Download Transcript

PATRICK HALL: I'm Patrick Hall, and I will be presenting this Bluetooth low energy technical introduction including a hands on video for our sensor tag tool. Let's start with Bluetooth ecosystem to place Bluetooth low energy, otherwise known as BLE into the Bluetooth context. Bluetooth is an established standard driven by the Bluetooth special interest group, SIG, and is actually today's leading technology in terms of value in shipment and install base with over three BU. Of course, the value drivers up to now are from smart and feature phones using Bluetooth combo devices. We support Bluetooth 4.0 low energy or BLE. We call them duo mode Bluetooth or following in the SIG consumer naming, Bluetooth Smart Ready. Prior to Bluetooth 4.0, the accessories, products, devices connecting to the phones or computers have mostly been limited to audio headsets or HID devices like mice and keyboards. Additionally, streaming audio applications continue to use classic Bluetooth technology for those larger package sizes and higher data rate applications as Bluetooth low energy is not suitable. The limitation was primarily the comparably high power consumption of classic Bluetooth which was not allowing for low power application using coin cell or other batteries. This requirement is now covered by Bluetooth low energy or Bluetooth Smart according to SIG naming. And there is a broad range of accessories being developed using this low power technology. Let's take a quick look at the specs for both classic Bluetooth and Bluetooth low energy. Both are, of course, maintained by the Bluetooth special interest group, SIG, and provide an open, multi supplier platform ensuring interoperability. BLE addresses use cases with smaller packages to be sent infrequently.

The data rate and actual payload is much smaller compared to classic Bluetooth rendering it unsuitable for streaming larger amounts of data. BLE scores well on improved overall power consumption by lowering peak corrects, connection latency, and the inherent ability to drop connection during longer inactive states. BLE also improves range due to a narrower bandwidth and overcomes the traditional network limitation of seven connections as found in classic Bluetooth. As Bluetooth low energy is a lot less complex in implementation compared to classic Bluetooth, we see the target areas for this technology in a really broad set of different consumer, industrial, and automotive applications. Very common use cases are simple switches, proximity detection, or any kind of remote control applications as shown in these market segments. In many health and fitness applications as well as for medical, Bluetooth low energy is enhancing the user experience by enabling cableless operation and data transfer. In addition to the defined profiles from the SIG, every user can now make their own profiles. This opens up for any application you can think of. TI offers a complete solution for Bluetooth low energy consisting of complete hardware, stack software, hardware reference designs, and software development tools. By using a single chip, flash based, integrated MCU RF solution, you can get a very cost effective yet flexible solution without compromising on the ability to update firmware in the field. We have also focused our efforts to have a low cost total bomb with two layer LCB design, still enabling

compact designs with six by six millimeter QFN package system on chip products we are offering. All software components, including stack, profiles, example code, and even mobile OS app code are available directly from TI without any costs or licensing fee. When we introduced the first BLE SOC CC2540 in 2010, TI was the first company to offer both host and controller on a single device. Since then we have shipped close to 10,000 kits and have become the 2012 market leader in single mode BLE according to industry analysts. We have continued to invest in our software and tools offering, added new profiles, and new features like central peripheral role switching or over the air download. We are also supporting a higher data rate proprietary mode with two megabytes per second, which can be enabled through a boot image manager. Last but not least, we have increased battery life and applications by lowering TX/RX current on the latest CC2541 product, so around 18 mA, yet keeping a good 97 decimal link budget. Our solution also limits the overhead power consumption during operation mode switching thanks to a set of low power sleep modes. As a TI companionship, the TPS 62730 low power DC/DC converter can reduce peak current consumption by another 30% by lowering the actual operating voltage of the CCE2541 and, thus, improving efficiency for applications with high duty cycles. It is more and more common that equipment can be upgraded via firmware upgrades downloaded from the web. Smartphone firmware and apps are easily available as upgrades via the app stores on the phones.

The natural next step is to allow upgrades of firmware on the Bluetooth low energy accessory. Traditionally, firmware upgrades to accessories could only be done by connecting the device to a PC via USB, checking your company web page for upgrades, downloading it together with the programming tool, and then flashing it into the accessory. For customers, this is too much hassle to go through to have the latest version of the accessory. In addition, the USB connector adds to the cost of the accessory. With over the air download, the firmware can be upgraded wirelessly from the smartphone in minutes. The complete firmware for OAD is included in the software stack and the app sample code can be integrated easily with existing smartphone apps. Let's take a look at the roadmap. It is divided into four sections. First is the hardware. This is the core of the Bluetooth low energy solution. On the hardware side, we currently offer two different devices, the CC2540 with USB interface and CC2541 with I2C interface and optimized power consumption. On the road map we have the CC3541S wireless network processor simplifying the host interface and, finally, the CC2640 offering much lower power consumption, more processing power, and higher system level integration. Second, and almost equally important, are the software stacks which we are continuously supporting with new profiles. Next, we have the development kits that allow ease of use for our solution. We have a number of kits supporting our Bluetooth low energy products like the very popular mini kit and, most

recently, the Bluetooth sensor tag allowing app developers to easily connect to Bluetooth low energy sensors. Lastly, we have dedicated reference designs for end equipment form factor solutions. TI has many reference designs using DC/DC converter. And we have the newly released sensor tag and also the upcoming BLE remote control. Please note that all our kit hardware are available as reference designs. TI has the broadest offering of Bluetooth low energy silicon software and development kits. The Bluetooth low energy parts are available as devices with USB or I2C interface as well as the CC2541 network processor that makes it very easy to interface to existing application processors in the systems. The TI Bluetooth low energy stack was the first to receive Bluetooth certification in 2010 and offers the most complete package of features including over the air upgrade capability. Once again, this allows users to upgrade the Bluetooth low energy accessory from apps distributed via app stores. In addition, we offer complete system and reference designs to quickly get started and simplify the development process. This sensor tag and many development kits are the bestselling Bluetooth low energy development kits on the market. Any PC can support Bluetooth low energy by using our Bluetooth low energy USB sticks. If you want to make a Bluetooth low energy remote control, the advanced remote control development kit with air mouse functionality is the perfect starting point as a reference design for Bluetooth low energy remote controls. TI provides a selection of powerful tools as part of the Bluetooth low energy offering. The sensor tag kit is a CC2541 solution with six different sensors which can be individually controlled by a Bluetooth smart ready phone or any other Bluetooth smart ready device.

