Configure a Minew E8 Beacon

Our step-by-step guide to configure an E8 beacon with the BeaconSET+ app.

The TL;DR (Too Long; Didn't Read)

Learn how we at reelyActive configure these beacons to balance functionality and battery life.

What will this accomplish?: A default configuration for efficient real-time location and acceleration sensing.
Is there an easier way?: Yes, Minew can configure beacons with these or other settings before they ship.
So why would I read this?: To learn both how and why to update the beacon's default settings.

Prerequisites

A Minew E8 beacon and the BeaconSET+ mobile app.

The BeaconSET+ app is available for both iOS and Android

Activate Bluetooth on the mobile device.

Minew E8 beacons are included with our Showcase Kit and can be purchased from Minew .

Activate the beacon's battery by pulling out the plastic tongue.

Detect and Connect Step 1 of 3

Identify and connect via BLE to the beacon in the BeaconSET+ app.

Why BeaconSET+?: BeaconSET+ is the vendor-recommended app for BeaconPlus devices, such as the Minew E8.
What's BLE?: Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) is a wireless personal area network technology like Bluetooth Classic, but with novel features and significantly reduced power consumption.

Note the MAC address of the beacon (16 characters). This is typically indicated on a sticker or engraved directly on the beacon itself.

Place the beacon near the mobile device then:

Open the BeaconSET+ app
Identify the beacon in the app by its MAC address
Click on that beacon to initiate a connection
When prompted, input the password which by default is minew123

Observe the main configuration screen from which the beacon settings may now be adjusted.

If many beacons are activated, it may be helpful to select Edit Filter in the app and select an RSSI threshold of -45dBm to display only beacons in close proximity.

Disable irrelevant SLOTS Step 2 of 3

Disable unnecessary packet transmissions for simplicity and extended battery life.

What are SLOTs?: A SLOT is a transmission window. The beacon supports 6 SLOTs for different packet transmissions.
Why disable SLOTs?: Unnecessary transmissions unnecessarily consume the battery.

From the BeaconSET+ app, while connected to the beacon, disable SLOTs 1 through 4 as indicated below:

iBeacon

Select the SLOT1 tab
Disable by selecting the Frame Type No Data or Empty
Click on Save

UID

Select the SLOT2 tab
Disable by selecting the Frame Type No Data or Empty
Click on Save

URL

Select the SLOT3 tab
Disable by selecting the Frame Type No Data or Empty
Click on Save

TLM

Select the SLOT4 tab
Disable by selecting the Frame Type No Data or Empty
Click on Save

Take care not to disable SLOT5 (INFO), else it may be difficult to reconfigure the beacon.

Configure the Sensor SLOT Step 3 of 3

Select how and when to transmit the accelerometer readings.

Why an accelerometer?: The accelerometer data enables movement and orientation detection, and can even trigger beacon behaviour from motion, double-taps or triple-taps.
Why this frame type?: The Acc Sensor frame type includes the all E8's sensor data including battery level, as well as the MAC address by which it is uniquely identifiable.

From the BeaconSET+ app, while connected to the beacon, configure SLOT6 as indicated below:

Acc Sensor

Select the SLOT6 tab
Select the Frame Type Acc Sensor
Adjust the Base params to the defaults in the table below
Click on Save

Base params	Default	Tradeoff
Adv Interval	1000 ms	Responsiveness vs. Battery Life
RSSI	-24 dBm	Range vs. Battery Life
Radio Txpower	0 dBm	Range vs. Battery Life

Configuration is complete. Return to the beacon discovery screen of the BeaconSET+ app and observe that the beacon displays information about the accelerometer (X-axis, Y-axis, Z-axis) and on its identity (ID, battery and N/A).

Embrace the ambient data in your space

Pareto Anywhere is pioneering open source software for real-time location and context.

Where to next?

Configure other beacons, or continue exploring our open architecture and all its applications.

Configure a Minew C6 Beacon
The lanyard beacon.
Configure a Minew S1 Beacon
The temperature and humidity beacon.
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