Since the last ten years or so, Bluetooth has played a significant role in our technological lives. It’s what we use to link our cellphones, laptops, and other devices to our wireless headphones, keyboards, and other gadgets. Though Bluetooth is a crucial component of wireless technology, it has never been without criticism. There is no distinguishing element that makes Bluetooth stand out, the connections are erratic, and the file transfers are done at appalling speeds. The new Bluetooth 5.1 is going to change all of that, and the following information will help you understand it better:
What is Bluetooth 5.1?
Simply told, Bluetooth 5.1 is the newest Bluetooth technology standard and it has a tonne of new enhancements. The new Bluetooth 5.1 standard, which is built on top of the existing Bluetooth 5.0 standard, will not only increase connection reliability but also offer real-time data, such as proximity and position sensing.
What Are the Improvements Coming with Bluetooth 5.1?
The numerous enhancements that Bluetooth 5.1 is delivering will turn the next compatible devices into homing missiles. In essence, it will enable you to find your Bluetooth 5.1 devices and pinpoint their precise locations to a few inches. This is made feasible by several advancements brought about by Bluetooth 5.1. The significant upgrades that you need to be aware of are as follows:
1. Direction Finding Improves Device Location Finding
One of the largest enhancements in Bluetooth 5.1 is called Direction Finding, which enables Bluetooth devices to ascertain the direction in which the Bluetooth signal is being transmitted. Currently, Bluetooth estimates distance based on signal strength, which is not very precise. In order to determine the angle from which a Bluetooth signal is being broadcast, the new Bluetooth 5.1 standard will combine two different techniques, which will produce a high level of precision.
One of the two communicating devices must have an array of numerous antennae for the Angle of Arrival (AoA) and Angle of Departure (AoD) protocols. When using the AoA and AoD systems, the antenna is integrated into the transmitting and receiving devices, respectively. The Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) controller in the receiving device can now produce a set of data that can be utilised to determine the directional angle between the receiving and transmitting devices thanks to this new capability.
When creating Bluetooth-based positioning systems, such as real-time locating systems (RTLS) and indoor positioning systems, developers can use this directional angle information (IPS). The advantages of this improvement in actual life are incomprehensible. In essence, it will let you pinpoint the location of your Bluetooth 5.1 capable devices to within a few inches. Therefore, you will be able to locate your wireless earphones quickly and effectively the next time you misplace them. You won’t have to search through the entirety of your sofa for your keys because you will be aware of precisely which cushion needs to be raised.
2. GATT Caching Enhancements Improves Connection Stability and Battery Life
The Generic Attribute Profile (GATT) is used by all Bluetooth Low Energy-enabled devices to connect to one another. A database called the attributes table is present in every GATT device and contains information that can be used to identify the device, such as GATT service, characteristic, and descriptor structural features and values. In order to obtain these attributes and utilise them to build this connection, a Bluetooth device sends a service discovery request whenever it wants to connect to another device.
The present Bluetooth 5.0 standard requires a lot of time and energy for this service discovery request, which could lead to a weak connection and increased power usage. The characteristics caching is improved with the most recent Bluetooth 5.1 specification. A device can now establish a connection without going through the discovery process since it now permits clients without a trusted relationship with a server to keep their attribute cache across connections.
There are fewer connection drops and longer battery lives since the discovery procedure is not repeated each time a device establishes a connection. Note that, like the other topics we are examining in this essay, GATT Caching is a rather difficult topic. To make these subjects simpler to understand, I have tried to oversimplify them. You should go to the Bluetooth website’s official page for all technical details.
3. Bluetooth Advertising Enhancements Improves Scalability, Reliability and Energy Efficiency
The following are two significant improvements to the Bluetooth advertising feature:
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Randomized Advertising Channel Indexing
We are surrounded by connected gadgets today, and because most of them share the same radio channels, they frequently interfere with one another’s ability to connect. I went into great detail about this in our piece on 5 GHz. While Bluetooth is very different from WiFi, the same basic idea still holds true. As a result, if there are too many Bluetooth devices advertising their connection in one area, they will interfere with one another and disrupt connections. By introducing Bluetooth advertising improvements, Bluetooth 5.1 seeks to address this issue.
