Which is the Best Choice for a Wireless Fencing Unit: Bluetooth or USB?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the design choices for a wireless fencing unit intended for Olympic fencing, focusing on whether to use Bluetooth or USB for connectivity with a smartphone. Participants explore the technical requirements and implications of each option, considering factors like processing needs and compatibility with Android devices.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant proposes using individual microcontrollers for each fencer that can transmit via Bluetooth directly to a smartphone.
  • Another option suggested involves each fencer having a microcontroller that communicates wirelessly with a main microcontroller, which would then connect to the smartphone via USB.
  • One participant recommends considering ZigBee wireless modules as an alternative, providing a link to relevant resources.
  • A later reply questions the compatibility of Android devices with the proposed data transfer methods, particularly if an app would need to be developed for the referee's handheld device.
  • Another participant expresses uncertainty about whether a specific Bluetooth module (Bluetooth Mate Silver) would meet the project's signal transmission requirements.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants have not reached a consensus on the best approach, as multiple competing views regarding the use of Bluetooth versus USB remain. There are also questions about the feasibility of data transfer with Android devices.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include potential dependencies on specific hardware capabilities, the need for app development for Android compatibility, and unresolved questions about the signal requirements for the fencing unit.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in electronics design, wireless communication, and sports technology may find this discussion relevant.

duffusd
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Hey everyone. I'm new on physics forums, and I have a project that I would appreciate some help...

This project is to make a wireless fencing unit (olympic fencing, not like farming...) that can connect via usb or bluetooth into a smartphone to simplify the tools for local referees. So, I have two choices:

first - each fencer has their own microcontroller or something that can transmit bluetooth, this will connect via bluetooth to the smartphone.
second - each fencer has their own microcontroller that can transmit wirelessly to a main microcontroller that has a usb interface compatible with android.

for those that don't know about electric fencing - simply put there are three wires, all this has to do is be able to read from two of them. one of the wires is the supplied power.

I am looking for the best bang for my buck. With minimal processing requirements, I don't need an expensive FPGA with a lot of memory for the microcontroller attached to the fencer.

Thank you for your time everyone!
 
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Take a look at ZigBee wireless modules. SparkFun has a good selection, along with links to relevant information and tutorials.
 
Thank you, I've been looking at sparkfun, and the closest thing I can find is this http://www.sparkfun.com/products/10393 bluetooth mate silver, but I can't tell if this will be able to send the signals that I need.
 
Poke around on: http://hackaday.com/

They frequently have articles about folks interfacing phones and uC using bluetooth.
 
duffusd said:
...
first - each fencer has their own microcontroller or something that can transmit bluetooth, this will connect via bluetooth to the smartphone.
second - each fencer has their own microcontroller that can transmit wirelessly to a main microcontroller that has a usb interface compatible with android. ...

If you're firm on using an Android as the referee's handheld, then you're locked into building a compatible "app" -- do you know if the Android platform even supports this type of data transfer?
 

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