Learn More About Bluetooth Low Energy

Engineers who want to learn more about Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) will have their chance in an upcoming Design News Continuing Education Course (CEC).

The classes, sponsored by Digi-Key and scheduled for July 21 through July 25, will introduce engineers to the basics of wireless Bluetooth LE network technology. Bluetooth LE, increasingly being used in devices ranging from watches and coffeemakers to security systems and industrial sensor networks, is gaining popularity in applications that call for low current draw.

"With this, you can do things that Zigby and sensor networks are doing, but you can do it on your iPhone or Android," Fred Eady, owner of EDTP Electronics Inc. and teacher of the course, told Design News.

In the classes, Eady will explain how to build Bluetooth LE-based devices and how to write the underlying software code for those devices. Attendees of prior Design News CEC classes have expressed interest in learning about the technology, in part because so many mobile operating systems -- including iOS, Android and Linux -- are now supporting Bluetooth LE. The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) predicts that 90% of Bluetooth-enabled smartphones will support Bluetooth LE by 2018.

Classes will also offer sample Bluetooth LE applications using Microchip's PIC microcontrollers (MCUs). Included will be PIC 16 Series, PIC 18 Series, PIC 24 Series, and PIC 32 Series devices.

Eady said that many engineers are now considering Bluetooth LE because is offers local control of applications through smartphones, without the need to use the Internet. "This is going to appeal to anyone who wants to use a Bluetooth control function through their Apple of Android devices," he told us.

Click here to register for "Design Products With Bluetooth Low Energy."

Related posts: