Bluetooth Powered Monitoring and Control
Objective
Now shipping in volumes in excess of 5 million devices a week, Bluetooth's success in consumer devices opens up a host of novel monitoring and control applications.
Bluetooth mobile phones, PDAs and laptops provide an opportunity to enable their users to monitor/control Bluetooth-enabled industrial or consumer devices. The key points for realising this are:
- Reuse existing functionality (such as a mobile phone's built-in ability to send/receive files, or run Bluetooth Java applications)
- Provide low-cost ways of adding Bluetooth control interfaces to existing devices
- Employ simple hardware interfaces when upgrading existing devices to be Bluetooth controllable
By way of example, Cambridge Consultants developed a Bluetooth-enabled electricity meter for leading utility metering company, Actaris.
Approach
Cambridge Consultants developed a location system based on ZigBee technology in which battery-powered 'nodes' are placed around a site to create a security network. A node is then placed on each asset, allowing it to be tracked discretely and efficiently.
Result
The system provides a map showing the zoned location of each asset. The assets are tracked around the building in real-time and an alarm is raised if one is moved too close to an exit or if it is no longer being detected. The nodes also send back telemetry data such as temperature.
Benefit
The wiring costs when setting up the system are reduced to zero and all assets can be reliably traced. The potential to enhance the system, for example with two-way communications, is also available.