How To Choose Bluetooth Module Performance Indicators?

It is estimated that in the future, 60% of wireless devices will use Bluetooth. At the same time, 16% of the devices will use Bluetooth low-energy modules.

The Bluetooth Module has the advantages of low power consumption and low latency. There will be more and more applications of Bluetooth modules in smart homes, wearable devices, beacons, automotive electronics, and medical electronics.

So how to choose the right Bluetooth module? When purchasing a Bluetooth module, you mainly consider the following performance indicators.

8 performance indicators of the Bluetooth module

1.The chip of the Bluetooth module

The performance of the wireless communication module is basically directly determined by the chip performance. The chip directly determines the computing power of the Bluetooth module. At present, the Bluetooth chip manufacturer that SKYLAB cooperates with is Nordic. It is a well-known Bluetooth chip manufacturer with strong R&D strength. SKYLAB uses Nordic chips for research and development and has launched BLE4.2/5.0 Bluetooth modules based on Nordic 52 series chips.

2.Power consumption of the Bluetooth module

Low power consumption is the main feature of SKYLAB's Bluetooth modules. Why even mention power consumption? The reason is that the power consumption values of Bluetooth versions 4.0, 4.2, and 5.0 are different. Among them, Bluetooth 5.0 has the lowest power consumption value. Therefore, you need to pay special attention to the Bluetooth solution design of the power consumption value. You can choose the 5.0 Bluetooth module first, then consider the 4.2 Bluetooth module and the 4.0 Bluetooth module.

3.The transmission content of the Bluetooth module

The BLE module is a data transmission Bluetooth module that only supports data transmission. Compare with the current mainstream Bluetooth 4.2 and Bluetooth 5.0. The broadcast payload of the Bluetooth 5.0 module is increased from 31 bytes to 255 bytes, which is 8 times the broadcast capacity of Bluetooth 4.2. Therefore, engineers focus on the transfer file size, and the broadcast bytes can be selected from the transfer content.

4.The transmission rate of the Bluetooth module

The nominal data transfer rate of the Bluetooth PHY is 1M/bps. The 2M PHY of Bluetooth 5.0 increases the bandwidth to 1.4Mbps. Therefore, if you want a Bluetooth module with a faster transmission rate, you can choose a Bluetooth 5.0 module first.

5.The transmission distance of the Bluetooth module

The short transmission distance is a problem that affects the large-scale use of Bluetooth. The Bluetooth 5.0 standard has made a new breakthrough in transmission distance. 125/500kbps coded PHY layer for increased sensitivity/range. The new channel selection algorithm aims to use 20dBm transmit power globally. Therefore, engineers who want to achieve a slightly longer distance Bluetooth communication can choose a Bluetooth 5.0 module.

6.The interface of the Bluetooth module

The interfaces of the Bluetooth module are divided into UART interface, GPIO port, SPI port, and I²C port, each of which can realize corresponding different functions. See the specific implementation of the functional requirements for the interface. If it is just data transmission, it is good to use a serial interface (TTL level).

7.The master-slave relationship of the Bluetooth module

The Bluetooth main module can actively search and connect to other Bluetooth modules. The Bluetooth slave module is passively waiting for others to search and connect. The general smart devices on the market choose the Bluetooth slave module. The Bluetooth main module is generally used on devices such as mobile phones that can be used as control centers.

8.Antenna of Bluetooth module

Different products have different requirements for Bluetooth antennas. At present, the more commonly used antennas for Bluetooth modules include PCB antennas, ceramic antennas, and IPEX external antennas. If it is placed inside a metal bunker, generally choose a Bluetooth module with an IPEX external antenna.

Introduction of SKYLAB's BLE4.2/5.0 Bluetooth Module

1.BLE4.2 Bluetooth module

The SKYLAB（天工测控） BLE4.2 Bluetooth module is designed and developed based on the Nordic nRF518XX solution. It is specially designed for wireless 2.4GHz ISM high-speed transmission.

The BLE4.2 Bluetooth module meets the needs of IoT data transmission and intelligent control.

2.BLE4.2/5.0 Bluetooth module

The SKYALB BLE4.2/5.0 Bluetooth module is designed and developed based on the Nordic nRF52832 solution. It is specially designed for wireless 2.4GHz ISM high-speed transmission.

In addition to supporting the 4.2 protocol, the Bluetooth module SKB369 can also support the 5.0 protocol. It can meet the needs of IoT data transmission and intelligent control.

3.BLE5.0 Bluetooth module

SKYLAB BLE5.0 Bluetooth module is designed and developed based on the Nordic nRF52840 solution. The low-power Bluetooth module SKB501 is specially designed for wireless 2.4GHz ISM high-speed transmission.

SKB501 has high receiving sensitivity, and long transmission distance, and supports SPI/UART/TWI communication protocols. It can meet customers' needs for rapid programming of Bluetooth products again.

BLE4.2 Bluetooth module SKB369 and BLE5.0 Bluetooth module SKB501 have been supplied in batches. SKYLAB's Bluetooth module has stable parameters and superior performance. SKYLAB is equipped with a matching development board for users to test.