Re: BlueGiga vs TI?
Re: BlueGiga vs TI?
- Subject: Re: BlueGiga vs TI?
- From: Ramin Firoozye <email@hidden>
- Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2013 16:47:50 -0800
One big difference between the two is how easy it is to program the device side. BlueGiga supports a pretty simple scripting language called BGScript. They also have free developer tools that compile the script into binary code. Most of their tools are Windows-based, but here's a command-line version ported to the Mac (https://github.com/timburks/20121026-CocoaConf). Once the script is compiled into a binary file you will need the TI CC Debugger programmer to upload it to the device. The CC Debugger GUI tool is also windows-based but there's a command-line version that runs on the Mac (http://sourceforge.net/projects/cctool/).
What this means is that if you're developing Core Bluetooth apps for iOS you can use your Mac to build both the device and the iOS side as long as you use BlueGiga.
The TI toolchain is C-based and relies on a commercial third-party development kit from IAR. They give out a 30-day eval version but after that AFAIK it runs ~$2K for a developer seat. Since it's Windows-based you'll have to run it on a separate machine or under Parallels or VMWare.
If you're just starting out I'd go with the BLE112 since BGScript is fairly easy to pick up and the dev tools are free. However, the TI C library gives you a lot more control over tweaking the BTLE settings. And since BLE112 is based on the CC2450 core in theory you should be able to run the low-level C-based code on both devices.
On the iOS side you may want to take a look at BLExplr, BLEScan, or BTLExplorer on the app store. Some are for-pay but they let you scan for any BTLE device and explore the services and characteristics from a BTLE-compatible iPhone. Really handy for debugging. Speaking of debuggers, since you got the TI kit it should have come with a little BTLE circuit on a USB dongle. You can download a scanner app from the TI website and upload it to the dongle via the CC Debugger box. They provide a GUI Windows-only app that turns that dongle into a Bluetooth sniffer/packet analyzer. Once you get going it's a pretty handy tool.
For even more advanced debugging there's also Ubertooth (http://ubertooth.sourceforge.net) which is available commercially for ~$120. It lets you run low-level protocol analyzers like Kismet and Wireshark and scans both classic and LE flavors.
HTH,
Ramin
On Feb 28, 2013, at 1:43 PM, Rick Mann <email@hidden> wrote:
> Does anyone have opinions or feedback on developing BTLE accessories using the BlueGiga BLE112 vs the TI CC2450 series?
>
> I bought a BLE112 module, and CC2450 dev kits, but have yet to even get "Hello World" running on either one. I'm most interested in which one is easier to configure and interface with a host microcontroller. It will be completely custom in terms of the parameters read and written by the iOS device.
>
> Thanks!
>
> --
> Rick
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