Google has an interesting initiative called the Physical Web, which aims to enable any device to broadcast a specific URI (e.g. website) that users can detect with their cellphone/tablet and navigate to. The aim is to provide a standard, light-weight ‘window’ into any networked device.
The concept is similar to Apple’s iBeacon, in that a specially formatted Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) advertising packet is sent out from a radio to anyone in the radio range, and a listening app on the mobile phone that can pick the packets up and alert users. To demo, we’ll be using the official Physical Web apps available for Android and iOS.
Instead of advertising 128-bit UUIDs like iBeacon, Google defines an (open!) standard they call UriBeacon which advertises URIs, typically a shortened web address.
The primary use case is enabling any device to advertise a web-address where users can interact with the object, or where further information about the device can be found.
A vending machine might redirect you to a payment system, for example, or a sensor node might redirect you to the web interface where the sensor data and it’s history can be searched and navigated.
You simply need to tell the BLE Friend what URI you want it to advertise. To do that, we’ll create a specially formatted advertising packet that contains your short (or shortened) URI, and tell the Bluefruit LE Friend to advertise with that packet instead of the default data.
Adafruit publishes a wide range of writing and video content, including interviews and reporting on the maker market and the wider technology world. Our standards page is intended as a guide to best practices that Adafruit uses, as well as an outline of the ethical standards Adafruit aspires to. While Adafruit is not an independent journalistic institution, Adafruit strives to be a fair, informative, and positive voice within the community – check it out here: adafruit.com/editorialstandards
Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7:30pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat and our Discord!
Python for Microcontrollers – Adafruit Daily — Python on Microcontrollers Newsletter: New Python Releases, an ESP32+MicroPython IDE and Much More! #CircuitPython #Python #micropython @ThePSF @Raspberry_Pi
EYE on NPI – Adafruit Daily — EYE on NPI Maxim’s Himalaya uSLIC Step-Down Power Module #EyeOnNPI @maximintegrated @digikey
