Why is it called Bluetooth?

Harald Bluetooth was king of Denmark in the late 900s. He managed to unite Denmark and part of Norway into a single kingdom then introduced Christianity into Denmark. He left a large monument, the Jelling rune stone, in memory of his parents. He was killed in 986 during a battle with his son, Svend Forkbeard. Choosing this name for the standard indicates how important companies from the Nordic region (nations including Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland) are to the communications industry, even if it says little about the way the technology works.

Different ways that electronic devices can connect to one another.

Component cables Electrical wires Ethernet cables WiFi Infrared signals

The Problems
When any two devices need to talk to each other, they have to agree on a number of points before the conversation can begin. The first point of agreement is physical: Will they talk over wires, or through some form of wireless signals? If they use wires, how many are required -- one, two, eight, 25? Once the physical attributes are decided, several more questions arise: How much data will be sent at a time? For instance, serial ports send data 1 bit at a time, while parallel ports send several bits at once. How will they speak to each other? All of the parties in an electronic discussion need to know what the bits mean and whether the message they receive is the same message that was sent. This means developing a set of commands and responses known as a protocol.

The Bluetooth Solution

It's wireless. When you travel, you don't have to worry about keeping track of a briefcase full of cables to attach all of your components, and you can design your office without wondering where all the wires will go. It's inexpensive. You don't have to think about it. Bluetooth doesn't require you to do anything special to make it work. The devices find one another and strike up a conversation without any user input at all.

Bluetooth Basics

Bluetooth is a radio standard and communications protocol primarily designed for low power consumption, with a short range (power class dependent: 1 meter, 10 meters, 100 meters) based around low-cost transceiver microchips in each device. Bluetooth lets these devices communicate with each other when they are in range. The devices use a radio communications system, so they do not have to be in line of sight of each other, and can even be in other rooms, so long as the received transmission is powerful enough

Bluetooth vs. Wi-Fi in networking

Bluetooth:Bluetooth is acceptable for situations when two or more devices are in close proximity with each other and don't require high bandwidth.Bluetooth uses short-range radio frequencies, it is not as effective for setting up networks that can be accessed from remote locations as with Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi:Wi-Fi uses the same radio frequencies as Bluetooth, but with higher power consumption resulting in a stronger connection. As mentioned earlier, Wi-Fi is sometimes called "wireless Ethernet"

Bluetooth Operation

Bluetooth networking transmits data via low-power radio waves. It communicates on a frequency of 2.45 gigahertz (actually between 2.402 GHz and 2.480 GHz, to be exact). This frequency band has been set aside by international agreement for the use of industrial, scientific and medical devices (ISM).

Bluetooth-enabled cell phone

Bluetooth can connect up to eight devices simultaneously. With all of those devices in the same 10meter (32-foot) radius, you might think they'd interfere with one another, but it's unlikely. Bluetooth uses a technique called spread-spectrum frequency hopping that makes it rare for more than one device to be transmitting on the same frequency at the same time. In this technique, a device will use 79 individual, randomly chosen frequencies within a designated range, changing from one to another on a regular basis. In the case of Bluetooth, the transmitters change frequencies 1,600 times every second, meaning that more devices can make full use of a limited slice of the radio spectrum. Since every Bluetooth transmitter uses spread-spectrum transmitting automatically, its unlikely that two transmitters will be on the same frequency at the same time

Flexible Transmission

Most of the time, a network or communications method either works in one direction at a time, called half-duplex communication, or in both directions simultaneously, called full-duplex communication. A speakerphone that lets you either listen or talk, but not both, is an example of half-duplex communication, while a regular telephone handset is a fullduplex device. Because Bluetooth is designed to work in a number of different circumstances, it can be either half-duplex or full-duplex.

Contd

The cordless telephone is an example of a use that will call for a full-duplex (two-way) link, and Bluetooth can send data at more than 64 kilobits per second (Kbps) in a fullduplex link -- a rate high enough to support several voice conversations. If a particular use calls for a half-duplex link -- connecting to a computer printer, for example -Bluetooth can transmit up to 721 Kbps in one direction, with 57.6 Kbps in the other. If the use calls for the same speed in both directions, Bluetooth can establish a link with 432.6-Kbps capacity in each direction.

Communication & connection

A Bluetooth device playing the role of the "master" can communicate with up to 7 devices playing the role of the "slave". This network of "group of up to 8 devices" (1 master + 7 slaves) is called a piconet. A piconet is an ad-hoc computer network of devices using Bluetooth technology protocols to allow one master device to interconnect with up to seven active slave devices (because a three-bit MAC address is used). Up to 255 further slave devices can be inactive, or parked, which the master device can bring into active status at any time.

Contd

The figure below shows the intercommunicatio n between units in different piconets

Setting up connections

Versions of Bluetooth

Bluetooth Bluetooth Bluetooth Bluetooth

1.0 and 1.0B 1.1 1.2 2.0

Limitations: Low Power

One of the ways Bluetooth devices avoid interfering with other systems is by sending out very weak signals of 1 milliwatt With many different Bluetooth devices in a room, you might think they'd interfere with one another, but it's unlikely

Hopping

Bluetooth uses a technique called spread-spectrum frequency hopping a device will use 79 individual, randomly chosen frequencies The transmitters change frequencies 1,600 times every second, Bluetooth-capable devices come within range of one another.

ADVANTAGES OF BLUETOOTH

The Bluetooth technology offers the following advantages: Voice/data access points will allow, for example, mobile phone/Internet connections. Cable is replaced by a Bluetooth chip that transmits information at a special radio frequency to a receiver Bluetooth chip. Ad hoc networking enables personal devices to automatically exchange information and synchronize with each other. For example, appointments made on a PDA calendar automatically appear on a desktop calendar as well.

Bluetooth applications

Wireless control of and communication between a cell phone and a hands free headset or car kit. This is the most popular use. Wireless networking between PCs in a confined space and where little bandwidth is required. Wireless communications with PC input and output devices, the most common being the mouse, keyboard and printer. Transfer of files between devices via OBEX. Transfer of contact details, calendar appointments, and reminders between devices via OBEX. Replacement of traditional wired serial communications in test equipment, GPS receivers and medical equipment. For remote controls where infrared was traditionally used. Sending small advertisements from Bluetooth enabled advertising hoardings to other, discoverable, Bluetooth devices. Wireless control of a games console, Nintendo's Wii and Sony's PlayStation 3 will both use Bluetooth technology for their wireless controllers. Sending commands and software to the LEGO Mindstorms NXT instead of infrared.

Health concerns

Bluetooth uses also the microwave frequency spectrum in the range of 2.4 GHz to 2.4835 GHz. The radiated output power of Bluetooth devices is very low in power, so it is assumed that the potential health consequences are lower than other wireless devices.[citation needed] Bluetooth devices can operate continuously or sporadically (on demand), so total exposure to EMF radiation is very variable.

Conclusion
Despite its slow and over-promoted start, it is fair to say that future of Bluetooth looks bright. The penetration of Bluetooth enabled mobile phones, PDAs and other consumer products is growing steadily and there seem to be no alternative technologies widely available to address the need for affordable low-power wireless networking for myriad of mobile devices. It will remain to be seen, if emerging technologies like UWB, and the potentially increased capacity offered with them will be able to challenge this. Meanwhile, as it seems that Bluetooth hardware is being created faster than software (Erasala and Yen 2002), there is a definite need for new services and applications that take the technology further from the realm of personal cable replacement. From the technical point of view, there are no major obstacles for this development, although some issues remain to be solved especially related to formation and operation of Bluetooth scatter nets.