BLE Tag Digital & Analog Mapping with Battery Devices

How to Set Up BLE Tag Digital & Analog Mapping on Battery-Operated Devices (Manta Fusion CatM-NB) Using Periodic Scanning

Suggested Reading

Before continuing, review these articles:

• Bluetooth® Getting Started - Tags & Scanning
• Bluetooth® Gateway Guide - Tags, Scanning & Compatibility
• Periodic Bluetooth Scanning
• Generic Protocol Tag Analog Mapping
• Proprietary Tag Analog Mapping
  
   

Which Devices Does This Article Cover?

For the equivalent workflow on hardwired, mains/vehicle-powered devices, see BLE Tag Digital & Analog Mapping with Continuous Scanning.

 

Why Periodic Scanning, Not Continuous, for the Manta Fusion CatM-NB?

The Manta Fusion CatM-NB is a battery-operated device. Continuous Bluetooth® scanning keeps the BLE radio active in order to catch tags the instant they are found or lost, which draws far more power than a battery-operated device can sustain over its expected service life. For this reason, the Manta Fusion CatM-NB does not support Continuous Bluetooth Scanning.

Instead, the Manta Fusion CatM-NB uses Periodic Bluetooth Scanning, which wakes the BLE radio only on trip start, trip end, or a timed interval, then returns it to a low-power state between scans. This is the recommended approach for any battery-powered gateway and is the only supported scanning method on this device.

The Manta Fusion CatM-NB is classified as a 3rd Gen Bluetooth® device (see the Bluetooth® Gateway Guide), meaning it supports the full BLE Digital & Analog Mapping feature set - including Digital Input Monitoring - just like hardwired 3rd Gen devices such as the G70-4G Bluetooth® and Arrow Global BLE. The only difference is that mapping is configured under the Periodic Tag Scanning parameters rather than the Continuous Tag Scanning parameters.

 

How to Set Up BLE Tag Digital & Analog Mapping with Periodic Scanning

Use this guide to configure BLE tags or sensors so their mapped analog and digital values update on the Manta Fusion CatM-NB's periodic scan schedule - for example, at the start and end of a trip, or on a timed interval.

This setup is intended for applications where a BLE tag or sensor is effectively "married" to the gateway on a long-term basis (for example, a door sensor permanently fitted to the asset the Manta Fusion CatM-NB is tracking), and where battery life needs to be preserved between scans.

Before You Start

Before configuring BLE tag mapping, make sure that:

• your Manta Fusion CatM-NB firmware and Bluetooth® firmware are both updated to the latest versions available
• your target tag or sensor is supported
• the tag can already be detected correctly by the device

Tips:

• If this is your first time setting up BLE mapping, enable Data Capture and Debug Logging for one day so you can quickly confirm whether the mapping is working.
• Before enabling analog or digital mapping, create Tag List logs first. This helps confirm that the device is detecting the tag correctly before you add mapping instructions.
• During testing, set the Out of Trip / In-Trip Scan Period to a short frequency, i.e. three minutes. After testing, change it to a value that balances reporting needs against battery life.

Choose the Right Setup Method

There are three ways to configure periodic BLE tag mapping:

• By Tag Manufacturer - use this option when you want the device to work with supported tags from a selected manufacturer.
• By Tag Manufacturer and Tag Type - use this option when you want to narrow scanning to a specific supported tag family or model.
• By Specific Tag - use this option when you want to map a known BLE tag or sensor using its MAC address.

Steps for Analog Mapping (Periodic) by Tag Manufacturer

1. Navigate to the Edit System Parameters window and enable the BLE Tag Scanning tab (this may display as BLE Tag Scanning or BLE Periodic Tag Scanning in Device Manager).
    
2. Change the scan mode to Analog Mapping.
    
3. Change Out of Trip Scan Period (minutes) from its default to 3 (purely for testing - set this to whatever best suits your application afterwards), and configure Scan on Trip Start, Scan on Trip End and/or In-Trip Scan Period if scans should also be tied to trips.
    
4. Change Upload on Out of Trip Scan (and/or Upload on In-Trip Scan) to Yes.
    
5. Set Scan Length to a value that comfortably covers your tag's advertising interval - see Choosing Bluetooth® Scan Length.
    
6. Change the first available Other Tag Type dropdown to the Tag Manufacturer of choice.
    
7. Save the settings and send them to the device.
    
8. Test the configuration and review the resulting logs.
    

Note: This is the quickest setup method when any compatible tag from the selected manufacturer may be present. Because the Manta Fusion CatM-NB runs on battery power, keep the scan periods and scan length as short as your application allows once testing is complete, to preserve battery life.
 

