BLE Beacon Gateway

As the name implies, a BLE gateway is a Bluetooth gateway that makes use of BLE technology. Bluetooth Low Energy, or BLE, operates at the same 2.4GHz frequency but consumes less power. Just forty channels are transmitted. Until the connection is made, the BLE will be in a sleep mode. BLE saves electricity by varying the rate frequency it uses. A BLE gateway’s duty cycle is substantially shorter than Bluetooth’s when BLE is linked. Since BLE technology is becoming more and more used in Internet of Things (IoT) applications, when people refer to Bluetooth gateways, they typically mean BLE gateways.

The internet as we know it is built on the internet protocol (IP), which includes addressing and routing across network borders and can be used as the foundation for application protocols like MQTT or CoAP. A device uses a radio, such as cellular, Wi-Fi, or Thread, to interact with IP directly. However, IP also has several drawbacks, including high memory overhead and huge power usage. Thus, not all small IoT devices support IP; instead, they use cheaper and more energy-efficient protocols like Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), which prevent direct internet connection. In order to convert BLE packets into IP packets, a BLE gateway device that supports both IP and non-IP protocols is required.

BLE Beacons transmit an ID number through BLE channels at a broadcast interval that is user-configurable. This ID number is detected by a Bluetooth gateway that is close to the beacon. An action, such downloading and displaying cloud-based content on a smartphone, is linked to the ID number when an app or pre-installed service like Navigine recognizes it.

BLE beacons are small radio transmitters strategically placed throughout the location to disseminate low-energy Bluetooth signals within a predetermined range. This range is determined by the hardware performance itself. This beacon’s BLE signal has the power to start a specified location-specific action. For proximity marketing, BLE-driven check-ins, retargeting ADs, asset tracking, indoor navigation, and other uses, beacons are frequently employed.

There are two types of working mode: movable and stationary.

Movable iBeacon tags: the mobile iBeacon tags proactively broadcasts its own MAC address, battery power and other information to the Bluetooth gateway, which then sends the info to the server for calculation. The background positioning algorithm calculates and outputs the location information of the iBeacon tags accordingly. This method is appropriate for scenarios such as personnel positioning, BLE location tracking, data statistics and analysis.

Stationary iBeacon devices: the fixed iBeacon device proactively broadcasts its own MAC address, power, and other information to a BLE work card. The work card then scans the broadcasted information and forwards it to a Bluetooth gateway. The Bluetooth gateway will collect all work card information and upload to the position engine server, where positioning algorithm service calculates the positions of the work card displays the information on terminal software. This method can complete functions such as real-time position tracking, track playback, and electronic fence, and is appropriate for retail malls, hotels, hospitals, and other locations where personnel positioning, navigation, marketing, and other services are required.

You can use the BLE beacon gateway and the ibeacon device separately or together. When employed together, it may be seen as the relationship between management and management. The Bluetooth beacon gateway may gather data by scanning Bluetooth broadcasting devices within its range of coverage and uploading the data to the selected storage server using network protocols including WiFi, Ethernet, 4G, and others.