Munich, June 16, 2016 – Looking to play a role in enabling the Internet of Things (IoT) for connecting all kinds of items to the Internet, ALPS has developed the low-power UGMZ2AA Bluetooth® SMART Communication Module with Built-in Antenna. Mass production is already underway.

A wide range of devices and services recently introduced to the market make use of IoT technology and their spread continues.

Communication modules are essential for connecting IoT devices to the Internet. Devices powered by batteries or button cells, in particular, increasingly employ communication modules conforming to low-power communication standard Bluetooth® SMART. Parts inside devices must also be compact and power-efficient as products become ever smaller and more sophisticated.

Addressing these issues, ALPS has developed and started mass production of the UGMZ2AA Bluetooth® SMART Communication Module. The module has a built-in antenna and is among the smallest and has one of the lowest power consumption levels in the industry.

The new series has compact dimensions of 4.7 × 4.7 × 2.0mm, achieved using RF circuit design and precision processing technologies accumulated by ALPS over many years. The module also has an originally designed antenna circuit pattern on the top of the unit in a single package. This omits the need for end product anufacturers to separately prepare an antenna, thereby helping to reduce the workload during equipment development and design.

Power consumption is low at 5.1mA (0.6μA in sleep mode), making the module ideal for devices running off a button cell or other battery.

The UGMZ2AA has been incorporated into Alps' Sensor Network Module IoT development kit, a multi-functional sensor module for acquisition and transmission of motion and environmental data integrating six-axis (Geomag+Accel), pressure, temperature and humidity, and UV and ambient light sensors with this Bluetooth® Smart communication module in a single package.