xref: /btstack/chipset/README.md (revision 4a4e2291e13040f1c0286e1d31d85c46fa2065ab)
13b261e46SMilanka Ringwald#
23b261e46SMilanka Ringwald
3c00c65faSMatthias RingwaldIn this chapter, we first explain how Bluetooth chipsets are connected physically and then provide information about popular Bluetooth chipset and their use with BTstack.
435e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
5c00c65faSMatthias Ringwald## HCI Interface
6c00c65faSMatthias Ringwald
7c00c65faSMatthias RingwaldThe communication between a Host (a computer or an MCU) and a Host Controller (the actual Bluetooth chipset) follows the Host Controller Interface (HCI), see {@fig:HostChipsetConnection}. HCI defines how commands, events, asynchronous and synchronous data packets are exchanged. Asynchronous packets (ACL) are used for data transfer, while synchronous packets (SCO) are used for Voice with the Headset and the Hands-Free Profiles.
835e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
9503a627eSMilanka Ringwald![Host Controller to Host connection](../doc/manual/docs-template/picts/host_chipset_connection.png){#fig:HostChipsetConnection}
1035e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
11c00c65faSMatthias Ringwald### HCI H2
12c00c65faSMatthias RingwaldOn desktop-class computers incl. laptops, USB is mainly used as HCI transport layer. For USB Bluetooth chipsets, there is little variation: most USB dongles on the market currently contain a Broadcom BCM20702 or a CSR 851x chipset. It is also called H2.
13c00c65faSMatthias Ringwald
1435e00af0SMatthias RingwaldOn embedded systems, UART connections are used instead, although USB could be used as well.
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16c00c65faSMatthias RingwaldFor UART connections, different transport layer variants exist.
1735e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
18c00c65faSMatthias Ringwald### HCI H4
19c00c65faSMatthias RingwaldThe most common one is the official "UART Transport", also called H4. It requires hardware flow control via the CTS/RTS lines and assumes no errors on the UART lines.
20c00c65faSMatthias Ringwald
21c00c65faSMatthias Ringwald### HCI H5
22c00c65faSMatthias RingwaldThe "Three-Wire UART Transport", also called H5, makes use of the SLIP protocol to transmit a packet and can deal with packet loss and bit-errors by retransmission. While it is possible to use H5 really with "three wires" without hardware handshake, we recommend to use a full UART with hardware handshake. If your design lacks the hardware handshake, H5 is your only option.
23c00c65faSMatthias Ringwald
24daa2e90cSMatthias Ringwald### BCSP
25daa2e90cSMatthias RingwaldThe predecessor of H5. The main difference to H5 is that Even Parity is used for BCSP. To use BCSP with BTstack, you use the H5 transport and can call *hci_transport_h5_enable_bcsp_mode*
26daa2e90cSMatthias Ringwald
27c00c65faSMatthias Ringwald### eHCILL
28c00c65faSMatthias RingwaldFinally, Texas Instruments extended H4 to create the "eHCILL transport" layer that allows both sides to enter sleep mode without loosing synchronisation. While it is easier to implement than H5, it it is only supported by TI chipsets and cannot handle packet loss or bit-errors.
29c00c65faSMatthias Ringwald
307c5fbb27SMatthias Ringwald### H4 over SPI
317c5fbb27SMatthias RingwaldChipsets from Dialog Semiconductor and EM Marin allow to send H4 formatted HCI packets via SPI. SPI has the benefit of a simpler implementation for both Host Controller and Host as it does not require an exact clock. The SPI Master, here the Host, provides the SPI Clock and the SPI Slave (Host Controller) only has to read and update it's data lines when the clock line changes. The EM9304 supports an SPI clock of up to 8 Mhz. However, an additional protocol is needed to let the Host know when the Host Controller has HCI packet for it. Often, an additional GPIO is used to signal this.
327c5fbb27SMatthias Ringwald
33c00c65faSMatthias Ringwald### HCI Shortcomings
3435e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
3535e00af0SMatthias RingwaldUnfortunately, the HCI standard misses a few relevant details:
3635e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
37c00c65faSMatthias Ringwald  * For UART based connections, the initial baud rate isn't defined but most Bluetooth chipsets use 115200 baud. For better throughput, a higher baud rate is necessary, but there's no standard HCI command to change it. Instead, each vendor had to come up with their own set of vendor-specific commands. Sometimes, additional steps, e.g. doing a warm reset, are necessary to activate the baud rate change as well.
3835e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
3935e00af0SMatthias Ringwald  * Some Bluetooth chipsets don't have a unique MAC address. On start, the MAC address needs to be set, but there's no standard HCI command to set it.
4035e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
4135e00af0SMatthias Ringwald  * SCO data for Voice can either be transmitted via the HCI interface or via an explicit PCM/I2S interface on the chipset. Most chipsets default to the PCM/I2S interface. To use it via USB or for Wide-Band Speech in the Hands-Free Profile, the data needs to be delivered to the host MCU. Newer Bluetooth standards define a HCI command to configure the SCO routing, but it is not implemented in the chipsets we've tested so far. Instead, this is configured in a vendor-specific way as well.
4235e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
43c00c65faSMatthias Ringwald  * In addition, most vendors allow to patch or configure their chipsets at run time by sending custom commands to the chipset. Obviously, this is also vendor dependent.
4435e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
45c00c65faSMatthias Ringwald## Documentation and Support
4635e00af0SMatthias RingwaldThe level of developer documentation and support varies widely between the various Bluetooth chipset providers.
4735e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
4835e00af0SMatthias RingwaldFrom our experience, only Texas Instruments and EM Microelectronics provide all relevant information directly on their website. Nordic Semiconductor does not officially have Bluetooth chipsets with HCI interface, but their the documentation on their nRF5 series is complete and very informative. TI and Nordic also provide excellent support via their respective web forum.
4935e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
5035e00af0SMatthias RingwaldBroadcom, whose Bluetooth + Wifi division has been acquired by the Cypress Semiconductor Corporation, provides developer documentation only to large customers as far as we know. It's possible to join their Community forum and download the WICED SDK. The WICED SDK is targeted at Wifi + Bluetooth Combo chipsets and contains the necessary chipset patch files.
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5235e00af0SMatthias RingwaldCSR, which has been acquired by Qualcomm, provides all relevant information on their Support website after signing an NDA.
5335e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
54c00c65faSMatthias Ringwald## Chipset Overview
55c00c65faSMatthias Ringwald
563d5dc47fSMatthias RingwaldChipset              | Type      | HCI Transport  | BD_ADDR (1)  | SCO over HCI (2) | LE DLE | Multiple LE Roles (3)| Classic SC (4) | LE Addr Resolution | BTstack folder | Comment
573d5dc47fSMatthias Ringwald-------------------- |-----------| ---------------|--------------|------------------|--------|----------------------|----------------|--------------------|----------------|---------
583d5dc47fSMatthias RingwaldAtmel ATWILC3000     | LE        | H4             | Yes          | n.a              | No     |         No           | n.a.           |    Don't know      | atwilc3000     | BLE Firmware size: 60 kB
593d5dc47fSMatthias RingwaldBroadcom UART        | Dual mode | H4, H5         | Rarely       | Partially (2)    | No     |      Maybe (3)       | 43438: Yes     |                    | bcm            | Max UART baudrate 2 mbps
603d5dc47fSMatthias RingwaldBroadcom USB Dongles | Dual mode | USB            | Yes          | Yes              | No     |         No           | BCM20702: No   |                    | bcm            |
613d5dc47fSMatthias RingwaldCSR UART             | Dual mode | H4, H5, BCSP   | Rarely       | Partially (2)    | No     |         No           | CSR8811:  No   |                    | csr            |
623d5dc47fSMatthias RingwaldCSR USB Dongles      | Dual mode | USB            | Mostly       | Yes              | No     |         No           | CSR8510:  No   |                    | csr            |
633d5dc47fSMatthias RingwaldCypress CYW20704/7   | Dual mode | H4, H5, USB    | Don't know   | Partially (2)    | Yes    |        Yes           | Yes            |       Yes          | bcm            |
643d5dc47fSMatthias RingwaldCypress CYW20819     | Dual mode | H4, H5, USB    | Don't know   | Partially (2)    | Yes    |        Yes           | Yes            |    Don't know      | bcm            | Keep CTS high during power cycle
654687e2cbSMatthias RingwaldCypress CYW43xxx     | Dual mode + Wifi | H4, H5  | Don't know   | Partially (2)    | Don't know |     No           | Don't know     |    Don't know      | bcm            | Bluetooth + Wifi Combo Controller
663d5dc47fSMatthias RingwaldCypress PSoC 4       | LE        | H4             | Don't know   | n.a.             | Yes    |    Don't know        | n.a.           |    Don't know      |                | HCI Firmware part of PSoC Creator kits examples
671c5cf6a0SMatthias RingwaldDialog DA14531       | LE        | H4             | No           | n.a.             | Yes    |        Yes           | n.a.           |    Don't know      | da145xx        | Official HCI firmware included in BTstack
68d00ab9e3SMatthias RingwaldDialog DA14581       | LE        | H4, SPI        | No           | n.a.             | No     |         No           | n.a.           |    Don't know      | da145xx        | Official HCI firmware included in BTstack
69d00ab9e3SMatthias RingwaldDialog DA14585       | LE        | H4, SPI        | No           | n.a.             | Yes    |        Yes           | n.a.           |       Yes          | da145xx        | Official HCI firmware included in BTstack
70d00ab9e3SMatthias RingwaldDialog DA1469x       | LE        | H4, SPI        | No           | n.a.             | Yes    |        Yes           | n.a.           |       Yes          | da145xx        | HCI Firmware part of DA1469x SDK
712effbd4fSMatthias RingwaldEspressif ESP32      | Dual mode + Wifi | VHCI    | Yes          | Yes              | Yes    |        Yes           | Yes            |    Don't know      |                | SoC with Bluetooth and Wifi
723d5dc47fSMatthias RingwaldEM 9301              | LE        | SPI, H4        | No           | n.a.             | No     |         No           | n.a.           |    Don't know      | em9301         | Custom HCI SPI implementation
733d5dc47fSMatthias RingwaldEM 9304              | LE        | SPI, H4        | Yes          | n.a.             | Yes    |        Yes           | n.a.           |    Don't know      | em9301         | Custom HCI SPI implementation
744760ed1aSMatthias RingwaldIntel Dual Wireless 3165, 8260, 8265 | Dual mode | USB  | Yes          | Probably         | Don't know | Don't know       | Don't know     |    Don't know      | intel          | Firmware size: 400 kB
753d5dc47fSMatthias RingwaldNordic nRF           | LE        | H4             | Fixed Random | n.a.             | Yes    |        Yes           | n.a.           |       Yes          |                | Requires HCI firmware
763d5dc47fSMatthias RingwaldSTM STLC2500D        | Classic   | H4             | No           | Don't know       | n.a    |         n.a.         | No             |       n.a.         | stlc2500d      | Custom deep sleep management not supported
773d5dc47fSMatthias RingwaldRenesas RX23W        | LE        | H4             | No           | n.a.             | Yes    |        Yes           | n.a .          |    Don't know      |                | HCI Firmware part of BTTS
7812eeba7aSMatthias RingwaldRealtek RTL8822CS    | Dual mode + Wifi | H5      | Yes          | Yes              | Don't know | Don't know       | Don't know     |    Don't know      |                | Requires initial firmware + config
79*4a4e2291SMatthias RingwaldRealtek USB Dongles  | Dual mode + Wifi | USB     | Yes          | Yes              | Don't know | Don't know       | Don't know     |    Don't know      | realtek        | Requires initial firmware + config
803d5dc47fSMatthias RingwaldToshiba TC35661      | Dual mode | H4             | No           | No               | No     |         No           | No             |       No           | tc3566         | Only -007/009 models provide full HCI. See below
813d5dc47fSMatthias RingwaldTI CC256x, WL183x    | Dual mode | H4, H5, eHCILL | Yes          | Yes              | No     |    Yes for CC256XC   | No             |       No           | cc256x         | Also WL185x, WL187x, and WL189x
8235e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
8335e00af0SMatthias Ringwald**Notes**:
8435e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
853d5dc47fSMatthias Ringwald  1. BD_ADDR: Indicates if Bluetooth chipset comes with its own valid MAC Address. Better Broadcom and CSR dongles usually come with a MAC address from the dongle manufacturer, but cheaper ones might come with identical addresses.
864ce43359SMatthias Ringwald  2. SCO over HCI: All Bluetooth Classic chipsets support SCO over HCI in general. BTstack can receive SCO packets without problems. However, only TI CC256x has support for using SCO buffers in the Controller and a useful flow control. On CSR/Broadcom/Cypress Controllers, BTstack cannot queue multiple SCO packets in the Controller. Instead, the SCO packet must be sent periodically at the right time - without a clear indication about when this time is. The current implementation observes the timestamps of the received SCO packets to schedule sending packets. With full control over the system and no other Bluetooth data, this can be flawless, but it's rather fragile in general. For these, it's necessary to use the I2S/PCM interface for stable operation.
874ce43359SMatthias Ringwald  , for those that are marked with No, we either didn't try or didn't found enough information to configure it correctly.
88c00c65faSMatthias Ringwald  3. Multiple LE Roles: Apple uses Broadcom Bluetooth+Wifi in their iOS devices and newer iOS versions support multiple concurrent LE roles,
8935e00af0SMatthias Ringwald  so at least some Broadcom models support multiple concurrent LE roles.
90fbacaeecSMatthias Ringwald
91fbacaeecSMatthias Ringwald## Atmel/Microchip
92fbacaeecSMatthias Ringwald
932c37f7fbSMatthias RingwaldThe ATILC3000 Bluetooth/Wifi combo controller has been used with Linux on embedded devices by Atmel/Microchip. Drivers and documentation are available from a [GitHub repository](https://github.com/atwilc3000). The ATWILC3000 has a basic HCI implementation stored in ROM and requires a firmware image to be uploaded before it can be used. The BLE Controller is qualified as [QDID 99659](https://www.bluetooth.org/tpg/QLI_viewQDL.cfm?qid=36402). Please note: the BLE firmware is around 60 kB. It might need a separate Wifi firmware as well.
94fbacaeecSMatthias Ringwald
957d82eb50SMatthias Ringwald**BD Addr** can be set with vendor-specific command although all chipsets have an official address stored. The BD_ADDR lookup results in "Newport Media Inc." which was [acquired by Atmel](http://www.atmel.com/about/news/release.aspx?reference=tcm:26-62532) in 2014.
96fbacaeecSMatthias Ringwald
97fbacaeecSMatthias Ringwald**Baud rate** can be set with a custom command.
98fbacaeecSMatthias Ringwald
99fbacaeecSMatthias Ringwald**BTstack integration**: *btstack_chipset_atwilc3000.c* contains the code to download the Bluetooth firmware image into the RAM of the ATWILC3000. After that, it can be normally used by BTstack.
10035e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
10184827a69SMatthias Ringwald## Broadcom/Cypress Semiconductor
10235e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
10329c2a6e3SMatthias RingwaldBefore the Broadcom Wifi+Bluetooth division was taken over by Cypress Semiconductor, it was not possible to buy Broadcom chipset in low quantities. Nevertheless, module manufacturers like Ampak created modules that contained Broadcom BCM chipsets (Bluetooth as well as Bluetooth+Wifi combos) that might already have been pre-tested for FCC and similar certifications.
1042c37f7fbSMatthias Ringwald
105c00c65faSMatthias RingwaldA popular example is the Ampak AP6212A module that contains an BCM 43438A1 and is used on the Raspberry Pi 3, the RedBear Duo, and the RedBear IoT pHAT for older Raspberry Pi models.
10635e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
1072c37f7fbSMatthias RingwaldThe CYW20704 A2 controller supports both DLE as well as multiple LE roles and is available e.g. from [LairdTech](https://www.lairdtech.com/bt850-bt851-and-bt860-series-modules-adapter-dvks-0002) as UART module (BT860), USB module (BT850), and USB dongle.
