Nordic – BeaconZone Blog

Testing if a Beacon is Working

It’s often the case you need to know if a beacon is working and advertising the correct information. It’s also sometimes necessary to differentiate between beacons, based on their signal strength, so you know you are setting up the correct beacon. Other times, you might want to know a beacon’s MAC address.

The best scanning app is Nordic nRF Connect that’s written by the manufacturer of the System on a Chip (SoC) in most beacons. Nordic nRF Connect detects all beacons and indeed all Bluetooth LE devices, irrespective of the SoC manufacturer because it just looks for standard Bluetooth advertising. nRF Connect is intelligent in that it works out the kind of beacon and displays the appropriate type of information.

It’s important you use the Android version of nRF Connect. Due to over-zealous efforts by Apple to hide identities, it’s not possible for iOS scanning applications to see advertising iBeacon (UUID, major and minor) information nor the Bluetooth MAC address even though these are openly transmitted by beacons.

Here’s an example scan:

In the above screenshot you can an iBeacon that has been tapped on to show extra information. All devices have the MAC address and a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI). The MAC address uniquely identifies the device.

Devices that scan for beacons will experience a signal strength (RSSI) that varies depending on the distance to the beacon. It’s expressed in dBm and is always negative. A more negative number indicates the beacon is further away. A typical value of -10 to -30 dBm indicates the beacon is close. A typical value of -110 indicates the beacon is near the limit of detection. You can use this to determine which beacons are closest. You usually configure beacons when they are right next to the phone and have a higher, less negative, RSSI.

nRF Connect also shows the advertising period that’s based on how often the app sees the advertising as opposed to what has been set in the beacon. The value is rarely exactly what you have set because Bluetooth requires some randomisation of the advertising period to reduce the possiblity of collisions between devices, in the vicinity, that are set to the same period. Also, being wireless, not all advertising is seen which causes jumps in the shown advertising period. Read more about choosing the advertising period.

There’s also a ‘RSSI at 1m’ which is the beacon’s self-declared value, in the advertising data, of what the RSSI should be at 1m. This can be used by scanning devices, such as apps, as a form of calibration for determining distance. In most cases this value isn’t used and should be ignored. Read more about power and the measured power calibration value.

New Nordic Semiconductor Wireless Quarter

Nordic Semiconductor, the leading manufacturer of System on a Chip (SoC) used in most beacons and the top supplier of SoCs for Bluetooth LE solutions, has released the latest PDF edition of Wireless Quarter Magazine. This issue highlights the diverse applications of Nordic’s SoCs.

The latest issue of the magazine highlights the increasing use of the Nordic SoCs in health. There are details on a smart ring that delivers non-invasive diabetic risk assessment and a Bluetooth LE hybrid smartwatch that delivers accurate health data.

There are also in-depth articles on how Bluetooth is transforming the industrial Internet of Things, the smart home and precision air quality monitoring. There’s also news that the nRF Connect SDK now supports Google’s Find My Device network.

NFC and Beacons

Now that some manufacturers have started including NFC in beacons, our customers have started asking about the differences between Beacons and NFC and why NFC is being included.

In proximity detection terms you can think of NFC as being an extension of ‘very near’ in iOS’s ‘near’, ‘far’ and ‘intermediate’ proximity classifications. The range is in the order of cm rather than m. In most applications a ‘near’ beacon or higher value RSSI on Android can perform a similar function as NFC. However, NFC can be made more secure in that it can provide for secure proximity detection in scenarios such as payments. So why have NFC in beacons?

NFC within the context of iBeacons can be used as a complementary technology. For example:

Enhanced Interaction: NFC could be used to provide immediate, zero-setup interaction with an iBeacon for configuration purposes or to trigger specific actions when a user intentionally brings their device close to the beacon. This can be particularly useful in situations where BLE interactions might require more steps or user permissions.

Security and Authentication: NFC’s short range can be advantageous for secure interactions. In scenarios where an iBeacon provides location-based services, NFC could add an additional layer of security by ensuring that certain actions (e.g., payments, access control) are only triggered when the user is very close to the beacon.

Information Retrieval: For cases where iBeacons signify users about something of interest nearby, an NFC tag could provide additional, detailed information or a direct action (like opening a website or downloading an app) without the need for the user to navigate through menus or apps. This could be especially useful in museums, exhibitions, or retail settings where quick information access enhances the visitor experience.

While NFC and iBeacons serve different primary functions, integrating both can lead to innovative applications that leverage the strengths of each technology for enhanced user experiences, particularly in proximity-based interactions and services.

Wireless Quarter Magazine

Nordic Semiconductor, the manufacturer of the System on a Chip (SoC) in most beacons and number one supplier of SoCs for Bluetooth LE solutions, has published the latest online issue of Wireless Quarter Magazine. It showcases the many uses of Nordic SoCs.

The latest issue of the magazine highlights the use of the Nordic SoCs in the following Bluetooth solutions:

AirSuite hazardous indoor conditions monitor
NNOXX health and fitness performance wearable
Wevolver perishable goods transport solution
GreaseBoss machinery lubrication management sensor
Coral Sense connected construction module using Bluetooth Mesh

There are also in-depth articles on Cellular IoT, how AI and machine learning are transforming IoT, Cellular IoT and DECT NR+, Smart Power Grids and Connected Construction.

Latest Nordic Wireless Quarter Magazine

Nordic Semiconductor, the manufacturer of the System on a Chip (SoC) in most beacons, has published the latest online issue of Wireless Quarter Magazine. It showcases the many uses of Nordic SoCs.

