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Bluetooth Smart just got smarter
Bluetooth Smart is opening up new opportunities across a range of vertical markets and is helping drive the Internet of Things, as Allen Cabreros explains
B
luetooth Smart wireless technology is the new ultra-power efficient, app- friendly version of Bluetooth transforming the low power wireless industry. This technology is rapidly opening new opportunities and applications in industry verticals and is also an important technology in driving the Internet of Things (IoT).
While the power efficiency of Bluetooth Smart is a key driver another one is its ability to work with a wide variety of applications on smartphones or tablets consumers already own. The Bluetooth Smart architecture is supported by all the major operating systems making it easy for developers to create apps that link with everyday objects like heart rate monitors, toothbrushes, and even shoes. According
to market research from ABI, the world market forecast is showing total shipments of Bluetooth Smart and Bluetooth Smart Ready devices will be double Bluetooth “Classic” shipments in 2014. Bluetooth Smart, previously known as Bluetooth Low Energy or BLE, is an ultra- low power radio technology that is designed with the coin cell battery in mind and sending short bursts of small data in an infrequent amount of time with low latency.
Bluetooth Smart is meant for low bandwidth and low latency data that is sent infrequently. If you ask what the maximum throughput of Bluetooth Smart is for your application, then it might not be the right technology. Bluetooth Smart is suitable for state types of data. State data
is where ANT/ANT+ and ZigBee play well with in regard to command and control (on/off), monitoring low resolution sensors, and status indication. Pedometers, heart rate monitors, thermometers, accelerometer positioning data, and proximity sensing are all low bandwidth, low latency types of applications. Bluetooth Classic has been used for data “cable replacement” applications, while Bluetooth Smart is viewed as a “wire replacement” technology.
Bluetooth Smart
vs.Classic In order to achieve the ultra-low power consumption, changes were made to the existing Bluetooth Baseband, Link Management Layer and upper data management layers (L2CAP). One of the obvious changes to achieve the ultra-low power consumption, was in the radio duty- cycle, link management and link establishment. Although the GFSK modulation is still the same with Bluetooth Classic, the application throughput is reduced to a theoretical throughput of ~0.27 Mbit/s from 0.7–2.1 Mbit/s. The new Link Management Layer
reduces radio duty cycle and adds new mechanisms to keep power consumption low but still add robustness and low latency to the link.
Figure 1: Source: ABI Research; Bluetooth Service
Channel spacing, modulation index, max output power, and packet types are other items that have changed with Bluetooth Smart. This means Bluetooth Classic is not compatible with Bluetooth Smart, only Bluetooth Smart and Bluetooth Smart Ready devices can communicate
with each other. Bluetooth Smart Ready devices support both Bluetooth Classic and Bluetooth Smart, making it a dual mode device. The Apple iPhone 4S and later, iPad 3 and later, recent Macbooks, Android devices and PC laptops are just a few devices that are already Smart Ready.
New roles and data modes Bluetooth Smart also defines new roles and device types. This is similar to the Master and Slave roles in Bluetooth Classic. There are Central and Peripheral device role types within Bluetooth Smart. Roles are defined in profiles and how services can be provided between Bluetooth Smart and Bluetooth Smart Ready devices. A Central device’s role performs the function of discovering, connecting and accessing the available services from the Peripheral device. Smartphones, Tablets and PCs are typically the Central device as they have displays and user interfaces to discover, connect, and view data and services from Peripheral devices. A Peripheral device role performs functions such as Advertisements, being discoverable and connectable to Central devices, and providing services. Typical Peripheral devices today are keyfobs, fitbits, watches, temperature sensors, mice or keyboard.
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One of the big advantages of Bluetooth Smart is the ability to advertise and broadcast data without the need of establishing a complete connection. Establishing a complete connection would
16 September 2014
Components in Electronics
www.cieonline.co.uk
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