BLYST840 Packs Everything an IoT Device Needs Into a Teeny Module

We recently wrote about the BLYST Nano, which is a tiny IoT module built around the Nordic nRF52832. The creator of that module, i-SYST, is launching an update to their system on a module (SOM) called BLYST840. The new fingertip-sized powerhouse features a Nordic nRF52840 chipset based on an Arm Cortex-M4F.

Compared to the previous BLYST Nano, there are now 46 I/O (up from 30), support for MicroPython, and adds new wireless protocols, like Thread and Zigbee, to the existing Bluetooth 5 support. The 32-bit ARM Cortex-M4F runs at 64 MHz with 1 MB flash and 256 kB RAM with DSP instructions and a floating-point unit in an energy-efficient design.

For either prototyping or production, the BLYST840 has you covered. You can solder the pads by hand or by reflow oven. Being able to hand soldering is terrific if you are not using automated assembly for the first round of prototypes. On the production side, integrating the BLYST840 into your project means skipping most wireless certifications, since it comes FCC, IC, and CE certified.

We are not using the phrase "system on a module" lightly. Dimensions of 14 x 9 x 1.6 mm make it smaller than a US quarter coin. Yet, the BLYST840's total package contains the CPU, a ceramic antenna, a dc-dc converter (including passives), NFC antenna, encryption co-processor, and a 32 MHz crystal. The on-board regulator, which accepts a wide input voltage range up to 5.5 volts, can even supply up to 25 mA for an external circuit.

The design library IOsonata supports this module. It is an open-source, multi-architecture, and multi-platform library supporting a wide range of microcontrollers targeting IoT design. IOsonata fully supports GCC and Eclipse, which makes it a cross-platform development environment with few, if any, restrictions.

For more information, visit the BLYST840 pre-order page to sign-up for project updates and to know when you can order through its Crowd Supply campaign.