iBeacon setup for Passport app
By setting up iBeacons in your space, you enable your customers to trigger actions such as check-ins and room bookings, simply by tapping their mobile device running the Passport app on these beacons.
What you need
First, you need to purchase an iBeacon to install in your space. These are very small devices that beam out a Bluetooth signal, which the Passport app can then interpret to trigger some action within Nexudus. These can make great replacements for tablets running our NexIO and NexBoard companion apps, provided that all you want is the signal beaming functionality.
Any iBeacon should be compatible with Passport, as long as it's configured correctly. The link below represents an example of the kind of device you could buy, but there are lots of alternatives. We will use this device as the example for this guide.
Once you have the device you can follow the steps below to get it set up.
iBeacon setup
The first step is to download the configuration app for your iBeacon device. Make sure it is available for your mobile OS. In the case of the Avvel iBeacons, the app is called eBeacon. Links for Android and iOS below. You might be able to configure your device with the apps below even if they are not made by Avvel.
Once you have the app installed and running, navigate to the "Central" tab and look for the name of your beacon. By default Avvel beacons are usually called Jaalee, but this can differ on your device. Make sure your beacon is in configuration mode. Avvel beacons will ring when configuration mode is enabled.
Try to set up your iBeacon in an area where there are few Bluetooth devices, as otherwise you might struggle to find it on the list.
Once you've found your beacon and selected it, it's likely you will be asked for a password. Avvel devices have a password of 666666 by default. We advise you to not change this unless you have a good reason for it. If you cannot recall the chosen password at a later date, you will not be able to change the configuration for the beacon at all.
You should now have access to the configuration of your beacon. The initial screen will allow you to change the values on the beacon with hexadecimal values, but unless you are comfortable with these there is an easier way. Press the configuration button on the top right, which will give you access to a more human friendly way to change the necessary values.
Values for Nexudus actions
A breakdown for the actions you can trigger using iBeacons and the Passport app can be found below, as well as their respective configuration values.
We advise you to set the Power Value setting to 128 and the Broadcast Rate to 10. We ran extensive testing and found the beacons were detected consistently with these values while extending their battery life. With these values the battery can last close to a year. Avvel beacons will beep consistently when low on battery.
Check in
UUID - 790f084c-d069-4a20-8f16-04eea47f4ea2
Major and Minor - You can find these values in the admin panel for your space, in Settings > Apps > NexIO
Room booking
UUID - 10a6426e-c446-4adf-a3f6-e3bc0b67bdfe
Major and Minor - You can find these values in the admin panel for your space, in Settings > Apps > NexBoard
Once you've set the values, just press the Configure Beacon button to send the new data to your iBeacon! You can also press the Call Beacon button, which will make the currently linked beacon emit a sound, to ensure you are sending the data to the correct beacon.
Last updated
