This page contains information related to Bluetooth® Low Energy or regional (CE, FCC) certification.
1. STMicroelectronics tools for certification
STMicroelectronics is providing a dedicated FW called transparent FW that will be used for certification purpose.
STMicroelectronics is also providing a dedicated GUI PC tool called Cube Monitor RF PC tool..
1.1. Transparent mode FW
The transparent mode application is used to:
✓ receive commands on UART or USB RX and propagate them to the Bluetooth® Low Energy stack.
✓ transmit events from Bluetooth®Low Energy stack on UART or USB TX.
A set of commands/events are sent though the STM32WB/WBA UART or USB to control the Bluetooth® Low Energy stack via the transparent mode application.
1.1.1. STM32WB1x, STM32WB3x, STM32WB5x
Transparent mode FW is available in STM32CubeWB software package.
It is available in source code and it must eventually be rebuilt according customer HW configuration (UART interface used, SMPS used or not, etc.)
Be careful, when considering STM32WB, stm32wbxx_BLE_Stack_full_extended_fw binary is mandatory with transparent mode FW.
if UART interface is used, refer FW example available in P-NUCLEOWB55 Nucleo folder.
if USB interface is used, refer FW example available P-NUCLEOWB55 USBDongle folder.
1.1.2. STM32WBA5x
It is available in STM32CubeWBA software package.
Transparent mode FW is available in source code and it must eventually be rebuilt according customer HW configuration (UART interface used, SMPS used or not, etc.)
1.2. Cube Monitor RF PC tool
Cube Monitor RF is a PC tool for quickly testing the RF performance of STM32WB-based hardware devices.
Thanks to RF Tests panel, device under test can quickly be set in the required mode (Rx or Tx), modulation or power.
2. Bluetooth® certification
2.1. Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLE) qualification process
All products using Bluetooth® technology must complete the Bluetooth Qualification process. Please refer to below SIG webpage.
https://www.bluetooth.com/develop-with-bluetooth/qualification-listing
Bluetooth Qualification process is not a matter of putting BT logo on product or not, it is a matter of using a licensed technology.
2 possible paths for qualification process :
No required testing
✓ I am designing a product based on a STMicroelectronics pre-certified module such as STM32WB5MMG or STM32WB1MMC
✓ I am designing a product based on an already qualified design using STM32WB chipset and I made no change in schematics and layout.
Required testing
✓ I am designing a product based on a STMicroelectronics chipset such as STM32WB or STM32WBA
Is SW testing required?
Whatever path selected, no SW testing is required except if using adopted standard profiles.
Where is done BT qualification?
If testing is required, qualification testing process must be done in an official Bluetooth Qualification Test Facility (BQTF)
A Bluetooth Qualification Test Facility (BQTF) is formally recognized by the Bluetooth SIG as competent to perform those Bluetooth qualification conformance tests.
List of official BQTF is available on Bluetooth website.
https://www.bluetooth.com/develop-with-bluetooth/qualification-listing/qualification-test-facilities.
2.2. Available QDIDs
Below tables are summarizing all available PHY and host stack QDIDs for STM32WB / STM32WBA family
STM32WB PHY QDID
Package | Part number | Cut version | cellpadding="20" RF PHY QDID |
---|---|---|---|
QFN48 | STM32WB55Cx (BLE5.2 - 2Mbit/s) STM32WB50Cx (BLE5.2 - 1Mbit/s) STM32WB35Cx (BLE5.2 - 2Mbit/s) STM32WB30Cx (BLE5.2 - 1Mbit/s) |
Y or X | 161807 (TCRL 2021-1) |
QFN48 | STM32WB15CCU6E (BLE5.2 – 2Mbit/s) STM32WB10CCU5E (BLE5.2 – 1Mbit/s) |
Y or X | 164054 (TCRL 2020-1) |
QFN48 | STM32WB15CXX6 (BLE5.2 – 2Mbit/s) STM32WB10CXX5 (BLE5.2 – 1Mbit/s) |
Y or X | 161969 (TCRL 2020-1) |
QFN68 | STM32WB55Rx (BLE5.0 - 2Mbit/s) | Y or X | 127495 (TCRL 2021-1) |
CSP 100 | STM32WB5xVY (BLE5.1 - 2Mbit/s) STM32WB55VY (BLE5.3 - 2Mbit/s) |
Y X |
134665 (TCRL 2021-1) 178970 (TCRL 2021-2) |
BGA129 | STM32WB55Vxx (BLE5.2 - 2Mbit/s) | Y or X | 161808 (TCRL 2021-1) |
WLCSP49 | STM32WB15CCY (BLE5.2 – 2Mbit/s) STM32WB10CCY (BLE5.2 – 1Mbit/s) |
Y or X | 170241 (TCRL 2020-1) |
