Tag Archives for " Bluetooth "

Choosing the Bluetooth That’s Right For You

Since the introduction of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) in Bluetooth 4.0, there are now four technologies used under Bluetooth 4.0 and later revisions. Although the history of naming these technologies has led to much confusion, the generally accepted names are Bluetooth Classic and Bluetooth Low Energy. Bluetooth Classic represents the BR, EDR, and HS (AMP) technologies, while Bluetooth LE represents the LE technology.

Bluetooth Classic devices are typically used in applications requiring streaming of data, such as audio. The physical layer and protocol of BR/EDR make socket-like streaming of data easy to accomplish. Rates of these data streams may be around 2-3 Mbps.Bluetooth Low Energy brings about some great features beyond low energy operation, such as one-to-many and many-to-many communications, as well as connectionless services. BLE is often used for data transmission, location services, and device network applications. These interactions operate much more like a shared database of characteristics through the use of a Generic Attribute Profile (GATT). Most mobile devices such as phones, tablets, and computers support both Bluetooth Classic and Low Energy; however, many devices use one or the other.

Due to the differences in the physical layer modulation and demodulation, BLE cannot talk with Bluetooth Classic and vice versa. Similarly a BLE device cannot use Bluetooth Classic network and transport protocols when talking to a dual mode Bluetooth device. This is critically important for machinery manufacturers because although Bluetooth devices can typically communicate over a local area network to tablets and phones reliably, if you are going to use Bluetooth to communicate between machines and attachments, or between machine ECUs, you’ll need to select a protocol for the network of devices you’re managing.

As you consider specifying Bluetooth, there are a few high-level things to consider:

  • BLE can manage the data rates necessary to transfer typica data loads from mobile equipment busses (e.g. CAN buses running J1939)
  • Bluetooth Classic can handle a lot more data
  • Bluetooth Classic supports mobile devices tethering to telematic gateways or control units onboard machines and letting one device use the other’s data plan
  • Bluetooth Classic is much more energy intensive than BLE, so if you have a battery-powered application BLE is the way to go

In summary, if you have a network demand for a fairly large amount of data, and you have access to vehicle power (or battery life management is not a concern), Bluetooth Classic is a good way to go. If you’re a battery-powered application or do not require transfer of significant volumes of data, BLE provides attractive networking flexibility, low power, and a low price.


Michael Hoffman – Sales Manager, Land Mobile


https://www.appareo.com/2020/11/02/choosing-the-bluetooth-thats-right-for-you/

Appareo Releases New Telematics Gateway with 4G/3G/2G and U.S., EU, Brazilian, and Other Certifications Enabled by Onboard eSIM

NEWS RELEASE

Appareo Releases New Telematics Gateway with 4G/3G/2G and U.S., EU, Brazilian, and Other Certifications Enabled by Onboard eSIM

FARGO, North Dakota (August 20, 2020) — Appareo today released a new product in the company’s award-winning line of telematically-enabled electronic control units (ECUs). The Gateway 270 is a rugged IP67-rated edge computing platform for mobile equipment applications. This device is deployable in a broad range of North American, South American, and European markets, making it ideal for equipment manufacturers with broad geographic distribution.

Like other 200 series Appareo Gateways, this product contains an array of wired and wireless communication technologies, making it well suited for a broad spectrum of equipment control, monitoring, and connectivity challenges. The Gateway 270 contains Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LTE (4G) cellular connectivity with 3G/2G fallback, BroadR-Reach, Ethernet, GPS, CAN, and RS-232 serial communications.

Gateway 270 is built on a popular distribution of embedded Linux (Yocto) with Docker support, allowing a convenient development environment for both developers to work on the Gateway using C++, C#, or other common development languages. This flexibility and approachability allows Appareo customers to use a variety of approaches and resources to achieve the maintenance, service, and operational benefits of a highly-capable telematics product.

“Appareo is really excited about this product and its broad geographical potential. Having three generations of cellular technology, coupled with the eSIM, and certified in historically challenging deployment geographies like Brazil will provide major logistic convenience and SKU simplification for our global customers,” said David Batcheller, President and CEO of Appareo.

To maximize the geographic potential of the Gateway 270 Appareo worked with carrier partners Vodafone International and TaTa Communications. The capabilities of Appareo’s carriers, coupled with Appareo’s Data Services Platform infrastructure, delivers convenient device and subscription management over web-based or API interfaces for management of a few—or a few thousand—connected vehicles.

To contact Appareo, acquire a development kit, and begin working with Appareo Gateways, visit appareo.com/gateways.
 
Appareo Gateway Series:

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About Appareo
Appareo is a recognized leader in the custom design, development and manufacture of innovative electronic and software solutions for aerospace and terrestrial applications. Through the creative application of cutting-edge technologies, Appareo creates complex end-to-end solutions that include both mobile and cloud-based components. The company is privately held, with headquarters in Fargo, N.D., and a design office in Paris, France. All products are built and supported in the USA.

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https://www.appareo.com/2020/08/20/appareo-releases-new-telematics-gateway-with-4g-3g-2g-and-u-s-eu-brazilian-and-other-certifications-enabled-by-onboard-esim/

Appareo Releases Highly-Capable, Rugged Telematics Gateway with Truly Global Connectivity

NEWS RELEASE

Appareo Releases Highly-Capable, Rugged Telematics Gateway with Truly Global Connectivity

The new telematically-enabled ECU features Iridium® satellite connectivity along with LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 433 MHz, CAN, BroadR-Reach, Ethernet, and GPS

FARGO, North Dakota (June 29, 2020) — Appareo today released a new product in the company’s award-winning line of telematically-enabled electronic control units (ECUs). The Gateway 360 is a rugged yet lightweight edge computing platform for mobile equipment applications that provides a wide range of communication technologies: Iridium SBD, Cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and 433 MHz radios with, GPS, BroadR-Reach, Ethernet, and controller area networking (CAN). The device is built with an IP67-rated rugged enclosure for use outdoors and for mounting on heavy machinery.

The Appareo Gateway 360 is unique in that it couples truly global wide area connectivity capabilities through both an Iridium satellite connection, LTE connectivity with local area Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and 433 MHz radios in a powerful computational platform capable of receiving and processing data from a wide range of vehicle networks and buses.

“The 300 series of Gateways are powerful edge computational products that provide a truly global connectivity solution capable of bridging the communication gap between all manner of on- and off-machine applications in very rugged environments,” said David Batcheller, President & CEO of Appareo. “The broad spectrum of communication technologies in the Gateway 360 offers an amazing array of solutions to global off-highway connectivity challenges.”

Off-highway machines are often used in very remote parts of the world. The cellular capabilities of the Gateway 360 are certified in dozens of countries; however, cellular coverage is limited in some geographies. Appareo’s use of the Iridium SBD transceiver allows for truly global machine coverage. The presence of Iridium on the device ensures that critical machine data can be retrieved, and wherever that equipment may be (land, air, or water) the Gateway 360 will keep Appareo customers and their machines connected.

The local area network connections (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and 433 MHz) allow machines to communicate directly with each other and with the operators or passengers. This allows people near the machine in its job site or field to be connected, informed, or in control, using real-time data with zero latency and no network costs. Further, groups of machines can communicate with machines and attachments to improve operator experience and efficiency.

For example, using 433 MHz or Bluetooth, the Gateway 360 can communicate with active RFID products, like the AT-40 asset tracker, tire pressure sensors, and other wireless machine sensors. This capability allows for machines to receive information from hydraulic and mechanical attachments, and despite the lack of electrical power on those attachments, use information from the active RFID tag to recognize the attachment, and automatically adjust machine control settings accordingly.
From remote diagnostics (securely accessing devices with available VPN remote access to troubleshoot equipment in real time) to inexpensively deploying firmware updates over the air through differential software updating tools, Appareo Gateways offer a wide spectrum of capabilities that go beyond traditional telematic data usage for preventive maintenance and remote support.
 
Appareo Gateway Series

Appareo and Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq:IRDM) originally partnered in 2016 to release technology to equip motorized farm vehicles with terrestrial and satellite communication capabilities, enabled by the truly global Iridium satellite network — the only mobile voice and data satellite communications network that spans the entire globe. Appareo was one of the first companies chosen to integrate the Iridium 9603 chipset, the smallest commercial two-way satellite transceiver.

“Appareo continues to be a leader in bringing next generation telematics solutions and global connectivity to customers,” said Bryan Hartin, Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Iridium. “With the Gateway 360’s truly global machine coverage, critical machine data can now be retrieved in even the most remote locations.”

AGCO Corporation (NYSE:AGCO) integrated Appareo’s 300 Series Gateways for its telematic solutions, specifically to expand wireless telemetry solutions for remote precision agriculture and machine monitoring.

“AGCO has been working with Appareo for many years and we have built our connectivity strategy leveraging the Gateway 360. We see advantages with the capabilities and the global reach this product provides, whether we are leveraging cellular or the Iridium satellite capabilities. It is great to have a partner that has deep expertise and is willing to work closely on our mutual goals,” said Seth Crawford, Vice President, Fuse Connected Services and Digital Customer Experience at AGCO.

To learn more about Appareo’s line of Gateways, visit appareo.com.

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About Appareo
Appareo is a recognized leader in the custom design, development and manufacture of innovative electronic and software solutions for aerospace and terrestrial applications. Through the creative application of cutting-edge technologies, Appareo creates complex end-to-end solutions that include both mobile and cloud-based components. The company is privately held, with headquarters in Fargo, N.D., and a design office in Paris, France. All products are built and supported in the USA.

Product Photos
Download photos from our Online Media Kit.
 

https://www.appareo.com/2020/06/29/appareo-releases-highly-capable-rugged-telematics-gateway-with-truly-global-connectivity/

Appareo Releases Highly-Capable Rugged LTE Telematics Gateway with 6 CAN Busses, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, BroadR-Reach, Ethernet, and GPS

NEWS RELEASE

Appareo Releases Highly-Capable Rugged LTE Telematics Gateway with 6 CAN Busses, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, BroadR-Reach, Ethernet, and GPS

FARGO, North Dakota (May 27, 2020) — Appareo today released a new product in the company’s award-winning line of telematically-enabled electronic control units (ECUs). The Gateway 260 is a rugged yet lightweight edge computing platform for mobile equipment applications that provides a wide range of communication technologies: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Cellular, GPS, BroadR-Reach, Ethernet, and controller area networking (CAN). The device is built with an IP67-rated rugged enclosure for use outdoors and for mounting on heavy machinery, and like all Appareo Gateways, the Gateway 260 is built on a popular distribution of embedded Linux (Yocto) with Docker support that allows developers to quickly deploy applications.

The Appareo Gateway 260 is unique in that it couples the capabilities of a modern LTE connectivity device and a powerful computational platform capable of receiving and processing data from a wide range of vehicle networks and buses.

“While other solutions require multiple, separate devices to accomplish computation and cloud connectivity, Gateway 260 was designed to aggregate local/wired communications and Wi-Fi/cellular connectivity in one box with powerful processing capabilities, lowering the total cost for our customers,” said David Batcheller, President & CEO of Appareo. “Our architecture that enables strong local area network integration between off-highway equipment and mobile devices like phones and tablets continues in the Gateway 260. This allows our customers to create mobile app experiences that control or monitor their machines using the operator’s portable electronic devices.”

For example, Väderstad and Appareo collaborated to design an entirely new machine control architecture for Väderstad planters and seeders, uniquely featuring the capability to control the machine using iPads through a Wi-Fi interface. The Appareo Gateway acts as the server for the user interface, contains all the control logic necessary to operate the machine, and commands other ECUs on the CAN bus to execute machine tasks or get information. The user has the ability to utilize an ISOBUS-compatible Virtual Terminal, an iPad display, or both at the same time. With the inclusion of an iPad as a control interface, the user is able to perform all functions wirelessly to the machine, which has made out-of-cab operations much more convenient. Väderstad was the first agricultural machinery manufacturer to utilize a mobile tablet in this way.

From remote diagnostics (securely accessing devices to troubleshoot equipment in real time) to inexpensively deploying firmware updates through differential software updating tools, Appareo Gateways offer a wide spectrum of capabilities.
 

One company that integrated Appareo’s 300 Series Gateways for its telematic solutions is AGCO Corporation (NYSE:AGCO). AGCO utilized an Appareo 300 Series Gateway with Iridium (Nasdaq:IRDM) connectivity to expand AgCommand, AGCO’s complete, end-to-end, wireless telemetry solution for remote precision agriculture and machine monitoring. Appareo is one of only a few integrators in the world for the 9603 Iridium chipset — the smallest commercial two-way satellite transceiver — which enabled AGCO to become the first in agriculture to equip machines with connectivity on a broad, global scale. The Appareo Gateway can collect and distribute real-time data, product and performance data, health and asset management data, location data, security and recovery data, in addition to remote diagnostics and the possibility for future predictive maintenance capabilities.

To learn more about Appareo’s line of Gateways, visit www.appareo.com/products/highly-capable-telematic-products/.

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https://www.appareo.com/2020/05/27/appareo-releases-highly-capable-rugged-lte-telematics-gateway-with-6-can-busses-wi-fi-bluetooth-broadr-reach-ethernet-and-gps/