Newsletter

JANUARY 2023

BTU-3.1.3:

The BTU-3.1.3 is a major firmware update to the BTU product. This update provides better handling of the Bluetooth interface and sets it up for future updates. 

Some of the improvements include better re-connecting during loss of signal. Currently if the signal between the BTU and the Bluetooth phone are lost for a long enough time, you need to manually reconnect or power cycle the radio. Examples of where this could happen is at a car show with music playing and the user walks too far away. With this new firmware, the BTU will continue to retry connecting to the device so when you walk back into range, the BTU will automatically reconnect and continue from where it was. Another typical example would be leaving the radio playing for a passenger in the vehicle why you go to pay for gasoline or quickly grab something.

Another improvement is system sounds on the phone will no longer interrupt the radio. Things like keyboard clicks will now not go through to the radio. The user will no longer have to mute their phone to eliminate this nuisance. 

This firmware now takes control of all timing for the Bluetooth link. Things like how long the radio stays on the Bluetooth after a sound is made is now handled directly by the BTU. Now when things like “Bluetooth Disconnected” come through the radio, after the announcement is finished the radio will immediately return to what it was doing. No longer do you have to wait for an arbitrary timeout period controlled by the phone.

When you pause or stop music, the radio will wait for the exact same 6 seconds as it does for USB and then return.

These improvements will be rolled into the BT/BTL devices in a future release.