Connected devices: Bluetooth Low Energy, Wi-Fi, LoRa and Zigbee
Picodev, a design office in Aix-en-Provence, makes your connected devices communicate: choice of radio technology, Bluetooth Low Energy profiles, Wi-Fi, LoRa or Zigbee networks, pairing and secure communication. We work for product teams who need a reliable link between the device, the mobile app and the servers.
Picodev, a design office in Aix-en-Provence, makes your connected devices communicate: choice of radio technology, Bluetooth Low Energy profiles, Wi-Fi, LoRa or Zigbee networks, pairing and secure communication. We work for product teams who need a reliable link between the device, the mobile app and the servers.
What we do
Reasoned choice of radio technology
NFC, Bluetooth Low Energy, Wi-Fi, LoRa and LoRaWAN, Zigbee, LTE-M: each technology has its field. We compare range, data volume, power consumption and available infrastructure, then we hand you a file that justifies the choice. A wrong radio choice is paid for later in battery life, coverage or subscription cost.
Bluetooth Low Energy profiles and protocols
We design BLE profiles specific to the product, including for continuous data streams, such as electrocardiograms sent through the smartphone. The profile sets what the device exposes and how the app talks to it.
Pairing, encryption and security
A connected device must only answer authorised devices. We set up pairing, encryption of the exchanges and, if needed, a product-specific protocol. Secure radio exchanges are also part of the requirements of the RED directive and the Cyber Resilience Act.
Mesh networks and gateways
With Zigbee, devices relay each other's messages and cover a whole building. We develop mesh networks and radio gateways, for example to read industrial sensors remotely.
Updates over the radio link
The radio link is also used to update the firmware. We plan for it from the design stage, so that fixes reach devices already installed.
Real-world tests
We test the exchanges on the real device, with the app and the servers, in conditions close to actual use: distance, obstacles, interference, outages.
When to call on us
- You need to choose a radio technology and general comparisons do not answer your case.
- Your Bluetooth link drops or loses data.
- Your device must cover a whole site or read remote sensors.
- You need to secure your product's exchanges.
Technologies
Bluetooth Low Energy, Wi-Fi, LoRa, LoRaWAN, Zigbee, NFC, RFID, LTE-M, nRF52840, ESP32.
What you receive
- The communication protocol, documented.
- The radio firmware.
- The test tools or apps used during development.
- The technology choice file.
How we work
- Scoping: use, range, data volume, power consumption and available infrastructure.
- Technology choice and exchange architecture, presented with their alternatives.
- Prototype and real-world tests.
- Integration into the firmware and the app, then documentation.
Related projects
- Reeflect – Reeflect turns sound alerts into visual alerts: Picodev adapted the Zigbee device control and developed a LoRa smart plug prototype (ESP32).
- @HEALTH – CardioNexion by @-Health, a connected T-shirt that records ECGs: Picodev designed the prototype and the Android app that relays the BLE data.
- Biody Xpert – Biody Xpert by Aminogram, a professional impedance meter: Picodev created a secure BLE protocol, reworked the PIC18 firmware and built a test app.
Before you entrust us with your project.
Bluetooth Low Energy, Wi-Fi or LoRa: how to choose?
It depends on range, data volume, power consumption and infrastructure. BLE suits a device close to a smartphone, Wi-Fi a device on a local network, LoRa small volumes over long distances.
Can Bluetooth Low Energy carry a continuous data stream?
Yes, with a suitable profile and protocol. We did it for a connected T-shirt that sends electrocardiograms through the patient's smartphone.
Can you secure radio communication?
Yes: pairing, encryption and, if needed, a protocol specific to the product, as for a measuring device used in health monitoring.
Do we need a gateway?
It depends on the technology. BLE often goes through the smartphone, Zigbee through a network coordinator, LoRaWAN through a network of antennas. We help you choose.
Let's talk about your connected device.
Fill in our project form or write to us.