A Flexible Smart Packaging Architecture Based on BLE-PAWR for Logistics Package Traceability

This paper presents a solution for monitoring packages, based on the Periodic Advertising with Response (PAwR), featured in Bluetooth 5.4, for logistics applications. PAwR provides synchronized, bidirectional communication that minimizes collisions and enhances network scalability. These features make PAwR suitable for tracing and monitoring large supply chains.A Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) PAwR smart packaging solution, comprising low-power, low-cost tags and gateways, is proposed. These nodes allow the use of a communication network with a dynamic architecture, designed for seamless integration in logistics environments. The system supports the acquisition of real-time data parameters to monitor product integrity during transit. The network package tags and gateway were designed according to the system requirements, and a novel PAwR synchronization method is proposed, as to make PAwR compatible with a logistics scenario.Our implementation demonstrates robust connectivity and low energy consumption, with a network capacity of up to 32640 devices. Testing in diverse scenarios confirms the system’s scalability for real-world applications. This study paves the way for innovative logistics solutions leveraging the PAwR feature.