Industrial Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a technology that is used for the wireless transmission of voice and data in the microwave range within the license-free 2.4 GHz frequency band. Bluetooth allows simultaneous communication of up to 7 active participants within a single Bluetooth network. If the stations are operated in park mode, up to 255 participants can join in. This globally standardised radio transmission is used today in mobile PCs, digital cameras, mobile phones, headphones and other portable and stationary devices, and has also found its way into the field of industrial communication.

With the help of “Industrial Bluetooth”, industrial controls, entire production processes and sensors used in industrial facilities can be monitored and controlled wirelessly. Fully compatible with the Bluetooth standard, “Industrial Bluetooth” offers the characteristics required for use in rough industrial environments.

Unaffected by disturbances
Bluetooth is not susceptible to disruptions and is fault-tolerant, as it is based on the frequency hopping spread spectrum. In this transmission process, the transmission channel is switched 1,600 times per second, so that potential disturbance frequencies have virtually no chance of disrupting or impairing the transmission. Should any disturbances arise, the automatic error correction integrated into Bluetooth will recognise errors and eliminate any transmission disruptions.

Real-time capabilities
Control processes must be linked reliably and without delay, i.e. in “real-time”. The wireless transmission must function in real-time for industrial field bus systems such as Profibus / Profinet. lesswire’s Bluetooth radio modules feature latency periods of under 10 milliseconds for the transmission system and are thus considered “real-time capable”.

Robust technology with top performance
lesswire has significantly improved the Bluetooth core technology by enhancing peripheral devices for the range and robustness of radio communication. Optimised HF characteristics of the lesswire Bluetooth radio modules offer high ranges of up to 500 meters at minimal bit error rates. The modules function in a temperature range of -40° to +85° Celsius and meet a full range of industrial requirements.

Energy efficiency
The economical use of existing energy resources plays a major role in mobile applications. Bluetooth provides power management functions that keep the power consumption of all operating modes at a minimum. The power input in park mode, in which the module receiver is only occasionally turned on, lies at approximately 200 µA, while in the standby mode the module uses just 40 µA of electricity.