WiFi vs. Bluetooth: bright at the moment.

WiFi vs. Bluetooth: bright at the moment.

Who is better at Bluetooth and Wifi?

With the development of technology, Bluetooth and Wifi technologies are becoming more and more assimilation in terms of functions. Similar use environments and scenarios make the competition between them fierce. So who can beat? Who is better at Bluetooth and Wifi?

As a radio technology that supports short-distance communication (generally 10 m), Bluetooth features short-distance, low-cost, and high-speed. Bluetooth 4.0 includes three sub-Specifications: Traditional bluetooth technology, high-speed bluetooth technology, and new Bluetooth Low-power technology. Bluetooth 4.0 is mainly reflected in the battery endurance, energy saving, and improved device types. Wi-Fi is a technology that can connect PCs, handheld devices, and other terminals wirelessly. 802.11n has made great innovations in power consumption and management, it not only prolongs the battery life of Wi-Fi smartphones, but also can be embedded into other devices.

Please note that, for the convenience of comparison, the author uses the currently popular Bluetooth 4.0 and 802.11n standards for comparison. (Note: The latest Bluetooth version is 4.1, which adds support for wearable devices and IPv6. however, this version is not widely used yet. 802.11ac is the successor of 802.11n, and later 802.11ad and 802.11ae are still being drafted .)

● Same and different

Both Bluetooth and WIfi are wireless communication network standards and can work in the ISM2.4GHz public band. Bluetooth uses the FHSS mode. Generally, 1600 hops are made every second. The 83.5MHz band is divided into 79 band channels, which occupy only 1 MHz of bandwidth at each time point. The protocol used by wifi is 802.11 standard, most 802.11 uses the GHz ISM band, and a few countries use the 5 GHz ISM band.

● Transmission speed

The theoretical speed of 802.11n can reach up to 600 Mbps, while the current industry mainstream is 300 Mbps. The theoretical peak value of Bluetooth 4.0 is 25 Mbps, supporting ultra-short data packets at 1 Mbps data transmission rate. At present, the maximum 802.11.ac is 500 Mbit/s. It is said that the 802.11.ad in the future will reach the Gbit/s level. Of course, it mainly targets the 10 + m range (less than 1km ). In terms of transmission rate, Wifi still has a considerable advantage.

Winning or losing a bright spot

● Transmission distance

Bluetooth4.0 the transmission distance can reach 50 meters and the transmission range is 100 meters. The transmission distance of the 802.11n router in an empty zone can reach 300 M. In this regard, Wifi is slightly better than Bluetooth. Cost

Cost is also an important part of the Technical game. Currently, the cost of Bluetooth is lower than that of Wifi.

● Power Consumption

For a long time, the common problem facing Bluetooth and Wifi technology is power consumption. When battery power is limited, how to save power more effectively is an important standard for users to choose. Bluetooth 4.0 only uses three broadcast channels. The RF enabling time for each broadcast is also reduced from 0.6 to Ms ~ 1.2 ms. It is estimated that the power consumption will increase by 20 ~ About 30mA. The standby current is restored after the standby operation. Instant Bluetooth connection: About 70mA. Big Data Transmission: 110 ~ About 130mA.

Wi-Fi, the Alliance said that direct Wi-Fi devices can support WMM power-saving programs and extend the power supply time of devices by 15-40%. Different countries have different Wifi emission power standards. The domestic standard is 50 MW. Bluetooth has obvious advantages in terms of low power consumption.

Summary

At present, Wifi is more advantageous than Bluetooth in terms of distance and transmission speed, while Bluetooth is also advantageous in terms of low power consumption and cost. These two technologies are constantly developing and improving to bring a better experience to the scientific and technological life of our human society. They can be said to be a bright moment and there is no need to be either of them.