BLE modules ?

I investigated Dorji's UART friendly DBM01 BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) modules quite some time back,& am overdue to relook at these & also update with other such offerings.

Dorji's DBM01 seemed to be a variation on Jinan Huamao Tech's (hence "HM") HM-10 or smaller HM-11, based around TI's CC2540/41 SoC (System on a Chip). Nordic offer similar based upon their nRF51822. IOS & Android phones (from 4.3 on) handle BLE nicely,with diverse apps. increasingly available, especially for sports & medical BLE devices.

HM-10/11 - 17 now look increasingly popular (& cloned ...) & there's also a dual mode HM-12 that may give greater versatility. Module prices seem in the US$7 -$10 range for most offerings, although FastTech have the HC-16 & smaller HM-17 at ~US$5 globally freight free.

Compared with classic BT the much lower current drain & improved range of BLE tempts,& PICAXEable wireless links may well be worth exploring. Although BLE modules offer a great swag of connections & "AT" configuration, for simple work just 4 classic serial wires (TXD,RXD, VCC & GND) may do - see pictures.

Any up to date experiences & insights to share? I'll post my own of course too. Stan.

Of course RevEd sell a USB BLE dongle which can be used to give ageing PCs BLE functionality.

Stevesmythe: Thanks for pointing this out. However (& with Android devices tending near laughably cheap) my BLE slant is more portable.

Suitable apps.,although largely free,are another issue though, & I'm still plowing thru' all manner of offerings. It's not helped by my trusty Samsung S3 smart phone being classic BT only, & a US$30 BLE capable Alcatel Onetouch Pop D1 (Ver 4.4) I found in a bargain bin has a small lo-res screen & is slow...

Those considering BLE should at least install BLE Checker and BLE Scanner on their Android- the first tells IF your device supports BLE, while the latter offers all manner of details along with a handy RSSI feature that helps locate lost FitBit's etc! This app. verified Dorji's BLE module (which draws ~8ma as a "beacon") indeed has a pleasing range - it readily connects out to ~50 metres LoS.

BluetoothLeGatt and/or HMBLE Terminal (written for HM-1x BLE devices) look more promising for serious work however.

Chinese firm Huamao Tech make a huge swag of BT modules & breakout boards, both classic BT & more recent BLE. Check Ebay or Alibaba etc. I'm still trying to get a handle on what may best suit PICAXE work -& budgets! Stan.

I bought a couple of the CC2541-based modules, like these

I tried a bunch of supposedly BLE-compatible apps but only could get HMBLE Terminal to work with my Samsung GS4... I found no way to disconnect from the device except killing HMBLE in Android or resetting the module on the PICAXE side. Since I'd rather not type commands on Android in terminal, I've been meaning to see if RoboRemo would work with these modules but haven't had a chance to revisit. Kinda lost interest since standby power was still much too high at ~450uA for my battery powered project so I stuck with using the ESP8266 and webserver for just periodic check-ins.

Hemi345: Thanks for your insights & I agree that standby drain is too high, especially as the appeal of BLE relates to it's "smell of an oily electron" potential! Your module seems a HM-10 on breakout board.

BLE modules increasingly abound now of course,typically via outlets like Adafruit & Seeed etc. However the little known <$5 USR-BLE 100 offering below may have microAmp merit? It quotes a low power broadcast mode of 1.3uA (& sleep mode of 150nA),along with a 1.9V~5.5V single supply & a variety of wake-up methods.

The Chinese IoT firm Jinan USR IOT Technology Limited (located near "HM" in Shandong Province) admirably provide extensive English documentation . They've also a tiny (10mm x 10mm) USR-BLE101 with similar specs.but less daunting pinouts! . USR have an on line shop, but one off shipping on these US$3 -$5 modules is sadly quoted as $$. Maybe they'll ship samples free? The usual AliBababa, AliExpress & Ebay outlets offer them too, but largely via bulk buys.

Surprisingly a good search doesn't locate e-opinions of USR-BLE modules. Guess I'll have to put my hand up...

It's early days yet of course but BLE PICAXEability is already apparent- it somewhat reminds me of the "great idea but too complex for most folks" micro era some 20 years back (& thus pre PICAXE & Basic Stamp ). Stan.

Those USR modules definately look like something worth trying. I found the 101 in a lot of 3 w/free shipping but still more than I'd want to spend to test something. The 100 is available singularly which would be the cheaper option but more pins to solder.

OK- so how about contacting USR & asking for a few samples? I'm looking at ordering some myself, either as samples or purchase. Their 2 modules are identical in function,so perhaps start simply with the cheapest (all up). That'll probably be my approach.

You don't have to solder too many pins - the comprehensive BLE101 user manual (ref P.19/20) says about 8 (supply, GND, TXD, RXD etc) are needed for a minimum TTL setup. Stan.

Hi all,

Can anyone please help me out with the embedded code/software within the IC BLE100 and the Bill Of Materials for the same as we are trying to develop the PCB Board for USR-BLE100 Bluetooth Module. Thanks in advance.


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