At SPS/IPC/Drives, Germany, connectBlue launches the Rugged Bluetooth Serial Port Adapter RBS421s which is an easy-to-use Bluetooth dual-mode device that supports both Classic Bluetooth and Bluetooth low energy and can be used as a Bluetooth Smart Ready client for any host. The robust and water proof RBS421s provides a plug-and-play solution to replace conventional serial cables up to 300 meters.

Since the Rugged Bluetooth Serial Port Adapter RBS421s supports Classic Bluetooth v2.1+EDR and Bluetooth low energy v4.0 it is a Bluetooth dual-mode device commonly referred to as a Bluetooth Smart Ready device. The RBS421s can connect to any Bluetooth low energy device, such as a sensor, to get access the device’s standard services or other implemented custom services. These Bluetooth low energy v4.0 services are based on the Generic Attribute Profile (GATT) and stipulate what type of task a Bluetooth device is to perform; for instance, a Battery Service or an Automation I/O Service. The RBS421s can also be used in applications where a smart phone, tablet or laptop is to connect to a serial device, for example a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC).

“What this means is that since the new RBS421s is dual-mode it can easily read periodic real-time data from small sensors via Bluetooth low energy and simultaneously use Classic Bluetooth for higher throughput connectivity with other devices,” says Rolf Nilsson, CEO of connectBlue. “This feature gives you the option to choose the best Bluetooth technology for any particular situation and this feature is also true for our Bluetooth Dual-mode Serial Port Module OBS421.”

The robust and water proof Rugged Bluetooth Serial Port Adapter RBS421s replaces conventional serial cables up to 300 meters and is radio type approved for USA (FCC Part 15), Europe (ETSI R&TTE), Japan (MIC - formerly TELEC) and Canada (IC RSS). The RBS421s is also compliant with EMC, Safety and Medical standards, and Bluetooth qualified. Further, the Serial Port Adapter has embedded Classic Bluetooth stack (SPP, DUN and PAN profiles), Bluetooth low energy stack with connectBlue Low Energy Serial Port Service, serial RS232/422/485 interface, and support for 7 slaves connected at the same time.

Besides the above mentioned features, the Rugged Bluetooth Serial Port Adapter RBS421s also incorporates sophisticated technical features for enhanced performance including Wireless Multidrop™ that allows up to seven devices to communicate simultaneously, Extended Data Mode™ for individual control of the channel data, and easy configuration by AT commands and configuration over Bluetooth technology.

Bluetooth Low Energy Versus Classic Bluetooth
Bluetooth low energy is ideal for applications with low data rates at periodic intervals, while Classic Bluetooth is optimized for streaming data at medium to high rates. Bluetooth low energy has inherited features such as Adaptive Frequency Hopping (AFP) from Classic Bluetooth, but from an application perspective it is different and therefore there are two implementation options: Single-mode devices are stand-alone Bluetooth low energy devices (also known as "Bluetooth Smart” devices) optimized for small battery-operated devices with low cost and low power consumption in focus. A typical single-mode device is for example a heart rate sensor and the connectBlue OLP425, OLS425 and OLS426 modules. Dual-mode devices (also known as “Bluetooth Smart Ready” devices) include both Bluetooth low energy and Classic Bluetooth. A typical dual-mode device is a mobile phone, PC and the connectBlue OBS421 module and the connectBlue RBS421s adapter.