Nordic nRF54L15 And nPM2100-Powered Smart Ball Technology Enhances Mini-Golf Game
Puttshack’s Trackaball uses Nordic nRF54L15 SoC to supervise sensors and provide Bluetooth LE connectivity, while nPM2100 PMIC delivers power savings
Gaming and hospitality franchise, Puttshack, has launched an upgraded version of its smart golf ball tracking technology powered by Nordic Semiconductor’s next generation nRF54L15 SoC, enabling enhanced gameplay for 9-hole mini-golf experiences at Puttshack venues across the United States.
The ‘Trackaball’ solution works by monitoring and understanding the state of each golf ball from hole to hole – for example, when the ball is moving, picked up, downhill, slowing down, stationary, or in a ‘feature’ such as a hole or gate. Each ball is linked to a player’s personalized game profile and can be used to keep track of every stroke, hazard, and point scored throughout the game.
Powerful nRF54L15 SoC processors supervise sensors
The nRF54L15 SoC’s 128 MHz Arm Cortex-M33 processor and RISC-V co-processor supervise Trackaball’s integrated movement and acceleration sensors, enabling the specific game status and scoring data from each ball to be collected and processed during live play.
In addition, Trackaball employs the nRF54L15 SoC’s fourth generation ultra-low power multiprotocol 2.4 GHz radio to provide the low power Bluetooth LE wireless connectivity for automatically transmitting the data from the device to the digital scoreboard.
“Compared to competitive solutions, Trackaball offers much greater tracking accuracy and more granular data,” explains Stephen Slade, Director of Game Engineering, Puttshack. “We have also managed superior power efficiency by employing the Nordic nRF54L15 SoC.”
We selected the Nordic nRF54L15 for our Trackaball solution due to the SoC’s compact size, support for Bluetooth 6.0, and ultra-low power consumption, while the nPM2100 PMIC offers greater power savings through its battery regulation capability -Stephen Slade, Director of Game Engineering, Puttshack
Nordic nPM2100 PMIC extends device battery life
Trackaball uses a CR2447 battery to achieve an estimated battery life of over 7.5 years, according to the company. This longevity is achieved thanks to a combination of the ultra low power characteristics of the nRF54L15 SoC and the inclusion of the Nordic nPM2100 Power Management IC (PMIC) – a groundbreaking addition to Nordic’s nPM Family of PMICs.
The nPM2100 is designed to significantly extend the operating time per battery for devices powered by primary (non-rechargeable) batteries. It features an ultra-efficient boost regulator and a suite of energy-saving functionalities, making it ideal for applications such as wireless sports data tracking.
“We selected the Nordic nRF54L15 for our Trackaball solution due to the SoC’s compact size, support for Bluetooth 6.0, and ultra-low power consumption, while the nPM2100 PMIC offers greater power savings through its battery regulation capability, and will also enable accurate capacity measurements,” says Slade.
“Speaking with Nordic engineers provided valuable information that allowed us to develop this project at a higher pace and with greater engineering,” he adds. “Finally, the ongoing support provided by Nordic experts and through the Nordic DevZone forums has been incredible.”
Source: Nordic Semiconductor