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Wi-LE: Can WiFi replace Bluetooth? (2019) [pdf]

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Re: Wi-LE: Can WiFi replace Bluetooth? (2019) [pdf]

#11

I just got a new router today to try the VR streaming from Desktop PC to my Quest 2 and it works flawlessly. Pretty exciting if it can do that it can probably do anything else. The part I don't know is what the energy use tradeoffs are. I know wifi6 is supposed to be lower energy cost?

Might be wrong, but I'm under the impression that the video encoding has a significantly higher energy cost on the Quest 2. Virtual Desktop even allows an OC setting if I remember correctly.

It helps, of course, that the bandwidth required for VR streaming is fairly low using the Oculus link protocol.

Re: Wi-LE: Can WiFi replace Bluetooth? (2019) [pdf]

#12
post #4

I can see a reason to abandon BLE. Bluetooth is generally a bit problematic maybe due to is complexity. but “Bluetooth low energy” is perfect for what it is (a super slow short range wireless communication implementation).

Programming BLE is basically bit banging. Regular BT has higher level protocols (which have their problems too -- I hate BT -- but are easier to use).

There's a user experience benefit of the semantic separation between BT and Wifi; you move around and change SSID all the time with a portable device like a phone, which is for connecting to "other" things. Your BT connections "travel with you" as they are part of a personal area network.

There are weird boundary conditions (connecting to your friend's BT speaker, using wifi to cast to a chromecast or AppleTV) for which neither is perfect; frankly I think those wifi cases are more like the BT use case.

Just because the two use the same BT spectrum doesn't mean they should be unified.

Re: Wi-LE: Can WiFi replace Bluetooth? (2019) [pdf]

#13

Yes, or, at least it has been used to do so. Microsoft's xbox 360/xbox one USB controller adapter is actually a standard wifi adapter with a custom firmware. Source: https://github.com/medusalix/xow#how-it-works

That's due to range and especially latency issues with Bluetooth. It's one reason competitive shooters were more popular on the 360 than the Ps3 with its Bluetooth gamepad.

Re: Wi-LE: Can WiFi replace Bluetooth? (2019) [pdf]

#14

Yes, or, at least it has been used to do so. Microsoft's xbox 360/xbox one USB controller adapter is actually a standard wifi adapter with a custom firmware. Source: https://github.com/medusalix/xow#how-it-works

That's only for the xbox one; the 360 was very nearly the only implementation of the wireless USB standard.

Re: Wi-LE: Can WiFi replace Bluetooth? (2019) [pdf]

#15

Yes, or, at least it has been used to do so. Microsoft's xbox 360/xbox one USB controller adapter is actually a standard wifi adapter with a custom firmware. Source: https://github.com/medusalix/xow#how-it-works

Is it still the case for the new Xbox?

Re: Wi-LE: Can WiFi replace Bluetooth? (2019) [pdf]

#17

I hope so. I have issues with BT about once every time I use it.

I’ve heard multiple times that apparently a lot of proprietary Bluetooth stacks are filled to the brim with bugs. I’m not sure how complex the Bluetooth spec is but I wouldn’t be surprised if it were true.

It’s also part of why I can’t stand the trend of remove the headphone jack from devices.

Re: Wi-LE: Can WiFi replace Bluetooth? (2019) [pdf]

#19

Yes, or, at least it has been used to do so. Microsoft's xbox 360/xbox one USB controller adapter is actually a standard wifi adapter with a custom firmware. Source: https://github.com/medusalix/xow#how-it-works

Is it still the case for the new Xbox?

Yes, the Xbox Series controllers are fully interoperable with the Xbox One, which they wouldn't be if they switched to some other technique.

Re: Wi-LE: Can WiFi replace Bluetooth? (2019) [pdf]

#20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At least read the abstract before commenting, man...

I did, man. Table 1. Wi-Le Energy/packet: 84 uJ Wi-Le Idle current: 2.5 uA BLE Energy/packet: 71 uJ BLE Idle current: 1.1 uA You can see this from Figure 4 as well. So, like I wrote, Bluetooth consumes less battery. In addition there are unsolved issues, which are likely to add to the overall consumption. Edit: formatting

> We believe that an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) implementation will have much lower power consumption.

Line from right above the table so it could possibly go the other direction and use less.

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