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Coin-Shaped Dev Kit Delivers Sensor Fusion, Voice Capturing, and Bluetooth 5.0

November 19, 2018 by Paul Shepard

BlueNRG-Tile is the core of a new all-in-one IoT-node development kit from STMicroelectronics. The very small tile/coin is built around ST’s BlueNRG-2 Bluetooth low energy 5.0 single-mode system-on-chip (SoC) that provides control and processing power to a full complement of sensors, while also communicating via Bluetooth with a free iOS or Android demo app on a nearby smartphone.

For multi-node applications, the BlueNRG-2 SoC, which is powered by an Arm® Cortex®-M0-core with up to 256KB of embedded flash memory, supports mesh networking up to 32k nodes, substantially extending the range of sensing and remote monitoring to any needs, from smart-home to large-scale industrial infrastructure.

Surrounding the BlueNRG-2 SoC, ST has packed a full-featured ultra-low-power sensor portfolio, which includes an accelerometer and gyroscope, a magnetometer, pressure, and humidity and temperature sensors, a microphone, and a FlightSense Time-of-Flight sensor. With a highly optimized sensor architecture, the BlueNRG-2 SoC specs just 900 nA sleep current (with full data retention) and full-system stand-by power as low as 25uA.

More notably it also achieves ultra-fast wake-up capability, efficient execution of 9-axis inertial sensor fusion (running the ST MotionFX sensor-fusion code optimized for the Arm Cortex-M0) and streaming of real-time, low-latency data consuming just 1.4mA at 25 Hz.

STEVAL-BCN002V1B evaluation kit with STEVAL-BCN002V1 sensor board and STEVAL-BCN002V1D programming board.

Still, the miniaturized MEMS sensor portfolio and the highly integrated BlueNRG-2 SoC, together with a size-optimized RF balun, have allowed ST to squeeze the coin’s size down to 2.5cm diameter. Even so, the BlueNRG-Tile development kit, which is accessed for programming and debugging through a motherboard that together with the tile/coin compose an Eval kit, offers a convenient on-board debugging and programming interface, multi-color LED, and a configurable wake-up push-button.

ST offers the sensor node with a comprehensive Software Development Kit (SDK) that includes everything needed to forge a smarter and readily usable IoT node or network of nodes. The SDK comes with BlueNRG-Mesh networking library, MEMS sensor algorithms including 9-axis sensor fusion and event detection, voice-over-BLE code and a bunch of ready-to-go examples in source code.

In addition, ST BLE Sensors and ST BLE Mesh apps, for iOS and Android smartphones and for both mesh and point-to-point networking, are available for download from the app stores.

The STEVAL-BCN002V1D adapter board is used to program and debug the sensor board. The adapter board is powered via USB. Key features include:

  • STEVAL-BCN002V1B evaluation kit with STEVAL-BCN002V1 sensor board and STEVAL-BCN002V1D programming board.
  • STEVAL-BCN002V1 sensor board:
    • `BlueNRG-2: Bluetooth Low Energy single-mode system-on-chip
    • BALF-NRG-02D3: ultra-miniature balun and harmonic filter
    • LSM6DSO: iNEMO 6DoF inertial module, ultra-low power and high accuracy
    • LIS2MDL: magnetic sensor, digital output, 50 gauss magnetic field dynamic range, ultra-low power, high performance, 3-axis magnetometer
    • VL53L1X: long range Time-of-Flight sensor based on ST FlightSense technology
    • MP34DT05TR-A: MEMS audio sensor omnidirectional digital microphone, 64 dB SNR, -26 dBFS sensitivity, top-port, 122.5 dBSPL AOP
    • LPS22HH: ultra-compact piezo-resistive absolute pressure sensor, 260-1260 hPa, digital output barometer, full-mold dust resistant, holed LGA package (HLGA)
    • HTS221: capacitive digital sensor for relative humidity and temperature
    • CR2032 battery powered (not included)
  • STEVAL-BCN002V1D programming board:
    • program and debug firmware running on sensor board
    • supply power to the sensor board
  • ST BlueMS demo app available on Android (Google Play) and iOS (iTunes)
  • Target Applications:
    • Internet of Things, Smart Building, Home and City
    • Tracking System, Supply Chain/ Cold-Chain Management
    • Smart Agriculture (soil control, animal activity tracking, etc.)

With these features, developers can quickly design, debug, prototype, and industrialize a range of IoT nodes for Smart Home, Smart Industry, and Smart Building applications that are limited only by the developers’ imagination.

Sampling now, the STEVAL-BCN002V1B Evaluation kit contains a BlueNRG-Tile (STEVAL-BCN002V1) and an STEVAL-BCN002V1D programming board to program and debug the BlueNRG-Tile. The Eval kit costs 50 and includes the free-of-charge, user-friendly SDK. BlueNRG-Tile is powered by a CR2032 coin cell (not included).

The BlueNRF-Tile was demonstrated last week at electronica in Munich, Nov 13-16, Hall 3C-Booth 101