BLUETOOTH LOW-ENERGY: AN INTRODUCTION

By John Donovan

This week the Bluetooth SIG formally adoptedBluetooth Core Specification Version 4.0, which adds Bluetooth Low-Energy (LE) to whats now being called Classic Bluetooth or Basic Rate (BR), namely what you have in your Bluetooth headset. Designed to work from a coin cell for up to a year, Bluetooth LE is targeting healthcare, sports and fitness, security and home entertainment applications. Not Your Dads Bluetooth The Basic Rate system includes optional Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) Alternate Media Access Control (MAC) and Physical (PHY) layer extensions. Classic Bluetooth offers synchronous and asynchronous connections with data rates of 721.2 kbps for Basic Rate, 2.1 Mbps for Enhanced Data Rate and high speed operation up to 24 Mbps with 802.11 alternate MAC/PHY (AMP) controllers. The LE system includes features designed to enable products that require lower current consumption, lower complexity and lower cost than BR/EDR. The LE system is designed for use cases and applications with lower data rates and shorter duty cycles. Bluetooth LE chips will feature a lightweight Link Layer providing ultra-low power idle mode operation; simple device discovery; and reliable point-to-multipoint data transfer with advanced power saving and secure encrypted connections. Bluetooth LE technology supports very short data packets (8 octet minimum up to 27 octets maximum) that are transferred at 1 Mbps. LE packets are far shorter than Classic Bluetooth ones, which include a 68-72 bit access code, a 54-bit header and a payload of up to 2745 bits for a maximum packet size of 2971 bits. In addition all connections use advanced sniff-subrating to achieve ultra low duty cycles. It Pays to Advertise Bluetooths handshaking scheme, while secure, isnt exactly dynamic. Setting up a trusted link is a time -consuming process, which doesnt lend itself to ad hoc mobile networks, where nodes can join or drop out as they move into or out of range. Like the BR/EDR radio, the LE radio operates in the unlicensed 2.4 GHz ISM band. According to the 4.0 spec, LE employs two multiple access schemes: Frequency division multiple access (FDMA) and time division multiple access (TDMA). Forty physical channels, separated by 2 MHz, are used in the FDMA scheme. Three are used as advertising channels and 37 are used as data channels. The physical channel is sub-divided into time units known as events. Data is transmitted between LE devices in packets that are positioned in these events. There are two types of events: Advertising and Connection events.

Bluetooth advertising events

Devices that need to form a connection to another device listen for connectable advertising packets. The advertising event is ended and connection events begin if the advertiser receives and accepts the request for a connection be initiated. Once a connection is established, the initiator becomes the master (host) device in the piconet and the advertising device becomes the slave device.

Bluetooth connection events

The slave device then synchronizes with the hosts clock, mirrors its frequency hopping al gorithm and goes to sleep, waking up only periodically as dictated by the application to pass data to the host. Nodes in low-power sensor networks might only go into active mode for a few microseconds every several seconds to pass along a short data string, leading to long battery life. This is a far simpler scheme with less overhead than that used in classic Bluetooth. Bluetooth LE ZigBee At first glance it would seem that Bluetooth LE would be going after low-power ZigBee applications. There would be some irony in that, since the ZigBee camp broke off from Bluetooth several years ago in order to develop a smaller, low-power stack for energy-efficient applications.

Bluetooth vs. ZigBee

But Bluetooth is a very different animal than ZigBee and suited to a different range of applications. ZigBee was designed for mesh networking, using asynchronous communication requiring dedicated routers that must always be powered up since nodes can wake up at any time. Its basically a low-power wireless LAN protocol with flexible routing to deal with nodes that may not respond. ZigBee is suited to fixed-location networks, with always-on routers to track the network status. Bluetooth LE was designed to accommodate portable devices in a star network. Nodes can dynamically connect with and drop off the network as they move into or out of range. Bluetooth LE uses a synchronous protocol, allowing both master and slave to wake up simultaneously. Since both can be powered down most of the time, this keeps energy consumption low. Bluetooth LE is suited to dynamic mobile networks where energy efficiency is paramount. Its also a leading candidate for ultra-low power wireless sensor networks, such as those used to monitor vibrations on aircraft wings and industrial motors as well as cracks in bridges and buildings. According to analysts atResearch and Markets, Bluetooth Low Energy will be a significant contributor to the overall Wireless Sensor Network market, representing nearly half of all shipments in 2015. Despite its early designs on medical and other ultra-low power applications, ZigBee seems to have homed in on the one application where its found commercial success, namely smart metering. Expect it to expand later out the power line to other smart grid applications. Meanwhile Bluetooth LE could have a great run in low -power medical applications, where energy efficiency is paramount and cost is apparently no object. Despite the lack of apparent overlap with ZigBee, the Bluetooth SIG is also promoting LE applications in home automation and smart energy, so in these areas the horse race may just be getting started. Are We Really Compatible? With any technology advance theres always the issue of backward compatibility. Here the answer is yes, but. According to the Bluetooth SIG:

