Widespread use of Bluetooth Mesh is just around the corner

In early August, the Bluetooth Technology Alliance (Bluetooth SIG), which developed new Bluetooth specifications and new standards, released the latest innovative network topology. The new standard, called Bluetooth Mesh, eliminates the past point-to-point communication of Bluetooth in the entire second layer of software, and instead uses mesh to support communication between all points.

You may be surprised that the mesh and Bluetooth standards have always been very different, at least compared to the Bluetooth standards of recent years. The reason is that mesh is increasingly being used in a variety of wireless topologies, including the latest wireless protocol Thread for smart homes and the wireless standard ZigBee, which is widely used for short-range low-data applications. However, the launch of mesh does not meet the needs of all application scenarios.

There are two types of Mesh networks: route mesh and flooding mesh.

For routing meshes, each device has a specified session path. Although almost all Bluetooth-connected devices can communicate in close range, the dialogue between specific devices is based on the device-to-device fastest specified path, rather than "floating" with all connected devices. Communication to reach the destination end. The flooding mesh is different. Each device on the flooding mesh network can send signals to the connected devices collectively, which is like using a loudspeaker.

The original prototype of the Bluetooth Mesh standard is a model of the flooding protocol, but it has two challenges: one is that many devices are confused and intertwined with each other; the other is the drag on power efficiency, and the Bluetooth Technology Alliance is proud of it. The technical advantage is that it does not affect power efficiency.

The Bluetooth Mesh, which has been in existence for a long time, combines two mesh network modes to provide controlled flooding, allowing only similar devices (such as all Bluetooth-connected lighting devices in the home) to communicate with each other in a "layout" manner. Instead of all Bluetooth devices in close range. Since the new specification has been bred for a long time, the widespread use of Bluetooth Mesh is just around the corner, especially in the Internet of Things.

In the early days, Bluetooth Mesh was likely to be used in modern smart homes to improve the efficiency and synchronization of similar devices, such as IoT lighting and kitchen appliances. However, the scope of application of mesh can be very broad, including promoting innovation and improving the connectivity of future factories, and promoting the process of Industry 4.0.

Dialog's ICs and SoCs bring the latest Bluetooth low-power technology to the consumer space, enabling efficient connectivity between devices and bringing convenience to our everyday lives. With the launch of the latest technology standards, we will continue to drive innovation in this area - stay tuned!