I first found out about Bluetooth LE tags in 2012 with SticknFind project, and since then many other companies have designed their own Bluetooth beacon mostly to find objects such as your keys or pets. Puck.js is also a Bluetooth 4.2 LE beacon, but has many more features including compatibility with the upcoming Bluetooth 5.0 standard, and some GPIOs programmable with JavaScript (Espruino implementation), and corresponding visual programming editor.
Puck.js hardware specifications:
- Bluetooth Smart SoC – Nordic Semi nRF52832 ARM Cortex-M4F micro-controller @ 64 MHz
- Connectivity
- Bluetooth 4.2 LE/smart, Bluetooth 5.0 Ready; up to 80 meters range in open space
- On-chip NFC support
- Expansion – 8x through holes with 6x GPIOs, and 2x power signals
- Sensors – MAC3110 magnetometer, on-chip temperature sensor
- Misc – 1x tactile button, 4x LEDs (R, G, B, IR)
- Battery – CR2032 210mAh battery good for about a year (application dependent)
- Dimensions – 35mm diameter, 10mm thick; water-resistant silicon rubber cover
Puck.js beacon supports Google’s Eddystone and Apple’s iBeacon to advertise itself to other devices, as well as Web Bluetooth currently supported by Chrome, but with other browser soon to follow. The beacon also supports both slave and master modes. You can program the device by going to Espruino website with Chrome browser, connecting your Puck.js, and start programming by dragging blocks around, or directly using JavaScript, using one of ~100 example projects or from scratch.
Possible applications include lost/found tag, reminder button, IR remote button, motion detection, enabling common tasks with your smartphone such as starting to play music without touching your phone… The I/Os, and LEDs can also be controlled from a mobile app, and it can be embedded into electronics projects such as simple robots. Multiple Puke.js can also be arranged in a mesh interacting with each other.
The project is now fully funded on Kickstarter with 23 days to go. A single Puke.js beacon will require a 28 GBP ($37 US) pledge, but other rewards include up to 50 beacons at a lower price per unit. Shipping adds 2 GBP to the UK, and 4 GBP to the rest of the world for the single unit pledge. Delivery is scheduled for December 2016.
Via Adafruit
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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is it me or this is way too expensive?
Read carefully, it says “Delivery is scheduled for December 2015” – maybe travelling back in time is still expensive?
Nice one, waiting to get some cheap China modules with nrf52. Maybe the SW will be open sourced and one could you it on different hardware?
In this relation, any news about ESP32? Last I heard that it will be delayed for Q4’16 – let’s hope it comes out sooner.