a Visual-Studio-like GUI. Configurable analog and digital blocks Using configurable analog and digital blocks, designers can create and change mixed-signal embedded applications. The digital blocks are state machines that are configured using the blocks registers. There are two types of digital blocks, Digital Building Blocks (DBBxx) and Digital Communication Blocks (DCBxx). Only the communication blocks can contain serial I/O user modules, such as SPI, UART, etc. Each digital block is considered an 8-bit resource that designers can configure using pre-built digital functions or user modules (UM), or, by combining blocks, turn them into 16-, 24-, or 32-bit resources. Concatenating UMs together is how 16-bit PWMs and timers are created. There are two types of analog blocks. The continuous time (CT) blocks are composed of an op-amp circuit and designated as ACBxx where xx is 00–03. The other type is the switch cap (SC) blocks, which allow complex analog signal flows and are designated by ASCxy where x is the row and y is the column of the analog block. Designers can modify and personalize each module to any design. Programmable routing and interconnect PSoC mixed-signal arrays' flexible routing allows designers to route signals to and from I/O pins more freely than with many competing microcontrollers. Global buses allow for signal multiplexing and for performing logic operations. Cypress suggests that this allows designers to configure a design and make improvements more easily and faster and with fewer PCB redesigns than a digital logic gate approach or competing microcontrollers with more fixed function pins. Series There are five different families of devices, each based around a different microcontroller core: PSoC 1 — CY8C2xxxx series — M8C core. PSoC 3 — CY8C3xxxx series — 8051 core. PSoC 4 — CY8C4xxxx series — ARM Cortex-M0 core. PSoC 5/5LP — CY8C5xxxx series — ARM Cortex-M3 core. PSoC 6 — CY8C6xxxx series — ARM Cortex-M4 core with an added ARM Cortex-M0+ core (in some models). Bluetooth Low Energy Starting in 2014, Cypress began offering PSoC 4 BLE devices with integrated Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth Smart). This can be used to create connected products leveraging the analog and digital blocks. Users can add and configure the BLE module directly in PSoC creator. Cypress also provides a complete Bluetooth Low Energy stack licensed from Mindtree with both Peripheral and Central functionality. The PSoC 6 series includes versions with BLE including Bluetooth 5 features including extended range or higher