Ai-Thinker BW16-Kit RTL8720DN Dual-Band Wi-Fi BLE Board The Ai-Thinker BW16-Kit is a development board built around the BW16 wireless module and Realtek RTL8720DN platform. It provides a faster hardware bring-up path for engineers who need dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy, USB-to-serial access, and accessible IO on a compact board. According to the official Ai-Thinker materials, BW16 supports 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, STA / AP / STA+AP networking modes, SmartConfig, AirKiss, local upgrade, FOTA, and hardware security functions including AES, DES, SHA, TrustZone-M, and secure startup support. The kit adds a Type-C USB interface, onboard USB-to-serial circuit, and board-level access for testing, flashing, and IO expansion. For related OpenELAB Wi-Fi and BLE hardware, compare the Ai-Thinker BW16 Wi-Fi BLE Module, Ai-Thinker BW20-12F Wi-Fi BLE Module, Ai-Thinker BW20-07S Wi-Fi BLE Module, Ai-Thinker BW20-12F-Kit, and Ai-Thinker Ai-WB2-32S Wi-Fi 6 BLE Module. Note: All products shipped come with the latest firmware. Technical Specifications Parameter Value Brand Ai-Thinker Model BW16-Kit OpenELAB SKU AT-BW16-Kit Product Type Dual-band Wi-Fi and BLE IoT development board Core Module Ai-Thinker BW16 Wireless SoC Realtek RTL8720DN Processor Architecture Integrated high-performance ARM V8M KM4 core and low-power ARM V8M KM0 core listed by official materials Wi-Fi Standard IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi Band 2.4GHz and 5GHz dual-band operation Wi-Fi Frequency Range 2400MHz to 2483.5MHz, or 5180MHz to 5825MHz according to BW16 module specifications Wi-Fi Modes STA, AP, and STA+AP support listed by official materials Wireless Configuration SmartConfig and AirKiss support listed by official materials Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.0 / BLE support Bluetooth Frequency 2.402GHz to 2.480GHz according to BW16 module specifications Firmware Update Local upgrade and remote firmware upgrade / FOTA support listed by official materials Security Functions AES, DES, SHA hardware engines, TrustZone-M, secure startup, and SWD debug protection listed by official materials Board USB Interface Type-C USB interface listed by the official BW16-Kit revision notes USB-to-Serial Built-in USB-to-serial circuit for flashing, testing, and serial access Board Power Input 5V board input is listed in BW16-Kit materials Core Module Supply BW16 module supply range is 3.0V to 3.6V, 3.3V typical Recommended Current Reserve at least 500mA board-side supply capacity for development use Available Interfaces UART, GPIO, ADC, PWM, I2C, SPI, and SWD resources are listed for the BW16 platform Antenna Uses the BW16 module antenna configuration; OpenELAB also carries BW16 module variants with onboard antenna and IPEX options Power Indicator Power indicator support is listed in official BW16-Kit revision notes Operating Temperature -20C to 70C for the BW16 module reference specification Storage Environment -40C to 125C, less than 90%RH for the BW16 module reference specification Kit Function Board-level access for BW16 testing, serial flashing, IO expansion, and hardware evaluation Integration Notes & Hardware Guidance Power Supply - Use a stable 5V input for the development board and reserve at least 500mA current capacity during Wi-Fi transmit and flashing operations. USB Connection - Use the Type-C port for serial access and firmware workflow, then confirm the correct serial port and boot mode before flashing. Logic Levels - Treat BW16 IO as 3.3V logic and add level shifting if the external host or peripheral uses another IO voltage. Dual-Band Validation - Test both 2.4GHz and 5GHz network behavior with the final router configuration, antenna placement, enclosure, and regional channel settings. BLE Coexistence - Validate Bluetooth Low Energy behavior while Wi-Fi is active because antenna layout, traffic load, and firmware settings affect coexistence performance. Security Planning - Review secure startup, SWD protection, firmware upgrade policy, and key handling before moving from development board testing to production hardware. Interface Planning - Confirm UART, GPIO, ADC, PWM, I2C, SPI, and SWD usage before designing a custom carrier board around BW16. Thermal and RF Checks - Re-test sustained Wi-Fi traffic, enclosure temperature, RF range, and power stability under the target operating conditions. Production Migration - Use the kit for evaluation, then map power, boot, reset, UART, SWD, antenna, and IO requirements carefully when migrating to the bare BW16 module. Packing List 1 x Ai-Thinker BW16-Kit RTL8720DN Dual-Band Wi-Fi BLE IoT Development Board FAQ Q: Which wireless chip platform does BW16-Kit use?A: It is based on the Ai-Thinker BW16 module, which uses the Realtek RTL8720DN wireless platform. Q: Does BW16-Kit support both 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi?A: Yes. Official BW16 materials list dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi support. Q: Does it support Bluetooth?A: Yes. BW16 materials list Bluetooth 5.0 / BLE support. Q: What is the board USB connector?A: Official BW16-Kit revision notes list a Type-C USB interface and built-in USB-to-serial circuit. Q: What firmware update options are listed?A: Official materials list local upgrade and remote firmware upgrade / FOTA support. Q: What security functions are available?A: Official materials list AES, DES, SHA hardware engines, TrustZone-M, secure startup, and SWD debug protection support. Q: Is this the same as the bare BW16 module?A: No. BW16-Kit is a development board built around the BW16 module, adding USB-to-serial access and board-level convenience for evaluation and integration work.
