EEVblog Electronics Community Forum
Electronics => Microcontrollers => Topic started by: pappkopp on February 15, 2017, 10:42:39 pm
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I'm creating a project where i need a low power MCU, and preferable in a module.
I have had a look at the Blue Gecko BGM111, i need something i dont have to spend 3 weeks just figuring the IDE for the software(is this the case here?)
So does anybody have any recommendations on what to use?
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The bluegecko isn't a bad part, it's just not nearly as fleshed out as say the Nordic... BUT if you are having trouble understanding the BGApi or BGScript, I'm not sure what solution is going to be any easier.
You might want to look at the Microchip BLE module, it reduces everything on the micro side to just UART.
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I'm creating a project where i need a low power MCU, and preferable in a module.
I have had a look at the Blue Gecko BGM111, i need something i dont have to spend 3 weeks just figuring the IDE for the software(is this the case here?)
So does anybody have any recommendations on what to use?
WHat do you need the Bluetooth to do? I am just finishing up a product using ST's BlueNRG.
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I'm using BGM111 for commercial product and for hobby project. It's a nice module with Energymicro core inside - they have a very good architecture, documentation and support. You can program it with GCC from their netbeans based IDE, all the required components are there, but it's not officially supported yet - there is an example on the forum and a couple of guides on how to get gcc working, otherwise you are stuck with IAR compiler. It took me two days to get to working sample program with GCC, but I was among the first ones, now it might be easier.
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The bluegecko isn't a bad part, it's just not nearly as fleshed out as say the Nordic... BUT if you are having trouble understanding the BGApi or BGScript, I'm not sure what solution is going to be any easier.
You might want to look at the Microchip BLE module, it reduces everything on the micro side to just UART.
they can also communicate with SPI and I2C.. and there are also some with a scripting engine to run everything without a mcu
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Nordic actually keeps a list of third party suppliers of modules with their chips on them.
https://www.nordicsemi.com/eng/Products/3rd-Party-Bluetooth-low-energy-Modules (https://www.nordicsemi.com/eng/Products/3rd-Party-Bluetooth-low-energy-Modules)
Keep in mind that the Nordic SoC's are both bluetooth and mcu in one, so some modules may come pre-programmed so as to interface them with an mcu, and some of them may be made to program the actual mcu (which is a cleaner solution, in the end).
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Thanks for all the great contributions.
If i got this module:
http://www.digikey.no/product-detail/en/cypress-semiconductor-corp/CYBLE-012012-10/428-3538-1-ND/5873455 (http://www.digikey.no/product-detail/en/cypress-semiconductor-corp/CYBLE-012012-10/428-3538-1-ND/5873455)
how do you interface to the device for programming and configuration? do i need to implement a usb to uart converter on the board?
I have already designed the power supply, charging over USB so i have the port available.
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It should be possible. http://media.digikey.com/pdf/PCNs/Cypress%20Semiconductor/PIN165002.pdf (http://media.digikey.com/pdf/PCNs/Cypress%20Semiconductor/PIN165002.pdf)
http://www.cypress.com/documentation/software-and-drivers/ez-serial-ez-ble-module-firmware-platform (http://www.cypress.com/documentation/software-and-drivers/ez-serial-ez-ble-module-firmware-platform)
http://www.cypress.com/file/285326/download#%5B%7B%22num%22%3A106%2C%22gen%22%3A0%7D%2C%7B%22name%22%3A%22XYZ%22%7D%2C69%2C566%2C0%5D (http://www.cypress.com/file/285326/download#%5B%7B%22num%22%3A106%2C%22gen%22%3A0%7D%2C%7B%22name%22%3A%22XYZ%22%7D%2C69%2C566%2C0%5D)
But depends on you needs.
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WHat do you need the Bluetooth to do? I am just finishing up a product using ST's BlueNRG.
I looked at that, but at the time (not long ago) it appeared to be one the absolute least supported / community utilized stack solutions. What made you pick that over the Nordic for example?
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We started our product prototype with STM32F411 + BlueNRG, so the BlueNRG1 is a natural choice when we moved from prototype to product stage. Our stack requirements are relatively modest. We don't have performance test yet, but for our application (Smart.IO: a toolkit that creates smartphone UI app for embedded systems w/o Bluetooth or App coding), it should be just fine.
WHat do you need the Bluetooth to do? I am just finishing up a product using ST's BlueNRG.
I looked at that, but at the time (not long ago) it appeared to be one the absolute least supported / community utilized stack solutions. What made you pick that over the Nordic for example?