This enhancement to the Bluetooth Core Specification allows two types of implementation, dual-mode and singlemode. In a dual-mode implementation, Bluetooth low energy functionality is integrated into an existing Classic Bluetooth controller. The resulting architecture shares much of Classic Bluetoothtechnologys existing radio and functionality resulting in a minimal cost increase compared to ClassicBluetooth technology. Additionally, manufacturers can use current Classic Bluetooth technology (Bluetooth V2.1 + EDR or Bluetooth V3.0 + HS) chips with the new low energy stack, enhancing the development of Classic Bluetooth enabled devices with new capabilities. In short, your current Bluetooth phone cant communicate with LE devices but future ones will be able to since theyll include Bluetooth BR and LE (dual mode) in the same chip. When a Bluetooth LE peripheral wants to come onto a BR network, the host will downshift to LE mode and be able to communicate with it. This compatibility will have to wait for the next generation of consumer devices that incorporate dual mode Bluetooth chips. First Silicon is Already Here On the same day that the Bluetooth SIG released the new spec, Texas Instruments announced it had achieved complete Bluetooth v4.0 controller qualification on the CC2540 low-power, single-mode system-on-chip (SoC) running both protocol stack and application software. TI has now certified the full set of components, including ATT, GATT, GAP and SMP that encompass Bluetooth protocol implementation. In addition to TI, Broadcom, CSR, Atheros, Wicentric and Nordic Semiconductor have all qualified 4.0 products (silicon) since qualification opened on Tuesday. With more than 13,000 members of the Bluetooth SIG, you can be sure that plenty of Bluetooth LE chips are in the pipeline, with products starting to appear early next year. The finalization of Bluetooth low energy wireless technology within the Core Specification is a monumental achievement, said Michael Foley, Ph.D., executive director, Bluetooth SIG. Amen to that. The SIG and its members deserve a lot of credit for a disciplined development process that didnt give rise to a lot of pre -LE products as happened with 802.11n, where pre-n silicon appeared months before the spec was finalized. With a stable spec and the SIGs rigorous certification process, Bluetooth LE should see a fast ramp, leveraging the huge base of Bluetooth applications. In low-power sensor networks, medical, security and home automation applications, Bluetooth LE looks set to be a major player in the low-power wireless world for years to come.

ZigBee RF4CE versus Bluetooth Cees Links 6/28/2011 11:13 AM EDT From Cees Links - ZigBee RF4CE Marketing Chair and CEO of GreenPeak Technologies

When Bluetooth was announced in the late nineties, it was positioned as making Wi-Fi redundant. Unfortunately it was not successful in this. Bluetooth is for short range (say a room), whereas Wi-Fi is for medium range (say a home, or a department floor in a company).

Similarly, there is the narrow view that remote controls are just controlling your TV or STB a maximum 10 feet away. Bluetooth can do that limited job. Remote controls can be used throughout a home covering multiple floors and rooms. Not just a short point to point application.

Fortunately, the companies with vision have decided for ZigBee RF4CE as standard technology for remote controls. This includes companies like Sony, Comcast, Samsung, NEC, LG, Philips, Toshiba, Texas Instruments, NXP, Atmel, Freescale, etc. all RF4CE steering committee members. ZigBee the low power spin-off of Wi-Fi has the same range as Wi-Fi, allowing longer distances up to 100 feet away from the TV or STB.

This means that these wireless controlled devices can now conveniently be located out of sight or even out of the room. The superior range and performance also allows for operators to offer additional multi-room services as security, lighting control and/or energy management, etc.

