Building Apps for Wearable and IoT devices using BLE | Prachanda | Gurzu

Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) one among the technologies that is enabling wearable and IoT devices. This tech ensures optimal performances of devices while maintaining battery efficiency across connected devices.

Transcript

1. Building Apps for Wearable and IoT devices using BLE Prachanda Muni Bajracharya • 01.15.2025
2. Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Overview • Low Power Consumption ◦ Bluetooth Low Energy is a wireless communication technology designed for low-power devices. • Short Range Connectivity • Secure Communication • Widely Adopted • Different from Bluetooth Classic.
3. BLE Core Concepts • Central and Peripheral ◦ Central: The device that initiates and maintains the connection (e.g., smartphone). ◦ Peripheral: The device that advertises its availability (e.g., wearable). • Services and Characteristics ◦ Services: A collection of related data (e.g., heart rate service). ◦ Characteristics: Specific pieces of data within a service (e.g., heart rate value). • Advertising ◦ Peripheral devices broadcast information to nearby devices. • GATT (Generic Attribute Profile) ◦ Defines how data is transferred between devices.
4. BLE Communication • Advertising: Peripheral sends advertising packets. • Scanning: Central scans for available peripherals. • Connection: Central connects to a selected peripheral. • Data Exchange: Data is read or written via GATT services and characteristics.
5. BLE Communication
6. Heart Rate Example This is the Heart Rate Profile specified by Bluetooth SIG (Bluetooth Special Interest Group): • Heart Rate [Service] UUID: 0x180D Primary Service • Heart Rate Measurement [Characteristic] UUID: 0x2A37 Properties: Notify Value: 70 bpm • Body Sensor Location [Characteristic] UUID: 0x2A38 Properties: Read Value: Finger
7. BLE Architecture
8. Operations • Requests (Central to Peripheral) • Responses (Peripheral to Central) • Commands (Central to Peripheral) • Notifications (Peripheral to Central) • Indications (Peripheral to Central) • Confirmations (Central to Peripheral)
9. Tools and Frameworks • Mobile Development ◦ iOS: Core Bluetooth Framework. ◦ Android: Android Bluetooth Low Energy API. ◦ Flutter: FlutterBlue, reactive_ble. ◦ React Native: react-native-ble-plx, react-native-ble-manager • Testing Tools ◦ nRF Connect: A BLE development and debugging tool. ◦ BLE scanners: Analyze BLE advertising packets.
10. Challenges • Connectivity Issues • Platform-Specific Behavior • Handling Multiple Devices • Data Throughput and Latency • Debugging Challenges • GATT Complexity • Data Syncing • Power Consumption • Device Compatibility • Security Concerns • Handling Firmware Updates
11. Usage • Wearable Technology • Healthcare Devices • Smart Home System • Asset Tracking • Targeted ads
12. Thank You !!!