Introduction
Bluetooth® beacons play a crucial role and become an essential part, constituting today’s Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystems, widely applied in diverse industry sectors, such as smart warehouse management and intelligent hospital digitalization . Just like many other electronic devices, longevity is crucial to beacons’ performance. In the realm of IoT hardware, both battery volume and service lifetime matter even more because devices like beacons are often placed in rigid and harsh environments, requiring a considerable amount of time and maintenance cost for battery recharging and device replacement.
Thus, in this article, we will explore and elaborate on how to extend the battery life of Bluetooth® beacons to ensure sustained performance and enhanced efficiency.
What Are Bluetooth® Beacons
Bluetooth® or Bluetooth® Low-energy (LE) beacons often refer to IoT hardware transmitters, that broadcast their universally unique identifiers to nearby connected electronic devices falling under the same Bluetooth® network (Bluetooth® Low Energy Beacon, 2024). In another more straightforward definition given by Bluetooth® Special Interest Group (SIG), Bluetooth® beacons are devices that leverage the power of Bluetooth® connectivity to broadcast advertising packets in a more efficient and wirelessly connected way (Intro to Bluetooth® Beacons | Bluetooth® Technology Website, 2022). Bluetooth® beacon technology is gaining popularity for its unique application to indoor positioning and location tracking, as an alternative solution to GPS and GNSS. Once peripheral devices, such as personnel tags, asset trackers, or sensor tags are placed in the target settings or attached to the target objects, Bluetooth® beacons can identify the location of target object movement by accurately measuring signal strengths and proximity (Minew, 2024). Such applications and functions make Bluetooth® beacon devices an ideal solution for various application scenarios, such as indoor route navigation , proximity marketing , and smart parking lot management.
How to Extend Bluetooth® Beacon Battery Life
Optimize Transmission Power
Transmission power in the IoT domain often describes the amount of electric energy or power that radio transmitters (e.g., Bluetooth® beacons) consume to send signals. It is one of the critical factors directly affecting devices’ battery life and service lifetime. Typically, IoT hardware manufacturers will design and offer dedicated mobile applications for users to configure and adjust their beacons’ transmission power. In this way, users can lower a Bluetooth® beacon’s transmission power to significantly reduce power consumption and conserve battery life without impeding reliable data communication. Meanwhile, remember not to exceed or breach the minimum level for a Bluetooth® beacon’s normal operation.
Adjust Advertising Interval
The advertising interval is to measure and determine how frequently a Bluetooth® beacon sends out Bluetooth® data. It is negatively correlated with Bluetooth® data transmission frequency. For example, if the advertising interval is short, it means the beacon devices will send Bluetooth® data more frequently within the selected or preset time interval. Transmitting data at a higher frequency will then increase power consumption. In reverse, users can extend the battery life by adjusting the advertising interval to be longer.
Utilize Sleep Mode
Taking advantage of the device’s sleep mode will significantly reduce power consumption and conserve battery service lifetime. Nowadays, Bluetooth® beacons often support sleep modes and power-saving modes. An auto-switch between full power trigger-running mode and power-saving sleep mode will enable Bluetooth® beacon devices to allocate energy and power consumption more efficiently and is eco-friendly. For example, if the Bluetooth® beacon does not receive any triggers within the preset time interval, the device will then enter sleep mode to run in a cost-saving way. This feature is particularly useful and applicable to settings, such as museums and art galleries which will be closed to visitors during night time. Meanwhile, devices such as anti-tamper Bluetooth® door sensors and PIR sensors continue to operate to detect any unauthorized access.
Alter Beacon Placement
No wonder! The physical environment of beacon placement will also affect beacon power consumption and battery service lifetime. Unlike LoRaWAN, Bluetooth® wireless connectivity is for short-range data transmission, subjective to obstacles and interference. Not every beacon will be placed in an open area with a stable network connection and strong signal strength. For Bluetooth® beacons deployed in high interference locations, such as complex building environments, the device will require higher power consumption to transmit data and maintain connectivity. Thus, it is imperative for users to extend their devices’ battery life by choosing locations with less barriers and interference for Bluetooth® beacon placement.
Minew Beacon: An Ideal Solution for Superior Performance
Belonging to the Bluetooth® category, Minew’s BLE beacons quickly gain popularity and become an icon for its superior performance, enhanced reliability, and versatile applications. Minew’s beacons support ultra-long service and battery life mainly in two ways.
First and foremost, all Minew beacons support Bluetooth® Low-energy connectivity. Such advanced Bluetooth® protocols embedded with Minew beacon devices enable extended data transmission range but at a lower energy consumption. Besides, Minew beacons is designed with a cutting-edge lightweight portable exterior design, making it easier to carry, install, and deploy in complex environments. Inside its sleek exterior design, it is a ultra-long standing battery. For instance, the i10 Indoor Location Beacon comes with a rechargeable battery, up to 6 years service lifetime. MBS02 Location Beacon supports 6.5 years of battery life. The battery life of both MBM03 Rugged Road Stud Beacon and MBM02 Proximity Navigation Beacon can reach up to 10 years and even more! In addition, Minew also offers user-friendly all-in-one beacon configuration apps, BeaconSET and BeaconSET Plus for customized configuration and extended beacon battery life. And clients who purchased Minew sensors can configure sensor tags through MSensor.
Conclusion
Extending the battery and service lifetime of Bluetooth® beacon devices is crucial to the beacon device’s performance and the entire efficiency of the IoT system. Users can enhance the beacon’s longevity and reliability by lowering transmission power, extending the data transmission interval, opting for sleep mode, and adjusting device placement. Minew’s BLE beacons are designed for superior performance and enhanced reliability at a lower energy consumption.
Explore Minew’s BLE beacon hardware solution at both Minew.com and Minewstore.com.
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A Practical Guide To Configure Minew BLE Beacon For Accuracy And Reliability – Minew
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