Anaren Bluetooth Smart Development Kit

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Update 2018-Sept Back around January, Anaren spun off its IOT group and now it's Atmosphere IOT. I think that leaves this board in limbo unless I can get it to work outside of the Atmosphere cloud based SDK. (See the Cypress link)

Things look bleak for Atmosphere, they switched from the Anaren Cypress-based hardware to supporting Espressif and Intel Curie modules, and Intel discontinued Curie in July. So that just leaves Espressif.

Espressif makes that famous ESP8266 WiFi module.

2016-Sep-14 Today the UPS truck pulled up unexpectedly and dropped off an "Anaren Bluetooth' Smart Development Kit."

Hey, it's a gift from Anaren! COOL. (I won it in the monthly drawing.)

The "MSDB" (= Multi-Sensor Development Board) includes these:

  • ARM Cortex M3 processor
  • 512M RAM
  • Bluetooth Smart AKA BLE
  • Accelerometer
  • RGB LED
  • IR sensor
  • IR emitter
  • IR non-contact temperature sensor
  • Buzzer
  • Joystick w button
  • Current sensor

First thoughts. Make it portable else no point in the compass and accelerometer. So it needs a box and a battery.

Hook up a GPS module so it knows where it is. Ordered one from Sparkfun $15, such a deal.

Now turn it all into a big fitness monitor. Phatbit

Cloud based developer page: http://atmosphere.anaren.com/ Click on the IDE tab. Description is here: https://atmosphere.anaren.com/wiki/Atmosphere_Developer

Testing every feature

CyanogenMod problems

I had to upgrade to CM13 to get Anaren's Android app working. Now I want to write demo code to wring out the board.

I still can't use the Nexus 7, there is no CM13 for it.

Buzzer app

I built a simple app with the Buzzer in it, and then changed the void_setup() function by adding this line at the end: 

	BUZZER_Start(BUZZER_Note_C6);

Now when I send the app to the MSDB using the programmer, the light on the board blinks for a while and then it emits a constant tone. So I know the board works and it's just the Anaren android app that is failing.

Okay now, that constant tone is starting to wear on me. :-) Unplugging the MSDB... plugging back in... all still blissfully quiet. I can restart the embedded program by moving the UART switch to the left and hitting the tiny reset button. Then the lovely tone resumes. No need to reload it.

Output: RGB LED Input: Joystick

The program on this page will cycle through the colors https://atmosphere.anaren.com/wiki/LED_Example

This code example illustrates the use of a function "interval" that apparently gets called about once per second.

My version is called rgb_cycle

I modified it to walk through 0..7 so that I get all seven colors, "black", red, green, orange, blue, magenta, cyan, and "white". All 3 LEDs on looks pink to me.

Then I pushed the color change code into a function and connected the function to the joystick "push" button.

To make the joystick work you must add the XRA1201 library, it's under "Tools"->"Element Library". Select the XRA1201 and click "Load". See https://atmosphere.anaren.com/wiki/XRA1201_Driver The Exar XRA1201 is a GPIO expansion chip on the i2c bus.

Input: Accelerometer

Input: IR Temperature Sensor

There's a sample. The sensor output is not very interesting. It give you the temperature.

IR detector & IR emitter

To use the detector, you have to move a 0 ohm resistor (aka a solder jumper). Oh well, I don't really need it anyway.

https://atmosphere.anaren.com/wiki/Using_the_IR_Detector_and_Emitter_Example

This program show numbers from the detector but since the jumper is in the wrong position it's really just giving voltage readings at a pin. I have to assume the IR emitter option works, since I don't have a way to see it right this minute.

more...

  • Current sensor

GPS

Cypress

Cypress has a cool <$20 kit too based on the same BCM20737 PSoC but theirs is in a plastic case and includes a humidity sensor. You can get them from DigiKey. http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/cypress-semiconductor-corp/BCM9WICED_SENSE2/428-3641-ND/6150847

Developer site https://community.cypress.com/

Cypress bought Broadcomm so now if you want to use the dedicated SDK instead of Atmosphere, go to https://community.cypress.com/docs/DOC-2793

Best reference to hardware is here: https://atmosphere.anaren.com/wiki/Bluetooth_Multi-Sensor_Development_Board

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