Low-Cost Bluetooth Smart Module Lets Your Product Talk to iPhones

bluetooth-smart-module-204904642In a previous blog, I wrote about the advantages of using Android as a user interface for embedded software products. But as popular as Android devices are, companies embedding software in their products can't afford to ignore iOS: as of the end of 2013, there were 300 million iPhones in use, compared to 800 million Android devices.

Making your embedded software product talk to iPhones and iPads used to be cost-prohibitive. But a relatively new Bluetooth smart module has put it within reach. 

Bluetooth Low Energy (also called Bluetooth smart) is a new technology that provides low-cost access to the iPhone and iPad.

Until recently, gaining access to the iPhone/iPad universe via Bluetooth required an expensive entry fee for MFi (Made For iOS) licensing. This fee could be as high as $20,000. This changed on June 13, 2013, when Apple announced support for Bluetooth smart in iOS7. Most important, the iOS7 update did not require MFi licensing to release a Bluetooth smart device into the iOS universe.

For $10, Your Product Can Talk to iOS

Companies can now take advantage of the iPhone/iPad human interface by simply adding a sub $10 Bluetooth smart module to their embedded system. Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) or Bluetooth smart is part of the new Bluetooth V4.0 specification and features:

  • Ultra-low peak, average and idle mode power consumption
  • Ability to run for years on standard coin-cell batteries
  • Low cost
  • Multi-vendor interoperability
  • Enhanced range

Numerous venders have announced low-cost Bluetooth smart modules, making it easy to add BLE to embedded systems. BLE modules connect to embedded systems using a UART, Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), or USB. The firmware in the embedded system has to be updated to support the module.

On the iPhone/iPad side, Apple provides a software framework to find, connect, and communicate with BLE modules. Using the framework, an iPhone/iPad application can be written to scan for BLE modules, connect to individual or multiple modules, and communicate with the modules at a rate up to 2K Bytes/second.

Why Invest in iPhones and iPads?

There are two really good reasons to make use of the Bluetooth smart module to make your embedded software product talk to the iPhone and iPad:

First, 300 million is a number of users worth competing for. Embedding software for the iPhone and iPad makes your product accessible for a huge number of users who would otherwise use another company's product

Second, and just as important: iOS provides a robust and well liked graphical interface for customers to interact with your device. The iPhone/iPad graphical interface is one of the most popular user interfaces in the world. 

With the introduction of Bluetooth smart and Apple’s decision not to require expensive licensing to use it, the popularity of the iPhone/iPad universe is now available to embedded system developers and companies embedding software in their products. The Bluetooth smart module provides the connection companies need to take advantage of the iPhone/iPad universe—at an affordable price.

Tecnova has in-depth experience developing embedded firmware. If you'd like to embed software in your product that communicates with iPhones and iPads, contact us for a free project consultation.

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Topics: Firmware Development