BOB WALKER posted:Can you point out some of the shortcomings of BLE that you referred to in your post?
Thanks.
The biggest one is going to be radio range. While the tech of BLE is very good the class 2 Bluetooth radios found in almost all mobile devices are only required to provide for 10 meters range (about 33 feet). Now the radios most use greatly exceed this spec, but I wouldn't expect a reliable, open air, signal to make it much more than 30 meters, and less through obstacles. Now as noted earlier I don't think this will be a factor at all for 99.99% of users, but it will be for some people with large layouts or for large club layouts.
Another factor is that Bluetooth is a proprietary protocol, Simply using the name "Bluetooth" or the logo on a product costs several thousand dollars. https://www.bluetooth.com/deve...ication-listing-fees This one actually effects all users, as it raises the price of every single LionChief/LC+/FlyerChief engine made from 2017 on. It also hinders folks from making independent products that can use this tech.
Aside from the fees, the protocol is quite a bit more complex to work with for a hobbyist wanting to develop their own control systems than the simple serial communication offered by TMCC or Legacy. If you want to plug a computer in to control your entire layout it becomes much harder here. Again only affects a tiny portion of users, but it is a downside.
One last one that comes to mind is that Big L has now shoehorned themselves into a commitment to support bluetooth from now on, which will limit their ability to upgrade to something better when it comes along... and anyone that's been keeping up with digital radios over the last 10 years knows there will be some new, better, protocol or frequency range on the market before we know it. BLE is really good right now, but it isn't likely to remain top dog forever.
JGL
