Smartphones and PICs

[khufumen]

What's the difference between the ESD100 and the ESD200. It says one is Class 1 and one is Class 2 but I don't really know what that means.
Eric

[prstein]

Hello Eric,

Class 2 = low power, range ~30 meters if you have a clear line-of-sight. Way less if not line-of-sight. Since I figure a person has the PDA in one hand and the device in the other, 2 or 3 meters really is enough and real-world world conditions we expect about 10 or 15 meters. That translates to one or two rooms over in a building.

Class 1 = high power, nominal range 100 meters. I've used this for one application (total of only eight units) where lots of power was available (from vehicles). Now, I've never seen a PDA with anything other than Class 2 built in. Using a Class 1 BT chip doesn't really make things much better because of the limitations imposed by the Class 2 in the PDA. With that said, when able to control both sides of the BT chain, a pair of Class 2 modules with very good antennae, in an outdoor desert environment, can easily go hundreds upon hundreds of meters at 115,200 baud. I haven't had the opportunity to measure it out but I don't doubt the advertised 1,000 meters (again, under the right conditions).

Mostly, the PICs used are the 18F1330, but I've also done BT with the 16F877 and 18F452. Use a PIC with a USART. Use HSEROUT and HSERIN. Beyond that it is really not much different than using wired RS232.

Best Regards,
Paul