Maximum Communication Range of Mesh Gateway

This topic describes how to test the maximum communication range of the Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) mesh product and the Bluetooth LE gateway.

Test principle and device

Test principle

In an office and open outdoor area, connect the phone with a Bluetooth LE mesh product through the Bluetooth LE gateway and keep increasing the range between the gateway and the product. Assess the maximum range of pairing, communication, and relay communication respectively.

Test device

A mobile phone, a Bluetooth LE gateway (referred to as the gateway hereafter), the Bluetooth LE mesh product to be tested (referred to as the product hereafter), the Smart Life app (referred to as the app hereafter), and a portable power bank.

Test environment

• Regular indoor environment
  The indoor environment includes an unobstructed environment, partition environment, and interlayer environment. In terms of interlayer environment, test whether pairing and mobile control work properly, regardless of communication range.

  

• Open outdoor environment with light human and vehicle traffic.

  Factors like weather, temperature and humidity, and day-and-night might cause variation of the medium between the product and the gateway, which might affect the test result.

Test method

Increase the distance between the gateway and the product in two ways.

• Fix the gateway, and move the product connected with a portable power bank and the mobile phone.
• Fix the product, and move the gateway and the mobile phone.

Test items

Maximum pairing range

1. Successfully pair the product with the app through the gateway in a short range.

2. Keep increasing the distance between the gateway and the product, and pair the product again.

3. Performing ten consecutive pairing tests with a 100% success rate in a certain range is the condition for increasing the test range.
   Keep increasing the test range until the pairing success rate drops out of 100% to determine the maximum pairing range.

   

Maximum communication range

The maximum communication range refers to the critical range at which the app displays the device online but loses control of it.

1. Successfully pair the product with the app through the gateway in a short range.
2. Keep increasing the distance between the gateway and the product until the app freezes or loses control over the product. Then you stay still and observe.
   • If the app resumes control in five minutes, keep increasing the distance.
   • If the app loses control of the product for over five minutes, consider the distance as the maximum communication range.
     Keep a moderate moving speed when increasing the range.

Maximum relay range

When the Bluetooth LE mesh product is too far from the gateway to pair, it can forward data through the other Bluetooth LE mesh product that can communicate properly with it and the gateway.

1. Place the Bluetooth LE mesh 1 product, the Bluetooth LE mesh 2 product, the Bluetooth LE gateway, and the mobile phone as follows.

   

2. Place the Bluetooth LE mesh 1 product off the maximum communication range with the gateway to ensure the app displays product offline.

3. Place the Bluetooth LE mesh 2 product within the maximum communication range with the gateway, and use it as the relay to enable the app to control the Bluetooth LE mesh 1 product through the gateway.

4. Keep increasing the distance between the Bluetooth LE mesh 1 product and the Bluetooth LE mesh 2 product until the app freezes or loses control of Bluetooth LE mesh 1. You stay still and observe.

   • If the app resumes control in five minutes, keep increasing the range.
   • If the app loses control of the Bluetooth LE mesh 1 product for over five minutes, consider the range as the maximum relay range.
     Keep a moderate moving speed to avoid affecting the app’s continuous control over the Bluetooth LE mesh 1 product.