Wireless communication technology is essential for countless electronics applications, providing flexibility and convenience with minimal space, volume and energy. Whether you’re designing a mobile device, an industrial sensor or an appliance, it’s important to have the right wireless module for your application. But it’s not always easy – all modules trade off range, data transfer rate and power consumption.
To make the best choice, you need to carefully evaluate your use case and understand how radio signals propagate in the environment. Obstacles like walls and terrain and radio physics (frequency bands, impedance, noise) affect how far your devices can communicate. Then there’s antenna design, which takes into account size and space. And, don’t forget about power supply – will adding wireless significantly increase battery size, charging or replacement requirements, and can you integrate it with solar or energy harvesting?
This article compares four short range wireless technologies – Bluetooth, BLE, Wi-Fi Direct and Near Field Communication – in terms of their network topology, data transmission rate, security, power consumption, and other characteristics. By understanding how these modules work, you can pick the right one for your next project. Interested in developing your skills in wireless communication? Sign up for a Skillset account and start your journey to becoming a wireless expert. You’ll get access to all our courses, workshops and webinars as well as exclusive content and discounts. We’ll help you build the knowledge and skills you need to create and deliver wireless products that meet your customers’ expectations.
