Beacons App Walkthrough Modes Follow

The Aruba Beacons app provides two walkthrough modes for measuring the performance of your Aruba Beacon hardware.

First, the Location Walkthrough Mode measures blue dot accuracy along user-defined routes.

Second, for locations without controllers and APs, or IAPs, the Battery Walkthrough Mode scans for Beacons and updates the Meridian Editor with Beacon battery level data.

Scanned Beacons will be updated on the Meridian Editor’s Beacons Management page.

Location Walkthrough

In order to use Location Walkthrough to analyze blue dot accuracy along a user-defined route, you’ll need to be physically in the location you’re analyzing.

First, you’ll define a route to test by drawing it on a map.

Second, you’ll walk the route you’ve defined.

Third, you’ll review the Beacon app’s analysis of the blue dot accuracy and use that information to identify Beacon hardware deployment problem areas.

Define a Route

Complete these steps to scan for Beacons and update the Meridian Editor.

1. In the Beacons app, make sure you’re using the correct location and map for the Beacons you’re scanning.

2. Tap the Walkthrough button in the top left corner. (It looks like a shoe.)

   

3. Tap Start Location.

   

4. Location Walkthrough uses a grey selection dot to draw a route on the map. Drag the map until the grey selection dot is on the starting point of your route, and then tap +.

   

5. Repeat step 4 until you’ve drawn the complete route.

6. Tap and hold a checkpoint to select it and drag it to a new place on the map.

7. To delete a checkpoint, select it, and then tap -.

Walk the Route

Complete these steps to walk along the location walkthrough route you’ve drawn.

1. When you’ve finished drawing your route and are physically located at the start of your route, tap Start.

   

2. Walk along the route you’ve drawn. As you reach each checkpoint, tap Next.

   The Beacons app assumes that you’re moving at a constant pace. If possible, don’t stop at the route checkpoints.

   

3. When you’re finished walking the route, tap Finish.

Location walkthrough data is sent to Meridian when you tap Finish. To get help interpreting your walkthrough data, email Meridian at developers@meridianapps.com.

Analyze the Route

Once the Beacons app has finished analyzing your route, there are two ways to review the analysis: SIGNALS and BEACONS.

SIGNALS shows the route with a color gradient to indicate blue dot accuracy. The route gradient displays green for the most accurate (~3 meters accuracy) to red for the least accurate (~+10 meters accuracy).

For areas along the route with poor blue dot accuracy, look for gaps in Beacon placement and architectural features that may interfere with Beacon Bluetooth signals.

BEACONS shows what Beacons were heard while walking along the route. Blue Beacon icons indicate that a Beacon was heard on the walkthrough, while a grey Beacon icon means that a Beacon wasn’t heard.

For Beacons that weren’t heard, check Beacon placement around architectural features that may interfere with Beacon Bluetooth signals. You may also want to check the unheard Beacon’s battery level.

Battery Walkthrough

Battery Walkthrough will scan all Beacons in range and report their status to the Meridian Editor.

In order to scan all of the Beacons on a map, you may need to walk around each floor so that your device can hear every Beacon.

Scan for Beacons

Complete these steps to scan for Beacons and update the Meridian Editor.

1. In the Beacons app, make sure you’re using the correct location and map for the Beacons you’re scanning.

2. Tap the Walkthrough button in the top left corner. (It looks like a shoe.)

   

3. Tap Start Battery.

   

4. The Beacons app will scan for all Beacons in range. As it detects them, the Beacon icons on the map will turn blue. The gray Beacon icons are those the Beacons app hasn’t heard yet.

5. Walk around the location until all of the Beacon icons are blue.

   

6. Tap “Sync”.

   

7. In the Sync Beacon Data modal, tap “Sync”. The Beacons app updates the Meridian Editor with the scanned Beacon info.

8. When you’re done, tap “Finish”.

Walkthrough Sessions

It can take a while to scan all of the Beacons in a location. To account for possible interruptions in a Beacons walkthrough scan, walkthrough mode will save walkthrough sessions. This session can be restored later on and continued from that point.

A restored session will restore the scanned and unscanned Beacon icons.

If you haven’t scanned all the Beacons but want to save the progress you’ve made, tap Close. In the “Cancel Walkthrough” modal, tap Stop and Save to save your walkthrough session. The next time you start your walkthrough session for that map, the scanned Beacons will still be blue.

To restore a session, tap the Walkthrough button, and then tap the Resume session button.