Introduction: How to Increase Bluetooth Range

Its been quite a while since i have been using a wired earphone for my computer and very recently i switched to Wireless earphones. My Reckoner being a custom made, doesn't has inbuild Bluetooth considering i didn't use Bluetooth earphones before. For a quick hack, i bought cheap Chinese USB Bluetooth adapter dongle, which are skilful enough for ane-1.5 meter range, but as soon every bit yous go beyond that, these micro tiny devices become disconnected and this USB dongle becomes useless, and then i came upwardly with this simple all the same permanent fix for this miscalculated trouble. So today in this blog, we will solve Range outcome of our USB Bluetooth adapter using Wire antenna which is typically piece of copper wire soldered on pre-existing circuit. Read to the terminate of this web log and i promise this volition be the only mod you need to do on your bluetooth usb dongle e'er!

Supplies

We volition crave the following parts for this build.

Parts:

  1. USB Bluetooth Dongle. [Amazon India | Banggood | Gearbest | Amazon Global ]
  2. 0.8mm (21 Gauge) Enamel Copper wire. [Amazon Bharat | Amazon Global ]

Tools:

  1. Soldering Atomic number 26.
  2. Hot Glue gun.
  3. Vernier Calipers.

Miscellaneous:

  1. Calculator.
  2. Box cutter blade.

Step 1: Sentry Video for Visual Understanding

Pace 2: Understanding the Problem

Theory Behind this problem:

Bluetooth is a low tier WBAN (Wireless Body Area Network) Technology, advertizement hoc, terrestrial, wireless standard for short-range advice. The IEEE 802.15.1 standard contains the Bluetooth specification. It is designed for small and low-price devices with low power consumption. The engineering science operates with iii different classes of devices: classes 1, two, and 3 where the range is about 100, 10, and ane m, respectively. The USB Bluetooth Adapter we are using is course 2 device, with range of upto 10 meters.

On further inspection, information technology was institute that the circuit had only 1 IC for communication and radio, which is practically non sufficient for loftier power RF (radio frequency) communication.

Following Figure describes the transmission of one-slot-type packet betwixt a main and a slave. The master transmits a packet in a slot and the slave sends the information to master in next fourth dimension slot. The time slots demand synchronization between the master and the slave. Since our device is a micro receiver, information technology will need insufficiently more power to finish its chore.

Conclusion:

The primary problem in our Circuit is Range, while the verbal reason could exist understood by the choice of antenna in this circuit, which is mainly due to size and toll constraints.

Step 3: Antenna Basics

The antenna system used for any radio communication platform is i of the critical parts of Wireless Advice system. The antenna system is the interface between the radio system and the external environment. Wireless advice systems require antennas at the transmitter and receiver to operate properly. In that location are many types of antennas bachelor, all of which perform specific functions depending on the application at hand. The type of antenna used by a system operator can be colinear, folded dipole, or Yagi, etc.

The performance of an antenna organisation is not restricted to its proceeds and concrete attributes, but also depends on other parameters that must be considered in evaluating antenna functioning.

The parameters that ascertain the functioning of an antenna arrangement are:

Antenna pattern, Main and side lobe, Radiations efficiency (η), Antenna bandwidth, Horizontal beam width, Vertical beam width, Gain (Yard), Directivity (D), Antenna polarization, Input impedance, Front-to-back ratio (RFB), Front-to-side ratio (RFS), Power dissipation, Intermodulation, Construction Cost.

But, depending on awarding, range, and many other factors, few of these parameters tin can exist neglected to get desired results.

There are many types of Antenna like :

  • Wire Antenna.
  • Aperture Antennas.
  • Microstrip Antennas.
  • Array Antennas.
  • Reflector Antennas.
  • Lens Antennas.

In that location are many subtypes of these antenna, only lets stick to the simplest form of antenna and which is most relevant to our project, that is Wire Antenna.

Wire Antenna:

Conducting wires are textile whose prominent characteristic is the move of electric charges and the creation of electric current menses. Permit us assume that an electric book charge density, represented by qv (coulombs/m3), is distributed uniformly in a circular wire of cross-exclusive area A and book V.

The Wire Antenna can be configured in following ways:

Now you must be thinking why exactly practice nosotros need to use Wire antenna? the biggest reason hither is to meliorate our range and betoken capabilities.

If you come across closely to the Electrical field lines of gratuitous-space wave for Wire antenna, its articulate that we get a 360 coverage, where as the pre-existing antenna on the USB receiver was a microstrip patch, which has the post-obit blueprint:

Now past comparing, its very clear that for our purpose of Bluetooth dongle, its very effective to use Wire (monopole) antenna instead of pre-existing Microstrip patch antenna.

Conclusion of Antenna Theory:

Nosotros need to use a Monopole antenna (wire) instead of Microstrip antenna for our suitable purpose and we can neglect certain parameters while because our set example.

Step 4: Designing Antenna

Similar nosotros discussed in last section, we are using a Monopole ( wire ) Antenna. and the configuration that closely matches our pre-existing circuit is a Quarter wave antenna, and then we will utilize the Following Formula for quarter wave antenna designing.

Also, here the Relation of c = λ*f.

where C is Speed of Calorie-free and F is Frequency of signal, λ is Wavelength.

therefore, Wavelength:

λ = c/f.

Quarterwave Length of Antenna.

L = λ/4.

On Calulation with respect to 2.4GHz of Bluetooth frequency, we get Fifty ( length of antenna ) as 31.25mm. ( Bore of antenna is 0.8mm ( +- 0.2mm works for the same).

Hither is a link to Excel canvass which you can use to implement the given formula.

Steps:

  1. Have 0.8mm Enameled copper wire.
  2. Fix 31.5mm on Vernier calipers.
  3. Marker 31.5mm on copper wire.
  4. Cut to marked length using pliers.

Stride 5: Soldering and Isolation

Once we have our Antenna fabricated with appropriate calculations, its fourth dimension to solder the Antenna on PCB (waveguide).

Steps:

  1. Open the commencement lock of USB Bluetooth Receiver.
  2. Slide off the metallic USB slot of Receiver.
  3. Remove the USB Bluetooth Receiver circuit from its enclosure.
  4. Solder Antenna cut in previous step to the start point of waveguide every bit indicated in picture in a higher place.
  5. Using hot mucilage gun, isolate the solder point to provide strength.
  6. Put the Circuit dorsum inside the enclosure the same mode as removed.

After this final footstep, nosotros are almost done with all the modification, lets get to testing!

Step 6: Conclusion

On testing this modified system, nosotros successfully got at least 6m of range which was before getting asunder at 1m. In conclusion this was a very piece of cake and successful modification of Bluetooth. No more frequent disconnection and irritation, now i can hands savour editing my videos, listening to music, watching movies, Netflix and chill or whatever would want to do with your Bluetooth.

I have been using it for a few days and I really really love it!. More than aesthetics, i enjoyed the build process. Even so, It took a lot of fourth dimension in writing the theory part of this blog. I am counting on you guys to share your feedback on comments and then that i can improve.

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1 Person Made This Project!

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