# Getting Started with the nRF8001 Bluefruit LE Breakout ## Introduction Danger: The nRF8001 breakout board from Adafruit has been discontinued. This guide is here for reference only and may contain issues with modern software. ![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/015/475/medium800/adafruit_products_1697_LRG.jpg?1395181529) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZQ5JJTwONc Our nRF8001 Breakout allows you to establish an easy to use wireless link between your Arduino and any compatible iOS or Android (4.3+) device. It works by simulating a UART device beneath the surface, sending ASCII data back and forth between the devices, letting you decide what data to send and what to do with it on either end of the connection. Unlike classic Bluetooth, BLE has no big contracts to sign and no major hoops that you have to jump through to create iOS peripherals that you can legally design and distribute in the App Store, which makes it a great choice compared to classic Bluetooth which had (and still has) a lot of restrictions around it on the iOS platform. And now that Android also officially supports Bluetooth Low Energy (as of Android 4.3), it's also -- finally! -- a universal communication channel covering the main mobile operating systems people are using today. We can get you started super fast with this BLE module which can act like an 'every day' UART data link. Send and receive data up to 10 meters away, from your Arduino to an iOS device. We've even made it easy to [get started with our very own BLE connect app that has a "serial console" for sending/receiving data and also an 'arduino pin i/o control station"](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/adafruit-bluefruit-le-connect/id830125974?mt=8 "Link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/adafruit-bluefruit-le-connect/id830125974?mt=8") to let you set pins on your Arduino to inputs or outputs, high or low logic or even PWM output, as well as read button presses and analog inputs. You can start prototyping your accessory and then [use our open source Objective C code to base your new app on!](https://github.com/adafruit/Bluefruit_LE_Connect "Link: https://github.com/adafruit/Bluefruit\_LE\_Connect") Info: **Please note:** **At this time, we don't have an Android version of the Adafruit Bluefruit LE App available (our native BLE application)**, but you can use Nordic's Android nRF UART application with the nRF8001 Breakout on BLE capable Android devices (Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7, etc.) This guide will help you setup your nRF8001 Bluetooth Low Energy breakout, and start using some of the sample sketches we provide with it to connect to an iOS or Android device. If you're new to Bluetooth Low Energy, be sure to check out our [Introduction to Bluetooth Low Energy](http://learn.adafruit.com/introduction-to-bluetooth-low-energy/introduction) learning guide as well! Info: ![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/015/476/medium800/adafruit_products_1697top_LRG.jpg?1395181604) # Requirements - Adafruit nRF8001 Breakout - A BLE enabled Android or iOS device to test with for nRF UART demos - An iOS device running iOS 7 with [Bluefruit](https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=830125974&mt=8) installed for the BlueFruit LE Firmata demos - [Next Page](https://learn.adafruit.com/getting-started-with-the-nrf8001-bluefruit-le-breakout/pinouts.md) ## Featured Products ### Bluefruit LE - Bluetooth® Low Energy 4.0 [Bluefruit LE - Bluetooth® Low Energy 4.0](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1697) Our Adafruit Bluefruit LE (Bluetooth® Smart, Bluetooth® Low Energy, Bluetooth® 4.0) nRF8001 Breakout allows you to establish an easy to use wireless link between your Arduino and any compatible iOS or Android (4.3+) device. It works by simulating a UART device beneath the surface,... No Longer Stocked [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1697) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/1697/guides) ### Xinghuatian Tech Bluetooth® 4.0 USB Module [Xinghuatian Tech Bluetooth® 4.0 USB Module](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1327) Add Bluetooth® capability to your computer super fast with a Xinghuatian Tech Bluetooth® 4.0 USB Module. This adapter is backwards compatible with v2.1 and earlier, but also supports the latest v4.0/ Bluetooth® Low Energy. 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