Application board version 3.0 provides a scalable and easy-to-use sensor development platform

     The new 3.0 version of the application board provides a multi-functional development solution, enabling engineers to quickly and easily operate all Bosch Sensortec sensors on one platform. The new application board simplifies the evaluation and prototype development of sensors, and has a wide range of applications, especially in Industry 4.0, the Internet of Things, smart home systems, and wrist and headworn devices.

     To maximize scalability, any Bosch Sensortec sensor - mounted on a "shuttle board" - simply plugs into the socket on the application board. All shuttle boards adopt the same package. Bosch Sensortec software can automatically detect which sensor is inserted at any time and start the corresponding software. This makes it easy to evaluate various sensors and solutions. The design of the application board makes prototype creation easy, so as to quickly test different application case configurations

     The new application board is compact in size, only 47.0 x 37.0 x 7.0mm3, making it ideal for evaluating sensors in portable applications. It can be powered by a 3.7V lithium-ion battery or a standard 5V USB power supply.

     "The 3.0 version of the application board enables developers to quickly and easily create their projects with any of our sensors on a single platform. This means that they can now focus on creating unique application cases and differentiate their products from competitors." Dr. Stefan Finkbeiner, CEO of Bosch Sensortec, said, "Our customers can also benefit from the efficient support of field application engineers in various regions and Bosch offices."

     The integrated development environment (IDE) software provided with the application board includes a simplified graphical user interface (GUI) that evaluates and adjusts sensor parameters, and visualizes and records sensor data. The software also saves time in troubleshooting sensor related problems.

     Version 3.0 application board is designed around the u-blox NINA-B302 low-power Bluetooth (BLE) module, based on the nRF52840 chipset of Nordic Semiconductor, including an ARM Cortex-M4F CPU. It has passed multiple certifications and complies with multiple directives of different countries and regions: CE, RoHS, China RoHS, FCC, IC, VCCI, SRRC and NCC.

     In order to ensure the efficient and rapid customization of most Internet of Things use cases, the new application board is equipped with 256 Kb memory, 1 Mb internal flash memory and 2 Gb external flash memory for data recording. It provides a full speed micro USB 2.0 connection, as well as a connection to a BLE host, such as a PC, to transfer recorded sensor data from the application board.