Bluetooth Low Energy for the Raspberry Pi
Wireless Saver
© Lead Image © Teerapat Seedafong, 123RF.com
Bluetooth Low Energy is ideal for networking battery-powered sensors. We show you how to use it on the Raspberry Pi.
Bluetooth LE, or BLE for short, comes with a whole new world of terms on top of the new technology. Before getting started with some practical examples, I first need to discuss the theoretical background. Without all of this BLE speak, you can't evaluate the many application examples available on the web and adapt them to your needs.
Bluetooth is a short-range technology for use between two devices [1]. Before a connection is established, a system can be either a peripheral device or a central device. Powerful devices such as PCs, tablets, and laptops can assume both roles, while less powerful devices are limited to the peripheral role.
Each peripheral sends advertisements at regular intervals, such as "I am sensor ABC and provide heart rate data." Alternatively, the message could be: "I am sensor XYZ and would like to know the current time." Heart rate and current time are services. Both of them are standardized, but manufacturers are free to use their own proprietary services. More about that later.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Digital Autonomy
• The Answer Was Already on the Shelf
• Changing the Chip Industry: How Public Investment Has Grown Open Silicon
• United Nations Open Source Portal Goes Live
• EU Open Source Strategy Plays Key Role in Tech Sovereignty Package
• France Says “Au Revoir” to Microsoft
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Pine64 Halts Production of Linux Devices
With continued DRAM and eMMC shortages, Pine64 has decided to discontinue production of Linux devices.
-
The Bullet-Proof KDE Software Initiative Is Coming
KDE, Techpaladin, and Kubuntu Focus have announced a new initiative that will provide at least three years of support for KDE Plasma 6.6 LTS and related software.
-
Linux Mint Shares a Possible Kernel Cleanup Solution
For those on Linux Mint who like to keep multiple kernels around but don't want them to take up too much space, you might be getting a new automated tool.
-
CachyOS Gets an Update
CachyOS August 2026 release is now available with the latest version of KDE, some new features, and plenty of improvements.
-
The Linux Kernel Dev Staging Area Now Rejects AI-Generated Patches
Unless a kernel patch is a valid security fix, it will be rejected if it was created using AI.
-
Linux Surpasses Double-Digit Market Share
According to two sources, the Linux operating system has hit a major milestone in market share that naysayers thought would never happen.
-
AI Helped Develop a Linux Exploit
A use-after-free race exploit was discovered and exploited on CentOS Stream 9.
-
Yet Another Linux Kernel Vulnerability Discovered
Affecting millions of systems, a kernel flaw discovered by Qualys could allow users to gain root privileges.
-
Ubuntu 26.10 to Include Ubuntu Certified Hardware Check
If you've ever wondered if your laptop or PC is officially certified to run Ubuntu, that curiosity will soon be met.
-
Substantial Update to IPFire Now Available
The lastest version of IPFire features a fundamental change to how the system handles DNS.