I'm putting an nRF51 into an existing electronic device where I can't change the case at all. That means that my antenna will be very sub-optimal. However, I don't need very long range so it might be made to work. I'd like some guidance about how to measure the range over which a successful link can be maintained. Is there a minimum RSSI required to maintain the link? I've read that BLE needs a BER lower than 0.1% but that seems very inconvenient to measure compared to just looking at the RSSI. Is there a mapping from RSSI to BER? Is there a minimum acceptable RSSI for the nRF51?
Ideally, I'd like to set up an experimental rig where the device is continuously sending packets and I move my reference receiver antenna to different orientations and distances and develop a sort of perimeter within which the BLE generally works and outside of which it generally does not work. Can anyone offer advice?
