Designing a Gateway Device for Internet of Things Applications

Abstract

BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) technology is an ideal tool for implementing IoT (Internet of Things) applications, as it consumes little power and provides wireless communication. There are many applications using this technology already available on the market. These products are classified as personal applications while using the BLE-supported tablets or smartphones for transmitting data and are not institutional. There are numerous studies showing that the number of IoT sensors and devices will increase rapidly. However, personal approaches cannot manage a large number of devices. In this study, a BLE gateway device which interconnects BLE and WiFi networks was developed. This device is also capable of transmitting IoT node information to a server or cloud on the Internet. The proposed design uses only BLE and WiFi stack chips and does not require an additional microcontroller unit for running gateway applications. This makes the design cost-effective and power efficient, which are important for the IoT environment.