1082c37f7fbSMatthias Ringwald
1094ce43359SMatthias RingwaldInterestingly, the CYW20704 exhibits the same UART flow control bug as the CC2564. You can add ENABLE_CYPRESS_BAUDRATE_CHANGE_FLOWCONTROL_BUG_WORKAROUND to activate a workaround and/or read the bug & workardound description in the TI section below.
1104ce43359SMatthias Ringwald
1114ce43359SMatthias RingwaldThe best source for documentation on vendor specific commands so far has been the source code for blueZ and the Bluedroid Bluetooth stack from Android, but with the takeover by Cypress, documentation is directly available.
11235e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
11335e00af0SMatthias RingwaldBroadcom USB dongles do not require special configuration, however SCO data is not routed over USB by default.
11435e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
115624eaff0SMatthias RingwaldThe PSoC 4 SoCs can be programmed with the "BLE DTM" HCI Firmware from the PSoC Creator Kit Examples. The UART baudrate is set to 115200. For higher baud rates, the clocks probably need to be configured differently, as the IDE gives a warning about this.
116624eaff0SMatthias Ringwald
117755dfcd8SMatthias RingwaldThe CYW20819 can be used as a SoC with Cypress' Bluetooth stack. To use it as a regular Bluetooth Controller over HCI H4, CTS must be asserted during Power-Up / Reset.
118755dfcd8SMatthias Ringwald
1194687e2cbSMatthias RingwaldThe CYW43xxx series contains a Wifi and Bluetooth Controller. The Bluetooth Controller can be used independent from the Wifi part.
1204687e2cbSMatthias Ringwald
12135e00af0SMatthias Ringwald**Init scripts**: For UART connected chipsets, an init script has to be uploaded after power on. For Bluetooth chipsets that are used in Broadcom Wifi+Bluetooth combos, this file often can be found as a binary file in Linux distributions with the ending *'.hcd'* or as part of the WICED SDK as C source file that contains the init script as a data array for use without a file system.
12235e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
12335e00af0SMatthias RingwaldTo find the correct file, Broadcom chipsets return their model number when asked for their local name.
12435e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
12594bb7abfSMatthias RingwaldBTstack supports uploading of the init script in two variants: using .hcd files looked up by name in the posix-h4 port and by linking against the init script in the WICED port. While the init script is processed, the chipsets RTS line goes high, but only 2 ms after the command complete event for the last command from the init script was sent. BTstack waits for 10 ms after receiving the command complete event for the last command to avoid sending before RTS goes high and the command fails.
12635e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
127c00c65faSMatthias Ringwald**BD Addr** can be set with a custom command. A fixed address is provided on some modules, e.g. the AP6212A, but not on others.
12835e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
12994bb7abfSMatthias Ringwald**SCO data** can be configured with a custom command found in the bluez sources. It works with USB chipsets. The chipsets don't implement the SCO Flow Control that is used by BTstack for UART connected devices. A forum suggests to send SCO packets as fast as they are received since both directions have the same constant speed.
13035e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
13129c2a6e3SMatthias Ringwald**Baud rate** can be set with custom command. The baud rate resets during the warm start after uploading the init script. So, the overall scheme is this: start at default baud rate, get local version info, send custom Broadcom baud rate change command, wait for response, set local UART to high baud rate, and then send init script. After sending the last command from the init script, reset the local UART. Finally, send custom baud rate change command, wait for response, and set local UART to high baud rate.
13235e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
13335e00af0SMatthias Ringwald**BTstack integration**: The common code for all Broadcom chipsets is provided by *btstack_chipset_bcm.c*. During the setup, *btstack_chipset_bcm_instance* function is used to get a *btstack_chipset_t* instance and passed to *hci_init* function.
13435e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
13512eeba7aSMatthias RingwaldSCO Data can be routed over HCI for both USB dongles and UART connections, however BTstack does not support flow control for UART connections. HSP and HFP Narrow Band Speech is supported via I2C/PCM pins. Newer Controllers provide an
13612eeba7aSMatthias RingwaldmSBC codec that allows to use HSP/HFP incl. WBS over PCM/I2S with ENABLE_BCM_PCM_WBS.
13735e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
13884827a69SMatthias Ringwald## CSR / Qualcomm Incorporated
13984827a69SMatthias Ringwald
14084827a69SMatthias RingwaldCSR plc has been acquired by Qualcomm Incorporated in August 2015.
14135e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
14235e00af0SMatthias RingwaldSimilar to Broadcom, the best source for documentation is the source code for blueZ.
14335e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
14435e00af0SMatthias RingwaldCSR USB dongles do not require special configuration and SCO data is routed over USB by default.
14535e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
14635e00af0SMatthias RingwaldCSR chipset do not require an actual init script in general, but they allow to configure the chipset via so-called PSKEYs. After setting one or more PSKEYs, a warm reset activates the new setting.
14735e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
14835e00af0SMatthias Ringwald**BD Addr** can be set via PSKEY. A fixed address can be provided if the chipset has some kind of persistent memory to store it. Most USB Bluetooth dongles have a fixed BD ADDR.
14935e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
15035e00af0SMatthias Ringwald**SCO data** can be configured via a set of PSKEYs. We haven't been able to route SCO data over HCI for UART connections yet.
15135e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
15229c2a6e3SMatthias Ringwald**Baud rate** can be set as part of the initial configuration and gets actived by the warm reset.
15335e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
15435e00af0SMatthias Ringwald**BTstack integration**: The common code for all Broadcom chipsets is provided by *btstack_chipset_csr.c*. During the setup, *btstack_chipset_csr_instance* function is used to get a *btstack_chipset_t* instance and passed to *hci_init* function. The baud rate is set during the general configuration.
