Configure a Minew E8 Beacon

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

Configure a Minew E8 Beacon

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.
Beacon identification in BeaconSET+

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

Configure a Minew E8 Beacon

Place the beacon near the mobile device then:

  1. Open the BeaconSET+ app
  2. Identify the beacon in the app by its MAC address
  3. Click on that beacon to initiate a connection
  4. 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:

Configure a Minew E8 Beacon

iBeacon

  1. Select the SLOT1 tab
  2. Disable by selecting the Frame Type No Data or Empty
  3. Click on Save
Configure a Minew E8 Beacon

UID

  1. Select the SLOT2 tab
  2. Disable by selecting the Frame Type No Data or Empty
  3. Click on Save
Configure a Minew E8 Beacon

URL

  1. Select the SLOT3 tab
  2. Disable by selecting the Frame Type No Data or Empty
  3. Click on Save
Configure a Minew E8 Beacon

TLM

  1. Select the SLOT4 tab
  2. Disable by selecting the Frame Type No Data or Empty
  3. 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:

Configure a Minew E8 Beacon

Acc Sensor

  1. Select the SLOT6 tab
  2. Select the Frame Type Acc Sensor
  3. Adjust the Base params to the defaults in the table below
  4. 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.