Bluetooth IoT: How to deploy IoT projects easily and cost-effectively

Bluetooth IoT, especially driven by the popularity of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), has seen significant growth and adoption in the IoT space. Due to low energy consumption and the ability to use small batteries for long periods of time, BLE has become the wireless technology of choice for many IoT applications. This article explores the role of Bluetooth low energy in the Internet of Things. It also discusses the advantages of BLE technology to make it suitable for IoT applications.

Bluetooth and its iterations

Bluetooth technology has gone through different iterations, introducing new features and improvements. The original Bluetooth version was introduced in 1999. Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), also known as Bluetooth 4.0 or Bluetooth Smart, was invented in 2010 to minimize power consumption. This makes it ideal for using battery-powered IoT devices, thereby extending battery life. BLE is suitable for devices that require regular data exchange and is widely used in the consumer electronics and automotive industries.

Classic Bluetooth and Bluetooth low energy in IoT projects

Classic Bluetooth is suitable for applications that require higher data transfer rates, continuous communication, and voice capabilities. BLE, on the other hand, is optimized for low-power IoT devices with short bursts of communication and small data transmission. The table below shows a comparative analysis of the two technologies, which will help to understand why BLE is so popular in IoT applications.

Why is BLE so popular in the IoT world?

BLE uses the same radio band as Bluetooth, and data exchange between two devices can also be achieved. The main difference is that BLE devices spend most of their time in sleep mode between connections and have brief communication sessions. In contrast, classic Bluetooth is designed for communication that remains continuously active for long periods of time. As a result, BLE devices can run for one year on a single coin cell battery.

Listed below are the features of BLE, which are ideal for IoT applications.

• BLE is designed to save resources and is ideal for devices with limited power, processing power, and memory.
• BLE can transmit small packets efficiently and periodically.
• The BLE connection has a latency of 6 milliseconds, suitable for supporting sleep and wake modes. Higher latency can result in the loss of critical information because it takes longer to establish a connection.

How Bluetooth low energy works in the Internet of Things

Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) works in IoT applications through multiple modes of operation:

One-way data transfer: BLE is commonly used for unidirectional data transfer in Bluetooth IoT applications, where sensor devices periodically broadcast data to a gateway or receiver connected to the cloud.

Remote control and operation: The gateway controls the BLE IoT sensor/actuator for BLE two-way communication for Bluetooth IoT applications, enabling remote control and operation.

Bluetooth mesh networking principle: BLE supports mesh networking, that is, multiple BLE IoT devices form a network, and the gateway acts as the controller. This allows remote monitoring and control of the entire BLE mesh network, enabling scalability and coordination between nodes in larger Bluetooth IoT deployments.

Bluetooth IoT devices

Multiple Bluetooth IoT devices are used to create an IoT network. Bluetooth IoT sensors and gateways work together to collect data from their surroundings and transmit it to the cloud via connectivity options such as WiFi, LTE4G, or Ethernet. This BLE integration enables efficient and effective data acquisition, facilitating the advancement of IoT technology. The following sections discuss several key components of a BLE IoT network.

Bluetooth IoT architecture

The architecture of Bluetooth IoT typically involves a hierarchical structure that includes the following components:

Bluetooth IoT devices: These end devices have Bluetooth connectivity and various smart sensors or beacons. They collect data from their surroundings or interact with other devices in the BLE IoT network.

IoT gateway: The BLE gateway receives data from Bluetooth IoT devices and transmits it to the cloud after preprocessing.

Central IoT Network: Manages the processing, storage, and analysis of data received from Bluetooth IoT devices based on cloud or on-premises infrastructure.

BLE sensors/beacons

Bluetooth IoT devices often contain various sensors or beacons to collect data from the physical environment. These sensors can include:

Environmental sensors: Temperature, humidity, pressure, and ambient light sensors are commonly used to monitor environmental conditions.

Motion and proximity sensors: Accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, and proximity sensors detect the motion, orientation, and proximity of an object or individual.

Health and fitness sensors: Bluetooth IoT devices for health and fitness tracking, such as heart rate monitors, pulse oximeters, and activity trackers, transmit data to smartphones or other devices.

Asset tracking sensor: Bluetooth sensors equipped with location tracking can monitor the movement and location of assets within a specified area.

Bluetooth IoT gateway

Gateways in Bluetooth IoT deployments provide protocol conversion, data preprocessing, connection management, and local processing/control capabilities. They enable communication between Bluetooth IoT devices and a central IoT network, ensuring compatibility, efficiency, security, and local decision-making.

Bluetooth low energy IoT use cases

Bluetooth low energy is widely used in IoT applications. Here are some popular use cases:

Smart home

Bluetooth mesh networking is widely used in smart home applications. It connects and controls various smart devices such as lights, thermostats, door locks, and security systems. Bluetooth gateway and Bluetooth MESH technology to efficiently communicate and manage multiple BLE IoT devices in the smart home ecosystem.

Industrial monitoring

BLE enables real-time monitoring of equipment status, predictive maintenance, asset tracking, environmental monitoring, energy monitoring, worker safety, and data collection and analysis. BLE sensors and beacons transmit data wirelessly to a central system, enabling efficient and cost-effective monitoring of various parameters.

Home wearables

Wearable devices such as ECG (electrocardiogram) and CGM (continuous glucose monitoring) use Bluetooth low energy in IoT applications. BLE IoT provides secure, low-power data transmission between wearable sensors and mobile devices or cloud platforms, which can continuously monitor vital signs and health parameters.

Remote patient monitoring IoT solutions

Indoor localization

Beacon Bluetooth and receivers help enable precise indoor positioning and navigation. The technology can be used in a variety of applications, such as retail stores, museums, hospitals, airports, and warehouses, enabling location-based services, wayfinding, and asset tracking in indoor environments.

Bluetooth IoT FAQs

Is Bluetooth a commonly used technology in the Internet of Things?

Bluetooth is a foundational technology in the IoT ecosystem that enables wireless communication and data exchange between nearby devices.

How are Bluetooth and Wi-Fi different in IoT?

Bluetooth is designed for short-range communication between nearby devices. Wi-Fi offers wider coverage, higher data rates over longer distances. It is more suitable for connecting devices that span a large area or network.

How to choose a Bluetooth IoT solution?

There are a variety of factors to consider when selecting a Bluetooth IoT solution, such as specific use case requirements and Bluetooth low energy (BLE) system-on-chip (SoC) capabilities. In addition, you can view power efficiency, support for BLE networking technology, availability of rich interfaces, compatibility with existing infrastructure, and scalability for future needs.

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