New Tool Makes Almost Any Instrument iOS Compatible

Eos Positioning Systems has released the Eos Bridge, which enables almost any instrument to become iOS Bluetooth compatible. Eos is the global manufacturer of Arrow Series GNSS receivers.

The Eos Bridge is a small, pocket-sized device that connects to instruments via Bluetooth Classic or serial port, and transmits data from them to any Apple iOS device such as iPhone or iPad, Android device or Windows mobile device.

Two connectivity methods to hundreds of instruments

The Eos Bridge offers two connectivity methods to virtually hundreds of instruments. The first method is Bluetooth Classic to Apple iOS Bluetooth. Instruments that are equipped with non-iOS Bluetooth are now able to connect to Apple iOS devices using the Eos Bridge. This includes laser rangefinders and utility-locating instruments, for example. The second method is the serial port to iOS, Android and Windows devices. With the Eos Bridge, instruments whose only connectivity option is a serial port may now be connected to any iOS, Android or Windows device via Bluetooth. This includes any instrument or sensor with an RS-232 serial port, for example.

The Eos Bridge is lightweight, at approximately 150 grams. It can be worn inconspicuously by being clipped to a belt, stored in a pocket or mounted to an instrument or sensor. The Eos Bridge battery lasts 48 to 72 hours.

The new device expands the potential pairings of legacy instruments and sensors by making them Bluetooth compatible with modern mobile devices and Arrow GNSS receivers. Two immediate applications for current Arrow GNSS users include Eos Laser Mapping for ArcGIS offset data collection, and Eos Locate for ArcGIS for underground utility mapping. Both solutions are available on iOS.