RTL8722DM: An Ultra-Low-Power IoT WiFi Solution
So far, IoT systems especially the robust one require wiring as the wireless system normally requires more energy consumption. Realtek recently announced a new product, RTL8722DM, which is an ultra-low-power Wi-Fi and Bluetooth module. This product can help customers save energy while flexibly using multiple wireless communication methods for communication. You must be curious what exactly is RTL8722DM? Let’s have a look.
What is RTL8722DM?
Realtek RTL872xD is a Wi-Fi and Bluetooth module that has dual bands for Wi-Fi communication. It is worth saying that this little module can support low power dual bands(2.4G and 5G) Wireless LAN(WLAN) and Bluetooth Low Energy v5.0 as well. This Wi-Fi and Bluetooth module can be regarded as an SoC for the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth application with typical SBCs. Except for the main chip, the Realtek872xD module consists of a high-performance MCU named KM4, a low power MCU named KM0, WLAN (802.11 a/b/g/n) MAC, a 1T1R capable WLAN baseband, RF, Bluetooth, and peripherals. An inner antenna and many interfaces are available in this little Wi-Fi and Bluetooth module. Compare with ESP series, this Wi-Fi and Bluetooth module has more functions like 5G Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0. As a matter of fact, this little module can be widely used for more applications than the ESP series.
Features
- World’s first ultra-low power usage Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0 dual-channel IoT SoC, with:
- low power consumption
- anti-interference performance
- super short latency
- super fast wakeup
- It integrates with the newest security architecture.
- This chip consists of audio codec, Key-Scan and touch keys.
- It contains high-speed connectivity interfaces: SDIO & USB
Specification
| Parameter | Value |
| Processor | Dual processor core – KM4 & KM0 |
| Flash | SPI / QSPI / QPI controller with cache Flash In-Circuit Programming(ICP) are supported |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11 a/b/g/n 1×1, 2.4GHz & 5GHz Support 20MHz / 40MHz up to MCS7 |
| Bluetooth | Support BLE, BLE 5.0 |
| Secure | AES / DES / SHA hardware engine TrustZone-M and secure boot supported |
| SD / SDIO | Support SD card hold Support SDIO 2.0 SDR25 Clock rate up to 50MHz |
| USB | Support USB 2.0 Support HS/FS/LS mode |
| Item | Peripherals | Comment | RTL8720DN | RTL8722DM |
| UART | HS_UART0 | N | Y | |
| HS_UART1 | Internal for BT | N | N | |
| HS_USI_UART | Y | Y | ||
| LP_UART1 | Low power mode wakeup | Y | Y | |
| LP_UART0 | LP_UART0 is LOGUART/low power mode | Y | Y | |
| SPI | HS_SPI0 | Maximum 50MHz/ Master/ Slave | N | Y |
| HS_SPI1 | Maximum 25MHz/ Master | Y | Y | |
| HS_USI_SPI | Maximum 25MHz/ Master/ Slave | Y | Y | |
| RTC_OUT | RTC_OUT | Y | Y | |
| EXT_32K | EXT_32K | Y | Y | |
| LP_TIM4_TRIG | LP_TIM4_TRIG | Time capture | N | Y |
| LP_TIM5_TRIG | LP_TIM5_TRIG | Time capture | N | Y |
| IR | IR | Y | Y | |
| I2C | LP_I2C | Standard(up to 100Kbps) and fast (up to 3.33Mbps) | Y | Y |
| HS_USI_I2C | Standard / fast / high-speed mode (up to 3.33Mbps) | Y | Y | |
| SDIO | SDIO 2.0 Device | Maximum 50MHz | N | Y |
| SD HOST | Maximum 50MHz | N | Y | |
| PWM | HS_PWM0~17 | 8 | 17 | |
| LP_PWM0~5 | Support low power mode | 4 | 6 | |
| I2S | I2S | N | Y | |
| DMIC | DMIC | Y | Y | |
| LCD | LCD | 8-bit / 16-bit / RGB mode / MCU mode / LED mode | N | Y |
| Q-Decoder | Q-Decoder | N | Y | |
| SGPIO | SGPIO | Y | Y | |
| Key-Scan | Key-Scan | 4×2 / 3×3 | 4×8 / 6×6 | |
| Wake Pin | Wake Pin | Wake up deep sleep | 6 | 12 |
| HS_TIM4_TRIG | HS_TIM4_TRIG | Time capture | Y | Y |
| HS_TIM5_TRIG | HS_TIM5_TRIG | Time capture | Y | Y |
| Analog Pin | USB | USB host(support USB mass storage class) and device | Y | Y |
| ADC | 0~3.3V | x3 | x7 | |
| VBAT_MEAS | 0~5V | N | Y | |
| Cap-Touch | N | x4 | ||
| Audio Output | Analog audio codec output | N | x2(Differential)/ x2(single-end) x2(AUXIN) | |
| Audio Input | Analog audio codec input | N | x1(Differential)/ x2(single-end) x2(AUXIN) |
Example applications of RTL8722DM
- Industrial wireless control
- Bluetooth gateway
- Wearable smart devices
- Security ID tags
- Smart home
Meet solution based on RTL8722DM and RTL8720DN at Seeed
RTL872xD offers us a wide range of design possibilities, such as smart locks, smartwatches, remote controllers, home entertainment systems and etc.
