As a replacement for the NINA-W10 module, NORA-W10 adds Wi-Fi 4 and Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0, optimizes RF performance, built-in large-capacity flash memory and reduces overall power consumption. And the compact module is developed based on the Espressif ES32-S3 chipset, equipped with a powerful dual-core MCU, with artificial intelligence hardware acceleration function, which can provide support for speech recognition and face recognition applications in edge environments. In addition, the NORA-W10 module provides rich and common hardware interfaces, including USB, CAN, SDIO, and display and camera interfaces.
Offering both Wi-Fi 4 and Bluetooth 5.0 communications, the NORA-W10 offers single-band 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi 4 (802.11b/g/n) for the lower-end Wi-Fi market segment that does not require higher performance High, affordable Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6 modules. With robust on-site Wi-Fi communications and data transfer rates that meet the demands of many industrial applications, Wi-Fi 4 is expected to be the most widely used Wi-Fi technology for IoT applications until at least 2025 and will remain so for the foreseeable future this status.
Even when communicating via Wi-Fi, NORA-W10 can simultaneously provide up to 2 Mbps data transfer capability via Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0; if Bluetooth is used for long-distance communication, the signal transmission distance can reach 4 of standard Bluetooth Low Energy times. Bluetooth Mesh further expands the achievable coverage by enabling the “relay” of messages between multiple nodes, ultimately delivering them to the target device.
Robust, secure, and globally certified, the module features a dual-core Xtensa LX7 MCU with 8 MB Flash, 512 kb RAM, and up to 38 programmable GPIOs. The NORA-W10 is globally certified with advanced security features including Flash Encryption with Accelerated Encryption and Secure Boot to securely run information-sensitive application.
A wide range of application scenarios from fitness equipment to edge AI, the module comes with ample flash memory to support over-the-air updates, providing a wide range of integration possibilities. For example, when the NORA-W10 is deployed in a connected fitness device, it can simultaneously collect data from the device and the user's smartphone via Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0, and this data can then be transmitted over the local Wi-Fi network to a centralized storage location.
Another example is the electric vehicle charging station. Users can use the NORA-W10 module's low-power Bluetooth 5.0 communication function to simplify the configuration of the electric vehicle control box through a smartphone. At the same time, they can also transmit charging data to remote service providers via nearby Wi-Fi access points. Finally, the NORA-W10 module is AI-enabled, ideal for edge-hosted face and voice recognition used in digital assistants, smart home, and smart office solutions.
Magnus Johansson, u-blox Short-Range Communications Product Strategy, said: "With its rich feature set, the NORA-W10 remains extremely useful in many markets for demanding applications requiring Wi-Fi 4 and Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0. A competitive competitor. We are pleased to have seen product developers take advantage of the ES32-S3's dual-core MCU, combined with our well-designed modules to deliver outstanding RF performance."
Many of the excellent features of the NORA-W10 module are derived from the good design of u-blox. Measuring 10.4 x 14.3 x 1.8 mm, the module can be equipped with a PCB antenna or antenna pins and offers superior RF performance over comparable solutions on the market. The pin/pad compatibility of the u-blox NORA module family enables product developers to meet the needs of multiple market segments while maintaining the same PCB design.
