Connecting Many With Bluetooth

Connecting Many With Bluetooth

Constantly evolving, the technology of Bluetooth
started off as a basic wireless connection standard
but has since then been adapted and proven with many
different uses and functions.

A good example is Bluetooth for cell phones. It
enables mobile users to connect to their hands free
headset without using wires. Bluetooth technology
will also allow mobile phone users to connect
with their hands free kit as well.

Another handy use of Bluetooth is file sharing. It
allows the sharing of files between two cell phones,
between a cell phone and computer, which makes the
sharing of files a snap. If you have a cell phone
and computer, you can easily transfer data between
the two.

Say for example you wanted to put an MP3 on your
phone from your computer you could do it easily
with Bluetooth. All you would need is a Bluetooth
adapter for your computer. It doesn't stop with the
swapping of files either,as you can use your computer
and phone to synchronise phone books, send SMS messages,
and much more.

Although Bluetooth may be dandy for cell phones,
it also comes in handy for the home office as well.
Utilizing Bluetooth is a great way to set up a
home office - two computers, a printer, and even a
scanner. They all can be connected using Bluetooth
technology with effective ranges of up to 10 meters.

The technology and devices of Bluetooth will be
around for years and years to come. As years go
by, Bluetooth will provide even better wireless
solutions for different applications. Even though
Bluetooth has a short range, it has that short
range for a reason. Bluetooth is easily the best
in wireless technology - which it continues to
prove time and time again.

How Bluetooth Works

Bluetooth devices will normally operate at 2.4 GHZ
in the license free, globally available ISM radio
band. The advantage to this band includes worldwide
availability and compatibility. A disadvantage to
this however, is that the devices must share this
band with other RF emitters. This includes
automobile security systems, other wireless devices,
and other noise sources, such as microwaves.

To overcome this challenge, Bluetooth employs a
fast frequency hopping scheme and therefore uses
shorter packets than other standards within the
ISM band. This scheme helps to make Bluetooth
communication more robust and more secure.

Frequency hopping
Frequency hopping is basically jumping from frequency
to frequency within the ISM radio band. After a
bluetooth device sends or receives a packet, it
and the device (or devices) it's communicating with
hop to another frequency before the next packet is
sent. This scheme offers three advantages:
1. Allows Bluetooth devices to use the
entirety of the available ISM band, while never
transmitting from a fixed frequency for more than a
short period of time. This helps insure that
Bluetooth conforms to the ISM restrictions on the
transmission quantity per frequency.
2. Ensures that any interference won't
last long. Any packet that doesn't arrive safely
to its destination can be resent to the next
frequency.
3. Provides a base level of security as
it's very hard for an eavesdropping device to predict
which frequency the Bluetooth devices will use
next.

The connected devices however, must agree upon the
frequency they will use next. The specification
in Bluetooth ensures this in two ways. First, it
defines a master and slave type relationship between
bluetooth devices. Next, it specifies an algorithm
that uses device specific information when
calculating the frequency hop sequences.

A Bluetooth device that operates in master mode can
communicate with up to seven devices that are set in
slave mode. To each of the slaves, the master
Bluetooth device will send its own unique address
and the value of its own internal clock. The
information sent is then used to calculate the
frequency hop sequences.

Because the master device and each of the slave
devices use the same algorithm with the same initial
input, the connected devices will always arrive
together at the next frequency that they have agreed
upon.

As a replacement for cable technology, it's no
wonder that Bluetooth devices are usually battery
powered, such as wireless mice and battery powered
cell phones. To conserve the power, most devices
operate in low power. This helps to give Bluetooth
devices a range of around 5 - 10 meters.

This range is far enough for wireless communication
but close enough to avoid drawing too much power
from the power source of the device.

Introduction To Bluetooth

Bluetooth was designed to allow low bandwidth wireless
connections to become easy to use so even those who
are new to wireless can use them. Version 1.1 of
Bluetooth describes a low power, short range wireless
networking technology that uses radio waves to send
data at rates up to 720 kilobits a second.

The specification for Bluetooth provides for different
classes of radio that allow transmission ranges of
up to 100 meters by boosting the radio power. The
technology of Bluetooth isn't limited to line of
sight transmission since it uses directional waves
that are capable of transmitting through many
obstructions.

