MYTHS ABOUT BLUETOOTH IN MODEL TRAINS

MYTH 1: Bluetooth does not have good range (FALSE)

There are various forms of bluetooth that can achieve a variety of ranges. The antenna built into the specific bluetooth module in any given product greatly affects range. The U-Blox modules in Blunami boards can generally connect at a range of 100 ft, and can be operated as far as 150 ft away.

MYTH 2: Bluetooth can only connect to a limited number of devices simultaneously (FALSE)

While classic bluetooth (found in speakers, ear buds, and car stereos) can only connect to 8 max devices, the BLE (bluetooth low energy) in Blunami boards has no strict limits on the max number of trains you can connect to simultaneously.

MYTH 3: Multiple users within close proximity will interfere with one another (FALSE)

Bluetooth supports adaptive frequency hopping (AFH) which takes advantage of 40 possible channels. The data packets for controlling trains are extremely tiny and take up very little bandwidth. Once you have more than 40 trains running in close proximity, channel sharing will begin to kick in. Because the train control data is so small, channel sharing might result in a few milliseconds latency on commands – which should not be perceivable. Bluetooth actively avoids interference from other wireless devices.

MYTH 4: WiFi is better than bluetooth (FALSE)

WiFi and bluetooth run in similar frequency ranges and have similar signal strength. WiFi requires a router, whereas bluetooth facilitates communication directly between devices (ie your smartphone and your blunami board). This means you can take your Blunami in any location (indoor/outdoor) without having to setup a router. If you are running a secure WiFi router to run trains, then each device connected to the WiFi must know the password (which introduces challenges). These security issues are automatically handled by bluetooth as part of communication between devices.

MYTH 5: Bluetooth requires “pairing” (FALSE)

Classic bluetooth requires pairing (to a max of eight devices). You do not “pair” with your Blunami board. Launch the Blunami app, and all connections are managed within the app.

MYTH 6: Bluetooth requires lots of power (FALSE)

Blunami utilizes bluetooth low energy, which is made up of tiny data packets transferred in short bursts, and requires very little energy. Do not confuse this technology with "classic bluetooth" which consumes more power to support larger bandwidth.