Summary#
Performance testing of Bluetooth mesh shows excellent latency when the payload is contained within a single packet. Throughput results show latency can be maintained below 200 milliseconds, even out to 6 hops if the payload is less than 16 bytes.
For larger networks, as the number of nodes in the network increase or the packet payload increases, the latency also increases. The network size has a smaller effect on latency than the payload size, which can result in a large increase.
The reliability of these networks when running these results is greater than 99%.
To obtain low latency and high reliability in Bluetooth mesh applications:
Application payload should fit into a single packet.
Applications which require multicast messaging should not use segmented messages.
Follow-up Testing Considerations#
The testing described in this application note requires follow-up tests to further define the device behavior and network operations. The following specific items are noted for follow-up testing:
Failure testing can also be added by dropping nodes out of this network during these tests to evaluate recovery time and impact on reliability.
Testing should be performed with different device types running in System-on-Chip and Network Co-Processor (NCP) modes. Previous testing has revealed some differences between these modes of operation, so this should be further characterized.
Related Literature
This application note has provided information on Bluetooth mesh networking. For information on Zigbee and Thread mesh networking, and a comparison of all three technologies, refer to the following application notes:
Zigbee Mesh Network Performance