Bluetooth is an industry standard communication of
wireless, meaning that it enables the connection
of other devices as well, such as cell phones,
computers, digital cameras, and other types of
electronic devices. The specification of Bluetooth
defines a radio system and a "stack" of protocol
layers and profiles. The highest layer is the
application layer, while the lowest layer is the
radio.

The wireless technology of Bluetooth is positioned
to revolutionize the personal connectivity market
by providing freedom from inconvenient fixed type
lines.

The specification for Bluetooth eliminates the need
for cables by providing a small form factor, low
cost wireless solution that will link computers,
cell phones, and other electronics. Bluetooth
also allows users to connect many ranges of devices
quickly and easily and expands communications
capabilities as well.

The size of the Bluetooth radio is amazing, as a
Bluetooth radio can be built into one or two very
small microchips then integrated into any electronic
device where wireless operations would be an
advantage.

Bluetooth also offers a robust link, which ensures
that normal operating circumstances are not
interrupted by interference from other signals
that are operating in the same frequency band.

Also known for its worldwide operation, Bluetooth
radio operates in the 2.4 GHz frequency band, which
is license free and available to any type of
radio system in the world. No matter where you
are in the world, you count on Bluetooth to work.

Security is also important. Offering advanced
security mechanisms, Bluetooth ensures a high level
of security. Therefore, authentification will
prevent unauthorized acess to important data and
make it very difficult to listen in.

Bluetooth also boasts power optimization. The radio
is power friendly and the software for Bluetooth
is very configurable, limiting the power consumption
of equipment. The radio itself only consumes a
small amount of power from a cellular phone.

Key Learning Points Of Bluetooth

Bluetooth is easily the best in wireless handheld
technology. When it comes to learning, Bluetooth
can get quite complicated. To help you, you'll find
the key learning points of Bluetooth below:

1. Bluetooth is an energy efficient, low
overhead communication protocol that's ideal for
interdevice communications.
2. Unlike infrared, Bluetooth doesn't require
a line of sight.
3. Depending on the implementation, Bluetooth
can have a range of up to 100 meters.
4. The specification of Bluetooth consists of
a Foundation Profile Document and a Foundation Core
Document.
5. The protocol stack for Bluetooth consists
of core protocols, cable protocols, and even adapted
protocols.
6. The transmitter operates around the 2.4
GHz frequency band.
7. The data channel will change frequency, or
hops, 1,600 times in a second, between the 79 allocated
channels in the ISM band.
8. Bluetooth utilizes a spread spectrum
frequency hopping RF characteristic to ensure that
independant networking operates when the other
devices are in range.
9. A piconet is formed when one or more
devices open up a channel of communication.
10. A piconet can have a master and up to
seven slaves.
11. Communication of the interdevice is
based on the concepts of channels.
12. All Bluetooth devices are capable of
transmitting voice.
13. The channel has a total capacity of
1 MB per second.
14. There are two types of channels with
Bluetooth - SCO (Synchronous Connection Oriented) and
ACL (Asynchronous Connectionless).
15. The SCO channels are time oriented, and
are therefore primarily used for transferring time
critical data such as voice.
16. ACL channels are normally used for
communicating data.
17. Data contained in a packet can be up to
2,745 bits in length.
18. In a single piconet, there can be up
to three SCO links containing 64,000 bits a second
each.
19. To avoid collision and timing problems,
SCO links are reserved slots that are set up by
the master.
20. The masters can support up to three
SCO links with either one, two, or three slaves.
21. The slots that aren't reserved for SCO
links can be used as ACL links.
22. The LMP (Link Management Protocol)
will handle link level security, error corrections,
and the establishment of communications links.
23. The LMP packets will have priority
over user packets that originate and form the
L2CAP layer.
24. The L2CAP layer will ensure an
acceptable quality of service.
25. No more than one ACL link can exist
at the L2CAP layer.



The Bluetooth Solution

The technology of Bluetooth will take small area
networking to the next level by removing the need
for user intervention and help keep transmission
power very low to preserve battery power. Each
transmission signal to and from your cellular
phone will use just 1 mw of power, giving you
plenty of space on your battery to talk.

Bluetooth is a networking standard that will
work on two levels:
1. It will provide agreement at the
physical level, as Bluetooth is a radio frequency
standard.
2. It will provide agreement at the level
of protocol, where products will have to agree
on when bits are sent, how many are sent, and how
the parties in conversation can be sure the message
recieved is the same one that was sent.

