2025-09-07

[public] 13.3K views, 1.41K likes, dislikes audio only

GreatScott!

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In this episode of DIY or Buy we will be having a closer look at BLE beacons. I think the most popular example is an Air Tag. Basically a low power thingy that lasts for years that you can find with your smartphone. It is pretty handy and comes with lots of features. But can it be done cheaper by creating a DIY circuit? Let's find out! ;-)

Websites that were shown during the video:

https://atmosic.com/products/the-atm33-series/

https://www.nordicsemi.com/Products/Wireless/Bluetooth-Low-Energy?lang=en#infotabs

https://www.nordicsemi.com/Products/nRF52840

https://docs.nordicsemi.com/bundle/ps_nrf52840/page/ref_circuitry.html

https://nrf52.jpconstantineau.com/docs/programmer/

Thanks to JLCPCB for sponsoring this video.

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0:00 What Handy Gadget?!

1:22 Intro

2:12 All Features of a Smart Tag

3:01 What is BLE?

3:53 Power Demand of Buy

4:49 What Microcontroller for DIY?

5:53 First BLE Test!

7:02 Creating the PCB

8:59 First Tests & Fails

9:45 Final Test

10:29 Verdict