nrf51422 + nrf8001 or nrf51922 Hardware Question

[Nils Minor]

Hi, i need some help by selecting the right Hardware for a new Project. I want to build mesh network so i think ANT is the right Protokoll for me, with BLE i can't build such a network. I also need an small processor in the application thats why i prefer to use the nrf51422 becouse i have ant + processor. And the main job of the application is to use ant to communicate with each other.

But i also needs a bridge between Bluetooth, an it is possible that i need bluetooth and ant at the same time.

First i thought i could use nrf51922 but i don't think that i can use ant and BLE at the same time. would it bee possible for me that i can use a nrf51422 for ant + nrf8001 for BLE ?

Thank you :)

[Stefan Birnir Sverrisson]

Hi Nils

For nRF51922, BLE and ANT can run concurrently, i.e. you can maintain BLE and ANT connection at the same time. I would clearly recommend nRF51922 if you need both BLE and ANT. Having nRF51422 and nRF8001 will clearly have higher BOM and will most likely require more development effort from your side as you would need to operate two chips instead of one. It is also a benefit that it is fairly easy to use for nRF51922, any BLE example code from the nRF51822 SDK. Similarly, you can also use ANT example code from the nRF51422 SDK or your custom nRF51422 code for ANT communication on the nRF51922 chip. There is also available heart rate monitor example code for nRF51922 that uses both ANT and BLE at the same time. It receives ANT heart rate data and relays that heart rate data to a BLE central device via its BLE interface.

[Nils Minor]

Hi Stefan,

Thank you for your nordic support. This exactly what i wanted to hear :). So i will use the nrf51922 for my Project, gret that there is such an example using BLE and ANT at the same Time. But how is that possible, there is one Antenna and one Radio? Did you developed something like multiplexing the antenna?

I looked at mouser and othere Ditris but i can not found the nrf51922 Development Kit, where can i buy one. I know that i can not use my 51822 Dev Kit becaouse the 51922 SD is burned in. Will the 51922 cost as much as the 51422 and 51822?

Best regards Nils :)