Steps for Analog Mapping (Periodic) by Tag Manufacturer and Tag Type

In addition to the steps above, perform the following to scope periodic scanning to a specified Tag Manufacturer and Type:

1. In Edit System Parameters, add the BLE Generic Protocol Tags (Adv) tab.
    
2. From the dropdown Generic Protocol Tag Type 1, set the tag type, listed by manufacturer and then type. An extensive library of BLE Tags exists.
    
3. Repeat step 2 if adding additional tag types.
    
4. If Custom has been selected from the Generic Protocol Tag Type dropdown, ensure the Custom Tag Type instructions are completed at the bottom of the modal.

If Custom, please contact Digital Matter support for assistance in creating the custom instructions to automatically integrate your new tag type.

Note: Use this method when you want tighter control over which supported tags are accepted.


 

Steps for Analog Mapping (Periodic) by Specific Tag

In addition to the initial steps for Analog Mapping (Periodic) by Tag Manufacturer, complete the following details of the specific BLE tag to be monitored:

1. In Edit System Parameters, from Add Advanced Parameters, select BLE Tag Analog & Digital Mapping 1 (Adv).
    
2. Complete the MAC Address with the BLE device's MAC ID.
    
3. If applicable, select the Digital Input assignment to map tag data to. Use successive digitals if mapping more than one value, and be sure to add a Digital Input Monitor (Adv) tab.
    
4. Assign the Mapping instructions, taking note of the assigned number for the analogs and digitals used in brackets (a.d.).
    

Successive Input Mapping

Ensure existing analogue or digital lines are not unintentionally overwritten by the requirement for successive lines.

Carefully review the specific BLE device instructions in brackets (a.d.) when adding devices that report multiple values. This will help avoid configuration conflicts and ensure accurate mapping of all device inputs.

 

5. To complete monitoring the tag or sensor, add a Digital Input Monitor. In Edit System Parameters, from Add Advanced Parameters, select Digital Input Monitor 1 (Adv).
    
6. Update the Digital Input to align with the Digital Input set in the BLE Tag Analog & Digital Mapping tab.
    

7. Up to three additional tags or sensors may be added by repeating these steps above.

Note: Use this method when you need deterministic monitoring for a known tag or sensor.

 

Verify the Setup

After configuration:

1. Place the tag or sensor within range of the device.
    
2. Trigger a scan condition - for example, a trip start, trip end, or the timed out-of-trip/in-trip interval you configured. Remember the Manta Fusion CatM-NB will get a GPS fix before conducting a periodic scan, so allow a short delay after the trigger.
    
3. Confirm that the tag is being detected.
    
4. Confirm that the mapped analog or digital values are updating as expected.
    
5. Review device logs during the test period to verify correct behaviour.
    

Once testing is complete, change the scan period settings from the temporary test values to values that match your operational requirements.

• Longer intervals reduce data usage and power consumption - important on a battery-operated device such as the Manta Fusion CatM-NB.
• Shorter intervals provide more frequent updates and finer reporting detail, at the cost of battery life.
  
   

Troubleshooting

The tag is not being detected

• Confirm periodic BLE scanning is enabled and that Scan Length is non-zero - no scans will occur with the default value.
• Confirm at least one of Out of Trip Scan Period, In-Trip Scan Period, Scan on Trip Start or Scan on Trip End is configured, otherwise no scans will be triggered.
• Confirm the tag is supported.
• Confirm the tag is powered and in range.
• Create Tag List logs first to verify basic detection.

The tag is detected, but no mapped values appear

• Recheck the mapping instructions.
• Confirm the correct analog and digital indices are being used.
• Confirm the Digital Input Monitor has been added where required.

There are too many logs, too much data usage, or the battery is draining faster than expected

• Increase the scan period settings after testing.
• Restrict scanning and monitoring to the periods that matter for the application (for example, trip start/end only, rather than a short In-Trip Scan Period).
• Reduce Scan Length to the shortest value that still reliably detects your tag's advertising interval.

The setup behaviour is unclear

• Re-enable Data Capture and Debug Logging temporarily and review the logs in detail.
  
   

Related Articles
 

• Bluetooth® Getting Started - Tags & Scanning
   
• Bluetooth® Gateway Guide - Tags, Scanning & Compatibility
   
• Generic Protocol Tag Analog Mapping
   
• Periodic Bluetooth Scanning
   
• Proprietary Tag Analog Mapping