Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ improves wireless IoT with Cypress combo SoC
The CYW43455 single-chip combo is offered as providing high-performance 802.11ac Wi-Fi, advanced coexistence algorithms for simultaneous Bluetooth and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) operations such as audio and video streaming, and low-power BLE connections to smartphones, sensors, and Bluetooth Mesh networks. The high-speed 802.11ac transmissions enable superior network performance, faster downloads and better range, as well as lower power consumption by quickly exploiting deep sleep modes.
Wi-Fi networks using 802.11ac simultaneously deliver low-latency and high-speed with secure device communication, making it the ideal wireless technology for connecting products directly to the cloud, the company says. The Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ board with the highly-integrated Cypress CYW43455 combo SoC allows developers to quickly prototype industrial IoT systems and smart home products that leverage the benefits of 802.11ac.
“Achieving reliable wireless connectivity in crowded airwaves is a foremost concern for developers of industrial IoT and smart home systems, which lead us to select Cypress’ 802.11ac combo SoC for the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ board,” says Eben Upton, CEO of Raspberry Pi Trading. “Our new board democratizes high-performance, interoperable, and highly reliable 802.11ac Wi-Fi for use across a huge range of IoT products.”
The Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ board features a 64-bit, 1.4-GHz quad-core processor, 1GB RAM, full-size HDMI and four standard USB ports, Gigabit Ethernet over USB2, Power over Ethernet capability, CSI camera connector, and a DSI display connector. The platform, together with its 802.11ac wireless LAN and Bluetooth/BLE wireless connectivity, is offered as providing a compact solution for the intelligent edge of connected devices.
“Raspberry Pi’s leading IoT development boards with Cypress connectivity have shipped millions of units to date, and the new Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ board brings the benefits of Cypress’ 802.11ac Wi-Fi to even more IoT developers across a diverse range of applications,” says Brian Bedrosian, vice president of marketing for the IoT Business Unit at Cypress. “Our 802.11ac combo SoC helps IoT products meet coexistence challenges in the crowded 2.4-GHz band, delivers cleaner air for audio, video, and voice control data, and improves network performance for multi-user environments.”
The CYW43455 SoC features a dual-band 2.4- and 5-GHz radio with 20-, 40- and 80-MHz channels with up to 433 Mbps performance. The device includes Linux open source Full Media Access Control (FMAC) driver support with enterprise and industrial features enabled, including security, roaming, voice, and locationing.
The SoC is also supported in the company’s turnkey Wireless Internet Connectivity for Embedded Devices (WICED) software development kit (SDK), which is designed to streamline the integration of wireless technologies for IoT developers.
Cypress Semiconductor Wi-Fi + Bluetooth Combos