ANNA-B4 Bluetooth® 5.1 Module

u-blox's ultra-small, ANNA-B4 modules are high-performing BLE modules in a very small package. The Nordic Semiconductor nRF52833 chip-based modules come both in a stand-alone version with open CPU (ANNA-B402) or with u-connectXpress (ANNA-B412). The system in package (SiP) modules measure only 6.5 mm x 6.5 mm, including antenna.

ANNA-B4 modules come with an internal chip antenna for ease of integration and an antenna pin for using an external antenna of choice. The series is globally certified for use with the internal or external antenna. This reduces time, cost, and effort for customers integrating the ANNA-B4 into their designs. To ensure operation in harsh professional environments, the module has an extended temperature range of -40°C to +105°C.

The ANNA-B402 features Bluetooth 5.1, an embedded Arm® Cortex®-M4 microcontroller with FPU, and state-of-the-art power performance. With 512 kB Flash and 128 kB RAM, it has the capacity for advanced applications developed with open CPU architecture and the Nordic Semiconductor SDK. Wired interfaces like UART, USB, high-speed SPI, I²C, I²S, and GPIO are available for connections to peripheral components.

The ANNA-B402 supports the Bluetooth direction finding features, Angle-of-Arrival (AoA) and Angle-of-Departure (AoD). This enables more accurate location compared to only using the received signal strength. The module provides an extended communication range or a more reliable connection using Bluetooth long range. Alternatively, the Wirepas Massive mesh stack or Lumenradio MiraOS can be used to form large-scale industrial mesh networks.

In addition to Bluetooth low energy, support for Zigbee and Thread protocols is provided, as well as NFC. Specific applications include smart lighting, asset tracking, indoor location, sensors, wearables, and wireless-connected and configurable equipment.

The ANNA-B412 module is delivered with u-connectXpress software that provides support for u-blox Bluetooth Low Energy Serial Port Service, GATT client and server, beacons, Bluetooth long range, NFC™, and simultaneous peripheral and central roles. u-blox u-connectXpress software allows hosts to easily configure connectivity using AT commands over a UART interface. The module offers top-grade security thanks to secure boot, which ensures that the modules only boot up with authenticated u-connectXpress software.