One of the Key Features of the Heart Zones Move Solution is that is is “Open”, meaning that it is able to connect to both ANT+ and BLE (bluetooth) signals from over 150+ different heart rate monitors, sensors, and activity trackers of different kinds. This is a flexibility that is unique to the Heart Zones Move Solution and gives teachers and classrooms the chance to use multiple different devices to evaluate their students.
Bluetooth is likely the more well known of the two protocols – if you’ve ever paired your phone with a wireless speaker or used a hands-free headset, you’re probably familiar with it.
Originally developed as a short-distance file transfer system, Bluetooth uses radio waves to transfer data from one electronic device to another. Since its creation, Bluetooth has only become more efficient and widely available, and its capabilities have expanded with its increase in popularity.
Traditional Bluetooth wasn’t perfectly suited for smaller devices like fitness trackers, so Bluetooth Smart was developed as a lower-energy way of using the technology to collect specific information – allowing heart rate monitors and similar products to pair with Bluetooth Smart ready phones and computers.
You may not have heard of ANT+, but chances are you’re familiar with it even if you didn’t know it. The protocol is owned by Garmin, and ANT+ chips are manufactured by big technology players like Texas Instruments. ANT+’s technology is similar to Bluetooth in that it transmits information from one ANT+ enabled device to another using radio waves. It’s application isn’t as broad as Bluetooth’s – it’s used primarily in fitness monitoring devices – but it’s certainly a reliable staple for transmitting specific data, like heart rate.