15535e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
15635e00af0SMatthias RingwaldSCO Data is routed over HCI for USB dongles, but not for UART connections. HSP and HFP Narrow Band Speech is supported via I2C/PCM pins.
15735e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
15835e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
15935e00af0SMatthias Ringwald## Dialog Semiconductor
16035e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
1611c5cf6a0SMatthias RingwaldDialog Semiconductor offers the DA145xx series of LE-only SoCs that can be programmed with an HCI firmware.
1621c5cf6a0SMatthias RingwaldThe HCI firmware can be uploaded on boot into SRAM or stored in the OTP (One-time programmable) memory, or in an external SPI.
16335e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
1641c5cf6a0SMatthias RingwaldThe 581 does not implement the Data Length Extension or supports multiple concurrent roles, while later versions support it.
165c240379eSMatthias Ringwald
1661c5cf6a0SMatthias RingwaldThe mechanism to boot a firmware via UART/SPI has mostly stayed the same, while the set of supported interfaces and baudrates have slightly changed.
167ecde56a6SMatthias Ringwald
1681c5cf6a0SMatthias RingwaldThe DA1469x uses an external flash. The DA 1469x SDK contains a HCI firmware that can be compiled and downloaded into flash using the SmartSnippets Studio.
1694ce43359SMatthias Ringwald
17065b6e0cdSMatthias Ringwald**BD Addr** fixed to 80:EA:CA:00:00:01. No command in HCI firmware to set it differently. Random addresses could be used instead.
17165b6e0cdSMatthias Ringwald
1724ce43359SMatthias Ringwald**Baud rate**: The baud rate is fixed at 115200 with the provided firmware. A higher baud rate could be achieved by re-compiling the HCI firmware.
173c240379eSMatthias Ringwald
174d00ab9e3SMatthias Ringwald**BTstack integration**: *btstack_chipset_da145xx.c* contains the code to download the provided HCI firmware into the SRAM of the DA145xx. After that, it can be used as any other HCI chipset. No special support needed for DA1469x after compiling and flashing the HCI firmware.
1754687e2cbSMatthias Ringwald
17635e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
1776e0288c2SMatthias Ringwald## Espressif ESP32
1786e0288c2SMatthias Ringwald
1792effbd4fSMatthias RingwaldThe ESP32 is a SoC with a built-in Dual mode Bluetooth and Wifi radio. The HCI Controller is implemented in software and accessed via a so called Virtual HCI (VHCI) interface.
1802effbd4fSMatthias RingwaldIt supports both LE Data Length Extensions (DLE) as well as multiple LE roles. Since ESP-IDF v4.3, SCO-over-HCI is usable for HSP/HFP.
1812c37f7fbSMatthias Ringwald
1824687e2cbSMatthias Ringwald
18335e00af0SMatthias Ringwald## EM Microelectronic Marin
18435e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
185c00c65faSMatthias RingwaldFor a long time, the EM9301 has been the only Bluetooth Single-Mode LE chipset with an HCI interface. The EM9301 can be connected via SPI or UART. The UART interface does not support hardware flow control and is not recommended for use with BTstack. The SPI mode uses a proprietary but documented extension to implement flow control and signal if the EM9301 has data to send.
18635e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
187c1fc8abcSMatthias RingwaldIn December 2016, EM released the new EM9304 that also features an HCI mode and adds support for optional Bluetooth 4.2. features. It supports the Data Length Extension and up to 8 LE roles. The EM9304 is a larger MCU that allows to run custom code on it. For this, an advanced mechanism to upload configuration and firmware to RAM or into an One-Time-Programmable area of 128 kB is supported. It supports a superset of the vendor specific commands of the EM9301.
18835e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
189c1fc8abcSMatthias RingwaldEM9304 is used by the 'stm32-l053r8-em9304' port in BTstack. The port.c file also contains an IRQ+DMA-driven implementation of the SPI H4 protocol specified in the [datasheet](http://www.emmicroelectronic.com/sites/default/files/public/products/datasheets/9304-ds_0.pdf).
190f93a2017SMatthias Ringwald
1912c37f7fbSMatthias Ringwald**BD Addr** must be set during startup for EM9301 since it does not have a stored fix address. The EM9304 comes with an valid address stored in OTP.
19235e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
19335e00af0SMatthias Ringwald**SCO data** is not supported since it is LE only.
19435e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
1952c37f7fbSMatthias Ringwald**Baud rate** can be set for UART mode. For SPI, the master controls the speed via the SPI Clock line. With 3.3V, 16 Mhz is supported.
19635e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
1972c37f7fbSMatthias Ringwald**Init scripts** are not required although it is possible to upload small firmware patches to RAM or the OTP memory (EM9304 only).
19835e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
199c1fc8abcSMatthias Ringwald**BTstack integration**: The common code for the EM9304 is provided by *btstack_chipset_em9301.c*. During the setup, *btstack_chipset_em9301_instance* function is used to get a *btstack_chipset_t* instance and passed to *hci_init* function. It enables to set the BD Addr during start.
20035e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
2014687e2cbSMatthias Ringwald
2028174b66aSMatthias Ringwald## Intel Dual Wireless 8260, 8265
2038174b66aSMatthias Ringwald
2048174b66aSMatthias RingwaldWifi/Bluetooth combo cards mainly used in mobile computers. The Bluetooth part requires the upload of a firmware file and a configuration file. SCO, DLE, Multiple roles not tested.