The kit targets app developers who want an easy and fun entry into the Bluetooth low energy application development. It's also the perfect kit to evaluate adding mobile connectivity to your product. The sensor tag comes with a supporting iOS app on app store. In order for you to kick start your app development, download TI's iOS source code examples. The iOS app store code includes app examples on how to connect to a Bluetooth low energy device, read sensor data, and how to use the OTA functionality to download new firmware directly from a smartphone. The mini development kits, our key fobs, are two of the most widely used kits. The kits include a combined debugger and programmer, a USB dongle for debugging and packet sniffing, and a key fob with either a CC2540 or CC2541. The key fob Is powered by a coin cell battery and it has LEDs, buttons, a buzzer, and an accelerometer. The USB dongle can be used together with our powerful PC application, Btool. Btool provides complete control of a connected network processor via a graphical user interface. It allows a developer to test every aspect of the Bluetooth low energy stack. The BLE device monitor is a Windows application that displays all services and characteristics on any Bluetooth connected low energy device. It can also be used to read and write to the exposed characteristics. The TI smart RF protocol packet sniffer is a powerful development assistant which displays the Bluetooth Low Energy packets as they are sent over the air. This live view and the generated logs can be used for effective debugging during evaluation and development.

TI's power consumption estimator allows you to calculate the battery lifetime of your application. Modules are the fastest and easiest way to get started with your own Bluetooth low energy design. Modules are normally FCC and FC certified, which saves a $20,000 cost of RF certification. Module partners focus on quick turnaround time and ease of use, while other modules focus on being competitive in high value applications. The sensor tag is designed to let everybody test out their Bluetooth low energy sensor idea in minutes. The development kit is easy to set up and use and demonstrates how easy it is to get started with Bluetooth low energy accessories. The sensor tag kit includes a sensor tag with six MEMS sensors running from a coin cell battery and an app that can be used on Bluetooth Smart enabled smart phones. This is currently supported on all newer iOS devices. The kit also includes complete smartphone app source code that can be used to make Bluetooth low energy enabled apps just as easy as making other smart phone apps. To illustrate how the sensor tag can be used to demonstrate an accessory idea, imagine a weather station that uses the phone as a display. To test this idea, use the sensor tag app , enable the temp sensor, humidity sensor, and barometer and show the results on the phone. The sensor tag is supported with app example source code, complete firmware source code, and hardware reference design. At an affordable $25 price point, including shipping, any customer can easily get started with Bluetooth low energy app development.

Let's see a quick video to show how to get started with the sensor tag. MARIANNE STYRMAN: I am Marianne Styrman and I'm going to show you the sensor tag today. This beauty is only $25. And we have added six sensors to it. We have also created a very useful app for you, allowing you to get quickly up to speed and create your prototype. But let's get started and show you how it works. First, you download the sensor tag app and you connect the sensor tag. And it's load the information from all the sensors. Here, you see the six sensors, accelerometer, magnetometer, gyroscope, IR temperature, barometer, and humidity. By shaking the sensor tag, you can see the readings change. I brought my favorite coffee cup to demo the TI temperature sensor. This measures the temperature of the coffee. The coffee can also demo the humidity sensor. Our app, we give you graphs of the sensor readings. I want to show you the profile screen. Let's pretend we're doing an air mouse, leaving only the gyroscope, magnetometer, accelerometer. I'm changing the update interval of the accelerometer to 100. And now if you see the graph, you see it changes very quickly. The source code of the app is free. And if you want to make your own app, in this case the air mouse, you can generate the source code and email it to yourself.

I also want to highlight the very important over the air download. This ensures your end products are up to date by allowing it to be upgraded directly from the smartphone app. So now I showed it to you. And I told you it was quick and easy. It's really good. To find out more information, please visit the ti.com/sensortag and you will find all the information you need to get started. Thank you. PATRICK HALL: Thank you, Marianne, for introducing us to the sensor tag. Now we have listed what we believe are the most common Q&As. Take a moment to review our answers on the right hand side of this slide. Is dual Bluetooth needed? Is it possible to upgrade the firmware over the air? Can CC2540/41 use coin cell batteries, and how long would the battery operate? Can I add BLE to my existing product? Do I have to pay any royalties to Apple? Is BLE supported by Android too? There are also some initial questions you should take into account before starting. What data rate will your application require? What value should you expect on a yearly basis? Does your application need to connect to a PC? Well iOS be a part of the ecosystem? What you need an officially adapted profile, or would you make your own? Take some time to review the answers on the right hand side of the slide. This was a short introduction to Bluetooth low energy.

We have a lot of information to support you going forward, and we constantly load new support materials. Please note the web pages listed here. If you want to go deeper into the BLE technology, we have a 45 minute training to get you started. You'll find it on our TI training portal. Thank you for your attention. Please do not hesitate to contact us at any time.