Bluetooth® Gateway Guide - Tags, Scanning & Compatibility

Use this page as the starting point for Bluetooth® tag and sensor deployments with Digital Matter gateway devices. It explains the core Bluetooth® workflows, links to the main setup articles, lists supported tag types, and shows where to go next for Device Manager and Telematics Guru configuration.
 

What this page covers
 

• DM Bluetooth® gateway devices 
   
• Which scanning method to use.
   
• Which Bluetooth® tag and sensor types are supported.
   
• Where to configure devices in Device Manager and view data in Telematics Guru.
   
• Bluetooth® gateway devices scan for nearby BLE tags and sensors, store the results, and upload that data to your software platform. Depending on the device and setup, this can be used for asset visibility, temperature monitoring, proximity workflows, tag found or lost events, and sensor mapping.
   

Before you begin
 

1. Confirm your device supports Bluetooth® gateway functionality.
    
2. Update both device firmware and Bluetooth® firmware before deployment.
    
3. Confirm whether your deployment needs periodic scanning, continuous scanning, filtering, or analog and digital mapping.
    
4. Confirm whether the tag data will be reviewed in Device Manager only, or also in Telematics Guru.
    
5. Start with Updating Bluetooth® Firmware on Device Manager.
    

Choose the right Bluetooth® workflow
 

• Periodic scanning is best when you want scans to occur on trip start, trip end, or on a timed interval. See Periodic Bluetooth Scanning.
   
• Continuous scanning is best when you want fast found or lost style behaviour and ongoing tag presence detection. See Continuous Bluetooth Scanning.
   
• Filtering is best when nearby third-party beacons create noise and you need to reduce unwanted detections. See BLE Tag Filtering.
   
• Analog and digital mapping is best when BLE tag or sensor values should be treated like device-side inputs. See Bluetooth® Tag Analog Mapping, Generic Protocol Tag Analog Mapping, and BLE Tag Digital & Analog Mapping.
   
• For scan timing and behaviour, also review Choosing Bluetooth® Scan Length, Active vs Passive Bluetooth® Scanning, Advanced Scanning Parameters, and Bluetooth® Long Range.
   

Bluetooth® support by device type

Device support varies by feature. Some devices support periodic scanning only, while others also support continuous scanning, analog mapping, digital mapping, or advanced Bluetooth® workflows.
 

The current internal feature matrix groups devices into three support classes.

• 1st Gen - Proprietary Tag Analog Mapping. 
   
• 2nd Gen - Generic Protocol Tag Analog Mapping / User Integrated Tag mapping.
   
• 3rd Gen - 1st & 2nd Gen, introduces BLE Digital & Analog Mapping, Digital Input Monitoring, and Analogue Threshold Monitoring support.

Bluetooth® support by device type

Bluetooth® support varies by device family. The table below groups devices by Bluetooth® generation so it is easier to compare capability levels across the current range.

For exact parameter availability by device, use the linked Bluetooth® setup articles below.
 

Supported and integrated Bluetooth® tags and sensors

Digital Matter gateway devices support a mix of standard beacon formats, Digital Matter Bluetooth® products, integrated third-party tags, and generic protocol tags.

Digital Matter Bluetooth® products

• DM Dot Family
• Getting Started with the DM Dots
• Digital Matter BLE Provisioning Tool
• Barra Radar BLE
   

Standard beacon formats

• Apple iBeacon
• Eddystone
   

Generic and User Integrated third-party tags and Sensors

• BLE Generic Protocol Tags
• Bluetooth Supported Sensors
• Integrated Tags 
• ELA tags
• ELA T / ELA RHT in Telematics Guru
• KKM Tags
• MOKO BLE Tags
• Sentrius Laird BT510
• Sentrius BT610
• Technoton DUT-E S7 and Escort probes
• Teltonika Eye Sensor and Beacon
  Minew tags
  
   

Using Bluetooth® tags in Telematics Guru

Once a gateway device is configured correctly in Device Manager, Bluetooth® tag and sensor data can be reviewed in Telematics Guru. Depending on the setup, this can include tag location, telemetry, found and lost state changes, map visibility, and reporting.

• Tags in Telematics Guru
   
• Bluetooth® Tag Alerts on Telematics Guru
   
• Bulk Importing iBeacon Tags
   
• Time Spent Near Gateway Report
  
   

Stationary gateway deployments

If your gateway is installed at a fixed site, use the stationary gateway guidance. Stationary deployments are configured differently from moving gateway deployments and often support warehouse, depot, and site visibility use cases.
 

See Setting up Stationary Bluetooth® Gateways.
 

Next Steps

1. Read the Bluetooth® Getting Started - Tags & Scanning article.
    
2. Update your device firmware and Bluetooth® firmware in Device Manager. 
    
3. Then choose the right scanning method using Periodic Bluetooth Scanning or Continuous Bluetooth Scanning. 
    
4. If you need selective detection, add BLE Tag Filtering. 
    
5. If you need to map BLE tag values, continue to BLE Tag Digital & Analog Mapping.
    
6. If you need custom or third-party tag support, continue to Integrating Tags or BLE Generic Protocol Tags. 
    
7. To review tag data in Telematics Guru, continue to Tags in Telematics Guru.