Pairing Bluetooth

Have the machined been inadvertently crossed over into the wrong buses?

The 3 units have been paired, label identified and put into different busses. Each time we want to print a ticket the ticket machine searched for a Sumup card reader before asking for the credit card. Sometimes it can not find it. I am wondering if the units are too close and not allowing signal propogation.

..."Also, if the Bluetooth devices are in close proximity to a Wi-Fi transmitting device (router), this can cause interference and other performance issues. As with any RF device, as you get closer, the signal strength intensifies."....

..."Many Wi-Fi routers transmit on multiple channels simultaneously, and if there are excessive Wi-Fi signals in close proximity taking up most of the spectrum, your Bluetooth devices may not have any open spectrum to frequency hop to. This is a common cause of Bluetooth interference. Moving your Bluetooth devices away from Wi-Fi signals will help maximize the performance. Additionally, it is recommended to configure your Wi-Fi devices to allow for sharing the limited spectrum for all your wireless devices."...

https://www.audio-technica.com/en-us/support/audio-solutions-question-of-the-week-what-causes-bluetooth-interference/#:~:text=Also%2C%20if%20the%20Bluetooth%20devices,closer%2C%20the%20signal%20strength%20intensifies.

The units are in buses parked in the middle of nowhere and there is no Wi-Fi connection. Sometimes the ticket machine does not find the Sumup and when it goes to find another unit, the ticket machine finds the Sumup which it did not find initially.

These systems both appear to be wi-fi based...

http://www.ticket-technology.co.uk/products/tixiom-t1m

https://www.sumup.com/en-us/

There it is - a phone number. Problem solved!

We don't know that the problem has been solved at all....It's likely the op has gained some insight as to how the system operates...he might just be having connection problems, it could be any number of things hindering smooth operation...

I would question whether the bluetooth connection is even necessary, the buses should be uploading to the cloud and the other device should be downloading from the cloud...If the devices are using a dial-up connection, there would be a delay probably, and that's with a good connection....if you are in an area with weak cellular signal then this problem would be understandable...even if the wifi is satellite based this could still be the case...it seems to me a configuration review is needed...What we have here is a failure to communicate....

Bluetooth connectivity I believe is, and should only takes place between paired devices, which means that iCloud is probably not possible.

This system is cloud based architecture, not icloud...

I don't have any idea how the cloud system architecture got to do with a low power communication protocol, like the Bluetooth that requires the pairing of 2 devices only..

see #3

Yes I can understand that Bluetooth signal can at times be found riding along with a WiFi to extend the signal hopping range capability which is also dependent upon on the latest Bluetooth version being used.

I can appreciate if the WiFi is the WWW internet connection equivalent type?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wi-Fi

...". Ad hoc mode refers to devices communicating directly with each other, without communicating with an access point.

A service set is the set of all the devices associated with a particular Wi-Fi network. Devices in a service set need not be on the same wavebands or channels. A service set can be local, independent, extended, mesh, or a combination.

Each service set has an associated identifier, a 32-byte service set identifier (SSID), which identifies the network. The SSID is configured within the devices that are part of the network.

A basic service set (BSS) is a group of stations that share the same wireless channel, SSID, and other settings that have wirelessly connected, usually to the same access point.^[34]: 3.6 Each BSS is identified by a MAC address called the BSSID."....

Unfortunately we are not in a position to choose the connection between the units as there is also the connection to tracking so that passengers are able to see where the buses are and how long in time they are likely to arrive.

The air environment are full of RF signals and WiFi and Bluetooth are just a tiny portion of them..

The Bluetooth for one happens to share its operating frequency with the WiFi frequencies, which can complicate your Bluetooth connection problem especially when the Bluetooth paired devices are far apart..

Since the distance of the Bluetooth signal is very limited, it can easily be overwhelmed interfered and further be attenuated by the surrounding environment where the device is installed and located..

Which means that the sensitivity and selectivity of your devices need to be considered as well aside from the above mentioned conditions..

Good luck!

To Solar Eagle; My grey hair is blurring my technology or lack of. Thank you for the links.

Yes it's a constant struggle, about the time you figure it out they upgrade to a newer system and it starts all over again...that's the nature of the beast...

A couple thoughts come to mind...

Maybe the metal frame of the bus is causing dead spots where one or both of the devices are located. Also, perhaps the signal directionality and the orientation is a problem. Can the devices be rotated or moved to see if the situation improves?

I agree.There may be blind spots created by the metal frame of the bus or other objects in certain directions,similar to dead zones directly under cellphone towers.

It is worth trying to rearrange the buses to see if this helps.

Do you use a Bluetooth hub?

Your question might be better directed to Sumup at

https://help.sumup.com/en-US/articles/5PxqqqFaTlKkH4ABSYSbv5-sumup-pro-setup-guide

With thousands of users, I am sure this is a common problem for which they have experience and answers.

Dear Contributors,

Thank you for your replies with myinitial post. I am a little out of my depth with this as I thought there may be a simple answer. I will try to phone the respective support units of the ticket machine and Sumup tomorrow, Monday, and will come back with my findings. I was not anticipating the Bluetooth connection being far more involved and using Wi-Fi. When I am in the middle of a trading estate with no access to any buildings I gave little thought to external connectivity. The Tixiom is obviously making a "telephone" call to the blue yonder and responding to the Sumup. I thought it was the Tixiom talking directly to the Sumup.

Anyway, I hopefully will gain a better understanding when I speak to both providers.

https://phys.org/news/2023-01-blocking-radio-electromagnetic-flip.html