Intermediate
30 min

Experience Bluetooth like never before with BGX13S22GA-V31 and STM32F101ZG

Connecting possibilities, empowering lifestyles

BLE 7 Click with UNI-DS v8

Published Jul 28, 2023

Click board™

BLE 7 Click

Dev Board

UNI-DS v8

Compiler

NECTO Studio

MCU

STM32F101ZG

Say goodbye to tangled wires and embrace a world of simplified connectivity, empowering you to stream, share, and control your devices effortlessly

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Hardware Overview

How does it work?

BLE 7 Click is based on the BGX13S22GA-V31, a module from Silicon Labs that has some impressive features, including the fact that it is Bluetooth 5 low energy compliant, GPIO control through command API, Encrypted bonding and connectivity, and an Integrated DC-DC Converter. The BGX13S22GA-V31 module eliminates Bluetooth firmware development complexity with a serial interface that can operate as a raw data stream or control the device through an abstracted command API. The BGX13S22GA-V31 can facilitate a device-to-device cable replacement link or communicate with mobile devices through the Xpress Bluetooth mobile library. The device integrates a Bluetooth 5-compliant stack to future-proof applications as Bluetooth 5 adoption increases. The device is targeted for applications

where ultra-small size, reliable, high-performance RF, low power consumption, and fast time-to-market are key requirements. BGX13S22GA-V31 also integrates a high-performance, ultra-robust antenna, which requires minimal PCB, plastic, and metal clearance. Unless stated otherwise, minimum and maximum values represent the worst conditions across supply voltage, process variation, and operating temperature. The BGX13S module has only one external supply pin (VDD). Several internal supply rails are mentioned in the electrical specifications, whose connections vary based on transmit power configuration. The BGX13S creates a Bluetooth five-compliant BLE cable replacement interface, facilitating a BLE link to a second embedded or mobile device. An embedded MCU controls the device and

communicates across the BLE link through a serial interface and control signals. Parameters stored in non-volatile memory and configurable through the serial interface adjust the device's performance characteristics. Silicon Labs offers iOS and Android mobile libraries for Blue Gecko Xpress devices to speed mobile development and simplify communication. This Click board™ can be operated only with a 3.3V logic voltage level. The board must perform appropriate logic voltage level conversion before using MCUs with different logic levels. Also, it comes equipped with a library containing functions and an example code that can be used, as a reference, for further development.

BLE 7 Click top side image
BLE 7 Click bottom side image

Features overview

Development board

UNI-DS v8 is a development board specially designed for the needs of rapid development of embedded applications. It supports a wide range of microcontrollers, such as different STM32, Kinetis, TIVA, CEC, MSP, PIC, dsPIC, PIC32, and AVR MCUs regardless of their number of pins, and a broad set of unique functions, such as the first-ever embedded debugger/programmer over WiFi. The development board is well organized and designed so that the end-user has all the necessary elements, such as switches, buttons, indicators, connectors, and others, in one place. Thanks to innovative manufacturing technology, UNI-DS v8 provides a fluid and immersive working experience, allowing access anywhere and under any

circumstances at any time. Each part of the UNI-DS v8 development board contains the components necessary for the most efficient operation of the same board. An advanced integrated CODEGRIP programmer/debugger module offers many valuable programming/debugging options, including support for JTAG, SWD, and SWO Trace (Single Wire Output)), and seamless integration with the Mikroe software environment. Besides, it also includes a clean and regulated power supply module for the development board. It can use a wide range of external power sources, including a battery, an external 12V power supply, and a power source via the USB Type-C (USB-C) connector. Communication options such as USB-UART, USB

HOST/DEVICE, CAN (on the MCU card, if supported), and Ethernet is also included. In addition, it also has the well-established mikroBUS™ standard, a standardized socket for the MCU card (SiBRAIN standard), and two display options for the TFT board line of products and character-based LCD. UNI-DS v8 is an integral part of the Mikroe ecosystem for rapid development. Natively supported by Mikroe software tools, it covers many aspects of prototyping and development thanks to a considerable number of different Click boards™ (over a thousand boards), the number of which is growing every day.

UNI-DS v8 horizontal image

Microcontroller Overview

MCU Card / MCU

default

Type

8th Generation

Architecture

ARM Cortex-M3

MCU Memory (KB)

1024

Silicon Vendor

STMicroelectronics

Pin count

144

RAM (Bytes)

81920

Used MCU Pins

mikroBUS™ mapper

General-Purpose I/0
PC0
AN
Reset
PE13
RST
UART RTS
PD11
CS
NC
NC
SCK
NC
NC
MISO
NC
NC
MOSI
Power Supply
3.3V
3.3V
Ground
GND
GND
General-Purpose I/0
PD12
PWM
UART CTS
PG6
INT
UART TX
PB6
TX
UART RX
PB7
RX
NC
NC
SCL
NC
NC
SDA
NC
NC
5V
Ground
GND
GND
1

Take a closer look

Schematic

BLE 7 Click Schematic schematic

Step by step

Project assembly

Fusion for PIC v8 front image hardware assembly

Start by selecting your development board and Click board™. Begin with the UNI-DS v8 as your development board.

