BLE configuration

This section is used to configure the BLE scanning / advertising parameters of the TinyGateway. The TinyGateway can perform both BLE scanning and advertising at the same time. The BLE configuration section is therefore separated into Scanner Settings and Advertiser Settings.

BLE Scanner

The BLE Scanner section allows the user to configure the BLE scan parameters and the scanning filters for the BLE devices.

  • If Passive switch is enabled Scan Response packet is not requested to BLE devices.
    The default PASSIVE ON value is recommended as beacons do not require scan request/response packets exchange.

  • Scan filter allows the specification of one or more filtering rules to discard unnecessary packets and receive only the useful ones.
    The user can define more than one filtering rule, but the filters will follow an OR rule (the packet will be received if it satisfies one rule).
    A filter consists of a string of hexadecimal characters that could include the x character for the don't care bytes (or nibs).
    By pressing the Add button the user can choose among different options, such as:

    • Raw hex to enter a custom filter pauload;
    • or choose among the most common payload types that are already included in the list

    The most used filter formats are:

    • iBeacon
      • All iBeacons: 0201061aff4c000215
      • Only BlueUp iBeacons: 0201061aff4c000215acfd065ec3c011e39bbe1a514932ac01
    • Safety
      • BlueUp Safety beacons: 0201061aff4c000215a565cc841e0e4b5ab2d317c98ff541xx
    • Eddystone
      • All Eddystone: 0201060303aafexx16aafe
      • Only Eddystone UID: 0201060303aafexx16aafe00
      • Only Eddystone URL: 0201060303aafexx16aafe10
      • Only Eddystone TLM: 0201060303aafexx16aafe20

Filter payloads

  • RSSI filter allows to define a filter based on the RSSI value of the received advertisement packets.

    • No filter → receive packets from BLE devices having any RSSI value
    • RSSI ≤ value → receive packets from BLE devices having an RSSI value lower then a defined value
    • RSSI ≥ value → receive packets from BLE devices having an RSSI value higher that a defined value

  • Use cron allows to schedule scanning using a cron-like expression, useful for applications that don’t need a 24h continuous scanning.

    • Cron expression is the expression of the scanning start time
    • Cron scan duration is the duration of the scan, starting from the scanning start time

BLE Scanner

BLE Advertiser

The BLE advertiser configuration allows the user to configure the advertising settings of the TinyGateway.

  • Type defines the TinyGateway MAC address type.
    The possible options are:

    • Internal → suggested choice that uses the internal BLE chip MAC address.
    • Random static → a Bluetooth random static MAC address has to be specified (see Bluetooth Core Specification document for more information about random static addresses).
    • Public → a Bluetooth public MAC address has to be specified (see Bluetooth Core Specification document for more information about public addresses).

  • Bluetooth 4 compatible specify if the advertisement should be a Legacy BLE4 advertising or a BLE5 advertising.

  • Advertised data is the data payload (in hex) that the Gateway will advertise.
    The advertisement data payload should follow the Bluetooth AD-LEN/AD-TYPE format as specified in Bluetooth Core Specification document.

  • Use cron allows to schedule advertising, using a cron-like expression, useful for applications that don’t need a 24h continuous advertising:

    • Cron expression is the expression of the advertising start time
    • Cron scan duration is the duration of the advertising, starting from the advertising start time

BLE Advertiser