BITalino (r)evolution is our new next-generation platform with almost 2 times the blocks and up to 60% smaller sensors when compared to the original BITalino platform.
Since it first launched in 2013 our work around BITalino has seen a fair amount of progress, culminating in the launch of an all-new version in 2016 affectionately designated as BITalino (r)evolution.
BITalino (r)evolution was developed to be mostly backward compatible both in what concerns the firmware and hardware design (e.g. sensors), although there are a changes to consider if you have for example an API or custom application for BITalino that you’re now looking to use with BITalino (r)evolution:
- Pre-wired channel mapping on the Board version has been changed to: A1 – EMG; A2 – ECG; A3 – EDA; A4 – EEG; A5 – ACC; A6 – LUX
- In addition to the standard Bluetooth now there is also a BLE connectivity variant for which specific APIs are needed
- Besides the data streaming mode, the new firmware now has a status command (state method on the C++ API) to enable a more even-driven and potentially thread-free type of approach to data acquisition (note however that in this approach there are no guarantees regarding the sampling rate given that the computer / mobile device requests for a single data frame and the device simply responds to that request)
- The number of digital output channels has been reduced to 2 (before there were 4), which can prevent the method that previously triggered the digital outputs on BITalino from working properly
- The number of digital input channels has been reduced to 2 (before there were 4), although the data packets sent by the device have not been changed to preserve backward compatibility… the two bits previously used to retrieve the state of the digital inputs I3 & I4 now have the state of the digital outputs O1 & O2
- We added an 8-bit PWM / Digital-to-Analog Conversion (DAC) channel (pwm method on the C++ API), which was not available before
- The standard Bluetooth device name has changed from simply “BITalino” to “BITalino-XX-YY”, where XX-YY are the last four hexadecimal characters on the MAC address (which may affect device search features where name filters are applied)
- The BLE device name is “BITalino BLE”
- Connectors have been changed from RJ (used on the BITalino Plugged) & Molex Sherlock (used for sensor connection on BITalino Plugged and electrode leads assembly connection on the BITalino Plugged & Board) to UC-E6 now used for everything on the BITalino (r)evolution Plugged & Board, although the pinout for the Molex Sherlock connectors can still be found to facilitate DiY assemblies
- The pinout on the Molex Sherlock connectors has been changed, in particular the GND and VCC pins have been swapped in order to match the color-coding standard on the “phone cord” type of cable used with these connectors