Fusion for PIC v8 front image hardware assembly
Buck 22 Click front image hardware assembly
SiBRAIN for PIC32MZ1024EFK144 front image hardware assembly
v8 SiBRAIN MB 1 - upright/background hardware assembly
Necto image step 2 hardware assembly
Necto image step 3 hardware assembly
Necto image step 4 hardware assembly
NECTO Compiler Selection Step Image hardware assembly
NECTO Output Selection Step Image hardware assembly
Necto image step 6 hardware assembly
Necto image step 7 hardware assembly
Necto image step 8 hardware assembly
Necto image step 9 hardware assembly
Necto image step 10 hardware assembly
Necto PreFlash Image hardware assembly

Track your results in real time

Application Output

After pressing the "FLASH" button on the left-side panel, it is necessary to open the UART terminal to display the achieved results. By clicking on the Tools icon in the right-hand panel, multiple different functions are displayed, among which is the UART Terminal. Click on the offered "UART Terminal" icon.

UART Application Output Step 1

Once the UART terminal is opened, the window takes on a new form. At the top of the tab are two buttons, one for adjusting the parameters of the UART terminal and the other for connecting the UART terminal. The tab's lower part is reserved for displaying the achieved results. Before connecting, the terminal has a Disconnected status, indicating that the terminal is not yet active. Before connecting, it is necessary to check the set parameters of the UART terminal. Click on the "OPTIONS" button.

UART Application Output Step 2

In the newly opened UART Terminal Options field, we check if the terminal settings are correct, such as the set port and the Baud rate of UART communication. If the data is not displayed properly, it is possible that the Baud rate value is not set correctly and needs to be adjusted to 115200. If all the parameters are set correctly, click on "CONFIGURE".

UART Application Output Step 3

The next step is to click on the "CONNECT" button, after which the terminal status changes from Disconnected to Connected in green, and the data is displayed in the Received data field.

UART Application Output Step 4

Software Support

Library Description

This library contains API for BLE 7 Click driver.

Key functions:

  • ble7_reset - This function allows user to reset BGX module

  • ble7_send_command - This function allows user to transmit data to the BGX module

Open Source

Code example

This example can be found in NECTO Studio. Feel free to download the code, or you can copy the code below.

/*!
 * \file 
 * \brief Ble7 Click example
 * 
 * # Description
 * This example reads and processes data from BLE 7 clicks.
 *
 * The demo application is composed of two sections :
 * 
 * ## Application Init 
 * Initializes the driver and configures the click board.
 * 
 * ## Application Task  
 * Checks for the received data, reads it and replies with a certain message.
 * 
 * ## Additional Function
 * - ble7_process ( ) - Logs all received messages on UART, and sends the certain message back 
 * to the connected device.
 * 
 * @note
 * We have used the BLE Scanner smartphone application for the test. 
 * A smartphone and the click board must be paired in order to exchange messages with each other.
 * For more information about the BGX module commands, please refer to the following link:
 * https://docs.silabs.com/gecko-os/1/bgx/latest/commands
 * 
 * \author MikroE Team
 *
 */
// ------------------------------------------------------------------- INCLUDES

#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "ble7.h"
#include "string.h"

#define PROCESS_COUNTER 10
#define PROCESS_RX_BUFFER_SIZE 200

// ------------------------------------------------------------------ VARIABLES

#define BLE7_ENABLE_ECHO                        "set sy c e 1"
#define BLE7_CLEAR_BONDING                      "clrb"
#define BLE7_ENABLE_BONDING                     "set bl e b 1"
#define BLE7_ENABLE_PAIRING                     "set bl e p any"
#define BLE7_SET_ADVERTISING_ON                 "adv high"
#define BLE7_SET_ADVERTISING_HIGH_DURATION      "set bl v h d 120"
#define BLE7_SET_DEVICE_NAME                    "set sy d n \"BLE7-DEVICE\""
#define BLE7_SAVE_CONFIGURATION                 "save"
#define BLE7_SWITCH_TO_STREAM_MODE              "str"

static ble7_t ble7;
static log_t logger;
static uint8_t data_mode = 0;
static uint8_t config_mode = 0;
static char current_parser_buf[ PROCESS_RX_BUFFER_SIZE ];

// ------------------------------------------------------- ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS

static int8_t ble7_process ( void )
{
    int32_t rsp_size;
    uint16_t rsp_cnt = 0;
    int8_t ret_flag = 0;
    
    char uart_rx_buffer[ PROCESS_RX_BUFFER_SIZE ] = { 0 };
    uint8_t check_buf_cnt;
    uint8_t process_cnt = PROCESS_COUNTER;
    
    // Clear current buffer
    memset( current_parser_buf, 0, PROCESS_RX_BUFFER_SIZE ); 
    
    while( process_cnt != 0 )
    {
        rsp_size = ble7_generic_read( &ble7, uart_rx_buffer, PROCESS_RX_BUFFER_SIZE );

        if ( rsp_size > 0 )
        {  
            // Validation of the received data
            for ( check_buf_cnt = 0; check_buf_cnt < rsp_size; check_buf_cnt++ )
            {
                if ( uart_rx_buffer[ check_buf_cnt ] == 0 ) 
                {
                    uart_rx_buffer[ check_buf_cnt ] = 13;
                }
            }
            // Storages data in current buffer
            rsp_cnt += rsp_size;
            if ( rsp_cnt < PROCESS_RX_BUFFER_SIZE )
            {
                strncat( current_parser_buf, uart_rx_buffer, rsp_size );
            }
            
