SILICON LABS SLEXP8031A Wireless Xpress KIT User Guide

SILICON LABS SLEXP8031A Wireless Xpress KIT

Instructions

The Wireless Xpress BGX220P expansion board is an excellent starting point to get fa-miliar with the Bluetooth Xpress BGX220 Bluetooth Low Energy module.
The evaluation board includes everything a developer needs to exercise the BGX220P’s serial interface and demonstrate data transfer over Bluetooth Low Energy. The board can operate in a stand-alone mode by connecting a PC to the on-board CP2102N USB-to-UART bridge device. The board can also operate in a simulated embedded host mode with a Silicon Labs EFM8 or EFM32 starter kit, which can be attached to the expansion board’s header.

The kit includes the following:

• BGX220P Expansion Board
• 1 x micro USB cable
• Getting Started card

KEY FEATURES

• BGX220P is a Bluetooth Low Energy cable replacement device
• Can connect to another BGX220 device or to a smart phone
• UART interface and flow control pins use Xpress command API to connect and communicate across the Bluetooth LE link
• Breakout test points for easy interface with prototype boards
• Power sources include USB and EXP Header

Getting Started

Software
To set up the software for the BGX220P kit:

1. Install the CP210x Virtual COM Port (VCP) driver, available at: https://www.silabs.com/products/development-tools/software/usb-to-uart-bridge-vcp-drivers
2. Install the BGX Commander mobile app, available in the Android and iOS app stores.
3. Install Simplicity Studio, available at: https://www.silabs.com/products/development-tools/software/simplicity-studio.

Hardware
To set up the hardware for the BGX220P kit:

1. Connect the micro USB cable to BGX220P board and the other end to the PC.
2. Ensure the green LED near the USB connector is on.
3. Ensure to CP2102N USB-to-UART bridge enumerates successfully.
   In Windows, the device manager should show “Silicon Labs CP210x USB to UART bridge (COMx)”, where x is the COM port number.

Update Firmware
The BGX Commander application can upgrade the device’s firmware over bluetooth. Update the firmware now to ensure that the Blue-tooth Xpress module is running the latest version.

1. While still connected to the Bluetooth Xpress module, tap the menu icon located at the top-right corner of the application.
2. Tap [Update Firmware] to begin the upgrade.

Kit Block Diagram

An overview of the BGX220P expansion board is shown in the figure below.

Kit Hardware Layout

The layout of the BGX220P expansion board is shown below.

Power and Operation

Power Selection
The BGX220P expansion board is designed to be powered by two different sources:

• CP2102N internal regulator
• Expansion header

The figure shows how the different power sources are connected to the BGX220P.

When the USB is connected, the BGX220P is powered from the CP2102N internal regulator, which is in turn powered by the USB cable.
The board can also be powered externally through the VMCU and GND pins of the expansion header when the board is attached to a power supply or an EFM MCU Starter Kit.
When power is provided through the USB or an external power supply, the BGX220P module can act as a stand-alone device. When it is connected to an EFM MCU Starter Kit through the expansion header, the BGX220P acts as a peripheral to the MCU.

Stand alone
In standalone mode, the BGX220P on the evaluation board can be communicated with using the CP2102N UART-to-USB bridge de-vice. Simply connect to the CP2102N’s virtual COM port in a terminal program and interface with the BGX.
Note: By default, the Bluetooth Xpress module communicates at 115200 baud, though this is a configurable setting.
In standalone mode, the device can function as either a central and connect with a second Bluetooth Xpress module, or as a peripheral, which can be discovered and connected to by a second Bluetooth Xpress module or the BGX commander app.
Test points on the board enables developers to fly wires into their own prototype designs, adding Blutooth LE with just a UART interface and power/ground.

Connected to the Expansion Header
The BGX220P expansion board is designed to quickly attach to any EFM32 and EFM8 MCU starter kit and jumpstart the development of BLE-connected applications. Attach the evaluation board to the STK through the expansion header to connect power and communication pins.

Peripherals

The starter kit has a set of peripherals that showcase some of the features of the BGX220 module.
Be aware that some I/O routed to peripherals are also routed to the breakout pads. This must be taken into consideration when using the breakout pads for your application.

Push Buttons and LEDs
The board includes 2 active-low LEDs and 2 mechanical buttons to exercise I/O capabilities of the BGX220P. The connects are shown in the following table.

To use a LED, the GPIO connected to the LED needs to be configured to use the LED. For instance, the Bluetooth Xpress module could indicate Bluetooth connection status by configuring the GPIO0 pin as the con_status_led. GPIOs can be configured using either Xpress Configurator’s GUI-based GPIO configuration window or manually, using the Xpress Configurator’s terminal window or using the terminal program of your choice. For example, to manually configure GPIO0 as the con_status_led, connect to the board’s virtual COM port and send the following command in the terminal window:
gfu 0 con_status_led
To test, connect to the BGX220P over BLE using the BGX Commander mobile app. When the app connects to the expansion board, note that LED0 turns on, indicating an established connection.
To use a mechanical button, the GPIO connected to the button needs to be configured to standard input mode. Again, GPIOs can be configured using either Xpress Configurator’s GUI-based GPIO configuration window or manually, using the Xpress Configurator’s ter-minal window or using the terminal program of your choice. For example, to configure GPIO2 as standard input mode, connect to the board’s virtual COM port and send the following command in the terminal window:

• gfu 2 stdio
• gdi 2 in

To test, connect to the BGX220P over BLE using the BGX Commander mobile app. In the screen that appears, choose ‘Command’ mode. Issue the following command to the BGX220P:
gge 2
The BGX will respond with ‘1’. Press down the button and issue the command gge 2 again. The response will now be ‘0’.
Note: In addition to controlling port pins, special functions exist in the BGX220P to enable control of power, connection state, and other features through pin inputs. For a full description of available pin functions, please see docs.silabs.com.