The latest issue of the magazine highlights the use of the same Nordic SoCs in the following Bluetooth solutions:

A wearable that provides walk cueing for people with Parkinson’s disease
A new Casio watch offers 16 hour battery life with non-stop GPS
An electric jet board offering wireless remote control
Industrial Monitoring devices that detect equipment issues
An asset tracker that operates on harvested indoor light energy
An orthopaedic sensor that improves post-surgery patient outcomes

There’s an in-depth article on the ‘The Internet of Medical Things’ explaining how this will transform healthcare. An article on ‘Building the Clean Dream’ describes how IoT is promising cities a smarter way to manage the growing challenges of waste and pollution. A feature on ‘Safety First’ shows how the safety industry is using wireless solutions to protect us in our homes, at work and while we play.

Nordic Wireless Quarter Magazine

Nordic Semiconductor, the manufacturer of the System on a Chip (SoC) in many beacons, has published the latest online issue of Wireless Quarter Magazine. It showcases the many uses of Nordic SoCs.

The latest issue of the magazine highlights the use of Nordic SoCs in the following Bluetooth solutions:

The T1 Tomahawk smart tape measure
A beacon tag that enables a wireless manifest for helicopter crews
LocoTrack pallet tracking beacons
A pet tracker beacon that uses machine learning to detect animal health problems

The magazine also announces the new nRF54 Series of SoCs that have higher performance processing and much more on-board memory. We don’t expect these to end up in beacons because such performance isn’t required for beacons. Instead they will make their way into solutions such as Bluetooth gateways.

There’s an in-depth article on Retail that shows how wireless tech is improving the retail experience, maximising profits for the retailer and delivering value added convenience for customers. There’s mention of Stratosfy’s Tempgenie solution that uses temperature sensor beacons and a Bluetooth LE to Wi-Fi gateway to measure and alert on the ambient and surface temperature of front- and back-of-house
equipment.

Finally, there’s a useful article ‘Planet Bluetooth’ that charts the history of Bluetooth’s spread and evolution into areas and applications that were once unimagined.

Nordic Semiconductor Wireless Q Magazine

Nordic Semiconductor, the manufacturer of the System on a Chip (SoC) in the majority of beacons, has published the latest online issue of Wireless Quarter Magazine. It showcases the many uses of Nordic SoCs.

This issue of the magazine highlights the use of Nordic SoCs in the following Bluetooth solutions:

Wearables providing seniors’ healthcare metrics
The Galaxy SmartTag
TraceTag and YardTag smart tags for livestock tracking
Connected rowing machines
A GPS bike computer

The magazine leads with a description of a new SoC the nRF7002 for Wi-Fi 6 IoT applications. There’s also a useful article on Amazon Sidewalk that allows devices to work better indoors and extend reach beyond the home. An in-depth article, ‘How the IoT Can Help Save the World’, explains how IoT is helping countries, communities and companies meet their green responsibilities. There are also two further articles on IoT in warehousing and the use of devices for health and assigned for seniors.

Latest Nordic Wireless Quarter Magazine

Nordic Semiconductor, the manufacturer of the System on a Chip (SoC) in many beacons, has published the latest online issue of Wireless Quarter Magazine. It showcases the many uses of Nordic SoCs.

The latest issue of the magazine highlights the use of Nordic SoCs in the following Bluetooth solutions:

Bluetooth LE wildlife tracking solution
Tracker notifications to parents if their child wanders off from a caregiver
Bluetooth 5 monitor for refrigeration equipment
Indoor asset tracking platform monitoring essential medical equipment in hospitals

It’s interesting that some of these companies have chosen to create their own hardware even though these scenarios are achievable using generic beacons. Sometimes, a custom hardware product has more credibility for investors and customers. However, similar levels of kudos can be achieved by branding and/or over-casing generic devices with much less cost and risk.

The magazine also has an interesting article on how smart toy manufacturers are engaging and educating children.

Read Nordic Semiconductor Wireless Quarter

Creating an iBeacon Using Zephyr

There’s a new article at the Linux Foundation on Developing Bluetooth Low Energy applications with Zephyr RTOS: Dissecting an iBeacon example.

This article is more useful than it might first seem. Zephyr isn’t just another Linux operating system (OS) but is the chosen OS for developing Nordic Semiconductor’s latest system on a chip devices (SOCs) that form the basis of the majority of shipping Bluetooth beacons. Previously, Nordic Semiconductor had their own OS delivered through nRF5 SDKs but development is being moved to the Zephyr-based nRF Connect SDK.

The iBeacon article explains how to broadcast an iBeacon advertisement and what to change to alter the various Bluetooth advertising parameters.

View iBeacons

Nordic Wireless Q Magazine

Nordic Semiconductor, the manufacturer of the System on a Chip (SoC) in many beacons, has published the latest online issue of Wireless Quarter Magazine. It showcases the many uses of Nordic SoCs.

The latest issue of the magazine highlights the use of the SoC in the following Bluetooth solutions:

A smart animal tracking and management system.
A handheld device used by students to answer test questions, record their attendance, answer surveys and provide class feedback.

There are also some interesting articles on:

How Bluetooth IoT sensors are enabling insurers to manage risks and mitigate claims by advancing accident prediction and prevention.
An explanation of the global chip shortage, manufacturing challenges and mitigations.
How IoT data can be used with AI machine learning to improve decision-making.

Read Nordic Semiconductor Wireless Quarter