Guest blog by Martin Woolley, Bluetooth SIG Developer Relations Manager
The Bluetooth mesh specification was adopted in the summer of 2017 and represents a milestone of major importance for Bluetooth technology as it enters its 20th year of existence in 2018.
Bluetooth mesh allows networks of thousands of Bluetooth devices to be created so that every device and system in a large building can be monitored and controlled, for example.
Smart buildings, smart commercial lighting and smart industry are amongst the sectors and applications which will exploit Bluetooth mesh.
For developers, Bluetooth mesh represents an opportunity to learn something new and get involved with a technology which will be widely adopted and make an impact in all sorts of ways. So, to help developers learn about Bluetooth mesh, we’ve created the Bluetooth Mesh Study Guide.
HANDS-ON LEARNING
The Bluetooth Mesh Study Guide is a self-study resource which succinctly explains key Bluetooth mesh concepts and terms. But it goes much further than that, recognizing that for developers, there’s no substitute for hands-on experience and no more satisfying a way to learn than to roll up your sleeves and create something.
Working your way through the selection of coding exercises, the guide gives you the opportunity to develop a working mesh network, with devices acting as on/off switches, dimmer controls and as a simple light. You’ll learn about a variety of Bluetooth mesh models and cement your understanding by implementing these models using the SDK for the Zephyr RTOS, which is available for use with a wide variety of boards.
Zephyr was chosen as the platform to base this developer resource upon because it has excellent support for both Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) GATT and GAP and the newer Bluetooth mesh. The APIs are easy to learn, are well documented and there’s a good selection of Zephyr sample projects, including a couple for Bluetooth mesh. The fact that it is essentially vendor agnostic and available for such a wide variety of boards was also important in making this selection.
The Bluetooth Mesh Developer Study Guide bases its hands-on exercises on BBC micro:bits, but with minor changes, the code could be used on other boards. The micro:bit was chosen because it has buttons, a built-in LED display and it’s priced at the more affordable end of the pricing spectrum. We want this resource to be accessible to as many developers as possible.
OVER TO YOU
Download the Bluetooth mesh developer study guide today and become a Bluetooth mesh developer!
Also, if you’re attending Bluetoothworld on September 18-19, don’t miss my “Bring Your Own Laptop” developer workshops. I’ll cover basic mesh theory and then a hands-on coding exercise using Zephyr and micro:bits. Learn more: https://bluetoothworldevent.com/learn/2018-developer-session-agenda
RESOURCES
The Bluetooth Mesh Developer Study Guide:
Bluetooth Mesh papers and presentation videos: