Bluetooth wireless for the Internet of Things made easy for developers
The popularity of the Internet of Things (IoT) has brought consumers interconnected toothbrushes, glucometers, heart-rate monitors, door locks, light bulbs and even forks, all of which rely on Bluetooth wireless technology, said the SIG. The Bluetooth Developer Studio makes building with Bluetooth technology for the IoT "dead simple for developers from the novice to the experienced", it said.
Steve Hegenderfer, director of developer programs at the Bluetooth SIG, said: "The SIG has put tremendous focus on building tools and programs to help developers get to market faster and reduce learning time - the Bluetooth Developer Studio is the culmination of that work.
"Providing tools like this for the industry makes it possible for developers, innovators or anyone with an idea for the IoT to bring their product idea to market quickly and inexpensively."
The Bluetooth Developer Studio is a graphical, GATT-based application development and debugging tool that "could cut Bluetooth education time by up to 50 percent", with easy access to tutorials and code samples to jump start development.
Based on feedback from alpha users and veteran Bluetooth developers, the new toolset could shorten development time by "as much as 70 percent", said the SIG. The Bluetooth Developer Studio's drag and drop functionality lets developers find the Bluetooth profile they need, build on it and create their project quickly.
The tool also auto-generates code from third-party solutions, such as Bluetooth chip and module suppliers, and can test with both virtual and physical device options.
Hegenderfer added: "With over 3 billion Bluetooth enabled devices shipping this year alone, ensuring a reliable user experience is a huge priority for developers around the globe. The Bluetooth Developer Studio makes it easy to create consistent implementations that 'just work' for customers."
In addition, the tool also gives developers a chance to share their implementations with the larger Bluetooth developer community. They can share reference designs or simply publish their custom use cases for others to use or build from.