Beginner, there to start?

RE: Beginner, there to start?

Ole Morten — Mon, 21 Oct 2013 14:03:18 GMT

We try to answer any question that is generic to our chips, but if you have questions specifically on how a module behaves, you're most likely better off by asking the module manufacturer. For your application, we have two different chips that you could consider, the nRF8001 and the nRF51822.

nRF8001 nRF8001 is a connectivity chip that uses an SPI-like interface, which gives you a fairly high-level API. There are some constraints using this, primarily with data rate and the different advertising formats supported, but if you don't need more than ~20 kbps data throughput, this is a good option. Take a look at the Arduino SDK, that shows how you can use this from an Arduino environment, and which should be easy to port to another micro.

nRF51822 The nRF51822 is a system-on-chip, and doesn't have any ready-made connectivity solutions. In its SDK, there is an example that you could build on, which gives you a very low-level API, or you can build a custom higher-level API as your own application, and then interface to it. With the nRF51822, you have lots of flexibility, and can achieve much higher throughput, up to 128 kbps.

To start development with the nRF51822, I'd recommend to get either a Development or Evaluation Kit, follow the Getting Started part of the User Guide and then take a look at the different examples provided in the SDK. nAN-36 is also a very useful document to take a look at.

There are modules available with both chips, as listed here.

RE: Beginner, there to start?

Bengt Ragnemalm — Mon, 21 Oct 2013 05:18:50 GMT

OK, so if do use a module that I need to write code for, there do I start? Asking for support from the module vendor or look around here?

In the beginning I was actually coding a CSR module but that is ten years ago so much have changed.

RE: Beginner, there to start?

Marc Nicholas — Sun, 20 Oct 2013 19:21:48 GMT

Most of the modules are either on just starting to come to market or are geared towards high volume OEMs. They all require you to write code as they're bare silicon.*

-m

*With one exception: I believe the Laird module is an nRF51822 that has a UART-based protocol/basic programming language.

RE: Beginner, there to start?

Bengt Ragnemalm — Sun, 20 Oct 2013 17:53:58 GMT

I am aware of that BLE is a subset of Bluetooth 4.0. Thanks for checking! And I do have identified the need for BLE for most of my needs. I have some situations there idle current is not so important but for most of my applications the idle current is most important.

What I thought was that I could find members here that was using a module with a Nordic chip. Maybe this is not the right forum for my type of questions.

RE: Beginner, there to start?

Marc Nicholas — Sun, 20 Oct 2013 17:00:23 GMT

Have you identified that you need BLE? Bear in mind that Bluetooth 4.0 != BLE. BLE is a subset of Bluetooth 4.0 and not just the "latest" version of Bluetooth.

There are certainly BLE modules available that very much simplify integration, but Nordic is a silicon manufacturer (albeit fab-less) and you'll find folk here who make OEM modules, their own products, etc. rather than support for integrating BLE with a host.

Hope that helps.

-m