nRF5 action!

[Nca78]

For those interested, NRF52840 is already available on AliExpress from HolyIOT, it's the revision 1 of the chip, too bad they put a chip antenna :(

https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Nordic-nRF52840-Bluetooth-module-grid-development-board-BLE5-0-Bluetooth-serial-low-power-voice-long-distance/420533_32868365660.html

[Edit] They also have the most compact NRF24 compatible gateway ever, for 10$ :o
https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Nordic-nRF52832-BLE-4-0-4-2-5-0-USB-UART-BLE-dongle-for-computer/420533_32862480389.html

[NeverDie]

Looks as though there is also a new DK for the nRF52840 as well:
https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/nordic-semiconductor-asa/NRF52840-DK/1490-1072-ND/8593726
just not in stock.

Looks like HolyIOT is ahead of the curve on this chip.

[alowhum]

@nca78 said in nRF5 Bluetooth action!:

https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Nordic-nRF52832-BLE-4-0-4-2-5-0-USB-UART-BLE-dongle-for-computer/420533_32862480389.html

Cool!

[Nca78]

@alowhum said in nRF5 Bluetooth action!:

@nca78 said in nRF5 Bluetooth action!:

https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Nordic-nRF52832-BLE-4-0-4-2-5-0-USB-UART-BLE-dongle-for-computer/420533_32862480389.html

Cool!

If you buy one, buy the "black" version, it's a bit bigger but it's because it has a PCB antenna, range will be better.

[Toyman]

@nca78 I don't recognize any LDO on the PCB while it has USB power supply. How is 5V converted to 3.3v?

[alowhum]

@toyman said in nRF5 Bluetooth action!:

@nca78 I don't recognize any LDO on the PCB while it has USB power supply. How is 5V converted to 3.3v?

I was wondering the exact same thing!

[scalz]

small internal dcdc converter

[Nca78]

@alowhum said in nRF5 Bluetooth action!:

@toyman said in nRF5 Bluetooth action!:

@nca78 I don't recognize any LDO on the PCB while it has USB power supply. How is 5V converted to 3.3v?

I was wondering the exact same thing!

Look at bottom of page 6 and top left of "schematic" on page 9 of the CP2104 datasheet. It can supply up to 100mA.
https://www.silabs.com/documents/public/data-sheets/cp2104.pdf

[NeverDie]

Can someone please provide a link to the module being discussed? I tried looking on Aliexpress, and I don't see anything which matches.

[Nca78]

@neverdie it's this link, in the description on aliexpress you can see the internal PCB "module"
https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Nordic-nRF52832-BLE-4-0-4-2-5-0-USB-UART-BLE-dongle-for-computer/420533_32862480389.html

[Toyman]

@nca78 Got it. So it's kinda Arduino Nano, but nrf52-based.

[NeverDie]

@nca78 said in nRF5 Bluetooth action!:

@neverdie it's this link, in the description on aliexpress you can see the internal PCB "module"
https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/tag-connect-llc/TC2030-CLIP/TC2030-CLIP-ND/2605371

? Plug of nails?

[Toyman]

@neverdie https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Nordic-nRF52832-BLE-4-0-4-2-5-0-USB-UART-BLE-dongle-for-computer/420533_32862480389.html

[NeverDie]

I dropped "Bluetooth" from the title of this thread because the thread instead evolved into the MySensors alternative to Bluetooth.

[alowhum]

How hard, or how much work, would it be to create a version of the MySensors gateway that works on one of those dongles?

[Toyman]

@alowhum my understaning, it should work out of the box

[alowhum]

Really? So something like:

• Upload gateway sketch to it (how?)
• Select "serial connection" in Domoticz?

[NeverDie]

@alowhum You'd still need a programmer

[Toyman]

@neverdie ...and some nifty soldering skills in order to connect to SWDIO/SWDCLK pads

[scalz]

i don't think you need extraordinary soldering skills, pads on bottom looks easy ;) (pretty sure these are the programming pads)

The right question, imho, would be: can you expect from this dongle the range you would expect from a gateway ?? regarding chip antenna performance and maybe its gnd counterpoise..