Cypress BLE Solutions: Bluetooth Qualification and Declaration

Cypress BLE Solutions:
Bluetooth Qualification
and Declaration
Understand how Cypress BLE Solutions make Bluetooth
Qualification and Declaration easy

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Cypress BLE Solutions: Bluetooth Qualification and Declaration


Agenda
Bluetooth Qualification and Declaration process when using Cypress’s BLE solutions
Bluetooth Terms
Qualification and Declaration
Creating a Bluetooth Product
Listing Examples

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Cypress BLE Solutions: Bluetooth Qualification and Declaration

Cypress BLE Solutions: Bluetooth Qualification and Declaration

BLUETOOTH TERMS

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Cypress BLE Solutions: Bluetooth Qualification and Declaration


Bluetooth Terms
Bluetooth Classic
A legacy standard for personal area networks made popular by audio streaming to cell phone headsets
Operates in the 2.4-GHz ISM1 band with GFSK2 modulation and supports up to a 3-Mbps data rate

Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)
A standard for short-range, low-power wireless applications that communicates state or control information
Operates in the 2.4-GHz ISM1 band with GFSK2 modulation and supports a 1-Mbps over-the-air data rate 3
Not backward-compatible with Bluetooth Classic

Bluetooth 4.0
An upgraded Bluetooth Classic specification that adds BLE

Bluetooth 4.1 (Bluetooth Spec)
An enhanced Bluetooth 4.0 specification, adopted in Dec. 2013
Includes improved security, lower power and higher throughput 4

Bluetooth Smart Ready
Product
Bluetooth Classic
Product

Bluetooth Smart
A brand for Bluetooth 4.0/4.1 products that support only BLE

Audio
Streaming

Bluetooth Smart Ready
A brand for Bluetooth 4.0/4.1 products that support
both Bluetooth Classic and BLE
Sensor
Data
An Industrial, Scientific, Medical RF frequency band that is license-free worldwide
Gaussian frequency shift keying
3
Bit rate of data communication including packet overhead and processing delays
4
272 Kbps net application throughput (15% higher vs. 4.0), including protocol overhead
Cypress BLE Solutions: Bluetooth Qualification and Declaration
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1
2

Bluetooth Smart
Product


Bluetooth Terms
BLE Protocol Stack (Stack)
Firmware implementing the Bluetooth 4.0/4.1 specification to provide BLE communication

BLE Profile (Profile)
A Bluetooth specification that guarantees application-level interoperability between devices that use the same Profile
For example, keyboards use the HID Profile and Heart Rate Monitors (HRMs) use the HRM Profile
Bluetooth Smart Ready Device

Bluetooth Smart Device
Application
& Profile

Application (e.g., mouse)

Application-Level Interoperability

Application
Profile: HID, HRM, Glucose Meter, etc.

Profile: HID, HRM, Glucose Meter, etc.
Generic Access Profile (GAP)

BLE
Protocol
Stack1

Generic Attribute Protocol (GATT)
Attribute Protocol (ATT)

Bluetooth Classic and BLE
Protocol Stacks

Security Manager (SM)

Logical Link Control and Adaption Protocol (L2CAP)
Link Layer (LL)

Hardware2

1
2

Direct Test Mode (DM)

Physical Layer (PHY)

BLE Link

See BLE Component Datasheet for more details
Implemented in silicon

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Cypress BLE Solutions: Bluetooth Qualification and Declaration

Link Layer

Direct Test Mode

Physical Layer


Cypress BLE Solutions: Bluetooth Qualification and Declaration

QUALIFICATION AND DECLARATION

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Cypress BLE Solutions: Bluetooth Qualification and Declaration


Qualification and Declaration Terms
Bluetooth Qualification (Qualification)
The process of testing a Bluetooth product against the Bluetooth spec at Bluetooth Qualification Test Facilities (BQTF) resulting
in assignment of a Qualification Design ID (QDID)

Declaration ID

A unique serial number purchased from Bluetooth SIG and assigned to the company’s product prior to Declaration

Declaration
Following the purchase of a Declaration ID, the Declaration is a signed document stating that a company’s product uses a BLE
design qualified by the Bluetooth SIG with an assigned QDID

Listing
Following the Declaration, Listing allows the company to use Bluetooth logos and lists the product on the Bluetooth SIG website
Qualification, Declaration and Listing Flow – Simplified
View
Design and Manufacture
BLE Product

