STMicroelectronics BlueNRG-MESH Software Development Kit (SDK)

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STMicroelectronics’ BlueNRG-MESH Software Development Kit (SDK) enables the creation of networked devices and the smartphone apps needed to control them. The three-part SDK provides two app-developer packages for Android and iOS, and the embedded development software for building smart objects such as light fittings and sensors. Together, these packages provide all the software building blocks engineers need to get their applications running using ST’s BlueNRG mesh-ready Bluetooth Low Energy ICs.

The Bluetooth 5 specification standardises mesh networking: connecting large numbers of devices capable of communicating among themselves as well as directly with mobile phones. Bluetooth Mesh is one part of the specification, and is optimised for exchanging small data packets like lamp-dimming or on/off instructions, sensor information or device IDs. The maximum network capacity is more than 32,000 nodes and can be as wide as 126 hops, thereby allowing messages to be propagated throughout the network.

ST’s BlueNRG-MESH SDK supports developers building Bluetooth Mesh network nodes using either the BlueNRG-1 or BlueNRG-2 complete BLE SoC devices, or the BlueNRG-MS BLE radio IC. The embedded SDK contains driver-level software including hardware abstraction layer and board support packages, middleware including the BlueNRG-Mesh library and BlueNRG core stack, and sample sensing and LED lighting application code.

BlueNRG-1 and BlueNRG-2 integrate the Bluetooth radio and ARM Cortex-M0 microcontroller, providing a single-chip solution for smart objects. BlueNRG-2 can operate up to 105°C, making it suitable for use in lighting products. The BlueNRG-MS radio works with a separate host controller, giving developers the flexibility to add ST’s BLE radio solution to an existing product and leverage the SDK to implement Bluetooth Mesh.