Bluetooth SIG White Paper Highlights Range Performance of Laird’s BL600 BLE Module

With a focus on increasing the functionality of the Internet of Things (IoT), the Bluetooth 5 core specification has established Bluetooth as the global wireless standard for simple secure connectivity, meeting the demand for increased range and speed in the IoT. Bluetooth, specifically its Low Energy functionality (BLE) is traditionally associated with inherently short-range applications such as smartphones, audio streaming, wearables, and other hands-free applications. However with the arrival of the IoT, the need for wireless connectivity has gone beyond the demands of short-range applications – developers are now asked to connect devices hundreds of meters away from each other. With Bluetooth 5, developers can achieve quadruple the range while maintaining similar power requirements, but even before this latest specification BLE range was able to reach hundreds of meters or more with the right design choices and environmental factors.

The Bluetooth SIG recently published a white paper titled, “Debunking the Myth: Bluetooth Range” that disproves the idea that BLE is just a short-range technology. Laird’s BL600 is featured in the white paper, which focuses on a real-world customer application for the BL600 with the Etesian BreezeBT. The patented BreezeBT is a completely wireless, self-powered BLE integrated anemometer that broadcasts wind speed measurements straight to a smartphone to enhance safety for industrial cranes, aerial work platforms, and event staging. The ultra-low power performance of Laird’s certified BL600 BLE module enables the BreezeBT to operate on wind-power alone, which means never having to change a battery or run cables. The device wirelessly collects and sends data as far as 110 meters (360 feet), relieving the expense, labor, and risks of wired and battery powered setups.

Check out the white paper to learn more about BLE’s long-range capabilities.

For more on this topic, download our BL652 Range Testing application note.