Have a LOW-volume mobile data acquisition application that requires Bluetooth. Not sure yet whether it will be Class I or II. Any suggestions as to good, reliable OEM modules? Unit cost is not a big factor. What's the situation with FCC/Industry Canada? I presume that type approval is required?
Best regards, Spehro Pefhany
-- "it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward" speff@interlog.com Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com
"Spehro Pefhany >"
Hi Spehro,
Take a look at these:
The modules are certified as an end product and therefore do not need any extra approvals. Just plug them into your application and you're ready. The modules can be programmed by modem style AT commands and can be setup as a 'serial-wire' replacement. You make the right settings with a few AT commands and then two paired modules operate autonomously as a fully transparent serial channel. In Europe, they sell for about 85 euro/unit, which compares to appr. $100.
I have used them to put BT functionality into a data multiplexer, so any Bluetooth device (PDA, PC or what have you) using the serial profile could talk to the multiplexer.
Meindert
Yes, that's just the sort of thing I'm looking for. Thanks for the suggestion, Meindert. They are made by TDK, I presume.
Best regards, Spehro Pefhany
-- "it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward" speff@interlog.com Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com
In article , Spehro Pefhany
You can get SDIO cards that do bluetooth. That's a device in the SD/MMC form factor. I'm not sure what's involved in driving one.
-- Ben Jackson http://www.ben.com/
"Spehro Pefhany >" Yes, that's just the sort of thing I'm looking for. Thanks for the
Yes. And they contain (as many others) a radio chipset from Cambridge Silicon Radio. Also the support for these modules is very good. You can mail directly with one of the software developers of the module and he is very responsive. But he is in the UK so mind the time difference.
Meindert
You may also want to check out Wilcoxon Research
Bradley
Since nobody else has pointed this out, I will. RF does not go through aluminum, so you will need to have an external antenna, or have sufficiently large enough cutouts in the box that the RF will "leak" out.
Mike Anton
"Spehro Pefhany >"
Thanks. ;-) It's a plastic (polycarbonate) enclosure, but I could imagine someone making that mistake. Once.
Best regards, Spehro Pefhany
-- "it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward" speff@interlog.com Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com
Some plastics will absorb RF energy and will seriously attenuate your signal, so you still want to be carefull of what type of material you use for your box. I don't know about polycarbonate. I have heard the way to find out if a plastic will work well is to put it in a microwave oven with a glass of water, and see if the plastic gets hot.
Both microwave ovens and Bluetooth are at 2.4GHz so the plastic will absorb energy from both in the same way.
Ethan
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