Can you suggest an alternative to nRF8001?

[jamilaaria]

I am currently using nRF8001 in my board (configured to connect - send data - disconnect - sleep every 30s cycle time). However, I am measuring about 140uA in average and I want to lower it further to less than 100uA and I have been getting suggestions to use other BLE device from the nRF52 series. However, I am restricted to changing too much in my board, so I am looking for another BLE device with similar pin outputs as that of nRF8001. Also, preferably a device which has a short learning curve.

Your help will be appreciated!

[Jørgen Holmefjord]

Hi,

There is no other devices in the nRF8000 faily that will provide better current consumption. The next device family from Nordic is the nRF51 series, which is more similar to the nRF52 series. If you decide to upgrade, I would recommend jumping directly to the nRF52 series.

Best regards,
Jørgen

[jamilaaria]

I see, if I opt for nRF52 series, will the transition be easy? Are there system commands and data commands like the ones in nRF8001?

 I have an external mcu and plan to retain it and just use the ble device for radio. Is it possible to do so?

[Jørgen Holmefjord]

ICs in the nRF52 series is full Bluetooth 5 SoCs with integrated Cortex M4 CPU, embedded flash, and RAM. The nRF8001 is a Bluetooth radio transceiver only. The transition will not be trivial, but it should be possible with some work. I recommend that you check out our serialization solution. This is a great alternative if you want to use the nRF52 series ICs as connectivity chips. For instance, nRF52810 is a great choice for such applications.