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Product

Bluetooth Qualification

QDID

Purchase of Declaration
ID from Bluetooth SIG

Cypress BLE Solutions: Bluetooth Qualification and Declaration

Declaration
ID

Signing Declaration and
Listing


Bluetooth Qualification Terms
Design
A new incorporation of a Bluetooth Specification that combines one or more of the following technologies:
Application
Electronic Circuits
Electronic Components
Firmware
Layout
Printed Circuit Board (PCB)
Software
Necessary to go through Bluetooth Qualification and demonstrate compliance to the supported Bluetooth Specification(s)

Qualified Design
A Design that has completed Bluetooth Qualification and is compliant to the Bluetooth Specification. A Qualified Design ID
(QDID) is assigned to each Qualified Design.

Product Type - Component, Subsystem, End Product
Component is a Design that supports at a minimum, all the mandatory requirements for one or more layers in the Core
Specification and/or Protocol, Service, or Profile Specifications. E.g. – Link Layer (LL), RF-PHY, Host
Subsystem is a Design that is a controller (RF-PHY + LL) , Host (L2CAP +ATT + SM + GATT + GAP), or a Profile
End Product is a Design that supports, at a minimum, a complete core architecture with the corresponding controller and host
core configurations and optionally Protocols/Services/Profiles outside the core Bluetooth Specification

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Cypress BLE Solutions: Bluetooth Qualification and Declaration


Qualification and Declaration Process
What is the process to qualify a Design?
It is a 2-step process. 1) Qualification 2) Declaration

Step 1: Qualification

Create a Traditional
Qualified Project (TPG)

Create a new project in your Bluetooth SIG account. Assigns QDID.
Complete feature selection i.e. Implementation Conformance Statement (ICS) for all the
layers
Choose Product Type
Do consistency check
Generate test plan

Perform Testing

Perform testing against test plan at a BQTF (for LL and RF-PHY)
Perform testing in-house for Protocol Stack and Profiles using Profile Tuning Suite (PTS)
Generate test logs, test reports

Create test declaration document
(Optional) Review evidence with a Bluetooth Qualification Expert (BQE) like AT4-wireless

File Documentation

Upload evidence to Bluetooth SIG against TPG
Create a compliance folder
Store ICS, Implementation eXtra Information for Testing (IXIT), Test evidence, Reference
Integration Note, Supplier Declaration of Conformance (SDoC)

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Cypress BLE Solutions: Bluetooth Qualification and Declaration


Qualification and Declaration Process
Step 2: Declaration

Purchase a
Declaration ID

Generate invoice from your login account for as many Declaration IDs as you need
Payment (Credit card, Invoice)
Declaration ID is assigned to you and available in your login
(Optional) Transfer Declaration ID to any person in your organization who will do the
Listing

Create Listing

In your login:
Assign Qualified Designs to the Declaration ID
Attach Reference Integration Note (RIN)
Provide Design description
Enter product description. Add one or more products

Sign Declarations

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Check the Declaration box
Print the SDoC and Declaration of Conformance (DoC)
Get the SDoC and DoC signed by a duly authorized member of your company
Store the scanned copies in the compliance folder
Review Listing information
Submit for Listing
Refer the Bluetooth brand guide to learn how to use the Bluetooth logos and word mark

Cypress BLE Solutions: Bluetooth Qualification and Declaration


Qualification and Declaration Process –
FAQs

What is the difference between a Declaration ID and QDID?
The QDID is the unique identifier assigned to a Qualified Design and referenced during the Declaration Process to
indicate successful completion of the Qualification Process
The Declaration ID is issued upon payment of the Declaration Fee and required to begin the Declaration Process. The
Declaration ID is a unique number assigned per Member Company and once used, reflects the Member’s completion of
both the Qualification and Declaration Processes

Why does Cypress have both Component and End Product Listings?
The Listings are targeted for two types of customers who will use our BLE solution.
Component Listing – Customers who want/need their own qualified design. Customers inherit evidence for one or more layers
from Cypress’s Component Listings
End Product Listing – Customers who do not need to create their own qualified design. Customers just reference our End
Product QDID. Note that this is subject to the condition that there is no change to the Qualified Design

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Cypress BLE Solutions: Bluetooth Qualification and Declaration


Cypress BLE Solutions: Bluetooth Qualification and Declaration

CREATING A BLUETOOTH PRODUCT

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Cypress BLE Solutions: Bluetooth Qualification and Declaration


