BLE product development with Nordic nRF52
ProtoMakers develops Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) products for companies in Israel: the board, the firmware on a Nordic nRF52 or another BLE chip, and the connection to a phone app. BLE fits small battery-powered devices that talk to a phone or a nearby gateway.
What we do with nRF52 / BLE
- Firmware for Nordic nRF52832, nRF52840 and nRF5340, in the nRF Connect SDK (based on Zephyr)
- Maintaining and extending existing products written in the older nRF5 SDK
- Other BLE chips when they fit the product: STM32WB, or ESP32 when Wi-Fi is also needed
- Custom GATT services for the product, and standard profiles where needed
- Low power design: sleep modes, advertising and connection intervals, and real current measurement on the board
- Firmware updates over BLE from a phone (DFU), without bricking the device if an update fails
- Security: pairing, encryption and bonding
- Board design: antenna, RF matching, and the choice between a certified module and a chip-down design
When nRF52 / BLE is the right choice
- The device runs on a battery, sometimes a coin cell, and has to last months or years
- You set up and control the device from a phone
- Sensors, tags, wearables and remotes
- Short range: the same room, the same building, or a nearby gateway that forwards data to a server
When something else fits better
- The device has to reach a server without a phone or a gateway: ESP32 with Wi-Fi fits better
- The range is hundreds of meters to kilometers in open terrain: LoRa or cellular fit better
- No wireless is needed, and there are many fast interfaces and hard timing: STM32 fits better
- The project needs a large team working on many parts in parallel: a large development company is a better fit than us
Who does the work
The same engineer designs the board and the antenna and writes the firmware. With BLE products this matters a lot, because the common problems, such as disconnections, short range and batteries that drain too fast, look like code bugs but often come from the antenna, the power supply or the sleep settings. With one engineer responsible for the whole chain, there is no argument between teams about whose bug it is. And in a small company you talk directly to the engineer, with no project manager in between, which is both faster and cheaper.
FAQ
Who develops BLE and Nordic nRF52 products in Israel?
ProtoMakers, a development company in Kiryat Tivon, develops Bluetooth Low Energy products for companies across Israel: the board, firmware on a Nordic nRF52 or another BLE chip, and the connection to an app. One engineer is responsible for the hardware, the antenna and the code.
nRF52 or ESP32 for BLE?
nRF52 fits when the device runs on a small battery and has to last a long time, because it is built for very low power. ESP32 fits when you also need Wi-Fi, and the device is mains-powered or has a large battery.
How long will a BLE device last on a battery?
It depends mainly on how often it transmits and what it does between transmissions. A device that transmits rarely and sleeps most of the time can last months or even years on a small battery. Consumption is calculated during specification and measured on the prototype.
Can the firmware be updated over BLE?
Yes. A bootloader receives the new version from a phone (DFU), checks it, and switches to it only if it is valid. If the update fails halfway, the device keeps running the previous version.
A ready-made BLE module or a chip on the board?
A module with radio certifications saves RF design and shortens the way to regulatory approval, so it usually fits a new product and small to medium quantities. A chip directly on the board is cheaper in large quantities, but needs antenna design and radio certification for the product.
Have a project on the table?
A free 30-minute intro call, no obligation.