A Minimalist DIY 5GHz Wi-Fi/BLE Development Board
Based on Ameba RTL872X microcontroller, Simon Xi's 5G Wi-Fi dev board features buttons, USB serial module and an LDO 3.3V power regulator.
Not wanting to use an entire development board for project deployment applications, electrical engineer Simon Xi opted to create a minimalist board that wouldn't cost much money to build. To that end, he designed a small 5GHz Wi-Fi and BLE microcontroller using readily-available components.
"Development board that involves RF module and antenna design is generally a lot harder to design and commercialize, as designing the RF circuit can be challenging and yet once designed, you have to get your design approved (e.g., FCC) before it can enter the consumer electronics market," Xi writes. "That's why it's a lot easier to design with a pre-certified RF stamp module." His module of choice was the Ameba RTL872X, a platform he's familiar with and incorporates both Wi-Fi and BLE.
To make the board, Xi 3D printed an adapter module that allows the MCU to be plugged into any standard breadboard. The board uses a pair of buttons for on/off and navigation, a USB serial module for programming, and an LDO 3.3V power regulator that enables it to draw power from a USB source or wall outlet.
It's a great little project, but it looks like it will need a battery module if it's used in the field.
