is x2info key bluetooth communication?

[dale@thecoys.net]

Originally Posted by KSagal

So, a dark segway will receive signals from an infokey, but not transmit? Probably. However, an 'on' segway will transmit freely, regardless of a local infokey.

....
In this situation, the running segway will continue to transmit willy nilly, till it is found by the roving drone sensor system, or the batteries go dead, whichever comes first...

Yes but:

A. Will it "turn on" without the use of the correct infokey? OK, let's assume that the right infokey was stolen along with the Segway. Or that it was "Segway-snatched" while someone was gliding.

B. How do we (as a practical matter) arrange to differentiate this particular Segway, from the dozens/hundreds of other Segways that are "on", within range of your drone sensor system?

[KSagal]

Originally Posted by SegwayUtah

As KSagal as Bob.Kearns alluded, the InfoKey uses IEEE 802.15.4 rather than Bluetooth.

It's not technically using Zigbee (since it's not using interoperable Zigbee profiles), but it is using the same radios, basic packet structure, etc. Most people probably still refer to this as Zigbee though, since that's a familiar brand (and much friendlier than a set of #s).

BTW for riders who are engineers: if you want to monitor the 802.15.4 traffic you can buy a cheap Zigbee or 802.15.4 USB sniffer. Anything security related is almost definitely going to be encrypted, but you'll see the 802.15.4 packets. I did this when I got my i2 years ago.

Chris

Chris,
What is the range of those sniffers? How far does that signal go?

[dale@thecoys.net]

Originally Posted by KSagal

Chris,
What is the range of those sniffers? How far does that signal go?

I'm not Chris. But according to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZigBee

"transmission distances range from 10 to 100 meters line-of-sight, depending on power output and environmental characteristics"

Of course, it's not the range of sniffer - the range depends on the power output and antenna characteristics of the transmitter.

[SegNerd]

If you absolutely must have a wireless monitoring system, there are options that could probably work with a Segway, such as this one, but they will involve significant expense and require you to attach additional components rather than using the built-in wireless radio.

[SegwayUtah]

Originally Posted by dale@thecoys.net

"transmission distances range from 10 to 100 meters line-of-sight, depending on power output and environmental characteristics"

Of course, it's not the range of sniffer - the range depends on the power output and antenna characteristics of the transmitter.

Radio signal strength is in part determined by the amount of signal (power) above ambient noise. So technically if you had a quiet environment or a directional antenna pointing at a Segway from a distance or an RX amplifier (LNA)...you can get some pretty crazy range.

For most practical purposes, 802.15.4 gives you 10 meters of range.

In any case, the Segway is always listening for the InfoKey's unlock (power on) signal. Unless the battery powering the radio is depleted.

Chris

[dale@thecoys.net]

Originally Posted by SegwayUtah

In any case, the Segway is always listening for the InfoKey's unlock (power on) signal. Unless the battery powering the radio is depleted.

Chris

The question was not about the "receiving range" of the Segway itself. And it wasn't about the "transmitting range" of the InfoKey.