A low-power networking synchronization module based on BLE

Abstract

The utility model provides a kind of low-power networking synchronization module based on BLE, it is related to Internet of Things communication field.The module aims to solve the problem that existing BLE module is difficult to simultaneously realize high-precision network synchronization and ultra-low power consumption due to the dependence of internal oscillator leading to clock drift.The module of the utility model includes in structure: BLE core chip, efficient power management system and a external high-precision clock source.The external high-precision clock source is electrically connected with the BLE core chip, and provides a stable hardware timing reference for the BLE core chip.The BLE core chip is configured to utilize the hardware timing reference to execute a time-division time slot communication protocol to accurately synchronize the wake-up and sleep cycle of all devices in the network.The structure overcomes clock drift from hardware, so that the module can simultaneously realize high-precision synchronization and microampere-level ultra-low power consumption, and is suitable for battery-powered intelligent lighting systems.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of Internet of Things (IoT) communication technology, specifically relating to a low-power networking synchronization module based on BLE. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of Internet of Things (IoT) technology, especially in fields such as smart lighting and environmental monitoring, a large number of devices need to be networked wirelessly and work collaboratively. For example, in smart lighting systems, a large number of lighting devices are typically required to form a network, and the status (such as on / off, brightness) or data between devices must be highly synchronized. At the same time, in many application scenarios, especially outdoors or in situations where wiring is inconvenient, devices need to rely on battery power, which places extremely stringent requirements on the system's power consumption.

[0003] Currently, various wireless networking technologies exist, such as Wi-Fi, Zigbee, and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). However, Wi-Fi consumes too much power, making it unsuitable for battery-powered devices; Zigbee technology typically requires a separate gateway device, resulting in insufficient deployment flexibility. While Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology offers advantages such as low power consumption, controllable cost, and good compatibility with smartphones, the standard BLE protocol is primarily designed for point-to-point or broadcast communication, lacking native multi-hop ad hoc networking and high-precision time synchronization mechanisms.

[0004] In existing BLE applications, devices typically rely on internal oscillators (such as RC oscillators) for timing to achieve synchronization. However, these internal oscillators generally have poor accuracy and are susceptible to clock drift due to changes in ambient temperature. When clock drift accumulates between different devices in the network, it significantly reduces synchronization accuracy. To compensate for this drift, devices must extend the on-time of their RF "listen window" to ensure they receive the synchronization signal, but this significantly increases idle power consumption, making it impossible to meet the ultra-low power requirements for long-term battery operation.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need in this field for a technical solution to address the problem that existing BLE modules are unable to simultaneously achieve high-precision time synchronization and ultra-low power consumption in networking applications. Utility Model Content

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to address the deficiencies mentioned in the background art by proposing a low-power networking synchronization module based on BLE.

[0007] The technical solution adopted in this utility model is as follows:

[0008] This invention provides a low-power networking synchronization module based on BLE, comprising: a BLE core chip, including a microprocessor and a BLE communication unit; a high-efficiency power management system electrically connected to the BLE core chip for powering the BLE core chip; and an external high-precision clock source electrically connected to the BLE core chip for providing a stable hardware timing reference for the BLE core chip; wherein, the BLE core chip is configured to: utilize the hardware timing reference to execute a time-division multiplexing communication protocol to synchronize the wake-up and sleep cycles of the module with other modules in the network.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the high-efficiency power management system includes: a power management chip; a solar input terminal for connecting a solar panel and electrically connecting it to the power management chip; and a rechargeable battery input terminal for connecting a rechargeable battery and electrically connecting it to the power management chip; the power management chip is configured to: manage the electrical energy of the solar input terminal to charge the rechargeable battery, and provide a constant voltage output to the BLE core chip.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the high-efficiency power management system further includes an inductor connected between the switching node of the power management chip and the input terminal of the rechargeable battery.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the BLE core chip is further configured to: determine the ambient brightness by detecting the voltage of the solar input terminal, and control an external lighting unit based on the ambient brightness.

