The Problem
Before Alinket took on this project, it had been stuck for a long time.
The client operates in offshore oil exploration. They planned to deploy Bluetooth sensors more than 1,000 meters underwater, with a proprietary data collection app running on deck. The app only supports Bluetooth, the code is closed, and it can't be modified. The distance between the seabed and the deck: roughly 1,000 meters.
Standard Bluetooth typically reaches a few dozen meters in real-world use. Even with high-power modules in open-air conditions, it struggles to exceed a few hundred meters — nowhere close to bridging a 1,000-meter gap.
The client had considered a workaround: seal the control computer and supporting equipment, send it down with the sensors, and process the data underwater before transmitting it back up. Technically feasible, practically unworkable. The pressure at 1,000 meters, the required protection rating, the cost of any failure — none of it made sense. The project sat untouched.
In June 2026, the requirement landed on Alinket's desk.
The Solution
The core logic isn't complicated: Bluetooth can't travel that far, but wired networks can. Alinket's job was to build a bridge between the two.
Two devices, working together.
Alinket ALXB10-EBLeadar is positioned underwater, near the sensors. It actively scans for nearby Bluetooth devices, establishes a connection, converts the Bluetooth data into an Ethernet signal, and transmits it up through existing fiber or cable.
Alinket ALXB10-EBDeputy sits on the deck, at the control station. It receives the Ethernet data from EBLeadar and re-broadcasts it locally as a Bluetooth signal. When the operator opens the original app, their phone or tablet "sees" the sensor's Bluetooth signal as if it were right next to them.
The entire link is transparent to both ends. The app has no visibility into what's happening in between, and the sensor has no awareness that the other end is 1,000 meters away. Data passes through unmodified — no parsing — with end-to-end encryption throughout. Zero code changes to the app. No firmware changes to the sensor.
Once deployed, the system ran as expected. The client's app connected, data came through, and the experience matched a direct, short-range connection exactly.
A requirement that had been stuck for months finally shipped — with Alinket's EBLeadar/EBDeputy pair doing the work underneath.
Where Else This Applies
After wrapping this project, Alinket's team realized the same underlying problem shows up across very different industries: a Bluetooth device sits somewhere people can't easily reach, but the app still needs a direct Bluetooth connection.
A few recurring scenarios:
Drilling operations — Inclinometers travel down the drill string hundreds or thousands of meters underground, while engineers on the surface need real-time orientation data to adjust direction. Alinket's EBLeadar goes down with the equipment; EBDeputy connects to the surface workstation. The original software works without modification.
Hazardous zone maintenance — Detection and monitoring equipment sits at the edge of explosive hazard zones where personnel aren't permitted. EBLeadar stays in the hazardous zone; technicians operate from a safe distance using EBDeputy and the original app — reducing exposure while meeting safety requirements.
Wireless-restricted facilities — Some defense or classified sites prohibit any wireless signal leakage, but wired infrastructure is available. EBLeadar stays on-site with the equipment, connected via cable to EBDeputy in the control room. Zero wireless signal escapes the facility.
Large-scale surveying — RTK base stations and total stations are spread across survey lines spanning kilometers. Instead of visiting each point, engineers deploy EBLeadar at each station and aggregate data remotely through EBDeputy.
Dam, tunnel, and infrastructure monitoring — Sensors embedded deep within dam galleries or tunnel linings don't require physical access. Monitoring centers connect via fiber to EBDeputy, and engineers access each sensor remotely from a tablet.
Renewable energy sites — Wind farms spanning dozens of kilometers have Bluetooth devices scattered across hundreds of turbines. EBLeadar is installed locally at each unit, aggregating through the site's fiber ring network to EBDeputy at the operations center.
Beyond Sensors: What Else Connects
Alinket's solution is transparent at the Bluetooth protocol layer. Any device using standard Bluetooth — BLE or Classic — can connect directly, with no vendor cooperation and no firmware modifications required.
Compatible device types include:
Industrial sensors (pressure, temperature, displacement, vibration, gas, etc.)
Inclinometers and measurement-while-drilling (MWD) tools
RTK receivers and total stations
Bluetooth industrial gateways and data loggers
Bluetooth medical monitoring devices (patient monitors, pulse oximeters, glucose meters)
Bluetooth locks, access control, and asset tags
Any other instrument operated through a proprietary Bluetooth app
The criteria are simple: the device communicates over Bluetooth, and wired infrastructure reaches the site. If both conditions are met, Alinket's solution works.
Specifications
Alinket ALXB10-EBLeadar and ALXB10-EBDeputy share identical hardware specifications. Deployment position determines which unit functions as the field-side or operator-side device. Full specs available on request.
Closing Thought
Bluetooth's range limit was never set by the protocol — it was set by distance.
What Alinket's ALXB10-EBLeadar and EBDeputy do is push that boundary back, extending it anywhere wired infrastructure can reach — up to 40 kilometers.
No changes to your app. No changes to your devices. No additional wireless infrastructure on-site.
Distance is no longer the constraint.
