Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas Announces Next Generation Panasonic “NanoPower” Bluetooth Low Energy Module Available for Pre-Order

PHOENIX–March 18, 2014 — Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas, a business region of Avnet, Inc. (NYSE: AVT), today announces the availability of the PAN1740, the next-generation Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) module with reduced form factor, significantly lower power consumption, embedded BLE stack and profile from Panasonic Industrial Devices Sales Company of America, the advanced industrial components and electronic devices sales division of Panasonic Corporation of North America.

Avnet is taking pre-orders for the Panasonic PAN1740 “NanoPower” now. Prototype quantities will be available at the end of March, with production quantities available in mid-April.

The PAN1740 is a single mode Bluetooth system-on-chip module and is optimized for low power and small size. The power consumption of only 5mA in Tx or Rx mode allows the use of coin cell batteries and decreases battery requirements up to 50 percent when compared to current generation BLE devices. The 9.0* 9.5* 1.8 mm footprint with a fully shielded case and integrated crystal oscillators and chip antenna is one of the smallest BLE footprints available. The PAN1740 is qualified to Bluetooth 4.0 standard – FCC, IC, CE certifications are pending.

BLE is a great solution for applications requiring wireless communication devices that have been optimized for low power consumption rather than maximum data transfer rates. It consumes as little as one-hundredth the average power required by Bluetooth Classic (BLE’s peak current draw is as low as 15mA, compared to Bluetooth Classic’s standard rate of 40mA.) Depending on the application and level of current consumption, BLE can run on a single coin-cell battery for months or even years. A white paper on Bluetooth Low Energy is available here.

“It’s a fact that engineers won’t get very far in their designs without power – and for those applications where low power consumption is critical, Panasonic has created one of the smallest footprints available,” said Alex Iuorio, senior vice president, supplier management and business development, Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas. “This module is the right choice for engineers where low-power is critical, without sacrificing performance. And as the Internet of Things becomes a factor for design, this is a great power option for engineers.”

“Panasonic is a leader in Bluetooth wireless connectivity solutions. Avnet has streamlined the ability for design engineers to access the new PAN1740 Series to facilitate prototyping and design in of an affordable, ultra-low power RF technology that will speed time to market on new devices,” said Dan Litts, vice president of Panasonic’s Industrial Components Division.

Features of the “NanoPower” Panasonic Single Mode Bluetooth Low Energy Module include: