Bluetooth 5 Unlocks Infinite Possibilities

The number of Bluetooth devices reached 3 billion by 2016 and, based on this criterion, Bluetooth is one of the most successful wireless technologies. Due to Bluetooth’s excellent compatible connectivity and low manufacturing costs, it is an ideal technology candidate for implementing the IoT. The latest and long-awaited Bluetooth 5 version released in December 2016 is expected to play a leading role in unlocking the infinite possibilities of the IoT.

Bluetooth was first developed as an open-standard wireless technology supporting short-range wireless connections between smartphones, PCs, and their accessories. Unlike many other wireless communications systems, it does not require any infrastructure, such as base stations and Wi-Fi access points, and supports efficient voice and data communications between wireless peer-to-peer devices.

By building on these strengths, the new Bluetooth 5 version offers improved protection against interference with 2.4 GHz ISM and the neighboring LTE band, as well as longer range, faster speed, and improved security, which are all key functional improvements required for implementing the IoT.

Bluetooth 5: New Functions Offer Big Benefits for the IoT

Big changes in Bluetooth 5 are 2 Mbps and Long Range (LE Coded) are added to Bluetooth Low Energy.Not only does the update maintain the low power consumption of previous generations, but it does so while doubling the communications speed, quadrupling the range, and increasing the broadcast capacity by eightfold. As a result, Bluetooth 5 is expected to make major future contributions in various fields, including automobiles, smart cities, smart industry, and smart agriculture.

Speed ×2	2 Mbps data rate is twice that of existing Bluetooth Low Energy Transmitter “on” time is reduced for the same quantity of data transferred, giving longer battery life
Range ×4	LE Long Range delivers robust and reliable IoT connections that make indoor and outdoor use cases a reality Long Range modes with 125 kbps and 500 kbps data rates
Data ×8	Increased broadcasting message capacity with support for larger data packets up to 255-octet More efficient use of advertising channels “For “connectionless” IoT services like beacons, which provide location-relevant information

Bluetooth 5 PHY (BLE Radio)

Bluetooth 5 LE radio operation is based on three PHYs.

Table 1: Bluetooth 5 PHY (BLE Radio) Summary

New Bluetooth Test Set MT8852B Functionality

Anritsu Bluetooth Test Set MT8852B is a dedicated measuring instrument for performing Bluetooth RF tests in accordance with the Bluetooth SIG test standards. It supports the latest Bluetooth 5 version as well as all the earlier Bluetooth Core 1.2, 2.0, 2.1, 3.0+HS, 4.0, 4.1, and 4.2. versions. With a large range of test items, including RF and connectivity tests for Bluetooth modules and devices, it has wide versatility for every measurement application, from R&D to product inspection and manufacturing.

Bluetooth 5.0 Functions (Option)

In addition to supporting previous Bluetooth Low Energy test cases, both 2LE and BLR are supported by adding this new option to the MT8852B.

• Supports 2 Mbps Low Energy PHY (2LE)
• Supports Bluetooth Long Range (BLR), also known as LE Coded

Advantages of using MT8852B

• Improvement of Test Reliability
  • Qualified by Bluetooth SIG for measurements
  • Compliant with Bluetooth RF Test Specification
• Easy Operation
  • Control test devices by RS232, 2-Wire, USB, USB to RS232 or USB to 2-Wire adapters via the MT8852B’s HCI port
  • Built-in scripts let you run a complete set of tests with a single keypress
• Smooth Technical Support from SoC Vendors
  • Easy test data correlation with SoC vendors
  • Adopted major SoC vendors as their reference test set

Anritsu’s Contribution to Bluetooth Testing

Anritsu has been at the forefront of developments in Bluetooth technology since 1999 and continuously develops its products in line with the evolving Standard.