Bluetooth in Industrial Device Communications: A Growing Trend

Wireless communication has long been a staple in industrial environments, with Wi-Fi and NFC (Near Field Communication) dominating much of the landscape. However, Bluetooth is quickly gaining traction as a viable option for industrial communication. According to Mark Trautman, strategic account manager at HMS, around 7% of industrial companies are now incorporating Bluetooth into their operations, a number expected to rise as the technology proves its value.

Why Bluetooth Over NFC?

One of the primary reasons Bluetooth is gaining ground over NFC is its superior connectivity capabilities. While NFC is limited to connecting just one device at a time, Bluetooth supports up to seven simultaneous device connections. Additionally, NFC, which relies on electromagnetic radio fields, can face interference in industrial settings that are often prone to EMI (electromagnetic interference). Bluetooth, on the other hand, uses direct radio transmissions, making it more resilient to these disruptions.

At the 2025 ODVA annual meeting, Trautman shared insights on how Bluetooth is being utilized in the industrial space and discussed the steps that ODVA members-industrial automation device suppliers-should take to integrate Bluetooth into their devices. The meeting highlighted Bluetooth's increasing relevance to manufacturing end-users as well, particularly in areas where traditional wired connections are difficult or impractical.

Bluetooth's Role in Industrial Applications

Bluetooth's potential in industry is largely driven by its mesh network topology, which makes it ideal for connecting hard-to-reach sensors or devices where direct cabling is not feasible. Additionally, Bluetooth supports both mesh and star network topologies, making it adaptable to various industrial environments.

As Bluetooth is already a widely-used technology in consumer electronics, its integration into industrial settings has the added benefit of being familiar to workers, offering opportunities for "connected worker" applications.

Enhanced Bluetooth for Industrial Communications

Zach Farmer, business manager at HMS, explained that Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) version 5 supports data transmission speeds of up to 2 Mbps, while version 6, released in September 2024, boosts this to 3 Mbps at 2 MHz. While Bluetooth Classic remains supported, the Bluetooth organization is now primarily focused on BLE due to its significantly lower power consumption.

Despite its smaller packet sizes compared to Wi-Fi or Ethernet, Bluetooth is capable of handling most Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) communications used by EtherNet/IP and DeviceNet. BLE's ability to transmit data efficiently at low power makes it particularly well-suited for industrial IoT applications.

Reliability in Industrial Settings

Bluetooth's reliability in industrial environments is enhanced by its frequency-hopping and shifting capabilities. When establishing a connection, Bluetooth devices assess the surrounding noise levels and can automatically avoid crowded channels. If devices are unable to pair initially, they will "hop" across the spectrum to find available channels, ensuring uninterrupted communication. The introduction of version 6 also expanded Bluetooth's capability with three dedicated broadcast channels for pairing, along with an additional 37 secondary channels to further optimize communication.

As industrial environments continue to evolve, Bluetooth's role is set to expand, providing more robust and scalable wireless solutions for industries that require reliable, low-power communication technologies.

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