BLE Power Optimization Lab

The right BLE controllers provide months or years of battery life without sacrificing the experience.

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We work with Industry Leaders

Challenges with BLE power optimization

Achieving ultra-low energy consumption in BLE devices is complicated by complex dependencies that can thwart design goals.

The trade-off paradox (Latency vs. Power)

The pursuit of low latency often requires frequent connections, which aggressively drains the battery. As a result, designers are forced to accept an undesirable trade-off between responsiveness and product lifespan.

Lack of visual control over power consumption

Without specialized engineering tools, developers rely on theoretical estimates. They lack the real-time visual feedback necessary to identify high current peaks and effectively optimize the link layer.

Ineffective throughput optimization

Many developers fail to fully utilize Data Length Extension (DLE) and ATT MTU optimization, leading to unnecessary packet overhead and wasting airtime energy.

Rigid communication profiles

Products often stick to uniform, static communication settings. The failure to implement adaptive profiles (e.g., switching from Low-Power to Low-Latency based on activity) leads to poor UX or massive energy waste.

Our solutions for BLE power optimization

Our modular ecosystem integrates hardware tools and custom software to fine-tune every element of the BLE link for maximum energy efficiency.

01 The hardware foundation

Current measurement instrumentation

We integrate specialized hardware and PMIC design principles to enable precise real-time current draw measurement (in µA and mA), essential for accurate optimization.

Optimized RF chain and antenna

Custom RF design minimizes link budget losses, ensuring maximum range and throughput efficiency at the lowest possible transmit power (Tx Power).

Sensor batching architecture

Designing the memory and interrupt architecture of the peripheral device (e.g., nRF54 + Accelerometer) for efficient data sample batching, minimizing wake-up cycles and burst transmission overhead.

02 The software intelligence

Adaptive link profile engine

Custom firmware that dynamically adjusts key parameters (Connection Interval, Slave Latency, PHY, DLE) based on device state (e.g., active use, idle, motion event), guaranteeing the optimal power-latency trade-off.

PHY switching implementation (1M, 2M, Coded)

Expert implementation of PHY switching to leverage Coded PHY for long range or 2M PHY for fast, energy-efficient data transmission with low airtime.

Advanced link layer parameter tuning

Deep expertise in optimizing LL Data Length (DLE) and ATT MTU to maximize payload per packet, drastically reducing the total airtime energy required for data transfer.

03 Analytics & Integration

Real-time KPI dashboard

A proprietary visual tool that instantly mirrors firmware parameter changes into live metrics: Average Current (µA/mA), Effective Latency, Throughput, and Estimated Battery Life (in months).

Audit tool and pre-sales calculator

Our optimization framework is used to audit client architectures and immediately deliver data-backed estimates of product lifespan improvement.

Adaptive policy engine for product launch

Creating ready-to-use profiles (e.g., Low-Power, Balanced, Low-Latency) that can be controlled via an OTA policy engine, allowing clients to remotely manage link behavior post-deployment.

Where our solutions fit

Our power optimization expertise has direct business applications in devices requiring long battery life and reliable communication.

Wearables (medical and consumer)

Maximizing battery life without performance loss
Extending the lifespan of smart rings, watches, or medical patches to months, while maintaining the responsiveness needed for real-time fitness monitoring or critical events.
Sample-and-burst strategies
Implementing energy-efficient batching of sensor data (e.g., ECG, accelerometer) that is transmitted in bursts only when the data buffer is full or a critical event is detected.
Adaptive link for UX
Automatically switching from a low-power connection to a high-speed/low-latency link the moment the user opens the mobile application.

Asset tags and condition monitoring

Multi-year deployments
Designing asset tags that utilize highly optimized low-power profiles (long connection intervals, Coded PHY) to operate for 5+ years without maintenance.
Event-based wake-up
Implementing Slave Latency and sensor interrupts to ensure the device deep sleeps, waking up instantly to transmit critical alerts (e.g., vibration anomaly, temperature spike) at minimal energy cost.

Smart buildings and enterprise sensors

Cloud backhaul efficiency
Optimizing the Peripheral-Central-Gateway communication path (e.g., nRF54 → nRF53 + Wi-Fi) to guarantee the most energy-efficient data delivery to the cloud.
High-density scalability
Fine-tuning connection intervals and frequency hopping sequences to minimize airtime and collision risk, enabling stable deployment of hundreds of long-life sensors within a single building.

What we bring to your project

We guarantee that power optimization becomes a measurable business lever, supported by our systems expertise and dedicated validation tools.

01 Clear business lever

We transform complex, abstract BLE tuning into a clear business case, demonstrating a direct correlation between engineering optimization and product SLA (Service Level Agreement) and ROI.

02 System thinking expertise

Our approach integrates radio engineering, protocols, and application requirements, ensuring optimization doesn't just reduce current draw but genuinely improves the overall user experience.

03 Proprietary validation tools

We leverage our unique Real-Time KPI Dashboard to audit and validate your architecture, eliminating guesswork and providing immediate, data-backed proof of energy savings.

04 Credibility in low-power architecture projects

Our proven methodology strengthens your brand's narrative around system thinking, positioning us as the ideal partner for high-stakes, low-power architecture projects.

Asset Tracking Solutions: Case studies

Bluetooth low energy badge for proximity data and automated sharing

We engineered a compact, ultra-low-power BLE badge designed for seamless proximity data sharing and asset identification. The solution enables reliable, real-time presence detection and integrates with existing infrastructure for automated digital workflows.

Smart Wearable Xtrava Health’s Butterfly.care

Smart wearable for infant vital signs and safety monitoring

We engineered a sophisticated, safety-critical wearable device for infant care, the Butterfly.care, integrating an AI engine and multiple sensors. The solution features BLE communication, vital sign tracking (including breathing and sleep patterns), and Over-the-Air (OTA) update capability, ensuring precision, safety, and power-efficient operation.

Testimonials

“I think the key takeaway from needCode is their ability to adapt and understand the customer's requirements. That took away probably a large portion of what could have been a lot of development time and expense for both companies.”

Bob Folkestad

President at Creative Werks

“One aspect that truly sets needCode apart is its profound expertise in firmware development. Their proficiency in various programming languages, embedded systems and hardware architecture is truly impressive. When faced with difficult problems, their strong problem-solving skills and analytical mindset shine through, allowing them to overcome obstacles with remarkable ease.”

Semeh Sarhan

CEO at Xtrava

“I worked with needCode while leading the NWTN-Berlin team in 2018. A big chunk for our FW development has been outsourced to them and they had proven to iterate very quickly, following specs and deliver on time. It was great working with them. I recommend working with needCode’s team on any Embedded SW development.”

Marco Salvioli Mariani

CTO at NWTN Berlin GmbH

“needCode Team proved to be one of the best engineers I have ever met. The part I like the most about the team is the more difficult an obstacle seems to be, the more motivated they were to find a solution and a way forward.”

Szymon Słupik

CTO at Silvair

“needCode is an outstanding partner. Their quick follow-up, scalability, and extensive professional network set them apart. Their expertise in wireless technologies has been valuable, supporting us from low-level drivers to architecture discussions.”

Tim Allemeersch

Director at Qorvo, Inc.

“needCode did a great job improving the firmware of the Vai Kai connected toys and developing new features, surpassing our expectations multiple times. I would definitely recommend hiring Bartek and needCode for the embedded software projects!”