2058174b66aSMatthias Ringwald
2064687e2cbSMatthias Ringwald
20735e00af0SMatthias Ringwald## Nordic nRF5 series
20835e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
209410be61aSMatthias RingwaldThe Single-Mode LE chipsets from the Nordic nRF5 series chipsets usually do not have an HCI interface. Instead, they provide an LE Bluetooth Stack as a binary library, the so-called *SoftDevices*. Developer can write their Bluetooth application on top of this library. Since the chipset can be programmed, it can also be loaded with a firmware that provides a regular HCI H4 interface for a Host.
21035e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
21135e00af0SMatthias RingwaldAn interesting feature of the nRF5 chipsets is that they can support multiple LE roles at the same time, e.g. being Central in one connection and a Peripheral in another connection. Also, the nRF52 SoftDevice implementation supports the Bluetooth 4.2 Data Length Extension.
21235e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
213410be61aSMatthias RingwaldBoth nRF5 series, the nRF51 and the nRF52, can be used with an HCI firmware. The nRF51 does not support encrypted connections at the moment (November 18th, 2016) although this might become supported as well.
21435e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
21535e00af0SMatthias Ringwald**BD ADDR** is not set automatically. However, during production, a 64-bit random number is stored in the each chip. Nordic uses this random number as a random static address in their SoftDevice implementation.
21635e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
21735e00af0SMatthias Ringwald**SCO data** is not supported since it is LE only.
21835e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
219c00c65faSMatthias Ringwald**Baud rate** is fixed to 115200 by the patch although the firmware could be extended to support a baud rate change.
22035e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
22135e00af0SMatthias Ringwald**Init script** is not required.
22235e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
223410be61aSMatthias Ringwald**BTstack integration**: Support for a nRF5 chipset with the Zephyr Controller is provided by *btstack_chipset_zephyr.c*. It queries the static random address during init.
22435e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
22535e00af0SMatthias RingwaldTo use these chipsets with BTstack, you need to install an arm-none-eabi gcc toolchain and the nRF5x Command Line Tools incl. the J-Link drivers, checkout the Zephyr project, apply a minimal patch to help with using a random static address, and flash it onto the chipset:
22635e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
22735e00af0SMatthias Ringwald  * Install [J-Link Software and documentation pack](https://www.segger.com/jlink-software.html).
22835e00af0SMatthias Ringwald  * Get nrfjprog as part of the [nRFx-Command-Line-Tools](http://www.nordicsemi.com/eng/Products/Bluetooth-low-energy/nRF52-DK). Click on Downloads tab on the top and look for your OS.
22929c2a6e3SMatthias Ringwald  * [Checkout Zephyr and install toolchain](https://www.zephyrproject.org/doc/getting_started/getting_started.html). We recommend using the [arm-non-eabi gcc binaries](https://launchpad.net/gcc-arm-embedded) instead of compiling it yourself. At least on OS X, this failed for us.
23035e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
23135e00af0SMatthias Ringwald  * In *samples/bluetooth/hci_uart* compile the firmware for nRF52 Dev Kit
23235e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
23335e00af0SMatthias Ringwald<!-- -->
23435e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
23535e00af0SMatthias Ringwald      $ make BOARD=nrf52_pca10040
23635e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
23735e00af0SMatthias Ringwald   * Upload the firmware
23835e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
23935e00af0SMatthias Ringwald      $ ./flash_nrf52_pca10040.sh
24035e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
24135e00af0SMatthias Ringwald   * For the nRF51 Dev Kit, use `make BOARD=nrf51_pca10028` and `./flash_nrf51_10028.sh` with the nRF51 kit.
24235e00af0SMatthias Ringwald   * The nRF5 dev kit acts as an LE HCI Controller with H4 interface.
24335e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
244*4a4e2291SMatthias Ringwald## Realtek
245*4a4e2291SMatthias Ringwald
246*4a4e2291SMatthias RingwaldRealtek provides Dual-Mode Bluetooth Controllers with USB and UART (H4/H5) interfaces as well as combined Bluetooth/WiFi Controllers, which are also available as M.2 modules for laptops.
247*4a4e2291SMatthias RingwaldThey commonly require to download a patch and a configuration file. Patch and configuration file can be found as part of their Linux drivers.
248*4a4e2291SMatthias Ringwald
249*4a4e2291SMatthias Ringwald**BD ADDR** is stored in Controller.
250*4a4e2291SMatthias Ringwald
251*4a4e2291SMatthias Ringwald**SCO data** can either be routed over HCI with working flow control or over I2S/PCM. The 8822CS supports mSBC codec internally.
252*4a4e2291SMatthias Ringwald
253*4a4e2291SMatthias Ringwald**Baud rate** is set by the config file.
254*4a4e2291SMatthias Ringwald
255*4a4e2291SMatthias Ringwald**Init script** is required.
256*4a4e2291SMatthias Ringwald
257*4a4e2291SMatthias Ringwald**BTstack integration**: H4/H5 Controller require firmware upload. 'rtk_attach' can be used for this. For USB Controllers,
258*4a4e2291SMatthias Ringwald*btstack_chipset_realtek.c* implements the patch and config upload mechanism. See port/libusb for details on how to use it.
259*4a4e2291SMatthias Ringwald
2604687e2cbSMatthias Ringwald
2613be461f3SMatthias Ringwald## Renesas Electronics
2623be461f3SMatthias Ringwald
2633be461f3SMatthias RingwaldRenesas currently has 3 LE-only SoCs: the older 16-bit RL78 and the newer RX23W and the RA4W1.
2643be461f3SMatthias RingwaldFor the newer SoCs, Renesas provides a pre-compiled HCI firmware as well as an HCI project for their e2 Studio IDE.
2653be461f3SMatthias RingwaldThe HCI firmware needs to be programmed into the SoC Flash.
2663be461f3SMatthias Ringwald
2673be461f3SMatthias RingwaldBoth newer SoC provide the newer Bluetooth 5.0 features like DLE, 2M-PHY, Long Range, and Multiple Roles.
2683be461f3SMatthias Ringwald
2693be461f3SMatthias RingwaldTo install the HCI Firmware on the [Target Board for RX23W](https://www.renesas.com/us/en/products/software-tools/boards-and-kits/eval-kits/rx-family-target-board.html):
2703be461f3SMatthias Ringwald
2713be461f3SMatthias Ringwald  * Download [Bluetooth Test Tool Suite](https://www.renesas.com/eu/en/software/D6004348.html)
2723be461f3SMatthias Ringwald  * Install [Renesas Flash Programmer](https://www.renesas.com/tw/en/products/software-tools/tools/programmer/renesas-flash-programmer-programming-gui.html)
2733be461f3SMatthias Ringwald  * Follow instruction in [Target Board for RX23W Quick Start Guide](https://www.renesas.com/us/en/doc/products/mpumcu/apn/rx/013/r20qs0014ej0100-23wtbqsg.pdf) to flash `rx23w_uart_hci_sci8_br2000k_v1.00.mot`
2743be461f3SMatthias Ringwald
2753be461f3SMatthias Ringwald**BD Addr** fixed to 74:90:50:FF:FF:FF. A Windows tool in the BTTS suite allows to set a public Bluetooth Address.
2763be461f3SMatthias Ringwald
2773be461f3SMatthias Ringwald**Baud rate**: The baud rate is fixed at 115200 resp. 2000000 with the provided firmware images. With 2 mbps, there's no need to update the baudrate at run-time.
2783be461f3SMatthias Ringwald
2793be461f3SMatthias Ringwald**BTstack integration**: No special support needed.
2803be461f3SMatthias Ringwald
2813be461f3SMatthias Ringwald
28235e00af0SMatthias Ringwald## STMicroelectronics
28335e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
28435e00af0SMatthias RingwaldSTMicroelectronics offers the Bluetooth V2.1 + EDR chipset STLC2500D that supports SPI and UART H4 connection.
28535e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
286c00c65faSMatthias Ringwald**BD Addr** can be set with custom command although all chipsets have an official address stored.
28735e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
28835e00af0SMatthias Ringwald**SCO data** might work. We didn't try.
28935e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
29029c2a6e3SMatthias Ringwald**Baud rate** can be set with custom command. The baud rate change of the chipset happens within 0.5 seconds. At least on BTstack, knowning exactly when the command was fully sent over the UART is non-trivial, so BTstack switches to the new baud rate after 100 ms to expect the command response on the new speed.
29135e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
29235e00af0SMatthias Ringwald**Init scripts** are not required although it is possible to upload firmware patches.
29335e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
29435e00af0SMatthias Ringwald**BTstack integration**: Support for the STLC2500C is provided by *btstack_chipset_stlc.c*. During the setup, *btstack_chipset_stlc2500d_instance* function is used to get a *btstack_chipset_t* instance and passed to *hci_init* function. It enables higher UART baud rate and to set the BD Addr during startup.
29535e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
2960561b2d8STREFOU FelixThe new STM32-WB5x series microcontroller is an SoC with a multi-protocol 2.4 Ghz radio co-processor. It provides a virtual HCI interface.
29735e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
2984687e2cbSMatthias Ringwald
29935e00af0SMatthias Ringwald## Texas Instruments CC256x series
30035e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
3014bdbd754SMatthias RingwaldThe Texas Instruments CC256x series is currently in its fourth iteration and provides a Classic-only (CC2560), a Dual-mode (CC2564), and a Classic + ANT (CC2567) model. A variant of the Dual-mode chipset is also integrated into TI's WiLink 8 Wifi+Bluetooth combo modules of the WL183x, WL185x, WL187x, and WL189x series. Some of the latter support ANT as well.
30235e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
30335e00af0SMatthias RingwaldThe CC256x chipset is connected via an UART connection and supports the H4, H5 (since third iteration), and eHCILL.
30435e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
30523620124SMatthias RingwaldThe latest generation `CC256xC` chipsets support multiple LE roles in parallel.
30623620124SMatthias Ringwald
30723620124SMatthias RingwaldTI provides an alternative firmware that integrates an SBC Codec in the Bluetooth Controller itself for Assisted A2DP (A3DP) and Assisted HFP (Wide-band speech support). While this can save computation and code size on the main host, it cannot be used together with BLE, making it useless in most projects.
308439b93a1SMatthias Ringwald
309fb904c26SMatthias RingwaldThe different CC256x chipset can be identified by the LMP Subversion returned by the *hci_read_local_version_information* command. TI also uses a numeric way (AKA) to identify their chipsets. The table shows the LMP Subversion and AKA number for the CC256x and the WL18xx series.
3104f537631SMatthias Ringwald
3114f537631SMatthias RingwaldChipset | LMP Subversion |  AKA
31248093f19SMatthias Ringwald--------|----------------|-------
3134f537631SMatthias RingwaldCC2560  |         0x191f | 6.2.31
31424a96a28SMatthias RingwaldCC2560A, CC2564, CC2567 | 0x1B0F | 6.6.15
3154f537631SMatthias RingwaldCC256xB |         0x1B90 | 6.7.16
3164f537631SMatthias RingwaldCC256xC |         0x9a1a | 6.12.26
317fb904c26SMatthias RingwaldWL18xx  |         0xac20 | 11.8.32
3184f537631SMatthias Ringwald
3193c7822d8SMatthias Ringwald**SCO data:** Routing of SCO data can be configured with the `HCI_VS_Write_SCO_Configuration` command.
