Datasheet

Page 11 of 161
nRF8001 Product Specification
Revision 1.2
3 Product overview
nRF8001’s main physical features are the Bluetooth low energy PHY and the Bluetooth low energy stack
that handles the link controller and host stack. It also includes additional analog sub-systems needed for
the Bluetooth low energy operation, such as power management and several oscillator options.
Figure 1. nRF8001 block diagram
nRF8001 has on-chip non-volatile memory for storing service configurations. This on-chip storage lets you
select and combine the necessary services for your application, reducing the requirements on your
application controller for handling all real-time operations related to the Bluetooth low energy
communication protocol.
nRF8001 includes a power supply voltage monitor and a temperature sensor that further reduces the
requirements to the application controller. These features are accessible through the Application Controller
Interface (ACI).
nRF8001 also offers an optional output signal (ACTIVE) that is activated before the radio becomes active.
This timing signal enables you to control the peak current drain of your application, avoiding overload of
your power supply (for most applications this is usually a small battery). You can also use this timing signal
to control the application circuitry, avoiding noise interference when the nRF8001 radio is operating.
A separate serial interface (UART) gives you access to the Bluetooth low energy Direct Test Mode (DTM).
This interface is used to control the Bluetooth low energy radio (RF PHY) and is supported by
commercially available Bluetooth test equipment used for Bluetooth qualification. This serial interface also
enables you to test radio performance and to optimize your antenna.
ACI
interface
XOSC
16 MHz
Bluetooth
Low Energy
Stack
PHY
XOSC
32 kHz
RC OSC
32 kHz
DTM
Power &
Clock
Management
Temperature
sensor
Power regulator
DC/DC
Linear
Supply monitor
PHY activity
status
Services
Non Volatile
Memory
Volatile
Memory