What is Bluetooth Low Energy? Often called BLE, Bluetooth Low Energy is a wireless communication protocol that you can use for short-range communications between devices. It is based on the familiar Bluetooth system but has much lower power usage, making it perfect for your devices that may need to operate for longer periods using battery power. BLE In Practice BLE was first rolled out with the introduction of Bluetooth 4.0, with low power consumption being the major benefit. The power draw is so low in fact, that BLE equipped devices can transit for months and even years on small, coin-cell type batteries. This incredibly useful technology has been adopted by many industries, but the automotive world has been one of the most enthusiastic in seeing the benefits of BLE, with applications including: Keyless Entry — Bluetooth Low Energy is a key component in many keyless entry systems that we find in modern vehicles. Using your smartphone and a dedicated app, the vehicle will recognize your device as you approach, unlocking the vehicle for you, and in some applications, even starting the engine. Personalized Settings — Using the same app, your vehicle can identify each user and adjust settings such as driving position, radio station presets and more to suit each driver as they walk towards the vehicle. Vehicle Diagnostics and Maintenance — Several dedicated diagnostics tools use BLE communications to connect to your vehicle’s systems, collecting data and displaying it inside a smartphone app. You can then see detailed information about your vehicle, including fuel efficiency, tire pressures, engine health and other essential data. In Car Entertainment — Connecting your vehicle’s entertainment system to your smartphone to allow hands-free calls, as well as music playback and app use. Safety Enhancements — BLE is often deployed is safety systems, such as child seat alarms, which will alert you if the child’s seat is occupied once the vehicle is turned off. What does BLE Stand For? BLE stands for Bluetooth Low Energy, but you may also here it referred to as Bluetooth 4.0 or Bluetooth Smart. All the names refer to the same technology though, with fast wireless connectivity over short distances, using extremely low energy consumption. Technological Explanation of Bluetooth Low Energy Like the original version of Bluetooth, BLE, or Bluetooth low energy, uses the 2.4 GHz ISM band to transmit and receive data over a wireless connection. To minimize problems of interference, it uses a frequency hopping spread spectrum, giving your devices the strongest possible signal at all times for reliable connections. However, by simplifying the connection process compared to earlier Bluetooth versions, and its reduced energy consumption, BLE is a more reliable, user-friendly connectivity solution. There are two types of BLE device you may encounter. The first is the central unit, which scans for and connects to your other devices. The second are the peripheral devices, which continually advertise that they are there, so they can connect to those central units. When two BLE devices connect, they can exchange data using small packets to minimize power usage, with the BLE hardware entering a low power sleep mode when not actively transmitting or receiving. Shown in the picture below, is the autopi device. In automotive applications, a central device might be within the vehicle’s onboard systems, with a BLE smartphone and app, or a BLE key fob, being the peripheral device that transmits the unlock signal when you get near your car. BLE vs. Bluetooth Despite the similarities, with both BLE and Bluetooth being simple, wireless communications protocols for short-range data sharing, in practice the two have several differences. Classic Bluetooth is much better suited to high volume continuous data transmissions, such as you would use to stream audio, where BLE’s low power approach is more appropriate for low volume, infrequent data transmissions such as temperature or humidity sensor reporting. Conclusion A power efficient variation on Bluetooth, you would expect the two protocols to offer similar benefits. However, BLE is unique in its abilities, and as a result offers a very different use case than you would have for classic Bluetooth. It has been widely adopted in areas like home automation, wearable devices and energy management, and its low power needs give Bluetooth Low Energy an important place in this increasingly connected world.
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