In the current Bluetooth 5.0 standard, Bluetooth LE devices employ a mechanism called advertising to announce their availability to adjacent devices. Bluetooth devices communicate data in packets over 3 particular channels in the strict order of 37, 38, and 39. If two or more devices are present, there is a high likelihood of data packet collision, which causes connection drops because there are only three channels available. By adding a random delay of 0–10 ms between each incidence of advertisement, Bluetooth 5.0 attempts to address this issue, although it is ineffective.
Devices will no longer be required to adhere to the stringent protocol of transferring data packets in the previously indicated certain order with Bluetooth 5.1. Devices are now able to choose channels at random, which lowers the risk of advertising packet collisions.
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Periodic Advertising Sync Transfer
The current Bluetooth 5.0 standard includes a feature called SyncInfo that enables Bluetooth devices to coordinate their scanning and advertising schedules. This implies that a master and client device sync up so that the master device advertises connectivity just as the client device requests it. Because both devices are exchanging data packets simultaneously, there is virtually no danger of missing connection requests, which results in less power consumption.
By introducing the Periodic Advertising Sync Transfer (PAST) protocol, which enables devices to exchange this scheduling data with one another, Bluetooth 5.1 enhances this feature. For instance, if my smartphone and television have already set a timetable, they can share it with my smartwatch so that it won’t have to use energy to do the same. Since Bluetooth LE devices don’t have to use energy for the scheduling process, they can last longer. Examples include smartwatches, smart bands, tile trackers, and more.
4. Other Minor Enhancements
In addition to the main improvements described above, Bluetooth 5.1 also includes a tonne of smaller improvements. First, a new Sleep Clock Accuracy Update mechanism has been included, which reduces power usage. Additionally, it will provide HCI for key debugging in low energy secure connections. Additionally, it is now acceptable to include SID and ADI, respectively, in scan response reports and scan response packets. Don’t worry if you don’t grasp what any of this implies. Just be aware that these modest upgrades aim to increase Bluetooth LE device security and reduce power consumption.
Bluetooth 5.1 vs Bluetooth 5.0
The advantages of Bluetooth 5.0 should be obvious to you if you’ve read the entire essay. Just to wrap up what we’ve covered thus far, I’ve added this section. With the release of the new Bluetooth 5.1 standard, location tracking and connection reliability have been enhanced. While Bluetooth 5.0 could assist you locate your Bluetooth devices, its accuracy was lacking. Users will now be able to pinpoint the exact location of their Bluetooth devices to within a few inches thanks to the new direction finding enhancements included with Bluetooth 5.1.
Additionally, Bluetooth 5.1 brings GATT and advertising updates, both of which ought to enhance connectivity and battery life. Even though Bluetooth 5.0 considerably increased battery life compared to its forerunner, any advancement in this area is always appreciated. You won’t notice much of an increase in connection range or data transmission speed. Theoretically, these ought to improve, but in actual use, there won’t be any change.
List of Devices Coming with Bluetooth 5.1
Recently, Bluetooth 5.1 was made available to developers, who will use its underlying technologies to create better Bluetooth products. However, that will take at least a year, and the first Bluetooth 5.1 compatible products won’t be available until the beginning of the next year.
ALSO SEE: What Is WiFi 6? All the Information You Need
Impressed with the new Bluetooth 5.1 Update?
Although the Bluetooth 5.1 update doesn’t appear to be as significant an update as Bluetooth 5.0, it does provide a feature that Bluetooth has traditionally lacked: a USP characteristic that sets it apart. We will soon be adopting Bluetooth LE trackers to keep track of our devices thanks to the amazing new location-finding feature. How do you feel about this most recent update? Comment below with your thoughts and let us know.