Connectors

Test Points
The test points located on bottom edge of the board. Test points are available for the Bluetooth Xpress module’s power/ground pins, UART pins, all GPIOs, reset pin, and boot pin.

Expansion Header
On the left hand side of the board is a female expansion header to connect to a Silicon Labs EFM8 or EFM32 Starter Kit (STK). The connecter contains a number of output and communication pins that can be used to communicate with the MCU on the STK. Additional-ly, the VMCU, 3V3, and 5V power rails are also available. The figure below shows the pin assignment of the expansion header.

Simplicity Studio

Simplicity Studio contains tools to configure and evaluate the BGX220P.

Xpress Configurator
Xpress Configurator is a GUI tool used to configure parameters of the BGX220P, save those values, and export settings in a number of useful ways.
Note: All configuration of the BGX executes across the serial interface, and any step taken by Xpress Configurator can be reproduced by an embedded host connected to the BGX220P’s UART interface.
All communication between the BGX220P expansion board and the Xpress Configurator can be seen in the terminal window embedded in the Xpress Configurator tool.
For more information on Xpress Configurator, please see docs.silabs.com.

Advanced Energy Monitor
When the BGX220P expansion board is connected to a Silicon Labs STK, the STK’s Advanced Energy Monitor (AEM) hardware also measures the BGX220P’s power consumption using the VMCU connection on the EXP header. By using the [Energy Profiler] in Sim-plicity Studio, current consumption and voltage can be measured in real time.
More details about AEM and its operation can be found in the STK User Guide. Note that AEM will measure the current for all circuitry connected to VMCU, including the STK MCU and the CPT device.

Schematics, Assembly Drawings, and BOM

Board Files
The schematics, assembly drawings and bill of materials (BOM) for the BGX220P expansion board are available through Simplicity Studio when the kit documentation package has been installed. To access these documents, click the [Kit Documentation] tile after selecting the device in the left pane.

Board Revision History: A01 — Initial production revision.

A01 Revision Boards
These boards do not currently have any known issues.
Note: The BGX220P modules populated on the Wireless Xpress BGX220P SLEXP8031A expansion boards may not have the certification marking etched onto the package shield. However, these modules are production modules and there is no difference in functionality or performance compared to modules having the certification marking.

Simplicity Studio
One-click access to MCU and wireless tools, documentation, software, source code libraries & more. Available for Windows, Mac and Linux!

Disclaimer

Silicon Labs intends to provide customers with the latest, accurate, and in- depth documentation of all peripherals and modules available for system and software implementers using or intending to use the Silicon Labs products. Characterization data, available modules and peripherals, memory sizes and memory addresses refer to each specific device, and “Typical” parameters provided can and do vary in different applications. Application examples described herein are for illustrative purposes only. Silicon Labs reserves the right to make changes without further notice to the product information, specifications, and descriptions herein, and does not give warranties as to the accuracy or completeness of the included information. Without prior notification, Silicon Labs may update product firmware during the manufacturing process for security or reliability reasons. Such changes will not alter the specifications or the performance of the product. Silicon Labs shall have no liability for the consequences of use of the information supplied in this document. This document does not imply or expressly grant any license to design or fabricate any integrated circuits. The products are not designed or authorized to be used within any FDA Class III devices, applications for which FDA premarket approval is required, or Life Support Systems without the specific written consent of Silicon Labs. A “Life Support System” is any product or system intended to support or sustain life and/or health, which, if it fails, can be reasonably expected to result in significant personal injury or death. Silicon Labs products are not designed or authorized for military applications. Silicon Labs products shall under no circumstances be used in weapons of mass destruction including (but not limited to) nuclear, biological or chemical weapons, or missiles capable of delivering such weapons. Silicon Labs disclaims all express and implied warranties and shall not be responsible or liable for any injuries or damages related to use of a Silicon Labs product in such unauthorized applications.

Trademark Information

Silicon Laboratories Inc.®, Silicon Laboratories®, Silicon Labs®, SiLabs® and the Silicon Labs logo®, Bluegiga®, Bluegiga Logo®, ClockBuilder®, CMEMS®, DSPLL®, EFM®, EFM32®, EFR, Ember®, Energy Micro, Energy Micro logo and combinations thereof, “the world’s most energy friendly microcontrollers”, Ember®, EZLink®, EZRadio®, EZRadioPRO®, Gecko®, Gecko OS, Gecko OS Studio, ISOmodem®, Precision32®, ProSLIC®, Simplicity Studio®, SiPHY®, Telegesis, the Telegesis Logo®, USBXpress®, Zentri, the Zentri logo and Zentri DMS, Z-Wave®, and others are trademarks or registered trademarks of Silicon Labs. ARM, CORTEX, Cortex-M3 and THUMB are trademarks or registered trademarks of ARM Holdings. Keil is a registered trademark of ARM Limited. Wi-Fi is a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance. All other products or brand names mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective holders.

• Silicon Laboratories Inc. 400 West Cesar Chavez Austin, TX 78701
• USA
• http://www.silabs.com

References

• Silicon Labs
• Simplicity Studio - Silicon Labs

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