The Need for Flexible Wireless Connectivity
In our increasingly connected world, there is a growing demand for flexible and reliable wireless connectivity in electronic devices. Whether it's smart home products, industrial sensors, or asset tracking, the ability to wirelessly network large numbers of devices is critical.
Bluetooth mesh networking provides an ideal wireless solution, allowing for many-to-many communication between thousands of devices over an extended range. In this article, we’ll explore the capabilities of Bluetooth mesh and how HopeRF’s innovative Bluetooth SoC and module portfolio enables powerful mesh networking for your connected products.
Bluetooth mesh is a new topology introduced in Bluetooth 5 that enables scalable device networks using managed flooding. It allows Bluetooth devices to communicate in a many-to-many pattern, going beyond the traditional star topology where all devices connect directly to a central hub.
Key features of Bluetooth mesh include:
Relay nodes that can relay messages to extend the range of the mesh network.
Low power nodes that periodically sleep/wake to conserve power. They poll friend nodes to receive cached messages.
Friend nodes that implement additional caching to support low power nodes.
Proxy nodes that bridge between Bluetooth mesh and classic Bluetooth/BLE devices.
This architecture enables mesh networks to efficiently route data between thousands of nodes over an extended range by hopping messages between nodes until they reach the destination. Bluetooth mesh is ideal for large-scale device networks with tens to hundreds of nodes where a star topology would be limiting.
Applications like building automation, sensor networks, lighting control, asset tracking and more can benefit from the flexible connectivity of Bluetooth mesh. With robust support in modern smartphones, it also enables convenient smart home control and automation.
Key capabilities of Bluetooth mesh include:
Up to 32,000 nodes per network
20ms latency for time-sensitive control
Message relaying to extend range
Low power operation with periodic sleep in battery devices
Secure networking with encryption
Reliable networking with mesh redundancy
Bluetooth 5 Enhancements for Mesh
Bluetooth 5 introduced key enhancements to enable extended range and large scale mesh networks.
First, the LE Coded PHY extends the range of connectivity. It uses forward error correction to provide 6-8dB of coding gain even at the same 1Mbps data rate. This allows longer range connections between nodes. Second, advertising extensions allow more data to be exchanged between nodes to support efficient flooding and routing in large mesh networks.
With these enhancements, Bluetooth 5 enables mesh networks that meet the needs of demanding industrial and smart home applications.
HopeRF’s Innovative Bluetooth SoC Portfolio
HopeRF offers a range of Bluetooth SoC and module solutions optimized for Bluetooth 5 and mesh networking.
Advanced Bluetooth Mesh Software
To accelerate development, HopeRF provides advanced Bluetooth mesh software stacks for their SoCs. This includes application code, network provisioning tools, and documentation. Key features include:
Support for Node, Relay, Friend, Low Power, and Proxy roles
GATT-based configuration and management
Models for common use cases like lighting and sensors
Interoperability with major mobile platforms
Reference applications and sample code
By leveraging HopeRF’s software, products can leverage the benefits of Bluetooth mesh faster and with lower risk. The software scales from simple networks to complex deployments with thousands of nodes.
HopeRF Bluetooth Mesh Modules
For fast development, HopeRF offers a range of certified Bluetooth mesh modules based on their SoC portfolio:
HM-BT452
This module based on the CMT4522 SoC provides a certified Bluetooth 5.2 solution with LE Coded PHY support. With 99dBm sensitivity and Long Range operation, it suits home automation and industrial applications.
HM-BT2204
Based on the EFR32BG22 SoC, this module optimized for mesh networks offers leading RF performance and ultra low power consumption. With -104.9dBm sensitivity and 20dBm transmit power, it provides reliable long range mesh networks.
HM-BT5601A
This module based on the ASR5601 SoC provides extreme range Bluetooth connectivity leveraging the LE Coded PHY. With -107dBm sensitivity, 10dBm transmit power, and Long Range support, it enables challenging long range use cases.
HM-BT2101/2102
These modules based on the EFR32BG21 SoC provide high transmit power up to 20dBm for long range mesh networks. HM-BT2102 offers excellent RF performance with -104.9dBm sensitivity.
CMT Series
The CMT series are cost-effective Bluetooth 5 compliant SoCs powered by an Arm Cortex-M0 core. Key options include:
CMT4502 – Bluetooth 5 SoC with 1MB flash memory and 512KB RAM
CMT4522 – Bluetooth 5.2 SoC with Long Range support
CMT4531 – BLE 5.1 SoC with 2MB flash memory and 512KB RAM
These SoCs provide excellent RF performance, low power consumption, and support for mesh networking.
By using HopeRF’s certified modules, products can leverage advanced Bluetooth mesh networking faster. HopeRF also provides detailed documentation, software, tools, and support to accelerate your design.
Conclusion
Bluetooth mesh networking provides the flexible, scalable wireless connectivity needed in today's smart products. HopeRF offers a range of innovative Bluetooth SoCs and modules optimized for reliable and long range mesh networks.
Whether you need entry-level Bluetooth 5 connectivity, long range performance, or ultra low power consumption, HopeRF has the wireless solution. With their mature software stacks and modules, you can build leading edge mesh-connected products faster.
To learn more about how HopeRF can accelerate your wireless design, contact us for prices and samples.