[0012] As a preferred technical solution of this utility model, the external high-precision clock source is a temperature-compensated crystal oscillator or a high-precision low-frequency crystal oscillator.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the BLE core chip is configured to execute the time-division time-slot communication protocol via a hardware timer interrupt driven by the hardware timing reference.

[0014] As a preferred technical solution of this utility model, the time-division time-slot communication protocol defines a synchronous wake-up time slot and a deep sleep cycle, so that the working-sleep duty cycle of the module is less than 1%.

[0015] As a preferred technical solution of this utility model, the time-division time-slot communication protocol is also configured to realize the mesh network function of multi-hop relay.

[0016] As a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the BLE core chip is a system-on-a-chip that supports Bluetooth 5.3.

[0017] As a preferred embodiment of this utility model, it further includes: an antenna unit, which is a PCB-mounted antenna or a ceramic antenna; and an RF matching circuit, which is connected between the RF pin of the BLE core chip and the antenna unit.

[0018] The technical solution provided by this utility model introduces an external high-precision clock source outside the BLE core chip, providing a stable and accurate timing reference for the hardware timer of the BLE core chip. Based on this hardware timing reference, the firmware of the BLE core chip can execute a precise time-division multiplexing communication protocol, enabling all module devices in the network to synchronously wake up, send and receive data within precisely scheduled micro-slots, and immediately return to a deep sleep state after completing the task.

[0019] This design overcomes the clock drift problem caused by the reliance on internal RC oscillators in traditional BLE modules at the hardware level, enabling synchronization accuracy of large-scale devices in the network to reach the microsecond to millisecond level, achieving high-precision network time synchronization. Simultaneously, the high-precision synchronization allows for an extremely short wake-up window, significantly reducing RF activity and idle listening time. Combined with an efficient power management system, this reduces the module's average power consumption to the microamp level, thus meeting the ultra-low power requirements of devices that rely on battery power for extended periods. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a system functional block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a circuit diagram of the high-efficiency power management system in an embodiment of this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0022] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this embodiment can be combined with each other. The technical solutions of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this utility model, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this utility model without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0023] This invention provides a low-power networking synchronization module based on BLE. The module integrates dedicated hardware circuitry and firmware logic, enabling terminal devices (such as smart lighting fixtures) to automatically form a multi-hop mesh network, achieving high-precision time synchronization among all devices within the network while maintaining extremely low overall power consumption.

[0024] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 In a preferred embodiment, the module of this invention includes, at its top-level structure, a BLE core chip, an antenna unit, and a high-efficiency power management system.

[0025] The BLE core chip is the control and communication hub of the entire module. In this embodiment, as... Figure 1 As shown, the BLE core chip can be specifically a CP8001 system-on-a-chip (SoC). This SoC supports Bluetooth 5.3 and integrates an MCU main control unit and a BLE networking unit. The MCU main control unit is responsible for executing internal firmware logic, processing data, and connecting and controlling external devices, such as controlling the on / off state and brightness of smart lights through the "lighting control" unit. The BLE networking unit is responsible for executing wireless communication protocols to enable communication with other modules (such as...). Figure 1 BLE networking communication between modules 1, 2, and 3 shown.

[0026] The antenna unit is used to transmit and receive BLE wireless radio frequency signals. In one embodiment, the antenna unit is connected to the radio frequency pins of the BLE core chip via a radio frequency matching circuit. This radio frequency matching circuit ensures impedance matching between the chip's radio frequency pins and the antenna to achieve optimal signal transmission efficiency. The antenna unit can be flexibly selected as a PCB-mounted antenna or a ceramic antenna according to product needs. Its antenna mode (e.g., radiation pattern, gain) is optimized to adapt to the communication requirements of densely populated environments in applications such as smart lighting.

[0027] The high-efficiency power management system is responsible for providing a stable and clean power supply to the entire module (including the BLE core chip). For example... Figure 1 As shown, the MCU main control unit is also connected to a low-power management unit, which works in conjunction with an efficient power management system to minimize static power consumption when the module enters sleep mode through a combination of firmware and hardware.