Creating a Bluetooth Product - Terms
Design Change
Any change to the Qualified Design
Requires an assessment of compliance
Changes include:
Electrical circuit changes - power supply, RF circuit, antenna, RF layout, components, crystal oscillator, external PA, chip
process change, change in supply voltage range, change in temperature range, change of PCB material
Software changes - feature/function architecture or design or code, MMI, application code
Product changes – new features, deprecated features, new profiles, new protocol layers

Assessment
Any design change requires an assessment of the compliance status of the design
The completion of a reassessment may result in any off the following:
New Qualified Design and retesting, or
Justification that the change did not impact the original qualified design.
The Bluetooth SIG member should follow the Design Change Checklist (DCC) and document their methodology and results to
be
stored in their compliance folder.

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Cypress BLE Solutions: Bluetooth Qualification and Declaration


Creating a Bluetooth Product - Process
How do I get my BLE product qualified, if I am using Cypress’s EZ-BLE modules?

End Product
QDID for module

Reference the QDID

Follow the simple
Declaration process below

Declaration Process When Using Cypress EZ-BLE Module
Purchase a
Declaration ID

Generate Invoice from your SIG login account to buy a Declaration ID
Payment (Credit card, Invoice)
Declaration ID is assigned to you and available in your login
(Optional) Transfer Declaration ID to any person in your organization who will do the
Listing

Create Listing

Start Listing Process in your login. Check “Reference a Qualified Design”
Enter the End Product QDID for Cypress’s EZ-BLE Module
Add Cypress’s Profile subsystem QDID if you are referencing Cypress’s Profile Listing

Assign Declaration ID
Choose listing date

Sign Declarations

Check the Declaration box
Print the SDoC and Declaration of Conformance (DoC)
Get the SDoC and DoC signed by a duly authorized member of your company
Store the scanned copies in the compliance folder
Review Listing information
Submit for Listing
Refer the Bluetooth brand guide to learn how to use the Bluetooth logos and word mark

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Owner: UTSV
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Cypress BLE Solutions: Bluetooth Qualification and Declaration


Creating a Bluetooth Product - Process
How do I get my BLE product qualified, if I am using Cypress’s BLE silicon?
There are two possible scenarios depending upon how you are using the silicon.

Scenario 1 – Using silicon and referencing Cypress’s End Product QDID for silicon
This is true if you doing one or more of the following:
Using the BLE modules supplied with Cypress’s BLE Pioneer Kit in your product
Following the RIN integration guidelines from the Cypress’s BLE silicon End Product Listing

Making minor changes to the electrical circuit and your assessment confirms that the changes do not change the compliance
status of the design, or
Making changes to the electrical circuit and you have confirmed compliance is not impacted by running the RF/PHY tests at a
BQTF

End Product
QDID for
silicon
(Cypress)

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Reference the QDID

Follow the declaration process documented here using
End Product QDID for silicon instead of the End Product
QDID for module

Cypress BLE Solutions: Bluetooth Qualification and Declaration


Creating a Bluetooth Product - Process
Scenario 2 – Using silicon and creating your own End Product QDID by inheriting evidence from
Cypress’s Component QDIDs.
This is true if you are doing one or more of the following:
Making electrical circuit changes to the qualified design that impact the RF-PHY compliance

Modifying the supported features of link layer or host

Cypress Link
Layer (LL)
Component
Cypress
Stack/Host
Component
RF-PHY
Test Evidence
(Customer)

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Inherit Evidence

Inherit Evidence

End Product
QDID
(Customer)

From BQTF

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Cypress BLE Solutions: Bluetooth Qualification and Declaration

Listing with
Declaration ID


Creating a Bluetooth Product - Process
Scenario 2 – Using silicon and creating your own End Product QDID by inheriting evidence from
Cypress’s Component QDIDs.
It is a 2-step process: 1) Qualification 2) Declaration

Step 1: Qualification

Create a Traditional
Qualified Project (TPG)

Perform Testing

File Documentation

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Create a new project in your Bluetooth SIG account for End Product QDID. Assigns
QDID
In “Project Options”, select “Combine with QDID”. Select Cypress’s LL QDID
Repeat the above step with Cypress’s Stack/Host QDID
Complete feature selection i.e. ICS for all layers
Choose Product Type

Do consistency check
Generate test plan

Perform testing against test plan at a BQTF for RF-PHY
Perform testing in-house for Protocol Stack and Profiles using Profile Tuning Suite (PTS)
Generate test logs, test reports
Create test declaration document
(Optional) Review evidence with a Bluetooth Qualification Expert (BQE) like AT4-wireless

