Experts at Rutronik have conducted extensive real-world tests on the latest generation of Bluetooth Low Energy and have analyzed the performance of the wireless standard under various conditions. Their aim was to identify new fields of application for the technology and to check the validity of common marketing claims under real-world conditions. The whitepaper is available for download at http://www.rutronik.com/bt5wp.
The tests were conducted using a prototype of the Nordic nRF52840 for the hardware and an alpha version of Soft Device S140 for the software. Two preview development kits (PDKs) were used. Both PDKs were linked and moved further and further apart to measure the power consumption, data throughput, and range of the Bluetooth 5 line.
One of the results of the study was a significant increase in range compared to the previous version, Bluetooth Low Energy 4.2, with a simultaneous reduction in energy consumption. The measurements were carried out in an open field, a forest, an urban shopping mall, and offices in order to simulate different areas of use. In addition to the detailed results of the study, the white paper provides a brief summary of the specifications of the Bluetooth standard and an overview of relevant products.
Rutronik Supports Young Researchers
The white paper is the result of a bachelor thesis written by a Pforzheim University student who interned at Rutronik, where he was responsible for studying the performance of Bluetooth 5.
“Supporting university students is a matter of course for us,” says Bernd Hantsche, Marketing Director Embedded and Wireless at Rutronik. “Working on projects and the opportunity to contribute their own ideas to academic research not only benefits our students – we as a company also profit from their ideas and can directly pass on the knowledge we gain to our customers as added value at no charge.”
About Rutronik
RUTRONIK UK LTD is operating as an independent company with a team of highly qualified UK employees with broad experience of the electronics industry. Parent company Rutronik Elektronische Bauelemente GmbH is one of the leading broadline distributors for semiconductors, passive and electromechanical components in addition to storage technologies, displays & boards and wireless products. The markets that the company primarily targets include automotive, medical, industrial, home appliance, energy and lighting. Wide-ranging services, competent support in the areas of product development and design, as well as individual logistics and supply chain management solutions round off its customer and future-orientated range of goods and services.
