Bluetooth vs. 802.11b -remote control for custom electronics

[Devin]

I am planning to develop a palm app for remote control of our custom electronics (medical simulator manikins). I don't know whether to use 802.11b or Bluetooth.

I see a lot of companies out there making nice chips and EmbeddedVC++ objects/libraries that, via Bluetooth enabled Palm systems, simply provide you with a USB or RS232 interface, which I can easily make work with the common type of USB or RS232 microprocessors. So, at the programming side and the controlled device side, it couldn't be any easier, BUT the limited 30' range is a big disadvantage.

Such turn-key solutions are hard to find for 802.11b. The ideal implementation would be a single chip that provides the appropriate data format to my USB (or similar standard) microprocessor. Swamped by all the talk of wireless LANs, I can't find anything out there about using the 802.11b standard directly without getting into TCP/IP and all of that. I'm afraid that it will be much more complicated on the controlled device side of this interface, but I'm not very knowledgeable yet as to what that would require. It seems that I would essentially need a NIC in my controlled-device, and my gut tells me that is going to be a pain. Maybe I'm wrong?

Can anyone give me any advice or point me to manufacturers of 802.11b chips that are easy to interface with?

Even that which you might consider elementary knowledge would be appreciated. Please give me some perspective.

THANK YOU

Devin

 

[daronwilson]

Well there are lots of options, I would rush out and pick up a copy of a nice magazine called "Nuts and Volts". In there you will find several solutions for telemetry radios with modems. These range from low power and low range (30-50 feet) to several miles. You can interface direct serial RS-232 type signals into these units.

Im guessing you have enough electronics in the manikin that you just need to send commands and results back and forth, which could probably be accomplished at relatively good speeds over a serial connection.

Anyway, lots of good advertisers in this rag as well as good ideas.

Hope that helps. It is only my opinion, based on my experience and education...I am always willing to learn, educate me!
Daron J. Wilson, RCDD
daron.wilson@lhmorris.com