Bluetooth SoC Expands Into Home/Office Wireless Keyboards

The SmartBond DA14580 system-on-a-chip (SoC) offers an energy-efficient solution for Bluetooth Smart wireless keyboards targeting the PC peripheral, or human interface device (HID), market for the office and at home. According to Dialog Semiconductor, its Bluetooth Smart chip will enable more than three times the battery life of most current wireless keyboard brands. A wireless keyboard reference design includes a 109-key full-fledged keyboard with numeric keypad and function keys, and two LEDs for connection status and low-battery indication. The keyboard is powered from a single AAA alkaline or NiMH battery; only 16 passive components are required for the complete keyboard system, and there’s no need for a 32-kHz crystal. It has less than 5 mA peak current consumption in active mode and less than 600 nA in sleep mode. Programmable connection interval and slave latency is available for all major platforms. In addition, all key parameters are software-customizable. The reference design includes all necessary hardware, software, and documentation to design a keyboard.

DIALOG SEMICONDUCTOR PLC