BLE module reduces cost of adding Bluetooth low energy functionality to an IoT system

Dialog Semiconductor plc announced the availability of the DA14531 SmartBond TINY module, empowering customers to build the next generation of connected devices.

The SmartBond TINY module was specifically optimized to significantly reduce the cost of adding Bluetooth low energy functionality to an IoT system. Its easy-to-use design and software allow developers to quickly and intuitively develop highly functional connected devices, targeting the next generation of connected consumer, connected medical, smart home and smart appliance applications. The module incorporates two unique software features designed to eliminate the complexity often associated with traditional Bluetooth low energy development and empowers customers to develop robust IoT products regardless of their software coding capabilities.

The first is the configurable Dialog Serial Port Service (DSPS) software, which emulates a universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter (UART) serial port over BLE, removing the need to write Bluetooth software for “BLE Pipe” applications when connecting the module to a host MCU’s serial port. The second feature, Dialog’s new Codeless software, takes this concept even further by replacing complex code with a simple series of human readable ASCII commands that can be used to generate customer applications. Codeless uses the industry standard Hayes AT-style command set to configure and operate the module.

The hand solderable stamp type module offers 9 GPIO’s and measures 12.5 x 14.5mm in size. All external components, including passives, XTAL, antenna and FLASH memory, are integrated into the SmartBond TINY module, so that customers don’t need to source individual components separately.

The SmartBond TINY module is fully certified for worldwide operation, with FCC certification for the Americas and CE certification for Europe, so customers don’t need to certify platforms themselves, further reducing development time, effort and cost. The module is also effectively futureproofed, thanks to a combination of Bluetooth 5.1 compliance and support for over-the-air software updates.

Dialog’s DA14531 SoC and module are sampling now and available via DigiKey.