At Seeed, we have built some products based on RTL872xD.
Wio Terminal
Wio Terminal is an ATSAMD51-based microcontroller with wireless connectivity supported by Realtek RTL8720DN. With the use of RTL8720DN, Wio Terminal provides a powerful processor and reliable wireless connectivity. It runs at 120MHz (Boost up to 200MHz) and supports both Bluetooth (BLE4/5.0) and Wi-Fi (2.4G/5G), providing a backbone for IoT projects.
With Wio Terminal:
- Wio Terminal + Grove = IoT System
- Wio Terminal + Raspberry Pi = Edge Computing System
- Wio Terminal + Customized add-ons = Handheld devices or endless possibilities!
Highlight Feature
- Highly integrated design
- Powerful MCU – Microchip ATSAMD51P19
- Reliable wireless connectivity – Powered by Realtek RTL8720DN
- USB OTG Support
- Compatible with Grove Ecosystem
- Raspberry Pi 40-pin Compatible
- Software support
Demo
Build An Affordable IR Thermal Imaging Camera using Wio Terminal and Grove – Infrared Temperature Sensor Array (AMG8833)
Play retro game on Wio Terminal
For more demos and detailed instructions, please check our wiki.
Seeed IoT Button for AWS
The Seeed IoT Button For AWS is a Wi-Fi-based, programmable button that is easy to configure and simple to use. You can use the Seeed IoT Button For AWS to capture quick customer feedback without burdening customers with time-consuming questionnaires. This button supports three types of clicks: single, double, and long press, and 3 LEDs for different indications. It is designed for enterprises and developers to easily integrate with existing business workflows and systems using the AWS IoT 1-Click service.
Features
- AWS IoT 1-Click service
- Single/Double/Long Press Click Events
- Onboard Power/Event/Wi-Fi Configuration Status LED
- Equipped with Realtek RTL8720DN, dual-band 2.4Ghz / 5Ghz Wi-Fi
- Removable and Chargeable NCR18650B Battery
- Battery polarity reversed protection and indication
- USB Type-C Charging
- Stickable Bracket
What can Seeed IoT Button For AWS do?
| Scenario | Methods |
|---|---|
| Hotel | By using different types of clicks to differentiate what services do the tenant wants. |
| Restaurant | Using different types of clicks to indicate where the customers are sitting and what food they ordered. |
| Manufacture Factories | Different types of clicks to trigger different manufacture problems that appeared. |
| Near Airports | By installing the IoT Button near the Airports, people from the neighbourhood can input different feelings towards the noise level. For example, Acceptable, no feeling or annoyed. |
Ameba RTL8722DM IoT Development Board
Ameba RTL8722DM IoT Development Board integrates the RTL8722DM SoC which is the latest generation SoC of the Ameba IoT solution family and it is powered by a high-performance 32-bit dual MCU with a new architecture from Arm®; an Arm®v8M (Cortex-M33 instruction set compatible) running at up to 200MHz and an Arm®v8M (Cortex-M23 instruction set compatible) running at up to 20MHz.
Features
- Ultra-low power consumption suitable for IoT applications
- Latest high-security architecture with secure boot
- Dual Arm® powered CPUs for higher performance
- Fast wireless speeds with the latest wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi 5GHz and BLE5
- Rich I/O peripherals to further expand your projects
The final version of the board will have all the GPIO pins bent at an angle of 90° from the board to allow convenient access to the Arduino pins. There are two Arduino female headers available so that you could use Arduino(or Seeeduino) shields with it.
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