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Bluetooth Tutorial

Technology

Bluetooth is a de facto standard and specification for small-form factor, low-cost, short range radio links between mobile PCs, mobile phones and other portable devices. The technology allows users to form wireless connections between various communication devices, in order to transmit real-time voice and data communications. The Bluetooth radio is built into a small microchip and operates in the 2.4Ghz band, a globally available frequency band ensuring communication compatibility worldwide. It uses frequency hopping spread spectrum, which changes its signal 1600 times per second which helps to avoid interception by unauthorized parties. In addition software controls and identity coding built into each microchip ensure that only those units preset by their owners can communicate.

The specification has two power levels defined; a lower power level that covers the shorter personal area within a room, and a higher power level that can cover a medium range, such as within a home. It supports both point-to-point and point-to-multipoint connections and provides up to 720 Kbps data transfer within a range of 10 meters (up to 100 meters with a power boost). The technology uses omnidirectional radio waves that can transmit through walls and other non-metal barriers. If there is interference from other devices, the transmission speed decreases but does not stop.

With the current specification, up to seven slave devices can be set to communicate with a master radio in one device. This connection of devices (slaves and master) is called a piconet. Several piconets can be linked together to form scatternets which allow communication between other device configurations.

Bluetooth SIG

The Bluetooth SIG (Special Interest Group) was founed in 1998 by Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Nokia and Toshiba. Since that time 3Com, Lucent, Microsoft, Motorola and more than 2000 member (adopters) companies have joined the organization.

Certification Process

Before a manufacturer can release a product with the Bluetooth wireless technology on the market they must receive product approval from two organizational bodies. The product must first comply with the required Bluetooth Specification ensuring interoperability with other products with the Bluetooth wireless technology. The manufacturer must also obtain Regulatory Type Approval from the legislative body responsible for such certification in each country where they wish to manufacture/sell products.

Market

Cahners In-Stat Group estimates that there will be over 670 million Bluetooth enabled devices worldwide by 2005.

Official Bluetooth site: www.bluetooth.com

Additional sources of information*

www.palowireless.com/bluetooth/
http://bluetooth.weblogs.com/
http://blue.telecoms.com
www.howstuffworks.com/bluetooth.htm
www.cstack.com/

Company pages

www.ericsson.com/bluetooth
www.motorola.com/bluetooth
www.nokia.com/bluetooth

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Page updated 1/24/07
Copyright 4th Wave Inc, 2007