The BGM111 module is the first in a family of advanced Blue Gecko modules delivering integration, flexibility, energy efficiency, and toolchain support with an easy migration path to Blue Gecko system-on-chip (SoC) solutions. It simplifies Bluetooth Smart design for a wide variety of applications ranging from smartphone accessories to industrial sensors, beacons, connected home devices, health and fitness trackers and point of sale terminals.
Based on Silicon Labs’s Blue Gecko wireless SoCs, the 12.9 mm × 15 mm × 2.2 mm BGM111 modules provide a plug-and-play Bluetooth Smart design pre-certified for use in North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific. The BGM111 modules are preloaded with the Bluegiga Bluetooth 4.1-compliant software stack and profiles and are field-upgradable using device firmware upgrades to Bluetooth 4.2 and beyond.
The BGM111 module abstracts the complexity out of RF design, the Bluetooth Smart protocol and embedded programming. Silicon Labs’ Blue Gecko portfolio provides developers with the flexibility to begin Bluetooth development with BGM111 modules and then transition to Blue Gecko SoCs when needed with minimal system redesign and full software reuse.
The BGM111 module is supported by Silicon Labs’s wireless SDK, which means you can use either a host or fully standalone operation through the Bluegiga BGScript scripting language. Using a familiar BASIC-like syntax, BGScript enables you to create Bluetooth applications quickly without using external MCUs to run the application logic. All application code can be executed on the BGM111 module.
The BGM111 modules incorporate all features of Blue Gecko SoCs and come with 256 kB flash and 32 kB RAM, providing ample memory for onboard applications. The SoC’s built-in hardware cryptographic accelerator offers the assurance of a future-proof roadmap for evolving security requirements. Flexible hardware interfaces enable easy connection to a variety of peripherals and sensors. An integrated, high-efficiency antenna makes RF design and operation consistent and straightforward for developers of all skill levels.
The BGM111 module’s ultra-low power operation enables Bluetooth Smart systems to be powered from a standard 3 V coin cell battery or two AAA batteries. The SoC’s integrated ARM Cortex-M4 processor-based MCU consumes 59 µA/MHz in run mode and only 1.7 µA down to 200 nA in sleep mode. The SoC’s on-chip Bluetooth Smart transceiver consumes only 7.5 mA in peak receive mode and 8.2 mA @ 0 dBm in peak transmit mode. The transceiver also provides the industry’s most flexible transmit power, configurable up to +8 dBm and supporting exceptional line-of-sight RF range of up to 200 meters.
“Our fully integrated module design, best-in-class scripting language and software stack, and knowledgeable support team enable our customers to develop their Bluetooth Smart applications with the lowest R&D investment, saving months of engineering effort and testing,” says Riku Mettälä, general manager of wireless module products at Silicon Labs.
Pre-production samples of the BGM111 Blue Gecko module, supported by the SLWSTK6101A Blue Gecko wireless starter kit, are currently available. BGM111 module pricing begins at $4.97 in 10,000-unit quantities. The SLWSTK6101A starter kit costs $150.
www.silabs.com/BlueGecko