On top of that ZigBee RF4CE offers a range of built-in standardized applications to support remote controls (ZRC), keyboards and mice for Internet TV (ZID) and 3D glasses for 3D television (Z3S). These features all include the exciting capability of ultra long battery life as provided by ZigBee, making changing batteries rare or redundant, when the battery life can even exceed the life of the product.

Again, just as in the late nineties, Bluetooth is trying to do something that it is not good at, networking, and in that way only creating market confusion. Bluetooth is good for short-range solutions around the PC or around the smart phone, and not for solutions that preferable involve multiple devices anywhere throughout the home.

The future will show that in the same way Wi-Fi and Bluetooth coexist, ZigBee and Bluetooth will coexist, and creating contention is just wasting time.

Continua picks ZigBee, Bluetooth LE for health devices, sensors

By: Brian Dolan | Jun 8, 2009 0 1 0

Tags: ANT+ | Bluetooth LE | Continua Health Alliance | Sensium | Z-Wave | Zigbee |

In what looks to be a coup for the ZigBee Alliance, the Continua Health Alliance has picked Bluetooth Low Energy and ZigBee for inclusion in its next set of guidelines for interoperability between health devices and systems. The two low power standards will become the technology that Continua promotes for devices used in health and fitness and aging independently.

The two technologies beat out rival low power technologies Sensium, ANT+, BodyLAN (used in Nike+) and Z-Wave, which all pitched Continua for the coveted spot in the guidelines. (Are we likely to see less of these technologies in fitness and health services moving forward?) Continua picked Bluetooth low energy, which is still awaiting finalization of its specification, for future low power mobile devices, including activity monitors and heart rate sensors. The alliance also tapped ZigBee Health Care technology for sensors that could be used as motion detectors or bed pressure sensors and other use cases that would enhance the daily living of those who require assistance aging independently, according to the Continua press release. Version two of our guidelines is well on its way, Continua Health Alliance President David Whitlinger told mobihealthnews a few months ago and just before the alliance began discussion on picking the new technologies. The first radio selection will be predominantly geared toward the health and fitness devices that are typically body worn The other use cases being addressed via low power radio are the sensors that might be distributed throughout the home of an elder individual, for example, Whitlinger explained. Its possible they could both be the same technology, but because the use cases are different there is an option that there could be two separate radio technologies. Whitlingers comment that one technology could handle both use cases prompted many to speculate the Bluetooth LE would be picked for both uses, which makes the ZigBee pick a coup for the technology. The exciting aspect of Bluetooth low energy is its ability to enable low cost devic es to be made that can send their data all of the way to the web. Its based on over ten years of experience and promises to have the fastest growing ecosystem of any wireless standard. Todays meeting sent a clear message to developers that they need to start designing now to be ready for the first generation of Bluetooth low energy handsets, Nick Hunn, an analyst over at Creative Connectivity, wrote in a recent report. Related: Which technology should Continua pick? Continua: TV set-top box could become the home health hub First Continua-certified Bluetooth device forthcoming Continue reading for the full press release from Continua

Continua Health Alliance Looks to the Future with the Selection of Two New Low Power Radio Standards Enabling Expanded Use Cases Addition of Bluetooth low energy technology and ZigBee Health Care to provide connectivity for mobile and home sensors BEAVERTON, Ore. June 8, 2009 Continua Health Alliance, the non-profit, open industry coalition of leading health care and technology companies, has selected two wireless technology standards for inclusion in the next version of its interoperability Design Guidelines. The selection of two low power standards will allow additional devices used for health and fitness, as well as aging independently, to join the Continua ecosystem. This decision enables Continua to advance its mission of establishing a system of interoperable, personal telehealth solutions, empowering people and organizations.

The two wireless technology standards are targeted to support mobile and fixed location devices as defined by the next iteration of the Continua Health Alliance Design Guidelines. The alliance has selected Bluetooth low energy wireless technology (pending finalization of the specification) to enable low power mobile devices such as activity monitors and heart rate sensors to be used to monitor a users health and fitness levels. Additionally, Continua has selected ZigBee Health Care technology for low power sensors that can be networked in a variety of settings, and utilized in devices such as motion detectors and bed pressure sensors to enhance the daily living of those who require assistance aging independently.

