The Industrial Wi-Fi Shop Podcast – Ep. 18 The Magic of BLE!

IWS Episode 18 Show Notes –  The Magic of BLE!






Free 3D Printer Plans!







• Oscium WiPry790x and Clarity/Lucid DIY bracket posted on Thingiverse. Bring your own hair ties.



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METAGEEK UPDATE NEWS:







• On Monday, July 14th, Metageek will be dropping their latest update for Chanalyzer. In this update they will have channel breakouts for both Bluetooth Standard/Classic (79) and Bluetooth Low Energy (40)







The Basics of Bluetooth






Handy spectrum reference, Bluetooth channels included.






https://spectrum.potatofi.com/














Class 3







• Maximum Power Output: 1 mW (0 dBm)





• Typical Range: Up to 1 meter (3 feet)





• Applications: Wearables, fitness trackers, and devices where low power is critical





• Notes: Rarely used due to extremely limited range.







Class 2







• Maximum Power Output: 2.5 mW (4 dBm)





• Typical Range: Up to 10 meters (33 feet)





• Applications: Most smartphones, tablets, laptops, and Bluetooth headsets





• Notes: Most common class for consumer electronics.







Class 1.5







• Maximum Power Output: 10 mW (10 dBm)





• Typical Range: Up to 20 meters (65 feet)





• Applications: Some Bluetooth headsets and mid-range devices





• Notes: Not as common as other classes; sometimes grouped with Class 1 in specifications.







Class 1







• Maximum Power Output: 100 mW (20 dBm)





• Typical Range: Up to 100 meters (330 feet)





• Applications: Industrial equipment, long-range wireless peripherals





• Notes: Both devices must be Class 1 to achieve maximum range.







Key Points







• Range depends on both devices: The effective range is determined by the lower class (lower power) device in the connection.





• Power vs. Range: Higher power output allows for greater range but increases energy consumption.





• Class 2 is standard: Most consumer Bluetooth devices use Class 2 for a balance of range and battery life.







All about BLE (in general)







• Ultra-Low Power Consumption:
BLE is optimized to use minimal energy, allowing devices to operate for months or even years on small batteries. It achieves this by keeping the radio off most of the time and transmitting data in short, infrequent bursts.





• Short-Range Communication:
BLE typically operates within a range of 10 to 50 meters indoors, but with Bluetooth 5.0 and newer, the range can extend up to 150 meters in open environments.





• Efficient Data Exchange:
BLE is designed for applications that require periodic transmission of small amounts of data, such as sensor readings or device status updates. It is not suitable for continuous, high-bandwidth tasks like audio streaming.





• Fast Connection and Low Latency:
BLE enables quick device discovery and connection, with latency as low as 6 milliseconds—much faster than classic Bluetooth, which has around 100 ms latency.





• Frequency and Channels:
BLE operates in the 2.4 GHz ISM band, using 40 channels (each 2 MHz wide), compared to 79 channels in classic Bluetooth. This helps reduce interference and improve efficiency.







How BLE Works







• Advertising and Scanning:
BLE devices periodically broadcast small advertising packets on three primary channels. Other devices scan for these packet...