Author Topic: Simple wireless switch using BTE/ANT+?  (Read 2172 times)

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Offline Pink PossumTopic starter

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Simple wireless switch using BTE/ANT+?
« on: July 03, 2013, 10:04:56 am »
Hi all,

I'd like to get your expert opinions on the following:

I'm trying to build a simple device. In one circuit, a switch closes. This sends a signal wirelessly to a nearby circuit (~1m away), which receives the signal and turns on an LED. When the first circuit breaks, the LED turns off. Sounds simple.

The circuit containing the switch has to be very small/lightweight, and power conservative. I'd like to have more than one of these switches around and by closing either switch the LED would turn on. But these switches must be paired with the LED, so that another separate LED nearby will not be turned on.

This led me to think about using something like Bluetooth Low Energy or ANT+, because the modules are really small and can be powered by a button cell battery for months. I can't use IR because there's no direct line of sight.

Are there any alternatives besides these two options?

If I choose BTE, what do I need apart from the module to get the circuit working? I mean stuff like PC-module connection, battery connection or IC or other stuff like controllers?

Thanks :)
 

Offline Codemonkey

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Re: Simple wireless switch using BTE/ANT+?
« Reply #1 on: July 03, 2013, 10:24:35 am »
Look at 802.15.4. Plenty of higher level protocols sitting on top of that, ZigBee for example, or if you want something a bit less overkill then some of the Silicon vendors own stacks (NXP has JenNet, Someone from Atmel posted a link to theirs on here a few days ago).

You could just use the 802.15.4 MAC layer messages yourself rather than bother with all the extra overhead of a tree/mesh stack if all you're doing is simple point to point/point to multipoint messaging (no routing from one node to another).
 

Offline cthree

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Re: Simple wireless switch using BTE/ANT+?
« Reply #2 on: July 04, 2013, 03:10:48 am »
Xbee is an option which is basically 802.11.4 mesh networking, but...

If you just want to replace a cable with a pair of radios then there isn't much easier a way than to use a pair of RovingNetworks RN42 modules.

http://rovingnetworks.com/resources/download/65/Bluetooth_Cable_replacement
http://rovingnetworks.com/products/RN42

26uA in standby.
« Last Edit: July 04, 2013, 03:16:26 am by cthree »
 


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