With three operating modes – entry, expert and pro – users can explore the use of sensors through the ST BLE Sensor app wizard or the STM32Cube function pack.
Drawing from STMicroelectronics’ experienced mastery of sensors and smart applications, this out-of-the-box development kit enables users –from beginners to professionals alike – to explore the use of sensors in today’s applications.
Users can easily configure and create new experiences through a dedicated wizard in the ST BLE Sensor smartphone app and take full advantage of the integration with the STM32 Open Development Environment (ODE) with the Function Packs FP ‑ SNS ‑ STBOX1 and FP ‑ AI ‑ SENSING1.
Resources
Operating Modes
In Entry mode the user can get familiar with the sensors and through pre-recorded examples in the ST BLE Sensor App. The examples currently available are listed below, and ST is adding new ones with app updates.
- • Baby Crying Detector allows the user to configure the MP23ABS1 microphone sensor to detect human voice events such as a baby crying and send an alert to the smartphone as well as activate a LED on the sensor board.
- • Barometer allows the user to configure the STTS751 temperature, LPS22HH pressure and HTS221 humidity sensors to monitor environmental information in real time on the smartphone, or collect and graph the data against time on a plot screen.
- • Compass and level allow the user to configure the LSM6DSOX accelerometer and gyroscope and LIS2MDL magnetometer sensors to monitor real time bearing and inclination sensor feedback data and plot the information over time.
- • Data recorder app allows the user to select and configure appropriate environmental and motion sensors to log for example the transportation and storage conditions that selected merchandise is subject to over time.
- • Pedometer allows the user to configure the LSM6DSOX accelerometer to monitor walking and running speeds and plot the information over time.
- • Vibration monitoring allows the user to configure the LSM6DSOX accelerometer and set up the board to "learn" the normal operation of motorized domestic or industrial equipment, and then monitor the same equipment for anomalous vibration for predictive maintenance purposes.
In Expert mode the user can build custom applications within the ST BLE Sensor app without writing code by selecting and configuring sensors, defining outputs and event triggers, and applying further data processing algorithms.
In Pro mode the user takes full control of the development kit with his/her IDE of choice and the standard ST debugger. The board is compatible with ST - LINK V3 (with UART pins for debugging), and the most recent release of the SensorTile.box includes an adapter board and cable for the ST - LINK / V2 programming and debugging device. SensorTile.box is supported in these Function Packs:
- • FP - SNS - STBOX1 uses an ultra-low power implementation based on an RTOS for transmitting the sensor data via BLE. Sensor data includes pressure, relative humidity, temperature, accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer sensors, as well as an analog microphone. This firmware supports Firmware-Over-the-Air (FOTA) update and allows the user to program the LSM6DSOX machine learning core for applications like activity recognition or vibration monitoring.
- • FP - AI - SENSING1 enables advanced applications such as human activity recognition or audio scene classification, on the basis of outputs generated by neural networks (NN). The package comes with an AI utility for data logging and annotation on SD card. The user can record the data from the sensors and define which classes or events to record. With the recorded annotated data, the user can then train her/his own neural network on a PC/GPU/cloud, get the model, use X - CUBE - AI extension for STM32CubeMX tool for conversion, and then run it on the SensorTile.box.
Smart Sensor in SensorTile.box
ST is pioneering advanced MEMS sensors, such as the IMUs LSM6DSOX in the SensorTile.box. These devices (and every future MEMS device with X at the end of the part number) contain digital functions optimized to run Machine Learning algorithms that allow sharing data processing between the IMU and the host processor. This approach allows to further reduce the power consumption of the system as for typical tasks the sensor ASIC can consume down to 0.001 times the power of an MCU. Read more about the embedded Finite State Machine (FSM) and Machine Learning Core (MLC) feature in these IMUs and related development tools in the below Application Notes:
LSM6DSOX: always-on 3D accelerometer and 3D gyroscope
LSM6DSOX: Finite State Machine
LSM6DSOX: Machine Learning Core
AlgoBuilder: Desktop Application for the graphical design of algorithms
SensorTile.box is pre-programmed to operate in Entry and Expert mode. If the user overwrites the default firmware in Pro mode and then needs to revert back ST provides the STSW - MKSBOX1 _ BL firmware package that restores the ability to upgrade firmware over the air (FOTA) in the event that FOTA functionality is overwritten or deleted due to a custom firmware upload. At the first connection to ST BLE Sensor App the user will be prompted to upgrade to the latest version of the default Firmware.
STSW - MKSBOX1 _ BL Data brief
SensorTile.box is entirely built with STMicroelectronics products:
Shop Products
| Part Number | Description |
| STM32L4R9ZIJ6 | Ultra - low - power ARM Cortex - M4 microcontroller with DSP and FPU |
| SPBTLE - 1S | Bluetooth Low Energy 4.2 module |
| LSM6DSOX | 6-axis inertial measurement |
| LIS2DW12 | 3-axis accelerometer |
| LIS2MDL | 3-axis magnetometer |
| LIS3DHH | 3-axis accelerometer (inclinometer) |
| STTS751 | Digital Temperature Sensor |
| HTS221 | Humidity sensor |
| LPS22HH | Altimeter / pressure sensor |
| MP23ABS1 | Analog microphone / audio sensor |
| TS922EIJT | Rail-to-rail, high output current, dual operational amplifier |
| STBC02AJR | Battery Charger |
| LDK130PU - R | Low quiescent current very low noise LDO |
| STBB3JR | DC to DC converter |
| ST6G3244ME | Level translator |
Schematics, Gerbers and BOM files are available to users capable of HW design for further customization.
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