In our ongoing ‘On the Fringe’ series, some of TI’s brightest minds discuss today’s biggest technological trends and solving the challenges of tomorrow.
I probably own 20 Bluetooth® Smart (also known as Bluetooth low energy) devices, including several watches, fitness devices, proximity tags, a weather station in my backyard and several pairs of shoes.
I believe Bluetooth Smart will play a major role in the future of wireless connectivity – not just for consumers like me, but in industrial settings, too. The industrial world is a slow-moving market. While we see this technology today in our watches, health devices, wearables and consumer applications, the industrial market has now started to reap the benefits of this ever-growing technology.
Bluetooth Smart, the latest generation of Bluetooth technology, is a lower-power version of the “classic” Bluetooth technology we have grown to love in our cars and cell phone headsets.
A Bluetooth Smart device can run on a coin cell battery (like those in watches) for several years. This low-power capability makes it particularly attractive in the industrial world because they enable sensors to be deployed for several years without replacement. And the technology is advancing to use energy harvesting so batteries never have to be replaced – ideal for harsh or remote industrial environments.
Bluetooth Smart would make existing industrial products easier to use, control and monitor. More than a billion smartphones and tablets are already Bluetooth Smart Ready. With no need for a gateway (used to connect two devices like a Wi-Fi router) industrial equipment can talk directly to a smartphone or tablet.
Workers on a factory floor can simply walk up to a piece of equipment with their smartphone or tablet and securely connect without the need for a more complex human machine interface (HMI). From there, the equipment can be monitored for outputs such as temperature, motor activity and productivity.
Bluetooth Smart also can warn a worker when parts need to be repaired or replaced and automatically order the replacement parts or submit a service request from his or her device. Similarly, equipment can be configured or reconfigured over-the-air while a worker stands next to it, removing the need to control equipment from a central hub in another part of a factory.
In addition to ease of use, Bluetooth Smart can deliver huge cost savings for factories, as hundreds of meters of cable used for communication between equipment and a central hub can be eliminated, providing a faster and more cost effective way of doing business. With connection ranges of more than 100 meters, in addition to inter-connected devices, whole factories can be covered by a Bluetooth low energy network. Bluetooth Smart could also be encapsulated and placed in harsh environments to provide information on locations workers cannot reach while also protecting the products from humidity and dirt.
TI offers a variety of Bluetooth Smart options for industrial applications, including the recently released SimpleLink™ Bluetooth low energy CC2540T, a highly reliable and lower-power microcontroller (MCU) with a market-leading wide temperature range of -40 to 125 degrees Celsius. With similar devices on the market going up to only 85 degrees Celsius, we have already seen traction in lighting applications and other industrial devices where a high heat environment exists.
I’m personally excited to see where Bluetooth Smart will go next. If it’s connecting the devices on our wrists and in our shoes just imagine what it can do for the factories that keep the world moving.
Find out more about our Bluetooth solutions here: TI Bluetooth Overview.