EB500 to class 1 USB adaptor range
Archiver
Posts: 46,084
Dave,
Since we were talking about range, I decided to do a little testing. I tried
both an EB500 to EB500 setup, and an EB500 to Linksys USB adapter. Oddly
enough, the range is exactly the same. The adapter is a class one. Hmm.
Also, I measured it more accurately (I was guessing before) and I actually
get about 150' or so, no problem. However, it goes to really crappy/no
reception at about 155'. As noted before, I live in a cabin in the woods, so
local interference is very low. I am running at 115k, and find I only get a
few more feet of range by dropping down to 9600 baud. The BS2P24 seems to
handle that baud rate just fine.
Now that I'm thinking about it, I wish I had tried to see if the USB adaptor
can establish the link at extreme range. I have been using the EB500 to
initiate the connection. It might be that the USB adaptor can use the
established carrier wave, but couldn't make the connection itself. I'll try
that sometime to see.
FWIW,
Jonathan
www.madlabs.info
> > If your range requirements are more than say 20-30 feet, you will
> > have to go to an alternate mechaism. Class II bluettoht devices are
> > only designed for a 30 foot range, more or less. The eb500 is a
> > little more powered, being a kind of hybrid between class II and
> > class I, which has about 300 foot range. But the Bluetooth module
> > that you plug into the PC will almost certainly be a class II device
> > as these are by far, the most common.
> >
> > Beyond that range, you are going to need a real radio modem and the
> > ones available to hobbyists tend to be limited to 9600 baud and and
> > of course you will need a matched pair of them.
>
> I am getting over 100' with an EB500 and a $39 Linksys USB bluetooth
> adapter, through walls and trees. I have very quiet local interference
> however.
>
Since we were talking about range, I decided to do a little testing. I tried
both an EB500 to EB500 setup, and an EB500 to Linksys USB adapter. Oddly
enough, the range is exactly the same. The adapter is a class one. Hmm.
Also, I measured it more accurately (I was guessing before) and I actually
get about 150' or so, no problem. However, it goes to really crappy/no
reception at about 155'. As noted before, I live in a cabin in the woods, so
local interference is very low. I am running at 115k, and find I only get a
few more feet of range by dropping down to 9600 baud. The BS2P24 seems to
handle that baud rate just fine.
Now that I'm thinking about it, I wish I had tried to see if the USB adaptor
can establish the link at extreme range. I have been using the EB500 to
initiate the connection. It might be that the USB adaptor can use the
established carrier wave, but couldn't make the connection itself. I'll try
that sometime to see.
FWIW,
Jonathan
www.madlabs.info
> > If your range requirements are more than say 20-30 feet, you will
> > have to go to an alternate mechaism. Class II bluettoht devices are
> > only designed for a 30 foot range, more or less. The eb500 is a
> > little more powered, being a kind of hybrid between class II and
> > class I, which has about 300 foot range. But the Bluetooth module
> > that you plug into the PC will almost certainly be a class II device
> > as these are by far, the most common.
> >
> > Beyond that range, you are going to need a real radio modem and the
> > ones available to hobbyists tend to be limited to 9600 baud and and
> > of course you will need a matched pair of them.
>
> I am getting over 100' with an EB500 and a $39 Linksys USB bluetooth
> adapter, through walls and trees. I have very quiet local interference
> however.
>
Comments
It's interesting that both the eb500 and the linksys are running at
class I ranges. It's good to know cuz it means that the maximum
range is more reasonable. It also means the power consumption is
higher but on of the bluetooth features is that the radios are
supposed to adjust their output to the lowest power level that
results in reliable communication with the other devices.
I have an ambicom adaptor for my PC, same $39 price but I haven't
done any range testing with it. I just assumed it was a class II
device cuz that's what most of the others are.
This means that I'll have to send an eb500 equipped bot outside and
see how it does.
-Dave
--- In basicstamps@yahoogroups.com, "Jonathan Peakall"
<jpeakall@p...> wrote:
> Dave,
>
> Since we were talking about range, I decided to do a little
testing. I tried
> both an EB500 to EB500 setup, and an EB500 to Linksys USB adapter.
Oddly
> enough, the range is exactly the same. The adapter is a class one.
Hmm.
>
> Also, I measured it more accurately (I was guessing before) and I
actually
> get about 150' or so, no problem. However, it goes to really
crappy/no
> reception at about 155'. As noted before, I live in a cabin in the
woods, so
> local interference is very low. I am running at 115k, and find I
only get a
> few more feet of range by dropping down to 9600 baud. The BS2P24
seems to
> handle that baud rate just fine.
>
> Now that I'm thinking about it, I wish I had tried to see if the
USB adaptor
> can establish the link at extreme range. I have been using the
EB500 to
> initiate the connection. It might be that the USB adaptor can use
the
> established carrier wave, but couldn't make the connection itself.
I'll try
> that sometime to see.
>
> FWIW,
>
> Jonathan
>
> www.madlabs.info
>
>
>
> > > If your range requirements are more than say 20-30 feet, you
will
> > > have to go to an alternate mechaism. Class II bluettoht
devices are
> > > only designed for a 30 foot range, more or less. The eb500 is a
> > > little more powered, being a kind of hybrid between class II
and
> > > class I, which has about 300 foot range. But the Bluetooth
module
> > > that you plug into the PC will almost certainly be a class II
device
> > > as these are by far, the most common.
> > >
> > > Beyond that range, you are going to need a real radio modem
and the
> > > ones available to hobbyists tend to be limited to 9600 baud
and and
> > > of course you will need a matched pair of them.
> >
> > I am getting over 100' with an EB500 and a $39 Linksys USB
bluetooth
> > adapter, through walls and trees. I have very quiet local
interference
> > however.
> >
Let me know what results you get on your tests, either on list or off. I had
no idea that the EB500 was supposed to lower it's output based on range.
I'll have to try it out and see. Right now the robot is ripped apart for a
hardware addition, but I'll check for sure when it is back together.
Jonathan
www.madlabs.info
Original Message
From: "Dave Evartt" <davee@f...>
To: <basicstamps@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, July 19, 2004 10:52 AM
Subject: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Re: EB500 to class 1 USB adaptor range
> Jonathan,
>
> It's interesting that both the eb500 and the linksys are running at
> class I ranges. It's good to know cuz it means that the maximum
> range is more reasonable. It also means the power consumption is
> higher but on of the bluetooth features is that the radios are
> supposed to adjust their output to the lowest power level that
> results in reliable communication with the other devices.
>
> I have an ambicom adaptor for my PC, same $39 price but I haven't
> done any range testing with it. I just assumed it was a class II
> device cuz that's what most of the others are.
>
> This means that I'll have to send an eb500 equipped bot outside and
> see how it does.
>
> -Dave
>
> --- In basicstamps@yahoogroups.com, "Jonathan Peakall"
> <jpeakall@p...> wrote:
> > Dave,
> >
> > Since we were talking about range, I decided to do a little
> testing. I tried
> > both an EB500 to EB500 setup, and an EB500 to Linksys USB adapter.
> Oddly
> > enough, the range is exactly the same. The adapter is a class one.
> Hmm.
> >
> > Also, I measured it more accurately (I was guessing before) and I
> actually
> > get about 150' or so, no problem. However, it goes to really
> crappy/no
> > reception at about 155'. As noted before, I live in a cabin in the
> woods, so
> > local interference is very low. I am running at 115k, and find I
> only get a
> > few more feet of range by dropping down to 9600 baud. The BS2P24
> seems to
> > handle that baud rate just fine.
> >
> > Now that I'm thinking about it, I wish I had tried to see if the
> USB adaptor
> > can establish the link at extreme range. I have been using the
> EB500 to
> > initiate the connection. It might be that the USB adaptor can use
> the
> > established carrier wave, but couldn't make the connection itself.
> I'll try
> > that sometime to see.
> >
> > FWIW,
> >
> > Jonathan
> >
> > www.madlabs.info
> >
> >
> >
> > > > If your range requirements are more than say 20-30 feet, you
> will
> > > > have to go to an alternate mechaism. Class II bluettoht
> devices are
> > > > only designed for a 30 foot range, more or less. The eb500 is a
> > > > little more powered, being a kind of hybrid between class II
> and
> > > > class I, which has about 300 foot range. But the Bluetooth
> module
> > > > that you plug into the PC will almost certainly be a class II
> device
> > > > as these are by far, the most common.
> > > >
> > > > Beyond that range, you are going to need a real radio modem
> and the
> > > > ones available to hobbyists tend to be limited to 9600 baud
> and and
> > > > of course you will need a matched pair of them.
> > >
> > > I am getting over 100' with an EB500 and a $39 Linksys USB
> bluetooth
> > > adapter, through walls and trees. I have very quiet local
> interference
> > > however.
> > >
>
>
>
> To UNSUBSCRIBE, just send mail to:
> basicstamps-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> from the same email address that you subscribed. Text in the Subject and
Body of the message will be ignored.
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>