Bosch introduces sensor evaluation boards for rapid prototyping and accelerated development

     The new Application Board version 3.0 offers a versatile development solution that enables engineers to quickly and easily operate all Bosch Sensortec sensors on one platform. The new application board simplifies the evaluation and prototyping of sensors for a wide range of applications, especially in Industry 4.0, the Internet of Things, smart home systems, and wrist and head-worn wearables.

     To maximize scalability, any Bosch Sensortec sensor - mounted on a "shuttle board" - simply plugs into a socket on the application board. All shuttle boards are packaged in the same package, and Bosch Sensortec's software automatically detects which sensor is inserted at any time and activates the corresponding software. This makes the evaluation of various sensors and solutions simple and straightforward. The design of the application board makes it easy to create prototypes to quickly test different application case configurations.

     The new application board is compact, measuring just 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.

     "App Board 3.0 enables developers to quickly and easily create their projects on one platform with any of our sensors. This means they can now focus on building unique use cases and differentiating their products from the competition." Dr. Stefan Finkbeiner, CEO of Bosch Sensortec, said, "Our customers also benefit from efficient support from field application engineers and Bosch offices in all regions."

     The integrated Development Environment (IDE) software shipped with the application board includes a simplified graphical user interface (GUI) that evaluates and adjusts sensor parameters, as well as visualizes and logs sensor data. The software also saves time in troubleshooting sensor-related problems.

     The 3.0 app board is designed around the u-blox NINA-B302 Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) module, based on Nordic Semiconductor's nRF52840 chipset, which includes an ARM Cortex-M4F CPU. It has been certified multiple times to comply with several directives in different countries and regions: CE, RoHS, China RoHS, FCC, IC, VCCI, SRRC and NCC.

     To ensure efficient and fast customization of the vast majority of iot use cases, the new board comes with 256 Kb of memory, 1 Mb of internal flash and 2 Gb of external flash for data logging. It offers a full-speed micro-USB 2.0 connection, as well as a BLE host such as a PC to transfer recorded sensor data from the application board.