A Bluetooth smart lock is typically unlocked by pairing it with a wireless device (along with a keypad or touchscreen). Usually, a feature that only exists on phones with Bluetooth connectivity. Bluetooth is a popular protocol for digital door locks because it consumes less battery power than Wi-Fi. When the door lock uses Bluetooth, the battery in the lock can last a year or more. When your mobile phone is close to the door lock, the door lock will automatically detect the key fob or the matching key through Bluetooth to unlock the door lock.

In fact, the working principle of the Bluetooth door lock is that the smart door lock has a built-in BLE Bluetooth module. The mobile phone reads the Bluetooth information of the smart lock through the APP, tries to pair, and sends an unlock request to the server. When the app sends a lock or unlock door When commanded, the smart lock responds and confirms the operation. Finally, the instruction is sent to the smart door lock through Bluetooth to unlock. However, your phone must be within close range of the smart lock to open the door. The range is determined by the BLE radio maximum output power and link budget.

According to the survey, Bluetooth door locks generally consist of two parts: the operation panel and the control panel.

1) Operation panel

The operation panel is mainly used for practical operations, such as password input, RFID access control card swiping card to open the door, etc. Then you may have a question: why should this part be independent? In fact, smart locks are generally powered by batteries, and battery power must use low power consumption. Therefore, in order to attract customers, the locks on the market generally use an independent IC to touch and touch the indicator light on it.

Of course, this is also to reduce the burden on the main control MCU. When the button is pressed, the touch IC will pass the key value to the main control board through IC, and the main control board will then judge what operation to perform, unlock, or set information, etc. There are many types of touch IC mentioned above, for example, Saiyuan, BYD, Fudan Micro, etc.

2) Control panel

The control board is mainly responsible for processing buttons, RFID, code scanning gun, and other inputs, controlling the rotation of the motor-driven lock, controlling the buzzer or voice prompts, communication, data encryption and decryption, and other functions. Dashboards are in turn made up of other widgets.

#1. Master

The main control must meet the requirements of io port peripherals, such as how many serial ports, how many SPIs, etc., and the most important thing is to have low power consumption. The current problem is that these chips are in short supply at this stage. The Bluetooth smart lock has a built-in BLE Bluetooth module, and the mobile phone reads the Bluetooth information of the smart lock through the APP and tries to pair it.

Some companies adopt the method of MCU+Bluetooth module for two reasons: one is because the company has no experience in wireless communication development, including hardware and software development experience.

The second is because the development of the Bluetooth module is very fast, and the lock can be unlocked with a fool’s operation. There are also some companies that use Bluetooth SOC, and there are many such SOC chips on the market. In this way, not only the size can be greatly reduced, the cost can be greatly reduced, and the power consumption will be very controllable. It is a very good choice when it is out of stock.

#2. DC-DC

Smart locks are usually powered by multiple batteries, usually 9V-15V, and the DC-DC here is to convert direct current into low-voltage direct current.

#3. LDO

There are many types of LDOs on the market, which can convert 5V to 3.3V for MCU to use.

#4. Motor control

There is a special chip for motor control, the main function is to control the unlocking.

#5. Scanner

As the name suggests, the barcode scanner is responsible for scanning codes. Generally, after scanning codes, it will directly output barcode information through serial ports or SPI. The software is very simple, just deals with the data directly.

#6. Buzzer, Voice

It is mainly responsible for unlocking prompts, telling you whether the lock is successfully unlocked or not.

As an entry door lock, safety is the most concerned factor for consumers, and it has become the primary consideration for whether to buy a smart door lock. The basis of smart door locks is communication technology, which also requires secure communication standards.

Once it is cracked, your smart door lock will become someone else’s lock. At present, Bluetooth has become a wireless solution communication technology that smart door lock manufacturers are keen on due to its outstanding advantages such as low power consumption, low cost, and high security. The advantages of Bluetooth door locks will be introduced in detail below.

1) Long standby time

As mentioned above, the Bluetooth door lock has a built-in BLE Bluetooth module. The BLE Bluetooth module has ultra-low power consumption in broadcast, transmission, standby, and sleep modes. This keeps your door locked in working condition for a long time.

