What to do with Bluetooth Low Energy? Which applications can we cover? Several short articles shall give you an idea for useful applications on BLE. The first article is related to my lost key-fob.
BLE beacon at key-fob (1)
Estimated twenty-five years ago I lost my keys at the ruins of Corinth in Greece. I had luck. Somebody found the keys of my car and gave it to the kiosk in front of he ruins.
Bluetooth Low Energy – BLE- applications
Today this problem can be solved by BLE. Bluetooth Low Energy offers a profile called Proximity. As soon as something like the keys will be out of range, the smart phone will start to ring. This means that if the keys will fall to the ground and you will walk further, your smart phone will start an alarm. You will remember where you walked before and can have a look back. On top BLE offers a profile called Find Me. With Find Me you can trigger an alarm at the buzzer at the key fob.
BLE Bluetooth Low Energy beacon at key-fob
A further option is the iBeacon protocol. With the iBeacon protocol you get an estimated distance to something. With the right app on your smart phone and an iBeacon at your key fob you come to same result. The iBeacon protocol is analysing the RSSI level transmitted by the beacon. This means any other protocol with RSSI level can do the job as well.
If this article gained your interest and if you plan to develop an on application on iOS or Android, then then to not hesitate to drop an email to harald.naumann (at) gsm-modem.de and to ask for an Bluetooth Low Energy beacon kit.
More Bluetooth Low Energy applications here
I am interested in those beacons.
Kindly let me know how to get some samples & eval kits.\
Thanks in advance.
You will get an email. There are 3 different evaluation kits. One is a simple kit with 5 beacons. The standard eval kit comes with programming cable and software to change parameters. The pro eval kit gives you the freedom to run own source code on the beacons.
Its paul here.. keen to replave my icookie with yours. Icookie does not work. Faults not lould enough. App does not work right. Can we brand it.
Wilk flick you a message on fb so you remember me
Hi Paul, I made a quick comparison between iCookie and my beacon.
iCookie:
Certified: no radio certification
Dimension : 33.94 mm x 31.2 mm x 7.9 mm
Weight: 6.4 g
Connectivity : Bluetooth 4.0
Frequency Range : 2402~ 2480 MHz
Distance : approximate 20 m with line of sight
Battery: CR2032 (Coin cell battery)
Standby time : ~ 1 year
Update rate: not mentioned
Power level: not mentioned
Temperature sensor: not supported
Button: not supported
Accelerometer: not supported
Protocols: iBeacon
Own code on beacon: not supported
Wall mounting bracket: not supported
Key fob mounting bracket: yes
Wrist band mounting: not supported
Custom branding: not supported
Schematic diagram: not available
Community: not available
Free demo app: iOS and Android
Price:One piece for evaluation estimated $29.95
My beacon:
Certified: FCC IC / CE, RoHS, Reach and halogen free compliant.
Dimension : 30 mm diameter, 10 mm thickness
Weight: 7 grams
Connectivity : Bluetooth 4.0
Frequency Range : 2402 ~ 2480 MHz
Distance : 75 meters with up to 120 meters at max. power
Battery: CR2032 (Coin cell battery)
Standby time : 18 month, ( 0 dBm and update rate 1 second)
Update rate: 1 second (standard other by programming cable)
Power level: 0 dBm (75 m), 3 dBm (120 m), minimum power level – 18 dBm
Temperature sensor: yes
Button: yes
Accelerometer: yes
Protocols: iBeacon and further
Own code on beacon: yes (option – by C complier)
Wall mounting bracket: yes
Key fob mounting bracket: yes
Wrist band mounting: yes
Custom branding: yes
Schematic diagram: yes
Community: yes
Free demo app: iOS and Android
Price: One piece for evaluation – estimated $12
For iCookie the price is higher. It mentions no certifications. The range is lower and the standby time is lower as well. The iCookie does not support a button, a temperature sensor or accelerometer . The iCookie is a static BLE beacon and can´t run own source code. There is no schematic diagram and there is no engineering community as well.
I will come back to you by email.
Hi Harald, I am interested in your BLE product as a people id/ status inside my residencial automation system.
Please where can I get moré tech info for the subject and a unit and development kit price
Best regards Alberto Murgui.
Dear Alberto, you got an email and an offer. Have a nice weekend.
Hi Harald. I would like info on how I could get a sample/eval kit of your beacons.
Thank You
Hi Erik,
You got an offer. Enjoy the weekend.
Regards
Harald