Upload evidence to Bluetooth SIG against project
Create a compliance folder
Store ICS, IXIT, Test evidence, RIN, SDoC

Cypress BLE Solutions: Bluetooth Qualification and Declaration


Creating a Bluetooth Product - Process
Step 2: Declaration

Purchase a
Declaration ID

Generate Invoice from your SIG login account to buy a Declaration ID
Payment (Credit card, Invoice)
Declaration ID is assigned to you and available in your login
(Optional) Transfer Declaration ID to any person in your organization who will do the
Listing

Create Listing

Start Listing Process in your login.
Enter your End Product QDID. Add Cypress’s Profile subsystem QDID if you are
referencing Cypress’s Profile Listing
Provide design description, product description
Add one or more products
Assign Declaration ID and choose Listing date

Sign Declarations

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Check the Declaration box
Print the SDoC and Declaration of Conformance (DoC)
Get the SDoC and DoC signed by a duly authorized member of your company
Store the scanned copies in the compliance folder
Review Listing information
Submit for Listing
Refer the Bluetooth brand guide to learn how to use the Bluetooth logos and word mark

Cypress BLE Solutions: Bluetooth Qualification and Declaration


Creating a Bluetooth Product – FAQs
Should I buy a Declaration ID even if I am using the Cypress BLE silicon/module that is fully qualified
as an End Product?
Yes, if your company is creating a new product/rebranding a product (s) that uses Qualified Designs, you need

to buy a Declaration ID and complete the Declaration process
Completing Qualification is one requirement to satisfy the conditions of the license defined in the Bluetooth
Trademark License Agreement (BTLA) and Bluetooth Patent/Copyright License Agreement (BPCLA)

What is the process to buy a Declaration ID?
You need to be a member of the Bluetooth SIG. You then need to buy a Declaration ID from the Bluetooth SIG
by paying a Declaration Fee. Payment can be made in two ways – 1) Credit card 2) Invoice

What type of a member should I be?
You have two choices – 1) Adopter 2) Associate.
Adopter membership is free. This is a minimum for you to obtain the license to build BLE products and use
BLE trademarks.
Associate membership costs money. You also get 50% discount on listing fee, UPF fee etc. Fee:
7500USD - If your company is less than $100 million USD in annual revenue
35000USD - If greater
If you intend to participate in the SIG working groups and contribute to specifications development, choose Associate
membership, if not, choose Adopter membership

What is the Declaration Fee?
Adopter: USD 8,000
Associate: USD 4,000
Innovation Incentive Program: USD 2,500 for up to 2 Declarations (conditions apply)
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Cypress BLE Solutions: Bluetooth Qualification and Declaration

Creating a Bluetooth Product – FAQs
Should I buy a Declaration ID for every product variation?
Not necessarily. If your products use the same set of Qualified Designs without any modifications, then you can list all the
products in one Listing using a single Declaration ID

What if I do not want to pay for Declaration ID / not list my product / not carry a Bluetooth logo on my
product?
Bluetooth SIG administers the Qualification Process and Declaration Process for members to demonstrate their compliance to
both the Bluetooth Trademark License Agreement and Bluetooth Patent & Copyright License Agreement. Because most
members want to complete the requirements for both license agreements the processes are completed simultaneously using an
online tool provided by the Bluetooth SIG. So, if you do not plan on using the Bluetooth trademark, you will still want to be sure
you satisfy the requirements of Bluetooth Patent & Copyright License Agreement when incorporating Bluetooth technology into
a
product for commercialization.
If you are contracted to build a product for another company SIG recommends that you consult your own legal counsel about
your company’s responsibility. To ensure each member meets the requirements of both license agreements, SIG advises that
each member completes defined processes for the products they build, brand or otherwise represent in any way as their own.
References:
/> />Should I be a member of Bluetooth SIG to build/brand BLE products?
Yes. Adopter membership is Free. As an Adopter member of the Bluetooth SIG, you immediately gain:
The right to a license to build products using Bluetooth technology*
The right to a license to use the Bluetooth trademarks*

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Cypress BLE Solutions: Bluetooth Qualification and Declaration


