Global company in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications Broadcom on Thursday announced the integration of Near Field Communiation (NFC) into its Wireless Internet Connectivity for Embedded Devices (WICED) software development kit (SDK). This new offering enables Broadcom to support the need for NFC in a wider array of products and expands its range for Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
The company said it in a statement that its WICED SDK with NFC simplified the set-up process between mobile and smart devices. The tap-to-activate capability of NFC allowed users to touch their smartphone to a portable speaker and instantly launch a music streaming application without a complex set-up menu.
The tap-to-control experience for NFC-enabled products was also “compelling” for smart home and medical devices where the user was likely to interact with a variety of devices with limited or no display or graphical user interface (UI). By integrating NFC, Broadcom said it had enabled developers to create more complex products with a wider variety of use cases. For example, by tapping their smartphone to a smart thermostat, a user would be instantly recognised and the house would be automatically set to their preferred temperature.
“Broadcom is the first to integrate Wi Fi and Bluetooth Smart onto a single platform, and today we further distance ourselves from the competition by adding NFC to our WICED software stack,” said Brian Bedrosian, Broadcom Senior Director, Product Marketing, Wireless Connectivity Combos. “The massive potential of NFC combined with the proliferation of the Internet of Things creates significant opportunities for Broadcom and our customers across a range of growing markets including home, medical, retail and enterprise.”
The development kit aimed at giving IoT-minded technologists a leg up was released a few months ago.
Broadcom’s WICED Sense Kit is pre-programmed and ready for app developers and hardware and software developers to get going with an IoT project.
The kit includes a WICED-branded Bluetooth Low Energy board housed in a sturdy plastic case. Inside is the BCM20737S Bluetooth Smart System-in-a-Package (SIP) module, five micro-electromechanical sensors (MEMS) and Broadcom’s flagship WICED Smart software stack that’s Bluetooth 4.1 compatible.
You may also want to read: Broadcom launches IoT developer’s kit called WICED Sense
Image Credit: Broadcom
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