            // Clear RX buffer
            memset( uart_rx_buffer, 0, PROCESS_RX_BUFFER_SIZE );
            
            if ( strstr( current_parser_buf, "Command failed" ) ) 
            {
                ret_flag = 0;
                return ret_flag;
            }
            
            if ( strstr( current_parser_buf, "Success" ) ) 
            {
                ret_flag = 1;
            }
            
            if ( strstr( current_parser_buf, "STREAM_MODE" ) ) 
            {
                data_mode = 1;
                ret_flag = 1;
            }
            
            if ( strstr( current_parser_buf, "COMMAND_MODE" ) ) 
            {
                data_mode = 0;
                ret_flag = 1;
            }
            
            if ( ret_flag == 1 )
            {
                log_printf( &logger, "%s", current_parser_buf );
                return ret_flag;
            }
            
            if ( config_mode == 0 )
            {   
                log_printf( &logger, "%s", current_parser_buf );
                if ( data_mode == 0 ) 
                {
                    ble7_send_command( &ble7, "send Hello" );
                    Delay_ms( 2000 );
                    ble7_send_command( &ble7, "send MikroE" );
                }
                else
                {
                    ble7_send_command( &ble7, "Hello" );
                    Delay_ms( 2000 );
                    ble7_send_command( &ble7, "MikroE" );
                }
            }
        } 
        else 
        {
            process_cnt--;
            
            // Process delay 
            Delay_ms( 100 );
        }
    }
    
    ret_flag = 0;
    return ret_flag;
}

// ------------------------------------------------------ APPLICATION FUNCTIONS

void application_init ( void )
{
    log_cfg_t log_cfg;
    ble7_cfg_t cfg;

    /** 
     * Logger initialization.
     * Default baud rate: 115200
     * Default log level: LOG_LEVEL_DEBUG
     * @note If USB_UART_RX and USB_UART_TX 
     * are defined as HAL_PIN_NC, you will 
     * need to define them manually for log to work. 
     * See @b LOG_MAP_USB_UART macro definition for detailed explanation.
     */
    LOG_MAP_USB_UART( log_cfg );
    log_init( &logger, &log_cfg );
    log_info( &logger, "---- Application Init ----" );

    //  Click initialization.

    ble7_cfg_setup( &cfg );
    BLE7_MAP_MIKROBUS( cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
    ble7_init( &ble7, &cfg );
    Delay_1sec( );
    
    log_printf( &logger, "Configuring the module...\r\n" );
    Delay_1sec( );
    config_mode = 1;
    
    do 
    {
        ble7_reset( &ble7 );
        Delay_1sec( );
    }
    while( ble7_process(  ) != 1 );
    
    do 
    {
        ble7_send_command( &ble7, BLE7_CLEAR_BONDING );
        Delay_1sec( );
    }
    while( ble7_process(  ) != 1 );
    
    do 
    {
        ble7_send_command( &ble7, BLE7_ENABLE_ECHO );
        Delay_1sec( );
    }
    while( ble7_process(  ) != 1 );
    
    do 
    {
        ble7_send_command( &ble7, BLE7_ENABLE_PAIRING );
        Delay_1sec( );
    }
    while( ble7_process(  ) != 1 );
    
    do 
    {
        ble7_send_command( &ble7, BLE7_ENABLE_BONDING );
        Delay_1sec( );
    }
    while( ble7_process(  ) != 1 );
    
    do 
    {
        ble7_send_command( &ble7, BLE7_SET_DEVICE_NAME );
        Delay_1sec( );
    }
    while( ble7_process(  ) != 1 );
    
    do 
    {
        ble7_send_command( &ble7, BLE7_SET_ADVERTISING_ON );
        Delay_1sec( );
    }
    while( ble7_process(  ) != 1 );
    
    do 
    {
        ble7_send_command( &ble7, BLE7_SET_ADVERTISING_HIGH_DURATION );
        Delay_1sec( );
    }
    while( ble7_process(  ) != 1 );
    
    do 
    {
        ble7_send_command( &ble7, BLE7_SAVE_CONFIGURATION );
        Delay_1sec( );
    }
    while( ble7_process(  ) != 1 );
    
    do 
    {
        ble7_send_command( &ble7, BLE7_SWITCH_TO_STREAM_MODE );
        Delay_1sec( );
    }
    while( ble7_process(  ) != 1 );
    
    config_mode = 0;
    log_printf( &logger, "The module has been configured.\r\n" );
    Delay_1sec( );
}

void application_task ( void )
{
    ble7_process(  );
}

void main ( void )
{
    application_init( );

    for ( ; ; )
    {
        application_task( );
    }
}


// ------------------------------------------------------------------------ END

Additional Support

Resources