This page contains application examples, document references, tips, and so on related to STM32 Cellular.
1. What is Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLE)?
Bluetooth® Low Energy is a low power, short range, wireless personal area network technology designed and marketed by the Bluetooth® Special Interest Group (Bluetooth® SIG[1]) to allow devices to communicate with each other.
The keys features are:
- saving battery consumption as few data need to be transmitted
- creating simultaneous connections as data packet are short
- developing standardized application specified by the Bluetooth® SIG
- developing Mesh Network application
- developing proprietary application due to the flexibility of the Services and Characteristics creation
Most smartphones and tablets built since 2012 support BLE.
The STM32WB series are the ideal MCUs for developing connected accessories that control sensors and transmit information to these centralizer devices.
Regarding the technology specification, more information is available with the STM32WB BLE Programming Manual.
2. Wiki BLE : pages breakdown
For users aware of this Wiki BLE find here the direct links to dedicated articles, for beginners start reading next chapter first.
- BLE overview (this current page)
- BLE Hardware setup (Information about supported hardware setups)
- BLE Software setup - STM32CubeWB (Information about the BLE software development)
- BLE How To (multiple "How to" to support users)
- BLE F.A.Q (frequently asked questions)
3. Getting started with STM32WB and BLE
From a hardware point of view, STMicroelectronics offers various boards to set up BLE connectivity solution on STM32 MCUs.
The device architecture leverage state of the art STM32 ultra-low-power process node and is available from 256KB up to 1MB of Flash and up to 256KB of SRAM.
Various packages will let build the right PCB with UQFN48, VQFN68, LGA86, WLCLSP100 and UFBGA129.
The first evaluation board is the P-NUCLEO-WB55 pack including a USB dongle and Nucleo-64 boards with STM32WB55 MCU
NUCLEO-WB15CC, the newest entry-level development board for Bluetooth 5.2 applications running on the STM32WB15CC microcontroller. It offers 329 KB of Flash, 48 KB of RAM and necessary peripherals to suit engineers working on simple applications.
STMicroelectronics has expanded the STM32WB portfolio of dual-core multi-protocol microcontrollers (MCUs) by introducing the 1st STM32WB5MMG module provided on the STM32WB5MM-DK Discovery kit
The module enriches the STM32WB ecosystem and provides one more freedom axis for fast time-to-market product introduction.
For more information how to bring up the hardware to run simple BLE application check the hardware setup page.
On the software side, STM32CubeWB release provides a software solution to allow customers to quickly and easily develop their own firmware:
- Several Bluetooth SIG specified applications
- Heart rate Sensor
- HID Device
- Health Thermometer Sensor
- Proximity Device
- BLE Mesh Lighting & Vendor Models
- Beaconing
- Several ST Proprietary BLE Applications
- Peripheral/Central & GATT Client/Service (P2P)
- Cable replacement (Serail Port Profile)
- Fast Firmware Update Over The Air
- Data Transfer throughput measurement
- CubeMx Application creation & configuration
- Easy Services/Characteristics
- Proprietary application can also enjoy HCI stack, BLE LLD
For more information how to use and develop BLE Application check the BLE Software setup - STM32CubeWB.
1st 32-bit Wireless module presentation
5. Specific tools
Those tools may be used in users projects:
- STM32CubeMonitor-RF - Software tool to test the RF performance of STM32-based hardware devices
- STM32CubeMX - STM32Cube initialization code generator
- STM32CubeProgrammer - Software Programmer for all STM32
- STM32PowerShield - Power and Analyze current consumption
6. Terms and definitions
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| BLE | Bluetooth Low Energy |
| ACI | Application Control Interface
} 7. Important note regarding the safetyCaution requirements about the RF exposition must be fulfilled by the end-user as defined by the regulatory standards.
7.1. References |