Module 86-pin LGA | STM32WB5MMG (BLE5.2 – 2Mbits/s) STM32WB5MMG (BLE 5.3 - 2Mbits/s) |
Y X |
170767 (TCRL 2020-1) 187035 (TCRL2021-2) |
Module 77-pin LGA | STM32WB1MMC (BLE5.3 – 2Mbit/s) | 2.1 | 187042 (TCRL2023-1) |
STM32WB host stack QDID
Features | Host stack version | STM32WB_Copro_Wireless_Binaries | QDID |
---|---|---|---|
4.0 HCI Low Energy LL BLE 5.2 - 2Mbit/s |
STM32Cube_WB_BLE_HCI | stm32wb5x_BLE_HCI_AdvScan_fw.bin stm32wb5x_BLE_HCILayer_fw.bin stm32wb3x_BLE_HCI_AdvScan_fw.bin stm32wb3x_BLE_HCILayer_fw.bin stm32wb1x_BLE_HCI_AdvScan_fw.bin stm32wb1x_BLE_HCILayer_fw.bin |
160726 (TCRL 2022-1) |
4.0 HCI Low Energy LL – ATT – GAP – GATT – L2CAP - SMP BLE 5.2 - 2Mbit/s |
STM32Cube_WB_BLE_FULL_STACK STM32Cube_WB_BLE_BASIC_STACK STM32Cube_WB_BLE_LIGHT_STACK |
stm32wb5x_BLE_Stack_light_fw.bin stm32wb5x_BLE_Stack_light_fw.bin stm32wb3x_BLE_Stack_full_fw.bin stm32wb3x_BLE_Stack_light_fw.bin stm32wb1x_BLE_Stack_full_fw.bin stm32wb1x_BLE_Stack_light_fw.bin |
160724 (TCRL 2022-1) |
4.0 HCI Low Energy LL with extended advertising – ATT – GAP – GATT – L2CAP with Enhanced Connected Oriented Channel -SMP BLE 5.3 - 2Mbit/s |
STM32CubeFW_WB_BLE_HCI_FULL_EXT STM32CubeFW_WB_BLE_STACK_FULL_EXT |
stm32wb5x_BLE_HCILayer_extended_fw.bin stm32wb3x_BLE_HCILayer_extended_fw.bin stm32wb1x_BLE_HCILayer_extended_fw.bin stm32wb5x_BLE_Stack_full_extended_fw.bin stm32wb3x_BLE_Stack_full_extended_fw.bin stm32wb1x_BLE_Stack_full_extended_fw.bin |
182505 (TCRL2022-1) |
STM32WBA PHY QDID
Package | Part number | Cut version | RF PHY QDID |
---|---|---|---|
QFN48 | STM32WBA52 (BLE5.4 - 2Mbit/s) | 1.x | 197135 (TCRL 2022-2) |
STM32WBA Host stack QDID
Features | Host stack version | QDID |
---|---|---|
4.0 HCI Low Energy LL with extended advertising ATT GAP GATT L2CAP with Enhanced Connected Oriented Channel SMP BLE 5.3 |
STM32Cube_WBA_BLE_HCI_STACK STM32Cube_WBA_BLE_FULL_STACK |
198195 (TCRL 2022-1) |
2.3. Launch studio process
2.4. Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLE) PHY testing : How to?
In case PHY testing is required, below page contains information for preparing customer HW and SW.
2.4.1. SW & HW recommendation for BLE RF testing
Customer should then prepare its DUT so that:
✓STM32WB is flashed with transparent mode FW .
✓RF cable should be implemented instead of antenna (ensure solid grounding connection) as BLE RF PHY tests are done in conducted mode only.
2.4.2. Direct test mode
Direct Test Mode (Bluetooth® tester is sending HCI commands directly to board under test) is mandatory for BLE certification.
2.4.3. Pixit
When moving to RF PHY tests, customer might need to provide test house few details about chipset RF PHY.
Needed information for STM32WB are listed in below table.
✓ Note 1 : Some information are product related and not chipset related (noted “Product dependent” in this table)
✓ Note 2 : 2M tests should be set to “NA” when device is not supporting 2M modulation.
3. Regional certification
In order to sell Bluetooth low energy product in regional countries, equipment needs to comply with the associated RF regulatory requirements:
✓ FCC (Federal Communications Committee) for North America
✓ CE European Commission (Radio Equipment Directive)
✓ IC (Industry Canada).
✓ etc.
3.1. Module versus chipset
Chipset use case
✓ STM32WB chipsets are compliant with regional RF regulatory requirements.
✓However, RF tests for regional certification are fully HW dependent (antenna, layout etc.)
→ Each customer product must go through RF tests for all regional certification.
Module use case
✓ STM32WBxMMx modules are RF pre certified for various region.
Certificates and tests reports are available on st.com for STM32WB5M and STM32WB1M.
✓ It means limited RF tests are requested on final product (Rx and Tx radiated tests).
→ RF tests costs are then a bit lowered (few k$ savings for CE or FCC) when using our certified modules.
→ Each customer product must go through remaining RF tests for all regional certification.
3.2. Regional testing : How to?
3.2.1. Test setup for regional RF testing
Customer should then prepare its DUT so that:
✓STM32WB is flashed with transparent mode FW.
✓Device under test is connected to Cube Monitor RF PC tool.