[0028] Please refer to this carefully. Figure 2 , Figure 2 This paper details a specific circuit implementation of this high-efficiency power management system. The circuit design is tailored to accommodate both solar panel power and rechargeable battery energy storage, making it ideal for applications such as outdoor smart lighting.

[0029] The core of this power management circuit is a power management chip U2, which in this embodiment is an LD33SSOT23-6 chip. The circuit is powered by two main input sources: a solar panel and a rechargeable battery. The solar panel is connected to the circuit's S+ terminal (solar input) and GND (common ground) via interface P2. The rechargeable battery (e.g., a single 1.2V NiMH battery) is connected to the circuit's B+ terminal (battery input) and GND via interface P1.

[0030] The specific connection relationships are as follows:

[0031] Pin 1 (SOLAR) of the power management chip U2 is the solar input terminal, connected to the S+ terminal of the solar panel. A capacitor C4 (e.g., 4.7μF / 10V) is connected in parallel between the SOLAR pin and GND for input filtering.

[0032] Pin 2 (GND) of chip U2 is connected to the common ground.

[0033] Pin 6 (VBT) of chip U2 is the battery connection terminal, which is connected to the B+ terminal of the rechargeable battery.

[0034] Pin 5 (LX) of chip U2 is the switching node of the internal power switch, which is connected to pin 6 (VBT) through an inductor L2 (e.g., a 22μH wire-wound inductor). Chip U2, inductor L2, and the internal switching transistor constitute the basic topology of the boost / buck converter.

[0035] Pin 4 (VOUT) of chip U2 is the regulated output terminal, used to generate the operating voltage VCC (e.g., 3.3V or 1.8V) required by the system. A capacitor C5 (e.g., 10μF / 10V) is connected between the VOUT pin and GND as an output filter, providing a stable and clean power supply to the loads such as the BLE core chip at the back end.

[0036] Pin 3 (OPT) of chip U2 is configured as needed in this embodiment. Figure 2 The illustrative landmark in the middle is "X", which indicates that it can be suspended in the air or connected according to the specific application.

[0037] The power management circuit works as follows: It integrates lithium battery (or nickel-metal hydride battery as shown in the diagram) charge / discharge management, solar panel detection, and constant voltage output. When the solar panel (S+) receives sufficient sunlight, chip U2 (such as LD33S) is activated. Utilizing solar energy, it charges the rechargeable battery (B+) through its internal conversion circuit (via LX and L2); simultaneously or independently, it generates a stable VCC output (VOUT) to power the BLE module. When sunlight is insufficient or at night, chip U2 automatically detects insufficient solar input and switches to power from the rechargeable battery (B+). The battery voltage (e.g., 1.2V) is boosted and regulated to the required VCC voltage through the chip's internal boost circuit, continuously powering the module.

[0038] This hardware design supports low-voltage protection (to prevent battery over-discharge) and constant-voltage output, effectively protecting components and battery packs, making the system more stable and reliable, and extending product lifespan. Furthermore, this power management system can work with the MCU main control unit in the BLE core chip to achieve brightness adaptive functionality: the MCU detects the voltage of the solar panel (i.e., the S+ terminal) to determine the ambient brightness, automatically turning on the lights through the "light control" unit when it gets dark, and automatically turning off the lights and switching to solar charging mode when it gets light.

[0039] The key technology enabling this invention to achieve high-precision synchronization and ultra-low power consumption lies in the coordination between the hardware clock and the firmware algorithm.

[0040] At the hardware level, to overcome the problem of poor timing accuracy caused by temperature drift (large temperature drift) in the internal RC oscillator of ordinary BLE chips, this invention introduces an external high-precision clock source (such as a TCXO temperature-compensated crystal oscillator or a high-precision low-frequency crystal oscillator, not shown in the figure) in addition to the BLE core chip. This high-precision clock source provides a stable and accurate calibration reference for the internal clock of the BLE core chip (especially the hardware timer), improving the time synchronization accuracy and stability of the entire network from the hardware perspective.