The major draws to Bluetooth is the fact that
it's wireless, inexpensive, and automatic. There
are other ways to get around wires, including
infrared. Infrared uses light waves of a lower
frequency than the human eye can, and is normally
used in television remote controls.

The technology of Bluetooth is intended to get
around the problems that normally come with
infrared systems. The 1.0 older standard of
Bluetooth has a max transfer speed of 1 MB a
second, while the 2.0 Bluetooth standard can
manage up to 3.0 MB a second. To make things
better, 2.0 is compatible with 1.0 devices.

As a solution to wireless, Bluetooth will
eliminate the need for messy cords, keeping
everything nice and neat. It's perfect for those
who like to talk on cell phones, as you no
longer need to hold the phone next to your
ear - which is great for those who travel a
lot.

The Future Of Bluetooth

Because it meets the basic needs of connectivity in
close range, Bluetooth has a very bright future
ahead of it. Bluetooth is actually the result of
initiatives from nine leading communications and
computer industry giants, including 3-COM, Sony,
Lucent, IBM, Nokia, Microsoft, etc.

Since the forming of the original group, more than
1,800 manufacturers around the world have joined
the initiative. According to reports, the Bluetooth
technology is expected to be built into more than
100 million devices, with over 670 million enabled
Bluetooth devices.

Resulting from the amazing success of WAP (Wireless
Application Protocol), the adoption of smart phones
and hand held devices, Bluetooth can easily have
an amazing impact on your day to day life. Bluetooth
is one of the key technologies that can help to
make the mobile information society happen, by
blurring the possibilities between home, the office,
and the outside world.

The seamless integration and connectivity that
Bluetooth promises will make it possible to explore
a wide range of interactive and highly transparent
personalized services which were actually quite
difficult to dream of simply because of the
complexity involved with making such devices
communicate with each other.

Many Bluetooth pilot products have already been
rolled into the market and backed by big vendors,
which is a healthy sign for the overall acceptance
of the technology. The support for Bluetooth isn't
limited to companies that develop only Bluetooth
enabled products.

The applications for Bluetooth can have great
impacts on other industries as well. The adoption
of Bluetooth technology is expected to spread
throughout the industry of computers.

Unlike infrared technology, Bluetooth is used by
many different wireless devices. Bluetooth offers
exceptional quality for short range wireless, even
going through walls and obstructions. While
infrared is the biggest competitor at this time,
Bluetooth far surpasses it, proving to millions that
it is the wireless communication technology of the
present day and age.

In the beginning, Bluetooth started with version 1.0,
then gradually moved from there. The current
version is 2.0+EDR, with another version currently
in development. The technology behind the Bluetooth
specification always getting better and better,
which is why it's so popular.

In the future, you can expect the technology
behind Bluetooth to get better. Bluetooth has
proven to be the wireless standard of the future,
offering you wireless connectability for hundreds
of different devices. For cell phones or other forms
of wireless connections, Bluetooth is the one
technology that you don't want to find yourself
without.

Using Bluetooth

The amazing technology of Bluetooth presents a great
way of exchanging data between two wireless devices.
Unlike telephones, there are no wires or messy
leads to worry about. You can enjoy wireless
communications with short distances of up to thirty
feet.

Bluetooth also offers interoperability, meaning that
you can use your portable Bluetooth device to connect
with existing Bluetooth points. This way, you won't
have to carry a data lead or CDs of drivers around
with you everywhere you go. You can enjoy the best
of wireless without having to worry about installing
your software.

With today's Bluetooth, you can use your PDA and cell
phone to surf the net or check emails as you travel.
If you are in the business field, this can be very
beneficial, especially if you like to check your
email throughout the day. Bluetooth will enable you
to check your email no matter where you are - which
is great news for those who like to travel.

Bluetooth will also enable to you to transfer files
as well, such as MP3 and photo to and from your mobile
device. Bluetooth dominates the world of short range
wireless, enabling you to do more than you may
have thought possible.

One of the best things to Bluetooth and something
everyone loves is the wireless headset. Bluetooth
offers wire free headsets for your cell phone or
computer, which is great for those who like to walk
around or talk on the phone in the car, without
having to worry about your hands getting in the way.

To make things even better, you can use a Bluetooth
GPS device for satellite navigation on your PDA,
laptop, or mobile. If you travel - this can be
really great to have.