A miniaturized module for Bluetooth low energy by embedding all passive components

Abstract

This paper presents a compact module for a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) by embedding all passive components as capacitors, inductors, and resistors. Passive or active components are embedded in printed-circuit-board (PCB) as called as System-on-Package (SoP). A proposed module is composed of a BLE IC, a memory, a 3-axis sensor, a crystal, inductors, capacitors, and resistors. In side view, ICs and a PCB with passive components are sequentially located from top and bottom. Capacitors, inductors and resistors are embedded in PCB. In order to check the performance and size for embedded modules, two representative modules for BLE with SMT and with SoP are designed and compared. The size of module with SMT and SoP are as 11 mm × 8 mm and 6 mm × 8 mm, respectively. Almost 44.5 % size reduction is obtained by SoP. Measured Tx power in Bluetooth are given as −2.0 dBm and BLE has good performance. This paper presented that SoP technology was better than SMT technology in a view of size. Implemented module had good performance and slim size.