Eddystone parameters are configurable over the air
MARIN, Switzerland, 7 October – Today, EM Microelectronic, the semiconductor company of the Swatch Group, proudly acknowledges that the industry’s lowest power Bluetooth Smart beacons, EMBC01 and EMBC02, have achieved Eddystone certification. Eddystone is the open beacon format from Google. Unlike many other commercially available beacons, EM Beacons can broadcast multiple interleaved beacon formats (such as iBeacon, Eddystone or AltBeacon), and can also be configured over the air.
Eddystone has been created by Google as an open protocol over Bluetooth Smart that brings new capabilities to beacons. In particular, its beacon format includes the Eddystone-URL frame type which is foreseen by Google to unleash the core superpower of the web: interaction on demand. People should be able to walk up to any smart device – a vending machine, a poster, a toy, a bus stop, a rental car – and not have to download an app first. Everything should be just a tap away.
EM Microelectronic’s line of smart beacons already covers several packet formats such as iBeacon, AltBeacon, and proprietary protocols. Today, Eddystone is also available as a nice and complementary addition to EM’s unique multi-format and protocol offering. “Achieving Eddystone certification is another proud milestone for the EM beacon portfolio, demonstrating their high flexibility and capacity for adapting to new and emerging industry standards.” says Michel Willemin, CEO of EM Microelectronic Marin. He adds “EM’s Bluetooth Smart radio IC and beacon technologies are the optimal solution for broadcasting smart sensor data towards the cloud”.
EM Bluetooth Smart beacons can operate for more than 12 months on a single CR2032 coin cell, which is recognized by many customers as industry’s best figure of merit in terms of autonomy to battery size ratio. The EMBC01 is a proximity beacon that offers a flexible, low-cost, low-power and fully certified solution compatible with Eddystone frame types, where each deployed beacon can be uniquely identified with a physical location and/or specific web location. The EMBC02 beacons add a 3-axis accelerometer to transmit motion data (movements, vibrations, acceleration) as well as specific motion-based alarms originating from shock, free-fall or taps, over an Eddystone frame, enabling a wide range of motion-based beacon applications. The accelerometer also allows users to maximize battery life by “beaconing” data only when required, e.g. while in motion, or when an alarm condition occurs.
EMBC01 and EMBC02 are completely programmable and capable of supporting multiple interleaved beacon standards. They are FCC/CE/IC certified, include a multi-function button for input and two LEDs for user feedback, and are enclosed in a sleek, weatherproof (IP-64) housing. In addition, EM beacons are easy to deploy right out of the box!
