An Introduction to the Symmetry Exclusive Wireless Add-on Board (WAB1) for Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth Smart) and Cellular Technologies

The Symmetry Electronics exclusive Wireless Add-On Board (WAB1) is designed to provide a bridge between Silicon Labs' Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth Smart) and Telit’s cellular technologies. WAB1 offers a robust and flexible platform with which to work. It is the quickest way to show a proof of concept with BLE and Telit’s cellular technologies, and to start the software development on the two platforms.

The WAB1 creates an interface to connect Telit’s cellular modules to Silicon Labs’ BLE modules. WAB1, combined with the Telit’s EVK2 and interface board and Silicon Lab’s BLE carrier boards, provides seamless communication between the BLE protocol and cellular technologies such as 3G and LTE. The BLE aspect helps in communicating over the short distances, while the cellular aspect helps in communicating across longer ranges or connecting with Cloud.

A number of WAB example applications are also available on GitHub: https://github.com/SymmetryElectronics/EVK2-WAB/wiki

The WAB1 provides ample flexibility in the development stage. It offers various onboard peripherals such as push buttons, a temperature sensor, 2Mbit onboard flash, and a potentiometer. Since it uses Telit’s EVK2, it can be combined with any interface board, giving multiple options between 3G and Verizon LTE and AT&T LTE modules, along with different variants of those modules offered by Telit as well. Additionally, the WAB1 can be connected with any carrier board by Silicon Labs which implements the BLE protocol. This offers the user a wide variety in BLE modules as an added benefit.  

WAB1 Specifications: 

- Operating Temperature: 0 C to +85 C

- CC debugger interface provided to program BLE carrier boards

- USB input for BLE carrier board

- 3-way switch to manage UART connectivity between EVK2, interface board and BLE carrier board. 

- Test points for current consumption and peripherals provided

- 2Mbit onboard flash memory

- Potentiometer is connected to BLE module analog input

- Temperature Sensor with 12 bit resolution, I2C interface, measurable temperature range: -55°C to 125°C

- 4 Programmable push buttons available for designing.

Features:

- Quick and easy designing of the proof-of-concepts for new applications

- Rapid software development possible with BLE and Cellular combination

- On board peripheral devices included

- Can be combined with any Telit interface board and Silicon Labs BLE carrier board.

- Example software showing use of all peripherals

For more information, or to get started with the WAB, call Symmetry at (310) 536-6190 or contact us online.