EID Setup Tutorial

ABSTRACT

This tutorial will guide you through all the steps to easily set up your iBKS and start using the new frame type of Eddystone™: Ephemeral ID (EID).

AUDIENCE

This document is primarily for users with advanced knowledge of beacon configuration and management, and also familiarized with Eddystone EID

  1. Download iBKS Config Tool
  2. Update your iBKS to the new firmware version
  3. Create a project in Google Developers Console
  4. Configuring your iBKS
  5. Testing EID Registration

In order to complete the registration process and test it, you will have to use the same Google account for all tools needed.

EID Setup

1. Download iBKS Config Tool

First of all, you may download the iBKS Config Tool (you might already have the new app version updated automatically if you already had the older one installed).

IMPORTANT

The new iBKS Config Tool requires Android version 5.0 or higher / iOS 9 or higher.

2. Update your iBKS to the new firmware version

The new ‘iBKS Config Tool’ is also equipped with a DFU (Device Firmware Update), which updates beacon firmware Over The Air (OTA wireless communication) when a new version is available.

If you want to test full Eddystone™ protocol, you need our latest firmware version.

When you first run the app you will have to choose a Google account that must be the same one you will use to create the project in Google Developers Console (if at this step you are not sure which Google account you will use, you will be able to change it later). Otherwise, the app will work but you will not be able to register EID.

Please check “iBKS Firmware Update” document from our support center for further information on how to update your iBK.

3. Create a project in Google Developers Console

Before you can start playing with the new Eddystone™-EID frame, you need to create a project in Google Developers Console where all your iBKS will be registered.

Keep in mind that the Google account you use in this step must be the same one you chose previously in the iBKS Config Tool. In case you decide now to use another one, you can change the associated account in the iBKS Config Tool:

  1. Log in to the Google Developers Console by using a Google account.
  2. Click on “Select a project” and choose “Create a project…” to create a new one.create_project_1
  3. Enter a project name, click on “Show advanced options” to choose the location for the “App Engine” that most fits you and click on “Create”create_project_2
  4. In the view “Overview” with Google APIs selected, search “Google Proximity Beacon API” by using the API finder in order to enable it. Click on the API name.enable_API_1
  5. Click on the button “Enable”.enable_API_6
  6. Once the API is enabled, Google Developers Console will suggest creating credentials. This step is not necessary if you use iBKS Config Tool to register your iBKS beacons. Therefore, ignore it by clicking on the return button (arrow).enable_API_2
  7. That’s all! You are now ready to start using iBKS Config Tool.

4. Configuring your iBKS

You’re all set now, so just with few steps configuration, you are able to register your iBKS in your project created in Google Developers Console:

  1. By launching the app, in the configuration tab, choose the google account where the project to register beacons is set and it pops up a message to select a project (if there is no project created in the account selected, it will appear a notification).
    Registre_App1 Registre_App2Registre_App3

Still in the configuration tab, click on the blue button to start scanning the devices available. Once you find the specific iBKS beacon:

  1. Click on the iBKS to connect as long as your iBKS is in connectable mode. To force your beacon to enter into the connectable mode, reset it.
  2. Configure a free Eddystone slot as EID setting up an advertising interval, Radio TX power, beacon identifier (32 hexadecimal chars) and Rotation Period Exponent.
  3. When disconnecting, a pop-up message will ask you to save the new configuration into the device. Click on “YES”.
    Save config 1 Save config 2Save Config 3
  4. Once the configuration is saved, the device will automatically register the EID slot in the selected project.
    config_ibks_7config_ibks_8

5. Testing EID registration

In order to test if the EID configuration is running properly on your iBKS (from the device side through iBKS Config Tool), in the configuration tab click on the “scan devices” button to find the specific iBKS that after registering the EID, the MAC should have changed.
Then, in order to check if your iBKS has been properly registered in your EID project, follow these steps:

  1. Connect to the specific beacon (just click on it), which will allow you to see the beacon identifier unencrypted (the one you set in the EID registration process).
  2. Once the App is connected to the iBKS and all data has been loaded, click on the Eddystone button to see the slot information. If EID has been registered properly you will see an EID slot with the beacon identifier you set up in the EID registration process. Otherwise you will see the slot filled with an ‘X’.
  3. To ensure that the EID has been properly registered from the Google project side, we recommend you install the app “Beacon Tools” by Google Inc.