[0041] At the firmware level, the internal firmware of the BLE core chip (such as CP8001) is specially configured to implement a specific network synchronization protocol. Specifically, the firmware is configured to utilize the aforementioned high-precision clock circuit to execute a time-slotted frequency-hopping communication protocol. In the network, all module devices are synchronously woken up within precisely scheduled, extremely short micro-slots (e.g., 10 milliseconds) driven by hardware timer interrupts. Within these slots, they rapidly complete the necessary data transmission or reception (e.g., ...). Figure 1 (BLE networking communication in the system), immediately re-entering deep sleep mode after the task is completed.

[0042] By combining a high-precision hardware-level clock source, efficient power management, and strictly synchronized time-slot communication scheduling, this invention significantly reduces unnecessary RF activity and idle listening time of devices. This allows the device's "work-sleep" duty cycle to be reduced to below 1%, thereby lowering average power consumption to the microamp (μA) level, making it ideal for outdoor scenarios requiring long-term battery power. Simultaneously, because all devices share a high-precision clock reference, the synchronization accuracy between devices in large-scale networks can reach the microsecond (μs) to millisecond (ms) level, far superior to traditional BLE solutions.

[0043] Furthermore, based on this hardware module and optimized firmware protocol, this invention can realize automatic routing and multi-hop relay Mesh network functions (such as...). Figure 1 (The communication between modules 1, 2, and 3 is shown). The network is large-scale, flexible in deployment, and highly robust (for example, if a node goes offline, communication can automatically reroute). Furthermore, since the core still uses a mature BLE chip, the module itself remains compatible with standard BLE broadcast and connection modes, allowing it to easily interact directly with common devices such as smartphones, facilitating network configuration and device monitoring for users.

[0044] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that this invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that it can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of this invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered illustrative and non-limiting in all respects, and the scope of this invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, it is intended that all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims be included within this invention. No reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

[0045] Furthermore, it should be understood that although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative style is merely for clarity. Those skilled in the art should consider the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A low-power networking synchronization module based on BLE, characterized in that, include: The BLE core chip includes a microprocessor and a BLE communication unit; A high-efficiency power management system is electrically connected to the BLE core chip to provide power to the BLE core chip; as well as An external high-precision clock source is electrically connected to the BLE core chip to provide a stable hardware timing reference for the BLE core chip; wherein, the BLE core chip is configured to use the hardware timing reference to execute a time-division multiplexing communication protocol to synchronize the wake-up and sleep cycles of the module with other modules in the network.

2. The module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The high-efficiency power management system includes: a power management chip; a solar input terminal for connecting a solar panel and electrically connecting it to the power management chip; and a rechargeable battery input terminal for connecting a rechargeable battery and electrically connecting it to the power management chip; the power management chip is configured to: manage the electrical energy from the solar input terminal to charge the rechargeable battery, and provide a constant voltage output to the BLE core chip.

3. The module according to claim 2, characterized in that, The high-efficiency power management system also includes an inductor connected between the switching node of the power management chip and the input terminal of the rechargeable battery.

4. The module according to claim 2, characterized in that, The BLE core chip is also configured to: determine the ambient brightness by detecting the voltage at the solar input terminal, and control an external lighting unit based on the ambient brightness.

5. The module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The external high-precision clock source is a temperature-compensated crystal oscillator or a high-precision low-frequency crystal oscillator.

6. The module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The BLE core chip is configured to execute the time-division multiplexing communication protocol via a hardware timer interrupt driven by the hardware timing reference.

7. The module according to claim 6, characterized in that, The time-division multiplexing communication protocol defines synchronized wake-up time slots and deep sleep cycles, resulting in a work-sleep duty cycle of less than 1% for the module.

8. The module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The time-division time-slot communication protocol is also configured to implement a mesh network function for multi-hop relay.

9. The module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The BLE core chip is a system-on-a-chip that supports Bluetooth 5.

3.

10. The module according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: Antenna unit, wherein the antenna unit is a PCB onboard antenna or a ceramic antenna; And an RF matching circuit, which is connected between the RF pin of the BLE core chip and the antenna unit.

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