This article appeared in Electronic Design and has been published here with permission.
Wi-Fi 6E provides significantly more bandwidth because of the addition of the 6-MHz band (Fig. 1), offering a major upgrade over the 2.4- and 5-GHz bands used by prior standards. The extra bandwidth can be very useful in the automotive space as cars become more connected. Wireless connectivity for IoT and consumer telematics are becoming standard car components rather than options.
The JODY-W4 from u-blox is designed to make automotive developer’s job easier (Fig. 2). The module is built around Infineon’s 89570/89570B chipset. The compact, 13.8- × 19.8-× 2.5-mm system has three antenna ports. It’s also pin-compatible with the company’s JODY family.
Moreover, the JODY-W4 supports Bluetooth. This includes Bluetooth LE as well as the Bluetooth LE 5.3 version with long-range capability. The module has Wi-Fi DFS master support with zero-wait, too. This allows the module to operate in areas where some Wi-Fi channels can’t be used, such as airports.
The obvious applications of the module include Wi-Fi hotspot and Bluetooth audio support as well as telematics, including inside telematics control units (TCUs). The latter can provide a central data-collection and distribution environment. Bluetooth LE can be used to support keyless access to services. In addition, the system is able to deliver firmware-over-the-air-updates (FOTAs) for engine control units (ECUs).