The Hexiwear wearable development kit for IoT is a versatile and powerful device designed to cater to the needs of developers in the Internet of Things era. Developed in collaboration with NXP Semiconductors, Hexiwear offers a complete IoT toolkit, including low-power yet high-performance hardware, compatible smartphone apps, and cloud connectivity.
One of the standout features of Hexiwear is its extensive sensor suite, which allows you to quantify both yourself and the world around you. The device is equipped with sensors such as temperature, humidity, accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, pressure, and even a heart-rate sensor. These sensors provide real-time data and enable you to monitor and analyse various aspects of your environment and physical activity.
The design of Hexiwear is sleek and compact, making it ideal for wearable applications. Its hexagonal form factor is not only visually appealing but also practical for a device that can be worn or deployed in the field. The full-color OLED display, with a resolution of 96px x 96px, offers a clear and vibrant interface for interacting with the device.
Hexiwear’s hardware features are impressive as well. The device is powered by the NXP Kinetis K64 microcontroller unit (MCU) based on the ARM Cortex-M4 architecture, which provides excellent processing power and efficiency. Additionally, the NXP Kinetis KW4x Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) MCU enables wireless connectivity and communication with other devices.
The user interface of Hexiwear is intuitive and easy to navigate. The capacitive buttons surrounding the OLED display allow for seamless interaction, and the menu system provides quick access to built-in applications and settings. The device also offers haptic feedback for tactile response, enhancing the user experience.
1. Ambient light sensor
2. One of six capacitive buttons surrounding the central OLED display
3. RGB LED
4. Hexiwear Docking Station connector
5. Optical heart rate sensor LED and photodiode
In terms of software, Hexiwear comes with a range of built-in applications and settings. The weather station app provides real-time ambient temperature, humidity, and pressure data. The motion app displays accelerometer and gyroscope readings, allowing you to monitor movement and orientation. Other apps include a flashlight, fitness-related features like a pedometer and heart rate monitor, and notifications from paired smartphones.
Pairing Hexiwear with a smartphone further expands its functionality. The Hexiwear smartphone app enables remote access to sensor readings and allows you to log data into the WolkSense cloud platform. Through the cloud platform, you can access sensor readings, set up alarms based on threshold values, and generate reports for further analysis.
One notable aspect of Hexiwear is its open-source nature. Unlike many other products from MikroElektronika, Hexiwear is completely open source, providing developers with the freedom to customize and extend its capabilities to suit their specific requirements.
In conclusion, Hexiwear is a powerful and versatile wearable development kit that offers a comprehensive set of features for IoT applications. Its extensive sensor suite, sleek design, intuitive interface, and seamless integration with smartphones and the cloud make it a valuable tool for IoT developers. Whether you are a hobbyist or a professional, Hexiwear provides a reliable and customizable platform to explore the possibilities of the Internet of Things.
Specifications The following is a full list of components inside Hexiwear.
- MCU: NXP Kinetis K64 MCU (ARM® Cortex®-M4, 120 MHz, 1M Flash, 256K SRAM)
- BLE: NXP Kinetis KW4x (ARM® Cortex®-M0+, Bluetooth Low Energy & 802.15.4 Wireless MCU)
- 3D Accelerometer and 3D Magnetometer: NXP FXOS8700CQ
- 3-Axis Digital Gyroscope: NXP FXAS21002
- Absolute Digital Pressure sensor: NXP MPL3115A2R1
- 600 mA Single-cell Li-Ion/Li-Polymer Battery Charger: NXP MC34671
- Light-to-digital converter: TAOS TSL2561
- Digital humidity and temperature sensor: MEAS HTU21D
- Heart-rate sensor: Maxim’s MAX3010x
- 1.1” full color OLED display
- Haptic feedback engine
- 190 mAh 2C Li-Po battery
- Capacitive touch interface
- RGB LED
- 8 MB of additional Flash memory
Pros:
- Extensive sensor suite for monitoring various environmental and physical parameters
- Sleek and compact design suitable for wearable applications
- Intuitive user interface with capacitive buttons and a vibrant OLED display
- Bluetooth connectivity for seamless pairing with smartphones
- Integration with the WolkSense cloud platform for data logging and analysis
- Open-source nature allows for customization and extension of capabilities
Cons:
- Limited battery life, requiring frequent charging for extended use
- The learning curve for beginners unfamiliar with IoT development may be steep
- Overall, Hexiwear delivers on its promise as a reliable and feature-rich wearable dev kit
Want to know more? You can buy Hexiwear from Farnell here.
