UG440: Wireless Xpress BGX220P

SLEXP8031A Kit User's Guide

The Wireless Xpress BGX220P expansion board is an excellent starting point to get fa-

miliar with the Bluetooth Xpress BGX220 Bluetooth Low Energy module.

The evaluation board includes everything a developer needs to exercise the BGX220P’s

serial interface and demonstrate data transfer over Bluetooth Low Energy. The board

can operate in a stand-alone mode by connecting a PC to the on-board CP2102N USB-

to-UART bridge device. The board can also operate in a simulated embedded host mode

with a Silicon Labs EFM8 or EFM32 starter kit, which can be attached to the expansion

board’s header.

The kit includes the following:

KEY FEATURES

• BGX220P is a Bluetooth Low Energy

cable replacement device

• Can connect to another BGX220 device or

to a smart phone

• UART interface and flow control pins use

Xpress command API to connect and

communicate across the Bluetooth LE link

• Breakout test points for easy interface with

prototype boards

• Power sources include USB and EXP

Header

• BGX220P Expansion Board

• 1 x micro USB cable

• Getting Started card

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1. Getting Started

Software

To set up the software for the BGX220P kit:

1. Install the CP210x Virtual COM Port (VCP) driver, available at: https://www.silabs.com/products/development-tools/software/usb-

to-uart-bridge-vcp-drivers

2. Install the BGX Commander mobile app, available in the Android and iOS app stores.

3. Install Simplicity Studio, available at: https://www.silabs.com/products/development-tools/software/simplicity-studio.

Hardware

To set up the hardware for the BGX220P kit:

1. Connect the micro USB cable to BGX220P board and the other end to the PC.

2. Ensure the green LED near the USB connector is on.

3. Ensure to CP2102N USB-to-UART bridge enumerates successfully.

• In Windows, the device manager should show "Silicon Labs CP210x USB to UART bridge (COMx)", where x is the COM port

number.

Update Firmware

The BGX Commander application can upgrade the device's firmware over bluetooth. Update the firmware now to ensure that the Blue-

tooth Xpress module is running the latest version.

1. While still connected to the Bluetooth Xpress module, tap the menu icon located at the top-right corner of the application.

2. Tap [Update Firmware] to begin the upgrade.

UG440: Wireless Xpress BGX220P SLEXP8031A Kit User's Guide

Getting Started

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