32035e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
3213c7822d8SMatthias Ringwald**Baud rate** can be set with `HCI_VS_Update_UART_HCI_Baudrate`. The chipset confirms the change with a command complete event after which the local UART is set to the new speed. Oddly enough, the CC256x chipsets ignore the incoming CTS line during this particular command complete response.
32239e7ee9fSMatthias Ringwald
32323620124SMatthias RingwaldIf you've implemented the hal_uart_dma.h without an additional ring buffer (as recommended!) and you have a bit of delay, e.g. because of thread switching on a RTOS, this could cause a UART overrun.
32423620124SMatthias RingwaldIf this happens, BTstack provides a workaround in the HCI H4 transport implementation by adding `ENABLE_CC256X_BAUDRATE_CHANGE_FLOWCONTROL_BUG_WORKAROUND`.
32523620124SMatthias RingwaldIf this is enabled, the H4 transport layer will resort to "deep packet inspection" to first check if its a TI controller and then wait for the HCI_VS_Update_UART_HCI_Baudrate.
32623620124SMatthias RingwaldWhen detected, it will tweak the next UART read to expect the HCI Command Complete event.
32771aad618SMatthias Ringwald
3283c7822d8SMatthias Ringwald**BD Addr** can be set with `HCI_VS_Write_BD_Addr` although all chipsets have an official address stored.
3294e94d79fSMatthias Ringwald
3304e94d79fSMatthias Ringwald**Init Scripts.** In order to use the CC256x chipset an initialization script must be obtained and converted into a C file for use with BTstack. For newer revisions, TI provides a main.bts and a ble_add_on.bts that need to be combined.
3314e94d79fSMatthias Ringwald
3324e94d79fSMatthias RingwaldThe Makefile at *chipset/cc256x/Makefile.inc* is able to automatically download and convert the requested file. It does this by:
3334e94d79fSMatthias Ringwald
3343c7822d8SMatthias Ringwald-   Downloading one or more `BTS files` for your chipset.
3354e94d79fSMatthias Ringwald-   Running the Python script:
3364e94d79fSMatthias Ringwald
3374e94d79fSMatthias Ringwald<!-- -->
3384e94d79fSMatthias Ringwald
3394e94d79fSMatthias Ringwald    ./convert_bts_init_scripts.py main.bts [ble_add_on.bts] output_file.c
3404e94d79fSMatthias Ringwald
34123620124SMatthias Ringwald**BTstack integration**:
34223620124SMatthias Ringwald- The common code for all CC256x chipsets is provided by *btstack_chipset_cc256x.c*. During the setup, *btstack_chipset_cc256x_instance* function is used to get a *btstack_chipset_t* instance and passed to *hci_init* function. *btstack_chipset_cc256x_lmp_subversion* provides the LMP Subversion for the selected init script.
34323620124SMatthias Ringwald- SCO Data is be routed over HCI with `ENABLE_SCO_OVER_HCI` or to PCM/I2S with `ENABLE_SCO_OVER_PCM`. Wide-band speech is supported in both cases. For SCO-over-HCI, BTstack implements the mSBC Codec. For SCO-over-I2S, Assisted HFP can be used.
34423620124SMatthias Ringwald- Assisted HFP: BTstack provides support for Assisted HFP mode if enabled with `ENABLE_CC256X_ASSISTED_HFP` and SCO is routed over PCM/I2S with `ENABLE_SCO_OVER_PCM`. During startup, the PCM/I2S is configured and the HFP implementation will enable/disable the mSBC Codec for Wide-band-speech when needed.
3454e94d79fSMatthias Ringwald
34635e00af0SMatthias Ringwald## Toshiba
34735e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
34859ac44afSMatthias RingwaldThe Toshiba TC35661 Dual-Mode chipset is available in three variants: standalone incl. binary Bluetooth stack, as a module with embedded stack or with a regular HCI interface. The HCI variant has the model number TC35661–007 resp TC35561-009 for the newer silicon.
34935e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
35059ac44afSMatthias RingwaldWe first tried their USB Evaluation Stick that contains an USB-to-UART adapter and the PAN1026 module that contains the TC35661 -501. While it does support the HCI interface and Bluetooth Classic operations worked as expected, LE HCI Commands are not supported. With the -007 and the -009 models, everything works as expected.
35135e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
3527f8d4ab1SMatthias Ringwald**SCO data** does not seem to be supported.
35335e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
35435e00af0SMatthias Ringwald**Baud rate** can be set with custom command.
35535e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
35635e00af0SMatthias Ringwald**BD Addr ** must be set with custom command. It does not have a stored valid public BD Addr.
35735e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
35835e00af0SMatthias Ringwald**Init Script** is not required. A patch file might be uploaded.
35935e00af0SMatthias Ringwald
36029c2a6e3SMatthias Ringwald**BTstack integration**: Support for the TC35661 series is provided by *btstack_chipset_tc3566x.c*. During the setup, *btstack_chipset_tc3566x_instance* function is used to get a *btstack_chipset_t* instance and passed to *hci_init* function. It enables higher UART baud rate and sets the BD Addr during startup.
361