Nordic Semiconductor's Bluetooth Smart SoC running mbed! Pre-order your kit!

Last updated 24 Feb 2014, by Katie Morgan. bluetooth LE, bluetooth smart, noridc

Nordic Semiconductor have just announced their new mbed-enabled nRF51822-mKIT development kit:

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This kit is based on the Nordic nRF51822 that combines a Bluetooth v4.1-compliant radio and an ARM® Cortex®-M0 processor along with SPI, I2C, ADC, PWM and GPIO on a single chip. And the chip is only about $2 in volume!

Add to the mix that we now successfully have mbed running on it, including the Bluetooth Smart APIs we've been adding to the mbed SDK, and you now have a really productive way to create a Bluetooth Smart based device that can be manufactured incredibly cheaply!

If you haven't yet come across Bluetooth Smart, it is quickly becoming a key communication component for IoT devices as it is already supported in modern smartphones and tablets, and is designed for enabling short-range wireless connectivity to things like coin cell-powered accessories. This opens the door to things like Appcessories, but also a whole host of applications for interacting and configuring devices, where instead of a clunky and expensive embedded UI, you can embed a Bluetooth Smart chip, bring your own device (BYOD) and have a much cheaper and better user experience.

You can read Nordic's full press release here:

If you are interested in creating Bluetooth Smart applications, you can take a look at it in more details and pre-order the kit here:

16 comments on Nordic Semiconductor's Bluetooth Smart SoC running mbed! Pre-order your kit!:

Neel Shah
24 Feb 2014

Is there going to be an open source hardware design like the mBed LPC1768 board?

Alex Kouznetsov
24 Feb 2014

The board looks almost identical to nRF51822 Evaluation Kit.

Simon Ford
24 Feb 2014

Hi,

@Neel, Yes, it will have a full open source HDK! Both the schematic and firmware. We'll also have a variant of the HDK using a module with integrated aerial to make production options easier.

@Alex, yes exactly - this first board is a derivative of the nRF51822 Eval kit (different firmware, lower cost kit stand alone board kit)

We'll publish he HDK when the board is shipped (but please email us if you want earlier access in case it is available sooner) - Looking forward to all sorts of derivative hardware!

Thanks, Simon

Bright Idea
25 Feb 2014

Hello Simon,

May I make an important request regarding the MBED design for NRF?

Please design the online compiler (or through some other mechanism) in away that a custom on chip boot loader can be implemented without the additional HDK chip. This is essentially a requirement for production products that require firmware update capability, but without the HDK chip. I assume you will be developing a firm to replace the firmware on the segger chip.

I am currently developing against the Eval boards and a custom board I have made, using eclipse/gcc. I would love to use MBED libs as I have been using them for years starting with the LPC1768, but absolutely must have on chip DFU capability. In fact, Nordic offers an over-air DFU example for their existing development tool chain.

I am sure I am not alone in this need.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this matter.

ram k
25 Feb 2014

Team Excellent hardware. 1) How many Rs232 (UARTs) can it support? > I think theoritically one but practically can take multiple non-concurrent UARTs by swithcing the GPIO pins 2) Just for other newbies like me, looks like it support S110 and S120 which use BT 4.0

Neel Shah
25 Feb 2014

@Simon: Thanks for the update. What is the time line to hear back on the HDK? Also, I assume I will not need the Segger debugger.

Neel.

Simon Ford
26 Feb 2014

@neel Plans are for hardware to ship early april, so it'll be published by then. No need for external hardware (it is implementing HDK on an onboard SAM3U)

Please tell us if you are wanting to make a hardware platform/derivative and we can give access to beta drops

Simon

Steve Sims
26 Feb 2014

I tried to pre-order one from Mouser into the UK but they cancelled the order due to US export restrictions:

Quote:

Unfortunately the item(s) referenced below have export restrictions imposed by the US Government. We are unable to ship these items to you and they have been removed from your order. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Part Number Quantity

949-NRF51822-MKIT 1

If you would like us to ship the balance of your order immediately, please reply to this email. We will continue to hold your order for 3 business days waiting for your instruction on how to proceed with the remaining items. After 3 business days if we have not heard from you the balance of the order will be cancelled.

Best Regards,

Export Compliance Team

export@mouser.com

Does anybody know where I might be able to order one outside of the US given that all 3 distributors on the pre-order page are US based?

EDIT: I was obviously just too keen to get my pre-order in, on Nordic's website they list a couple of distributors for outside the US so I'll try Rutronik instead (although their product page for it isn't working yet so I'll give them a few days). Still amusing that it's presumably imported into the US and then export restricted on its way back out!

Bright Idea
26 Feb 2014

No response to my comment?

Simon Ford
26 Feb 2014

@brightidea certainly something we'd like to do (and from even the IDE!), but won't be in the first release

Would be great to hear the application, and where the dfu is for development based on some desires/constraints, or more about end product functionality.

Simon

Neel Shah
26 Feb 2014

@simon: Yes I am very much interested in the beta testing. I was actually looking at a smaller form factor board. I don't want any additional functionalities/expansion ports etc. Just the 51822 along with a chip antenna and the rf circuit around it.

Any help that the mBed team can provide will be much appreciated.

Rune Brandsegg
28 Feb 2014

We have developed a board which is the size of a 2032 Coin-Cell battery.

Features:

  • Two tactile switches.
  • RGB LED.
  • Powered by a CR1632 battery.
  • 10 GPIOs of the nRF51822 is available on test points.
  • Footprint for TC2030 from Tag-Connect on a break-off tab for SWD interface
  • PCB antenna

/media/uploads/brarune/nrf51822_csp_coin-cell_board.png

Neel Shah
18 Mar 2014

@simon: No response to my comment?

Michael Liu
18 Mar 2014

Is the early April ship date still valid? Thanks!

Andrew Pavlík wrote:

@neel Plans are for hardware to ship early april, so it'll be published by then. No need for external hardware (it is implementing HDK on an onboard SAM3U)

Please tell us if you are wanting to make a hardware platform/derivative and we can give access to beta drops

Simon

Michael Liu
18 Mar 2014

Where to buy?

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Andrew Pavlík wrote:

We have developed a board which is the size of a 2032 Coin-Cell battery.

Features: •Two tactile switches. •RGB LED. •Powered by a CR1632 battery. •10 GPIOs of the nRF51822 is available on test points. •Footprint for TC2030 from Tag-Connect on a break-off tab for SWD interface •PCB antenna

Knut Eldhuset
10 Apr 2014

@Michael Liu: details here: http://www.nordicsemi.com/eng/Products/Bluetooth-R-low-energy/nRF51822-Bluetooth-Smart-Beacon-Kit

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