What would be a good reason to use NRF8001 with a separate microcontroller instead of having a one-chip solution with NRF52

[Jong yoon lee]

I know that few companies choose to use NRF528001 with a separate microcontroller like Fitbit.

I would like to know why would they do so instead of using an NRF52 chip that already has the BLE capability and consumes less space.

Would there be any type of advantage of using an NRF8001 chip?

Thanks in advance

[David Edwin]

If your application can fit in a single microcontroller then you should consider the nRF5x series. You should consider the nRF8001 only when the nRF5 series does not fit your needs and you need a connectivity solution with a 2 chip solution. Even at that stage you should still consider the nRF5 series as a connectivty option vs the nRF8001 as a connectivity option before a decision.

One of the advantages of the nRF8001 as a connectivity option is has a smaller and easier to use interface as compare to the nRF5x connectivity option.

However you can choose to have your own custom connectivity command set for your application running on the nR5x connectivity and compare that to your needs.

In any case use an evaluation to see what fits your needs.