Wireless Miniature PC Mouse Powered By Nordic Transceivers And Gazell Software
Ultra low power (ULP) RF specialist Nordic Semiconductor ASA recently announces that a unique wireless mouse, called Swiftpoint, employs Nordic's nRF24LE1 2.4GHz transceiver. The wireless link is completed by an nRF24LU1+-based dongle plugged into the portable computer's USB port.
Developed by New Zealand designer and manufacturer Swiftpoint Limited, this ingenious mouse is designed for on-the-go portable computer users who lack a suitable surface for a desktop mouse (e.g. while travelling on public transport) and find the computer's built-in trackpads uncomfortable and frustrating to use. The Swiftpoint wireless mouse is compact and portable, yet provides all the accuracy and functionality users demand from a mouse. The Swiftpoint mouse boasts a unique pen-like grip which, unlike other micro-sized mice, is comfortable and intuitive to use.
The wireless link in the Swiftpoint mouse is powered by Nordic hardware and software. Each mouse employs a Nordic nRF24LE1 transceiver communicating with an nRF24LU1+ transceiver embedded in a miniature dongle that plugs into the USB port of the portable computer under control. Nordic's Gazell RF protocol stack, optimized for low latency and ULP operation, seamlessly controls the wireless communication between mouse and dongle.
The ULP characteristics of the nRF24LE1 and Gazell software significantly extend the battery lifetime of the mouse's small battery (which can be recharged from the portable computer's USB port). The nRF24LE1 is ideally suited to the mouse's small form factor because the application microcontroller is integrated with the radio core into a single chip measuring just 4x4mm (competing designs typically feature separate transceiver and MCU chips requiring more space). In addition, the Gazell software's Dynamic Proximity Pairing eliminates the requirement for a pairing button on the mouse.
The nRF24LE1 offers a maximum raw data rate of 2Mbps, which enables the rapid communication required for fast, smooth cursor movement and mouse operation. The Gazell protocol includes a high degree of interference immunity from other 2.4GHz radio sources, such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, for seamless operation.
"Using a portable computer's built-in trackpad for extended periods is tiring, slow, and can potentially lead to serious ailments such as repetitive strain injury (RSI)," says Grant Odgers, Swiftpoint's CEO. "While wireless travel mice help when there is a suitable flat surface, there are many occasions when such a surface is unavailable.
"Our Swiftpoint mouse solves the problem," says Odgers. "The key technological breakthrough was being able to produce a wireless mouse that was small and light enough to be operate on the palmrest beside the computer trackpad, yet still operate for many weeks on a single charge." Odgers adds: "This breakthrough was made using Nordic Semiconductor's integrated single chip 2.4GHz transceivers, Gazell software, and nRFready reference design. Nordic's technology has made our intellectual property commercially viable for the first time."
"The nRF24LE1/nRF24LU1+/Gazell combination has been proven in many wireless desktop peripherals, but the Swiftpoint mouse is a unique application because it incorporates the convenience of wireless in a compact form factor that allows full mouse functionality using just the computer's palmrest as a work area," says Ståle Ytterdal, Director Sales & Marketing – Asia, Nordic Semiconductor. "Swiftpoint have taken full advantage of the incredibly compact nRF24LE1 System-on-Chip - which incorporates an nRF24L01+ transceiver, 8 bit microcontroller, and flash or OTP memory on a single chip - and Gazell protocol stack, to shorten development time, and meet the exacting performance and cost demands of the company's mouse."
About Nordic Semiconductor ASA
Nordic Semiconductor is a fabless semiconductor company specializing in ultra low power (ULP) short-range wireless communication. Nordic is a public company listed on the Norwegian stock exchange.
SOURCE: Nordic Semiconductor