Permissioned Blockchain-Driven Internet of Things Gateway Using Bluetooth Low Energy

Abstract

An Internet of Things (IoT) network can have different components such as servers, gateways, and the end devices. An important source of performance constraint in such an IoT network is found in the limitations of its gateway. The capability of a gateway can dictate the effectiveness of a network and its services. The capacity, power consumption, and security of an IoT gateway are revealed as sources of network bottlenecks and service constraints. Blockchain technology can create a decentralized structure that can offload these strains. To unify these nodes as gateways under the same network, we need an effective means of communication. This paper proposes a setup that makes use of the decentralized capabilities of private blockchain technology partnered with the low-powered and secure connection of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). This provides a more secure means of wireless communication and prevents the nodes from being concentrated within an area. The architecture was compared against a standard WiFi network (2.4GHz) to prove its feasibility in effectively carrying out its functionality. In an experiment that used 4 gateway nodes, BLE proved to be more feasible than WiFi by yielding a better verification packet rate of 14 per minute compared to its counterpart that measured 4 per minute. Also, it showed to be more efficient in terms of power consumption with an average of 1095.40 mW, while the WiFi setup was measured to be 1191.83 mW. These results show promise in using BLE paired with blockchain technology to solve the capacity, power and security issues in IoT networks.