Getting Started with EZ-BT WICED Modules
Document Number: 002-23400 Rev. **
2
1
Introduction
Bluetooth is a wireless standard that operates in the 2.4-GHz ISM band, originally created as an RS-232 cable
replacement technology. Bluetooth technology and applications have evolved significantly since the initial Bluetooth
v1.0 specification release in 1999.
▪
1999~2004: Bluetooth applications were focused on short-range wireless cable replacement (e.g., printers, PC
mice, and keyboards).
▪
2004~2011: Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) adopts Bluetooth Core Specification 2.0, introducing Enhanced
Data Rate, capable of transmitting up to 3 Mbits/s, opening up one of the most dominant applications for Bluetooth
technologies: audio streaming. The first Bluetooth-enabled stereo headset was released in the same year. From
2004 to 2011, the number of Bluetooth-enabled products and mobile/ smartphones continued to expand within
these application segments.
▪
2011~2017: Bluetooth SIG adopts Core Specification v4.0, which introduced Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), also
known as Bluetooth Smart. The introduction of Bluetooth Smart provided a lower-power alternative to the prior
Bluetooth Classic (BR and EDR) technologies, opening a wide array of applications in what is now known as the
IoT (Internet of Things). Bluetooth Low Energy has continued to evolve since its introduction, adding increased
security, data rates, and improved privacy for users.
▪
2017: Mesh networking capability is added to Bluetooth, enabling products to increase the scale and range for
Bluetooth applications.
Cypress' Bluetooth portfolio consists of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)-only and dual-mode Bluetooth solutions that
support Bluetooth Classic (i.e., Basic Rate (BR) and Enhanced Data Rate (EDR)) as well as BLE. This application note
will focus on the Cypress dual-mode Bluetooth module portfolio, which includes Bluetooth 5.0 qualified, BR + EDR +
BLE devices that integrate Bluetooth standard profiles and protocols for embedded applications.
WICED (pronounced “wik-id”) is Cypress’ IoT platform that enables rapid development and deployment of connected
IoT products. Wireless Internet Connectivity for Embedded Devices (WICED) in conjunction with EZ-BT modules
provides a great feature set to simplify development and release of Bluetooth-enabled products by eliminating the
complexity of wireless RF hardware design, allowing customers to focus on their IoT product development.
The WICED Studio
™ SDK is pre-integrated, pre-tested, and continuously updated, containing:
▪
WICED APIs and drivers to make wireless connectivity easy and flexible
▪
Proven production-ready stacks (e.g., networking, security)
Cypress’ EZ-BT modules accelerate your time-to-market, by providing:
▪
Proven RF solutions, reducing hardware development and debugging
▪
Fully qualified and certified solutions, decreasing costs and cycle times associated with RF standards
▪
Multiple module options to maximize your system design flexibility
EZ-BT WICED Modules enable quick time-to-market by eliminating time-consuming and costly RF hardware
development, certification, and qualification processes, offering an effective alternative to completing a Bluetooth
system design from the ground up.
The EZ-BT WICED Module family provides fully integrated, qualified, and certified Bluetooth systems that integrate a
24-MHz crystal oscillator, passive components, on-board or on-chip memory, on-board chip or trace antennas, and the
WICED Bluetooth silicon device, which includes the Bluetooth radio, analog-to-digital converter inputs, PWM control,
serial communication protocols (I
2
C, SPI, UART), audio interfaces (I
2
S, PCM, PDM), and an Arm
®
Cortex
®
-M3 or M4
microcontroller.
EZ-BT WICED Modules provide a cost-effective solution for sensor-based IoT solutions, while still achieving world-
class RF performance by utilizing the latest WICED Bluetooth silicon devices.