I am excited to announce the forward progress of Continua and its Version Two Design Guidelines. The selection of Bluetooth low energy wireless technology, pending finalization of the specification, and ZigBee Health Care as standards to be included in the guidelines will expand the ability of Continua members to deliver compelling products to consumers, said Rick Cnossen, Continua president and chairman of the Board of Directors. Our existing Design Guidelines introduced support for Bluetooth wireless technology and USB. Those standards now will be augmented to allow Continua to deliver expanded use cases to satisfy the broad demands of health and fitness, and aging independently applications.

Bluetooth low energy technology is a power efficient, short-range wireless technology that offers connectivity between mobile devices and small, battery-powered devices such as watches, emergency pendants and health and fitness sensors. It features low power consumption, small size and low cost, providing Continua a reliable solution to enable mobile devices for a wide range of telehealth audiences. Bluetooth low energy technology extends the current Continua standard for the Bluetooth Health Device Profile, the only wireless technology specification included in Continuas Version One Design Guidelines, announced in February 2009.

We are pleased that Continua Health Alliance has selected Bluetooth low energy wireless technology for inclusion in its next Design Guidelines, and are excited about the compelling Bluetooth-enabled devices Continua members will bring to the market, said Michael Foley, Ph.D., executive director, Bluetooth Special Interest Group. Bluetooth technology has become the ubiquitous wi reless standard for mobile device connectivity, and Bluetooth low energy technology will provide Continua with connectivity perfectly suited for incorporation in mobile applications.

ZigBee Health Care development was completed in March 2009. It provides a standard for use by assistive devices operating in non-invasive environments. This interoperable low power wireless solution enables devices to securely and reliably monitor and manage data, without Wi-Fi interference. It can support from two to thousands of devices in a single network. Designed with flexibility in mind, ZigBee Health Care products will be used in a variety of settings, including private residences, recreation centers, retirement communities, hospitals and nursing homes. ZigBee Health Care technology offers Continua a low power, globally accepted method for collecting data in a variety of locations.

Low-power sensing and monitoring is a core competency of ZigBee and we are excited to help Continua build its technology roadmap and help expand the telehealth industry ecosystem, said Dr. Robert F. Heile, chairman, ZigBee Alliance. ZigBee Health Care gives care professionals and consumers the ability to connect an almost unlimited number of monitoring devices with ease while maintaining privacy.

By providing the technical roadmap for standards-based connected health solutions, Continua is spurring innovation while removing barriers to global implementation and adoption. The publication of the Continua Health Alliance Version One Design Guidelines earlier this year will be followed by the groups next Design Guidelines issuance, slated for first-half 2010, that will enable new devices, additional use cases and extend the capabilities of devices in the Continua Health Alliance ecosystem.

Numerous demographic and health status factors will drive the rapid growth of personal telehealth, said Lynne A. Dunbrack, program director, Health Industry Insights, an IDC company. Continuas commitment to utilize established connectivity standards, such as Bluetooth and ZigBee, will provide the tangible technology base for more widespread telemedicine and remote patient monitoring in the next 12 to 24 months. Together, Bluetooth low energy technology and ZigBee Health Care transport solutions will open new use cases to new classes of devices and services. The continued innovation in connected technology will aid in the deployment of comprehensive solutions for personal health management.

The radio selection process was conducted by members of the Continua Low Power Radio Sub-Team, the Continua Technical Working Group and the Continua Board of Directors. All teams were aided by experts from the technology and health care industries-at-large, as well as guided by research conducted by an independent third party analysis firm. A rigorous process was employed over the course of ten months to select from many outstanding technologies. After consideration of required power levels, cell phone ubiquity, required range and anticipated market penetration, Continua arrived at two technologies to optimally satisfy the required use cases. Todays announcement marks the conclusion of the selection process that has allowed Continua to select technologies that will support the innovation, ingenuity and technical prowess of Continua member companies.

About Continua: Continua Health Alliance is a non-profit, open industry coalition of the finest health care and technology companies joining together in collaboration to improve the quality of personal health care. With more than 190 member companies around the world, Continua is dedicated to establishing a system of interoperable personal health solutions with the knowledge that extending those solutions

into the home fosters independence, empowers individuals and provides the opportunity for truly personalized health and wellness management. ### Media Contact: Blair Cook Nereus for Continua Health Alliance +1 503-619-0570 press@continuaalliance.org