Creating a Bluetooth Product – FAQs
Cypress has both silicon and module as qualified end products. Which one should I use?
Choose module, if you want to reduce overhead (cost, time) of the Qualification process. The use of the silicon
is normally open to hardware changes that affect the Qualified Design. This will require an assessment,
requiring you to run all the Bluetooth RF/PHY testing at a BQTF and to create a new qualified design/QDID for
your product
Choose silicon, if the module form factor, size, cost, or circuit design does not meet your product’s requirement.
You may have to incur additional cost of running RF/PHY testing at a BQTF to ensure your product is still
compliant

If I choose the module, do I need to create my own Qualified Design/QDID?
No. You only need to buy a Declaration ID for the Listing. You will reference the End Product QDID for the
Cypress EZ-BLE module

If I choose the silicon, do I need to create my own qualified design/QDID?
You may need to, if the changes to the design are significant in your assessment and will apply to most of your
products. It is a good idea to get a new End Product QDID so you can list all your products by referencing
your QDID. Follow the process discussed earlier to create your own End Product QDID

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Cypress BLE Solutions: Bluetooth Qualification and Declaration

Creating a Bluetooth Product – FAQs
What will happen when Cypress offers a new revision of silicon/module and we switch to the new
silicon/module?
There are a two possibilities:
Cypress adds the new silicon/module to an existing End Product Listing – You can switch to the new
silicon/module without any update required to your listing
Cypress creates new End Product QDID for the silicon/module and new Component QDIDs for layers – You
will need to buy a new Declaration ID and do a new Listing referencing the new End Product QDID. If you
created your own End Product QDID (Scenario 2 discussed earlier) and Cypress has new Component
QDIDs for the referenced components, you will need to create a new End Product QDID

We have a product with a competitor’s silicon and want to switch to Cypress. Do I need to do
Qualification and Declaration process again?
Yes. Since the QDID your product will use will now be different, you need to create a new QDID + Declaration ID (if creating your
own QDID) or only a new Declaration ID (if only referencing)

What do we need to do if Cypress adds new BLE features (4.2, 5.0) to their solution? Do we need to
change anything?
Whenever Cypress adds new BLE features, one or more Qualified Designs will get impacted depending on
which layer (s) the changes are done in. Cypress will create new QDIDs for such Components and may also
create a new End Product QDID
If you continue to use the previous silicon/module that support the previous feature-set, you do not have to do
anything. If you decide to use the new features, then you will need to go through the Qualification and/or
Declaration process again as discussed earlier.

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Cypress BLE Solutions: Bluetooth Qualification and Declaration


Cypress BLE Solutions: Bluetooth Qualification and Declaration

LISTING EXAMPLES

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Cypress BLE Solutions: Bluetooth Qualification and Declaration


Listing Example 1
Cypress builds and supplies End Product Qualified Designs for silicon and modules
Company X builds products (mouse and keyboard) with the Qualified Design
CYPRESS

COMPANY X

Declaration ID
D024757 (QFN Silicon) or
D025069 (CSP Silicon) or
D026297 (EZ-BLE PRoC Module)

Declaration ID
D012345

$

$

 Product Type
End Product QDID
62887 (QFN Silicon) or
63683 (CSP Silicon) or
63199 (EZ-BLE PRoC Module)

 QDID

Reference QDID
62887 (QFN Silicon) or
63683 (CSP Silicon) or
63199 (EZ-BLE PRoC Module)

 Valid ICS
 Test Plan
 Test Evidence

Product
Mouse

Product
56-QFN Silicon or
68-CSP Silicon or

EZ-BLE PRoC Module

Product
Keyboard
Future Products

 SDoC & DoC
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 DoC
Cypress BLE Solutions: Bluetooth Qualification and Declaration


Listing Example 2
Cypress builds and supplies Component Qualified Designs
Company Y integrates the Components to build a BLE module
CYPRESS

COMPANY Y

Declaration ID
D024756 (Host/Stack) or
D024755 (Link Layer)

Declaration ID
D123456

$

$

 Product Type
Component QDID
61908 (Host/Stack) or
62243 (Link Layer)

 Product Type

 QDID

 QDID
End Product QDID
98765

 Valid ICS
 Test Plan

 Test Plan

 Test Evidence

 Test Evidence1

Product
Module

Product
Host/Stack or
Link Layer

 SDoC & DoC
1

 SDoC & DoC

Test evidence can be inherited from Cypress’s Listing for Host/Stack and Link Layer. Test evidence must be obtained through testing at BQTF for RF-PHY.

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 Valid ICS

Cypress BLE Solutions: Bluetooth Qualification and Declaration