up to 640KB of on-chip flash and 152KB of SRAM, providing storage space and flexibility for complex applications and software over-the-air updates (OTA). The optional NFC NTAG provides standardized out-of-band communication, greatly simplifying the pairing process. The multi-protocol radio includes an integrated power amplifier with an output of up to +11dBm for long-distance transmission. In addition, it also supports Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0, Zigbee and OpenThread wireless network protocol stacks.

K32W061/41 Wireless Microcontroller System Block Diagram

• NXP’s MCUXpresso Software Development Kit (SDK) for K32W061/41 wireless MCUs is compatible with IAR’s latest toolchain and NXP’s MCUXpresso IDE

• NXP IoT Toolbox smart device applications and connectivity tools help developers evaluate RF performance and improve testing efficiency

• Hardware development support NXP IoT Development Kit, part number IOTZTB-DK006 , provides an ideal prototyping platform for complete IoT designs

• Additional development hardware includes a USB dongle, part number OM15080-K32W , for Bluetooth, Thread, and Zigbee networks

The K32W061/41 family of wireless microcontrollers is available now from NXP and its authorized distribution partners.