2) Unlock the phone, convenient and quick

The unlocking of APP mobile phones has reached a highly intelligent level in the era of mobile Internet.  The Bluetooth smart lock solution also easy to open the mobile phone APP for all operations. The emergence of Bluetooth door locks makes it easy to solve all distance problems and problems that cannot be solved by traditional locks.

In addition, compared with other smart door locks, Bluetooth has a specific Bluetooth protocol. In terms of communication, different password protocols can be formulated according to different users. It is difficult to crack, so confidentiality is better.

3) Real-time monitoring

If you’re an OCD person, you’re always worried about the door being left unlocked. At this time, you can check whether your door lock is closed through your smartphone, instead of wasting time running home or worrying all day.

4) Strong environmental adaptability, the signal will not be disturbed

Smart products are more easily affected by the environment, especially signal interference and shielding, which will directly affect the user experience. Although wifi and Bluetooth are both in the 2.4G frequency band, there will be signal interference with each other, but the transmission speed of Bluetooth is higher, the unlocking experience will be better, and the size is small, which has very obvious advantages in Bluetooth smart locks.

5) Alarm function

Security systems in Bluetooth door locks can detect lock tampering events (including lock picking and forced entry). If a tamper event persists, it will alert you, protecting your property.

Here are the disadvantages of Bluetooth door locks.

1) The distance is too far to unlock

First, distance is a limitation of Bluetooth smart locks. While devices may vary, in general, Bluetooth smart lock connections typically have a maximum range of up to 25 feet, thus limiting how far you can operate your smart lock.

2) Bluetooth will drain the battery of mobile devices quickly

Since opening the Bluetooth door lock requires you to connect to Bluetooth through your smartphone, and when Bluetooth is running on your phone, it will drain your battery faster. When your phone dies, you’ll have a hard time finding your way into your home unless you charge your phone.

When buying a Bluetooth door lock, the seller will definitely recommend a Wifi smart lock to you. Well, if you don’t know these two types of locks, you might be wondering. A key functional category that many smart locks fall into is Bluetooth-enabled smart locks and Wi-Fi-enabled smart locks.

Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology that exchanges data without an internet connection, while Wi-Fi of course refers to the universal standard for the wireless internet connections we use on our smartphones, computers, and tons of other smart devices. Below we will introduce these two locks for you, so as to help you choose the right door lock.

In fact, the Wifi smart door lock, like the Bluetooth door lock, is also a kind of door lock that can be accessed through mobile phone operation. So, what are the advantages of Wifi smart door locks over Bluetooth door locks?

1) Advantages and disadvantages of Wi-Fi smart lock

• One of the biggest advantages of Wi-Fi smart locks is the wide coverage, as long as you have an active WiFi connection on your phone, you can unlock your door from anywhere in the world.
• Fast speed and high reliability. Even in the case of interference or weak signal, the automatic bandwidth adjustment can effectively guarantee the reliability and stability of the network.
• With customizable key codes or electronic keys, you can grant temporary access to guests, including temporary digital keys that expire or keys that are only valid for a specific time frame.

At the same time, WiFi also has some disadvantages, such as high power consumption and slightly higher cost. If your internet is down then you will not be able to enjoy the Wi-Fi smart lock. Additionally, since Wi-Fi smart locks rely on apps for control, there could be more security risks involved if your phone or smart device is lost. Finally, when it comes to battery life, Wi-Fi smart locks also drain the battery faster than Bluetooth smart locks.

The table below compares the main differences between WiFi and Bluetooth in detail :

2) Which is more suitable for you

The final purchase of a Bluetooth door lock or a Wifi smart door lock depends entirely on your personal needs. If we simply talk about the security of WiFi smart locks and Bluetooth smart locks, then the security of Bluetooth will be much higher, because it is very easy to crack WiFi.

Finally, the principle and direction of smart lock selection are: first, the mechanical part of the smart lock must be a safe and reliable product. Second, the face recognition, fingerprint authentication, and password unlocking functions of smart locks must be reliable and safe. Third, smart locks have more powerful functions than ordinary door locks.

There is no doubt that installing smart locks at home has become a trend. It is not only convenient for our daily life and work, but also reflects the quality and taste of the home. Additionally, as seen in Bluetooth door locks, Bluetooth technology will play a role in shaping the future of home security. There are a variety of smart locks in the market today, and it is inevitable that some merchants exaggerate their products. You need to have a basic understanding of smart locks to figure out which lock is right for you.