New to NRF51422

[D_Hercules]

I am developing a product where I need to read a signal from an SPI ADC and send remotely to a receiver. This will be powered of a coin cell. I see that the NRF51422 is low power, but I am confused about how to program it... is the software available able to load a defined program on the NRF51422 much like any other microcontroller? or this chip is only useful for handling the signal transmission?

Is there another NRF chip that comes in a more friendly package, like soic or QFN? maybe less pins, but easier to prototype?

Thanks.. A little bit of pointers will go a long way. Right now I am using the NRF24L01 with an atmel micro, but I want to save space in my board by combining mcu and transmission in one chip.

[RK]

Yes you can program the nrf51822, it's a full MCU as well as radio and peripherals (it has an ADC on it by the way if you want to avoid using the SPI ADC, it also has SPI so you can read the SPI ADC if you use that).

the NRF51822 does come in QFN, it's one of the packaging options.

I suggest buying the development kit, it's cheap, it has an integrated JLink debugger you can use for testing your code and also programming your custom boards after you make them.

Nordic also has the nRF52 series chips which are even lower power and have even more features. I haven't tried hand-prototyping those yet, they have a pretty tight footprint which is more complicated than QFN (but not quite as bad as BGA).

[D_Hercules]

Thanks a lot for the comments. Is the platform to program them free of use? or can arduino platform be used? I guess I need to find a module ready to use similar to the nrf24L01. Also, can the NRF24L01 be programmed? Regards, Daniel Hercules

[RK]

Yes the platform comes with the device (look at the Resources tab above which tells you something about the SDKs and the Softdevices which are available). They are fully documented, you can use the compiled code in your product.

You can't use the arduino platform. There are a number of IDEs available ranging from the expensive (Keil) to the free (Eclipse) and the 'free-for-non-commercial' (Segger Embedded Studio). You can also just use gcc and gdb for free (and the SDK has examples for this).

Don't know about the NF24L01

[D_Hercules]

Thanks a lot. I really appreciate the pointers. Just ordered the DK. I need an ADC of the type ADS1247... it has to be fast. I cannot use what comes with the MCU. But saving MCU and transmitter in one chip is worth the time to learn how to develop on this new platform.

Do you know if this package for the NRF chip does well reflowing at home. I have a very precise oven, but not experience with something so small. I usually only reflow SOIC components which is not that complicated.

Thanks

[RK]

Yeah the nRF51s reflow easy and I have a homebuilt reflow toaster. Just ensure you skinny up the pads to the point your board house (I use Elecrow) can get some mask between the pads and do any usual kind of adjustments you make (I tend to lengthen a pads a little so I can touch up with an iron if necessary).

Elecrow's standard service will do 0.075mm pad clearance and 0.15mm minimum solder mast so that means for the nrf51s I get a max 0.1mm pad (0.1 + 0.15 + 2 * 0.075 == 0.4). I have done with without any mask between the pads and it does work, but you get a lower yield and get to play touch up with hot air quite a bit.