According to Ebyte's product documentation, Bluetooth 5.0 (also known as BLE 5.0) is the core protocol version in its low-power Bluetooth (BLE) product series. This version has significant improvements in speed, range, and data broadcasting capabilities compared to the previous version. The following is a detailed summary based on the documentation.

Ebyte Bluetooth 5.0 Product Line

The following table summarizes the core product series explicitly supporting the Bluetooth 5.0 protocol and their key models as identified in the documentation.

Note: The documentation often uses "Related Protocol Modules" tables for comparison, among which E104-BT5005A, E104-BT5010A, E104-BT5032A, and E104-BT5040U are repeatedly mentioned as core representative models of Bluetooth 5.0.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Integrating the "Frequently Asked Questions" sections from multiple documents, the typical problems and solutions for Bluetooth 5.0 modules are as follows:

1. What to do if the transmission range is not ideal?

• Environment and Installation:

• Obstacles: Walls and metal objects significantly attenuate signals.

• Ground and seawater: Avoid testing near the ground, corners, or seaside, as these environments absorb or reflect radio waves.

• Antenna and casing: Never place the antenna inside a metal casing. Ensure the antenna (ceramic antenna or PCB antenna area) is exposed and vertically oriented. When using an IPEX external antenna, ensure a high-quality 2.4GHz antenna is used.

• Interference: Devices in the 2.4GHz band such as Wi-Fi routers and microwave ovens can cause interference. Try moving away from interference sources or modifying the module's channel via AT commands.

• Power Supply and Configuration:

• A supply voltage lower than the recommended value (usually 3.3V) will result in insufficient transmit power.

• Check and Reasonable set the transmit power (adjustable via AT commands, e.g., AT+POWE).

• Reduce the air speed (PHY). Bluetooth 5.0 supports 2M and 1M speeds; lower speed means longer range but reduced throughput.

2. How to prevent module damage?

• Power supply is the top priority: Strictly ensure the supply voltage is within the range specified in the data sheet (usually 3.3V). Exceeding the maximum voltage will permanently damage the module. Do not reverse the positive and negative poles of the power supply.

• ESD and moisture sensitivity protection: RF chips are sensitive to static electricity. Take anti-static measures during soldering and operation. Some components are moisture-sensitive devices (MSD), so pay attention to environmental humidity and soldering processes.

• Temperature range: Although most are industrial-grade (-40°C ~ +85°C), long-term use at extreme temperatures is not recommended unless there are special requirements.

3. High communication bit error rate or garbled data?

• Troubleshoot interference: This is the main cause of bit errors. First suspect co-channel interference in the 2.4GHz band, try changing the module's channel or physical location.

• Check power supply quality: Use a high-quality regulated power supply with low ripple coefficient. Unstable power supply can cause abnormal module operation and data errors.

• Verify communication configuration: Ensure that Bluetooth connection parameters (such as role, service UUID) between master and slave devices match, and that serial port parameters such as baud rate, data bits, stop bits, and parity bits are completely consistent with your MCU settings.

• Check wiring: Poor-quality or overly long serial cables and antenna feeders can introduce loss and noise.

4. How to start using and developing?

• Model selection: Refer to the above table to select the appropriate model based on requirements (data/audio, master/slave role, number of connections, power consumption, size). E104-BT5010A and E104-BT5032A are general-purpose master-slave integrated transparent transmission entry-level choices.

• Obtain tools: It is strongly recommended to purchase official development boards or test kits corresponding to the model (such as EWT104-BT52 mentioned in the documentation). The development board integrates USB-to-serial, level conversion, and interfaces, allowing direct debugging with a computer without the need to design a base board yourself.

• Read core documents: Carefully read the user manual and data sheet, focusing on pin definitions, operating modes, AT command sets, and hardware design guidelines.

• AT command configuration: Most transparent transmission modules use AT commands via UART for parameter configuration (such as role, broadcast name, connection target, etc.). After configuration, the serial port can transmit data transparently.

5. What are "master-slave integrated", "one master multiple slaves", and "multiple masters multiple slaves"?

• Master-slave integrated: The module can be configured as a master (actively connecting to others) or a slave (being connected), and can switch between roles. For example, E104-BT5010A.

• One master multiple slaves: One master module can connect to multiple slave modules simultaneously. For example, the E104-BT52 series can connect up to 2 slaves, and the E104-BT53C3 can connect up to 8 slaves.

• Multiple masters multiple slaves coexistence: The module can act as both a master and a slave, capable of connecting to multiple slaves and being connected by another master. For example, E104-BT5032A supports up to 4 connections (mixed master-slave roles).

Ebyte's Bluetooth 5.0 product line is centered around the nRF52 series (such as 5005A, 5010A, 5032A) and DA14531 (such as the BT52 series), providing complete solutions from ultra-small size, basic transparent transmission to multi-connection, high-integration. The key to successful application lies in: after correct model selection, strictly following the data sheet for hardware design (especially power supply and antenna layout), and making full use of AT commands for software configuration. For common problems, the documentation has provided systematic troubleshooting ideas, and following these guidelines can effectively improve development efficiency and product reliability.