Pokémon Go, even months after its initial release, is still a global phenomenon and the addition of the Pokémon Go Plus accessory has kept the hype for the mobile game alive and aided trainers in tracking their steps (for egg hatching and obtaining candies via the Buddy System) while performing other tasks.
But have you wondered what makes the Pokémon Go Plus interact with the mobile app? For those who own one, connecting to your mobile device’s Bluetooth is the reason but there’s a lot under the hood that you may not know about.
Dialog Semiconductor, a UK-based provider of highly integrated power management, AC/DC, solid state lighting and Bluetooth low-energy technology, was tasked with powering the Pokémon Go Plus for the world to use.
We had the chance to ask Mark de Clercq, Director Business Unit Bluetooth Low Energy, Dialog Semiconductor some questions via email regarding the Pokémon Go Plus, the technology implemented to make it work and what the future of low-energy Bluetooth holds.
How did Niantic/Pokémon Company approach you about the Pokémon Go Plus?
We were approached based on the performance of our DA14580 System-on- Chip (SoC), which provides the lowest power consumption, smallest system size and lowest bill of materials for wearable devices.
Can you explain how your DA14580 chip is crucial to the Plus?
The DA14580 is used at the heart of the Pokémon Go Plus and combines several functions into
one device, namely: the microcontroller, memory, Bluetooth wireless interface, power management and analog and digital interfaces. This combination enables it to deliver on all the processing and connectivity needs of the Plus.
The key here is that the DA14580 does all of the above by providing world-leading power consumption figures and integration resulting in lengthening the battery lifetime of the Plus and an extremely attractive system cost given the level of integration.
Where else has the chip been used before the Pokémon Go Plus?
The chip has been used in multiple other designs such as the Xiaomi Mi Band 1 and 1S wearable bands, the Misfit Shine 2 fitness tracker and the Tile Slim Bluetooth tracker. To add to the above, other types of applications where our chips has been deployed beyond wearables: remote controls and voice-controlled remote controls for set-top boxes and smart TVs, toys, glucose monitors, beacons, proximity trackers, toothbrushes, point of sales terminals, smartcards, virtual reality controllers and smart home applications such as thermostats and smoke detectors.
What makes your chip the DA14580 different from other options?
Compared to other offerings in production, the DA14580 is the lowest power consumption Bluetooth low energy device. Looking at package size, the DA14580 is offered in tiny Wafer Level Chips Scale Package (WL-CSP) of a mere 2x2mm, making it the smallest offering on the market.
Last but not least, the DA14580 only requires five external components to make a complete Bluetooth low energy system: 3 capacitors, 1 inductor and 1 XTAL. This means that it offers an extremely low bill of materials (BoM) and a tiny system size making it ideal for space constrained Systems.
The combination of the above three points is what makes the DA14580 unique in the market.
When the Pokémon Go Plus was delayed a few months, was the Bluetooth aspect tweaked in that time?
No, the Bluetooth aspect wasn’t tweaked during that time.
Did you ever think Pokémon Go would become the phenomenon that it has?
We always believed that there was tremendous potential for Pokémon Go, though not to the extent that it has turned out to be. We are certainly very excited about the interest the app has generated and the amount of times it has been downloaded.
Everything seems to be going wireless, look at the new iPhone, how important is it to have a Bluetooth option that is low-energy?
Bluetooth low energy, as with Bluetooth back in the early 2000s, is proving to be a crucial aspect of smart devices’ connectivity. It offers characteristics such as low power, fast connection speed and low latency, making it the ideal choice for connecting a myriad of battery-operated devices like smartphones, tablets and other smart devices. To date, it has seen tremendous success with applications ranging from consumer electronics such as toys, remote controls and wearables to more demanding applications in the medical and automotive fields, such as glucose monitors and tire pressure monitoring systems. As such, Bluetooth low energy has become a key technology in today’s connected world.
The Bluetooth roadmap, with the imminent announcement of Bluetooth 5.0, will also open up more opportunities and use cases for exciting applications to be developed. We strongly believe that Bluetooth low energy is a cornerstone of wireless connectivity and will continue to be for years to come.
Where does Bluetooth and low-energy go from here?
The Bluetooth low energy standard is still very much in development and the roadmap for the standard is very promising. The Bluetooth SIG recently released a preview of what the next version of the standard will offer, namely:
•quadruple the range
•double the speed
•increase data broadcasting capacity by 800%
