At X-Telcom, we often receive a common question from clients:
“Why not just make a Bluetooth version of the Palm Vein Scanner?”
They imagine a simple device — no screen, no CPU, just a scanner that connects via Bluetooth to any POS terminal.
It sounds convenient. But in reality, creating such a device without a CPU or internal processing unit would lead to serious performance and accuracy limitations. Here’s why USB remains the most reliable communication way for professional biometric systems.
1. The Speed Difference Between USB and Bluetooth
Palm vein recognition requires real-time image transmission of both RGB and IR images.
Our current USB 2.0 interface provides a theoretical bandwidth of 480 Mbps, fast enough to transfer image streams for instant processing on Android devices.
By contrast, Bluetooth 4.0 provides only about 2 Mbps, which is over 200 times slower.
If the scanner relies only on Bluetooth to send raw image data, the transmission speed simply cannot meet the requirements for continuous, high-quality recognition. The result would be lag, data loss, and unreliable identification.
2. Why a “No-CPU Bluetooth Scanner” Can’t Work
A Bluetooth device without a CPU can only transmit basic data. But a Palm Vein Scanner is different from simple sensors — it generates complex image data that must be analyzed through algorithms.
Without an onboard CPU, the scanner would have to send every frame to the host POS terminal for processing.
However, with Bluetooth’s low bandwidth, that means:
- Real-time palm image streaming is impossible.
- Recognition accuracy drops significantly.
- Data transmission may freeze or fail during authentication.
This is why USB is still the ideal connection method — it allows large data transfer instantly while keeping latency near zero.
3. The Role of the CPU in the Recognition Process
To achieve secure and fast recognition, a processing unit (CPU) must handle algorithmic tasks such as feature extraction and matching.
In X-Telcom’s current USB architecture:
- The Palm Vein Module sends the image stream through USB.
- The Android host CPU executes the recognition algorithm and extracts the palm vein feature points.
This division of labor ensures both speed and accuracy, while maintaining a modular structure for easy integration with payment, attendance, or ID systems.
4. BioWavePass500 — Complete Device, Proven Architecture
Our BioWavePass500 model represents a fully integrated palm vein device that communicates with Android PCBA via USB.
Even though it’s a complete unit, it still uses USB communication for data exchange internally.
The algorithm runs on the Android CPU to complete the feature extraction and matching process.
This design balances performance, reliability, and development flexibility — and it’s precisely why our global partners in fintech, healthcare, and government projects continue to trust this architecture. It can connect with clients’ existing POS/ Cashier device via WIFI/ Series ports/ RJ45 communication way too.
5. What Comes Next
X-Telcom’s R&D team is actively exploring integrated palm vein devices with built-in Bluetooth and CPU to support wireless deployments without compromising performance.
These future models will process palm vein data internally and send only the verification result through Bluetooth — a practical and secure approach.
And there’s exciting news: the BioWavePass AirOne, our portable Palm Pay device, will be released soon, offering a compact, high-performance experience that brings palm vein technology into a new era of mobility.
Ready to explore X-Telcom palm vein solutions?
Contact us to discuss your integration plans or request full technical documentation.
👉 https://x-telcom.com/palm-vein-reader/
