Introduction
The sensors form the data collectors of the entire IoT system. All the visual data you get to see in your cloud platform are all recorded and transmitted by sensors of various kinds. Bluetooth LE sensors will communicate using the BLE technology with other devices. The Bluetooth SIG designed and promoted BLE intended to use significantly less power and cost compared to Bluetooth Classic, yet maintain a similar communication range. It is expected that the wireless sensor market will grow further at a compounded annual growth rate of about 20% between 2024 and 2030 and reach billions of dollars already in 2024. BLE sensors are an integral part of this growth.
What is a Bluetooth® LE Sensor?
BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) operates on the same 2.4GHz frequency band as Bluetooth Classic but is designed to be more energy-efficient. This makes it perfect for devices like sensor tags that need to run on batteries for a long time. In fact, some BLE-powered devices can even last for decades. By offering real-time data, Bluetooth LE sensors provide developers with great technical flexibility to create and develop smart products and devices. It’s what you’re going to need for the automated system that monitors the temperature and humidity of your cold chain management. The IoT Bluetooth low energy sensor tags will monitor the environmental conditions inside the vehicle, raise an alarm in case something goes wrong, and store data that may later be analyzed.
How Does Bluetooth® LE Use Less Power?
BLE is clearly more battery-friendly than Bluetooth classic. But how does it do it? The key factor is that BLE operates at a lower data transfer rate than Bluetooth, allowing BLE sensors to transmit only the most essential, smaller amounts of data, which saves energy. BLE devices primarily remain asleep between connections, waking up only when it’s time to transmit data. This brief communication period means BLE devices don’t need to be constantly active, resulting in significantly lower power usage.
What are Bluetooth® LE Sensors Used for?
BLE technology is targeting multiple markets, especially smart homes, health, and fitness. For example, a smart wearable that help manage your health and activity allows you to view your progress over the past week or month right on your phone or computer. Bluetooth LE sensors utilize BLE technology to meet the many real-world demands out there. You wouldn’t want to be replacing batteries for a temperature and humidity sensor in your automated warehouse management every few months just to ensure your goods are properly stored.
Bluetooth LE sensors cover a wide range of products. A Millimeter Wave Radar Sensor, which can help you monitor foot traffic in your store, allowing you to position high-interest items more strategically or optimize staff allocation for improved customer service. In a museum, you could use a BLE PIR (Passive Infrared) Sensor to detect if visitors cross a rope barrier. The variety of Bluetooth LE sensors and their applications is as diverse as how the market demands it.
What are the Benefits of Bluetooth® LE Sensors?
Real-time Data
Bluetooth LE sensors provide real-time data, allowing you to quickly detect changes and respond immediately. Any decisions you make for your large-scale operation will be backed by solid data.
Low Power Consumption
Bluetooth LE sensors are designed with energy efficiency in mind. They can operate on small batteries for months or even years, making them perfect for wearable devices and remote monitoring.
Low Development Cost
BLE technology is an open standard that allows developers easily access to technical documentation and development tools without incurring hefty licensing fees. Numerous off-the-shelf BLE chips and modules enable developers to integrate these components directly without starting from scratch.
Reliable Connectivity
All BLE connections utilize AES-128 end-to-end encryption, safeguarding data against interception and unauthorized access.
Ease of Integration
The open standard of BLE ensures compatibility with a wide variety of devices. With abundant and affordable hardware and software resources, developers can seamlessly incorporate BLE technology into their products.
The Applications of Bluetooth® LE sensors
Smart Retail
Bluetooth PIR sensors and Millimeter Wave Radar Sensors offer personnel movement management and crowd counting capabilities.You will be able to track the flow of people through particular zones of your store and figure out the best way to place products and construct store layouts. With data provided by these Bluetooth LE sensors and visualized on the cloud platform, customer behavior can be analyzed and used at the basis of creating promotional strategies.
Home Security
A door magnetic sensor helps you monitor of all states of doors and windows in your house or office to ensure the safety of people and property.
Smart Warehouses
Utilize the Bluetooth LE sensor for efficient inventory management. A low-power industrial temperature and humidity sensor can work for a long time in your warehouse, ensuring that your goods are always stored under optimal conditions. Bluetooth LE sensors now are widely equipped in smart warehouse.
Bluetooth® LE vs. Bluetooth®
Bluetooth Classic and BLE use the same 2.4 GHz ISM (Industrial, Scientific and Medical) frequency band. But Bluetooth® LE technology has been developed technically for low-power applications and differs from Bluetooth at several points.
- Bluetooth provides continuous, two-way communication. BLE transmits small data packets in short bursts, and sometimes can be unidirectional.
- Bluetooth offers a data rate ranging from 1 to 3 Mbps, whereas BLE usually operates between 125 kB/s and 2 MB/s.
- Bluetooth connections have a latency of up to 100ms. BLE offers a much lower latency of 6ms.
- Bluetooth is voice capable, while BLE does not.
- Bluetooth devices generally consume around 1 watt of power, compared to just 0.01 to 0.5 watts for Bluetooth® LE sensors. This significant power reduction makes BLE ideal for battery-powered devices.
- Bluetooth Classic utilizes 79 channels with 1 MHz spacing, while BLE employs 40 channels (3 advertising channels, 37 data channels) with 2 MHz spacing.
Minew‘s Bluetooth® LE Sensors: Innovative Products in IoT Industry
Minew provides reliable Bluetooth LE sensor solutions for a variety of industries, from warehousing and logistics to healthcare and office environments.
1. MSR01 Millimeter Wave Radar Sensor
The MSR01 Millimeter Wave Radar Sensor is a Bluetooth®-enabled sensor that operates within the 60GHz frequency range. It’s specifically designed for applications like space management and personnel perception. This sensor excels at detecting human presence and offers precise accurate personnel flow statistics. With outstanding sensitivity and advanced algorithms, it delivers exceptional accuracy. Additionally, it features a self-learning capability that helps it understand environmental conditions and effectively identify and mitigate sources of interference.
2. MSP01 Bluetooth® PIR Sensor
The MSP01 Bluetooth® PIR Sensor utilizes Bluetooth® LE 5.0 technology, specifically crafted for detecting body movement indoors. It converts PIR signals from humans or pets detected by its pyroelectric infrared sensor into voltage signals for alerts. Users can conveniently monitor indoor spaces in real time via their mobile phones or access data collected by the gateway from a distance. It is also a good Bluetooth LE sensor in passive infrared area.
3. MST01 Series
The MST01 series from Minew offers a variety of specialized products. The MST01 LoRaWAN® Temperature & Humidity Sensor innovatively utilizes LoRaWAN technology, providing greater coverage and lower power consumption. The MST01 Pt100 Temperature Sensor is designed for ultra-low temperature detection, with a meansuring range of -200 to 200°C and a food-grade probe available. Additionally, these Bluetooth LE sensors offer a wide selection of probes and materials to choose from.
4. E8S Accelerometer Sensor Tag
The E8S Accelerometer Sensor Tag is highly sensitive Bluetooth LE sensor for location tracking. For users needing to track and manage high-value equipment or assets, the E8S sensor delivers precise asset tracking and real-time positioning.
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