nrf52840 dongle

[gn560]

I'm just starting... I have a little programing experience and knowledge of electronics

My project is controlling stepper motors over ZigBee using cell phone.

I have Samsung Z-wave/ZigBee router working with some electric switches/dimmers.

Looks like the best platform would be nRF52840 dongle, but can it be used stand alone after programming with PC?

I mean, after I test my program connected to PC's USB, can I use the dongle disconnected (with just external 5v supply and motor driver, but no PC)?

nRF24L01 with Arduino Nano could be another option, but I would like all in 1 module.

Thank you and hope my question isn't too silly.

Greg

[Carlos Galiana]

Hello gn560, 

when I program the dongle with the PC I am able to used it with an external power supply so, yes, you can. If you supply it with 5V it should work fine. If it is the first time you program nRF I recommend you to use the nRF52840 DK in combination with the dongle, because you can`t debug just with the Dongle.

[Marte Myrvold]

Hi Greg,

As Carlos Galiana says, you can use the Dongle without being connected to a PC. I recommend reading nRF52840 Dongle > Power supply in the nRF52840 Dongle documentation to see how to power the Dongle from different sources. The simplest option is to just use the USB interface, as the power will be supplied to the on-chip high voltage regulator.

When programming the Dongle, make sure not to erase the bootloader and MBR, as this is needed to program the Dongle unless you are planning to use an external debugger. 

Best regards,

Marte