Once you've selected a beacon from the list of nearby configurable beacons, you will be shown the detailed Settings view. You may change any or all of the modifiable settings, press Apply, and submit a valid PIN to update the settings for the RadBeacon.
For beacon models and versions that support a four (4) digit PIN, the default PIN is '0000'. For beacon models and versions that support an eight (8) digit PIN, the default PIN is '00000000'. It is highly recommended to update your PIN to ensure that only authorized individuals may make changes to your beacon's configuration.
Changing the Beacon Name
The beacon name is a simple string value that exists as a convenience for recognizing the beacon when you attempt to configure it in the future. The beacon name is not transmitted as part of the proximity beacon advertisements and is only readable when the beacon is in configuration mode by a valid configuration tool like the RadBeacon configuration app.
You can change the beacon name by modifying the string value in the beacon text input field and applying your changes along with a valid PIN.
Changing the Beacon Advertisement Type
From the beacon detail settings view, under Type, you will find a set of switches for each beacon advertisement type, including
- iBeacon
- AltBeacon
- Eddystone UID
- Eddystone URL
Select the beacon proximity advertisement types that you want to have transmitted by this beacon device and apply your changes along with a valid PIN.
Setting the iBeacon and AltBeacon Advertisement Values
With the iBeacon or AltBeacon advertisement type enabled, you can make changes to the iBeacon and AltBeacon advertised values under the section labeled IBEACON/ALTBEACON. In this section, specific the following values
- UUID -- A 16-byte hexadecimal organizational identifier for your beacon
- Major -- A 2-byte decimal group identifier for your beacon
- Minor -- A 2-byte decimal unit identifier for your beacon
- Measured Power -- The transmit power as measured one (1) meter away from the beacon. (If you need to determine the Measured Power value for your beacon, follow the steps outlined in the article, How do I calibrate a beacon's measured power?)
To save these and other changes to the beacon, tap on the Actions menu and select the Apply action to submit your changes to the beacon along with a valid PIN.
Setting the Eddystone UID Advertisement Values
With the Eddystone UID advertisement type enabled, you can make changes to the Eddystone UID advertised values under the section labeled EDDYSTONE UID. In this section, specific the following values
- Namespace ID -- A 10-byte hexadecimal organizational identifier
- Instance ID -- A 6-byte hexadecimal unit identifier
- Calibrated Power -- The transmit power as measured zero (0) meters away from the beacon. (A rule of thumb is to determine the iBeacon/AltBeacon measured power value and then add 41dBm to it. 41 dBm is the characteristic signal loss over 1 meter. If you need to determine the Measured Power value for your beacon, follow the steps outlined in the article, How do I calibrate a beacon's measured power?)
To save these and other changes to the beacon, tap on the Actions menu and select the Apply action to submit your changes to the beacon along with a valid PIN.
Setting the Eddystone URL Advertisement Values
With the Eddystone URL advertisement type enabled, you can make changes to the Eddystone URL advertised values under the section labeled EDDYSTONE URL. In this section, specific the following values
- URL -- A relatively short URL. (Note that due to the manner in which the Eddystone URL is encoded and stored, it is difficult to predict whether a URL will fit in the available advertisement payload space, so you should always verify your URL advertisements after saving.)
- Calibrated Power -- The transmit power as measured zero (0) meters away from the beacon. (A rule of thumb is to determine the iBeacon/AltBeacon measured power value and then add 41dBm to it. 41 dBm is the characteristic signal loss over 1 meter. If you need to determine the Measured Power value for your beacon, follow the steps outlined in the article, How do I calibrate a beacon's measured power?)
To save these and other changes to the beacon, tap on the Actions menu and select the Apply action to submit your changes to the beacon along with a valid PIN.
Modifying the Advertising Rate
You can modify the advertising rate by moving the slider control in the ADVERTISING RATE section. The slider displays a value of 1-10Hz, or 1-10 advertisements per second.
The value shown is the advertisement rate for EACH advertisement type. The effective overall advertisement rate is therefore the number of advertisement types enabled multiplied by the advertising rate. So if you have only iBeacon enabled, and an advertisement rate of 10Hz, then the beacon's overall advertisement rate is 10Hz. If you then enabled AltBeacon, the advertisement rate is then 20Hz and so on.
It is important to realize the overall advertisement rate, as higher advertising rates have the greatest impact on battery life for battery-powered beacons.
To save these and other changes to the beacon, tap on the Actions menu and select the Apply action to submit your changes to the beacon along with a valid PIN.
Modifying the Transmit Power Level
You can modify the transmit power level by moving the slider control in the TRANSMIT POWER section. The slider displays a range of transmit power values based on the beacon hardware type you are configuring.
If you change the transmit power level and attempt to apply the changes, the RadBeacon app will offer to update your Measured Power and Calibrated Power settings to the general default values corresponding to the transmit power level you have selected. These default values provide a general recommendation, but can't take into account the unique characteristics of the deployment environment and it is recommended to follow the measured power calibration steps to determine the best Measured Power and Calibrated Power settings for your deployment.
To save these and other changes to the beacon, tap on the Actions menu and select the Apply action to submit your changes to the beacon along with a valid PIN.
Applying Your Changes
To save changes you have made to beacon's configuration settings, tap on the Actions menu and select the Apply action to submit changes to the beacon along with a valid PIN. For beacons that support four (4) digit PINs, the factory default PIN is '0000'. For beacons that support eight (8) digit PINs, the factor default PIN is '00000000'.
Because Radius Network beacons limit connections to 20 seconds for security reasons, you may experience connection timeouts. Simply try again when this error condition occurs.
If you find that you cannot connect to the beacon at all, make sure that the beacon hasn't transitioned to non-configurable state. Reinitiate configurable mode for the beacon and try to Apply your changes again.
