things you didn’t know about BluetoothPREPARE for some BIG

CHANGES in the IoT

4.

Bluetooth Core Specification version 4.0 is released, introducing Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) → Bluetooth Smart

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Adoption of the Bluetooth mesh networking standard and further enhancements to the Bluetooth radio

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It has an impressive range

* We’ve managed to develop Bluetooth modules with a 108dB link budget that translates to a range of 500m (~1,500ft) in the open air.

Bluetooth is still commonly considered an ultra-low range communication protocol, a one just about sufficient to wirelessly transmit data between a laptop and a mouse.

But with Bluetooth Smart, manufacturers may choose to optimize the range of Bluetooth modules to ensure reliable data exchange over hundreds of meters* (way more than 1,000ft) in the open air.

Breaking newsThe range of Bluetooth Smart

will increase up to 4x in 2016!

1 Mbi

t/s

It's blazingly fast

Few people consider the Bluetooth radio to be particularly fast, especially given the fact that so far it has been used in relatively simple applications.

But with a data rate of 1 Mbit/s, Bluetooth Smart is much faster than any other low-power, low-bandwidth communication standard. Why the throughput matters when smart devices usually broadcast only tiny bits of information? Because a higher data rate means greater net-work capacity, better scalability, lower duty cycle and lower latency - all of which are extremely important for large networks and professional deployments.

Maximum data rates:

ZigBee - 250 kbit/sThread - 250 kbit/sZ-Wave - 100 kbit/s

Breaking news

A 100% increase in speed

will be introduced

in 2016!

Bluetooth was initially designed as a cable-replacement technology for point-to-point communications. While Bluetooth Smart introduced numerous important improvements, it still was architected to support relatively simple hub-and-spoke networks.

What you might not know is that a peer-to-peer mesh network can be built on top of the existing Bluetooth radio, and the protocol’s essential features make such a network extremely robust and resilient. Several proprietary Bluetooth mesh solutions are being developed, but the real breakthrough will be the adoption of the mesh standard by the SIG.

It’s fully meshable

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It can network thousands of devices

In the old days, Bluetooth devices could form a tiny personal area network (PAN) called piconet, where a single central device would coordinate the activity of up to 7 connected peripherals.

But in a mesh network based on Bluetooth Smart, small bits of data can be exchanged between smart devices even when there is no constant connection maintained between them. Such a dynamic messaging system enables seamless and effective communication even in a network with thousands of nodes.

Bluetooth Smart is supported by virtually every new smartphone on the market. This means that all that is needed to build, configure and control a network of smart “things” is an appropriate phone app. The same app can also be used to update their firmware over-the-air. And with mesh being a purely software solution, you won’t need a new phone to manage your meshed environment once the standard is adopted.

Control device is already in your pocket

!

!!!

!

No central hub or gateway

once a hub fails, the entire network fails as well

eliminates a single point of failure from the network

is more immune to communication bottlenecks

ensures that smart environment can be relied on 24/7

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It ensures multi-vendor interoperability

Supporting interoperability at the application layer has always been a top priority for the SIG – this is why you can blindly grab any Bluetooth headset off the store shelf without having to wonder whether or not it will work with your phone.

Such an approach ensures that within a given product category, devices from different manufacturers can talk to each other and interoperate. This benefits both the customers and manufacturers, and allows the Bluetooth ecosystem to grow rapidly.

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The beacon capability is one of those value-added features that only Bluetooth can provide. Bluetooth’s proximity sensing feature can make your smartphone perform certain actions whenever you get close to a given smart device.

This enables a wide array of unique applications and can radically improve the user experience.

Beacons!

It’s as secure as your online bank account

Bluetooth Smart uses the proven 128-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) for encoding information, making it virtually unbreakable

The new pairing model called Secure Connections prevents long-term key sniffing attacks

Bluetooth Smart supports a feature that reduces the ability to track a device over a period of time by changing its address on a frequent basis

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28,000-member strong Bluetooth Special Interest Group is an enormous market force driving the development of Bluetooth. Its responsive organizational structure ensures that whenever market trends or technology advancements imply the need to introduce or adjust any particular feature, member companies can quickly launch a working group and immediately start working on relevant solutions.

Since Bluetooth covers all of the layers of the OSI model, from the physical layer up to the application layer, the SIG has the rare privilege of being able to introduce any modifications to the standard directly and independently, without going into lengthy negotiations with any other bodies or associations.

Bluetooth is developing faster than any other protocol

If you’d like to get more detailed information on where Bluetooth stands at the moment, and where it will be heading over the next few months, take a look at

Over the past few weeks we’ve also reviewed multiple other IoT protocols as part of our Wireless protocols showdown series:

Why Bluetooth?

We bet on Bluetooth not because of what it is today but because of what it will become in the future. And being an active member of the SIG, we know that things are going in the right direction.

Our deep involvement in both the Smart Mesh Working Group and the Internet Working Group allows us to exchange our knowledge and experi-ence with other industry leading companies to shape the future of Bluetooth technology. We’ll keep sharing our core IP with the SIG to drive and influence the direction of Bluetooth in the exciting IoT universe.

About usSilvair is a wireless technology provider empowering manufacturers to build cutting-edge smart devices and enrich user experience in a software-defined environment. We’ve created a complete end-to-end solution which allows our manufacturing customers to add connectivity to their products.

The lighting sector is our primary focus at this early stage of the IoT era. The omnipresence of lighting infrastructure across commercial, institutional and residential spaces allows us to fully realize the potential of smart technologies within the built environment. Our partners can improve time-to-market and minimize risks as we assist them through the entire process, from developing the product concept down to the assembly line setup.

For more information about Silvair please visit

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