The Bluetooth Technology Alliance (SIG) officially announced the launch of its next-generation core version of Bluetooth 5, which includes four times the transmission distance, twice the transmission speed, and eight times the broadcast Increased data traffic. Ryan Martin, senior analyst at ABI Research Research, points out that the launch of Bluetooth 5 is a critical period of industry growth. It is estimated that by 2021, the global network equipment installation will reach 48 billion, and nearly one-third of which will use Bluetooth technology. And consumers will be expected in the new standard after the official release of 2-6 months, see the use of Bluetooth 5 products.

      Longer transmission distance will support the entire home and building coverage, to achieve a more robust and reliable connection; faster speed will bring higher responsiveness and performance of equipment; broadcast data transmission capacity, but also makes the equipment Can send more data to a more improved solution that applies scenarios. In addition, Bluetooth 5 can help reduce the potential interference between Bluetooth and other wireless technologies, to update, to ensure that Bluetooth devices in the increasingly complex global networking environment with other types of equipment coexist. At the same time, Bluetooth 5 still maintains a consistently low power consumption and meets the developer's needs in equipment or applications.

      However, many careful developers have found that in the SIG's official news release, the call was very high Mesh networking features, positioning and discovery function, but not mentioned. Recently, the Bluetooth technology alliance technical project manager Ren Kay in an interview with the magazine, made a clarification on the topic one by one.
 
Why is this release of the Bluetooth 5 standard does not mention Mesh function?

Ren Kai: In fact, I would like to emphasize that everyone for the Bluetooth 5 and Mesh understanding there may be a misunderstanding. Bluetooth 5 and Mesh are not strongly coupled, not to be able to run Mesh on Bluetooth 5 devices. In Bluetooth 4.0, 4.1, 4.2 devices, as long as you have a certain computing power, you can run Mesh function. Bluetooth technology has always been very concerned about connectionless applications, because Bluetooth's low power consumption and low data volume communication, making Beacon applications can be accepted by consumers faster.

Why is positioning and discovery not mentioned?

Ren Kai: indoor positioning and direction of the search, is our future focus on a development direction. According to the plan, Bluetooth technology will be indoor positioning applications to a new height. Such as helping users to quickly find gateways, restaurants and bars at the airport and train stations, to visit the zoo, museums and other places to guide, in the industrial environment to track the factory environment and workers to improve production efficiency in life can even provide for the blind Precise navigation. So, both from the protocol layer or application layer, SIG would like to be able to provide more options for member companies and developers. Once the new on the indoor positioning and direction to find the update, SIG will be the first time to announce.

Bluetooth 5 can reduce the interference between Bluetooth and other wireless technologies, how is this done?

Ren Kay: We added a new frequency hopping algorithm in Bluetooth 5, making Bluetooth technology more effective and other wireless communication technology to avoid, which is Bluetooth technology is currently in the three major updates outside of another important feature , That is better coexistence. The advantage of doing so is that a convenient connection via Bluetooth brings a fast access to other wireless communication technologies. Through the Bluetooth link for a fast handshake, a message exchange, and then connected to the power of other wireless communication technology, by their way to achieve different links to the Internet, open the door to innovation applications.

How can we develop the user more use of Bluetooth technology habits?

Ren Kai: Internet of things is a huge application form, Bluetooth and other wireless standards, has its own unique characteristics and development direction. Many times we have used the Bluetooth technology in the invisible, whether it is hot to share, or share data through Airdrop. SIG hope that through the activities and suites first affect the developers, through them to create more and more innovative products, to consumers with a different user experience, such as the current Bluetooth 5, such as the first half of next year, Mesh applications, etc., So that more and more consumers of the technology to produce consumer sticky, whether or not he felt.

Bluetooth 5 after the launch, which areas will benefit from it?

Ren Kai: first is the smart home. Because Bluetooth 5 covers a wider range, can cover the whole family, so that a central node can be connected with the various equipment at home; industrial applications more complex scenes, the security level is relatively high, there are many security aspects of certification. But the Bluetooth technology itself is very low power consumption, frequency hopping technology has enhanced the anti-jamming capability, in the complex electromagnetic environment, especially in the field of industrial automation, we have high hopes. Very high Mesh networking features, location and discovery capabilities, but not mentioned. Recently, the Bluetooth technology alliance technical project manager Ren Kay in an interview with the magazine, made a clarification on the topic one by one.