EPC Technologies Online Marketing Blog

Bluetooth Basics

The technology of Bluetooth wireless is a short
range communications method intended to replace
the cables that connect portable or fixed devices
while maintaining the highest levels of security.

The key features offered by Bluetooth include
low power and low cost. The specification in
Bluetooth defines a uniform structure for a wide
range of devices to communicate and connect with
one another.

The technology behind Bluetooth has achieved
global satisfaction such as enabled devices, almost
everywhere in the world. Bluetooth devices will
connect and communicate without wires through
short range and networks known as piconets.

Each device will simultaneously communicate with
up to seven other devices within a single piconet,
meaning that each device can also belong to
several piconets simultaneously. The piconets
are dynamically established as Bluetooth enabled
devices enter and leave the proximity of radio.

A fundamental to Bluetooth strength is the
ability to handle both data and voice transmissions
simultaneously. This will enable users to enjoy
varieties of innovative solutions such as hands
free talking, printing and fax capabilities,
and other applications.

Specifications
Unlike other standards of wireless, the Bluetooth
specification gives product developers both a
link layer and application layer definitions,
which will help support data and voice applications.

Spectrum
The Bluetooth technology operates in the industrial
and scientific band at 2.4 to 2.485 GHz, using a
spread spectrum, frequency hopping signal.

Interference
The adaptive frequency hopping of Bluetooth
technology was designed to reduce interference
between wireless technologies that share the 2.4
GHz spectrum. Adaptive frequency hopping (AFH)
works well within the spectrum to take full
advantage of the frequency available.

AFH hopping allows for more efficient transmission
within the spectrum, which provides users with
greater performance even if they are using other
technologies along with Bluetooth.

Bluetooth Applications

With Bluetooth being very popular with wireless, it’s
no wonder there are many applications available for
the technology. Below, you’ll find the applications
for Bluetooth.

1. Wireless networking between laptops and desktop
computers, or desktops that are in a confined space
and little bandwidth is needed.

2. Peripherals such as mice, keyboards, and printers.

3. Cell phones with Bluetooth technology have been
sold in large numbers, as they are able to connect to
computers, PDAs (Personal Data Assistant), and various
other devices. The standard also includes the
support for more powerful and longer range devices.

4. The transfer of files, images and MP3, between
mobile phones.

5. Certain MP3 players and digital cameras to
transfer files to and from computers.

6. Bluetooth technology headsets for smart phones
and cell phones.

7. Data logging equipment that transmits data to
a computer via Bluetooth technology.

8. Sony Playstation 3 and Nintendo Revolution will
both use Bluetooth technology for their wireless
controllers.

For Bluetooth, there are literally hundreds of
different applications and devices available for you
to use or purchase. As you may already know,
Bluetooth is the most popular wireless technology
in the world. It’s very reliable, very dependable,
and very hard to crack into.

There are many other applications for Bluetooth in
development now, many of which plan to take the
wireless age to the next level. Video game systems
are using Bluetooth technology as well, for their
wireless controllers. This is great news for gaming
fans, as Bluetooth offers the best in wireless
data transmission.

If your curious about applications for Bluetooth
that are still in development, you can search on
the internet. You can find all sorts of information,
especially when it comes to Bluetooth. As the
future arrives, you can expect Bluetooth to bring
bigger and better things.

Bluetooth And Infared

With new electrical devices being produced every day,
the problem of connecting things is becoming more
and more complex in nature. The system that comprises
computers and other electronics makes use of varieties
of wires, cables, etc.

These parts will communicate through light beams,
lasers, radio signals, and infrared. The problem
however, is the devices and technology is often the
connection between each component. Therefore, most
electronic systems aren’t used to their full extent
due to the problems and imperfections.

To help simplify things, a solution was created -
the solution of Bluetooth. Bluetooth is wireless
and automatic, offering users a variety of features
that have simplified the art of connection. Bluetooth
has revolutionized the standard methods of connecting
things to enabling almost anything to be connected
to a single system.

Aside from Bluetooth, there are other ways of
connecting wireless devices. One example of such
is the IR or infrared. Infrared allows low frequency
light waves to transmit signals to another component.
This technology is easy to create and the cost of
putting the IR device into a system is rather low.

Infrared technology is a one to one process. Due
to the limitation, you may only send signals from one
device to another, similar to a television set and
remote control. You can only transmit signals
between the two although not with a seperate system.

Aside from the fact that these two natures of
infrared are obstacles to acquiring results, these
same qualities have worked in advantage to the
connection. Infrared devices need to be lined up
directly, meaning too little interference can occur
between the transmitters and receivers.

The technology behind Bluetooth works by transmitting
signals through low frequency radio signals. The
path of communication is working on 2.45 GHz, which
is the same frequency band used in ISM devices.

Bluetooth And Apple

The new Apple powerbook G4 are among the first
computers to offer Bluetooth technology 2.0+EDR.
The 2.0+EDR technology, which still backwards
compatible with 1.0, is up to three times faster
than previous versions, offering maximum data rate
transfers of up to 3 MBps. Being the first company
to certify a system with 2.0+EDR, Apple continues
to make great use of the Bluetooth technology.

Full support
In addition to the powerbook G4 portables, there
are other Bluetooth enabled computers available
from Apple, including the iBook, iMac G5, eMac,
and the Power Mac G5.

Making life easier
When you turn the Bluetooth feature on, your Mac
can easily perform a file transfer or even a
synchronization. From the Bluetooth selection
menu, you can choose to either send a file or
browse devices, quickly and easily. Or, you can
click the sync button in iSync to update your
cell phone or Palm OS handheld.

The Mac and GSM/GPRS mobile phone with Bluetooth
work to make each other more useful. By using
iSync, you can keep your phone updated without
having to type any info, as you can keep the
information in the more manageable address book
on your Mac instead.

You can also use your Bluetooth enabled Mac to
print documents and digital images to select a
printer that also supports the technology of
Bluetooth. Or, you can also use a headset to
talk to your friends during an iChat session.

Your Mac also has the ability to use Bluetooth
technology to communicate with your Palm OS
handheld. This way, you can perform a HotSync
operation without using any cables. You can also
send your business card or calendar events directly
to someone else’s handheld usingthe technology of
Bluetooth.

The implementation of Bluetooth by Apple is the
latest in a series of moves that have caused
great shift in the computer industry. Apple
established USB as the standard interface with
the launching of the first Mac back in 1998.

Since then, Apple established the 802.11 wireless
standard of networking with the launch of the
iBook and AirPort in 1999. During 2003, Apple
launched AirPort Extreme, which was based on
the new 802.11g high speed technology of wireless.

Now, Bluetooth helps to further strengthen the
dominant position of the Mac in wireless
communications, helping to preserve Apple’s
reputation for being the first to market with
innovative technology that integrates right into
the operating system.

Bluetooth Technical Operations

Bluetooth is a high speed, low powered wireless link
technology that’s designed to connect phones or other
portable equipment together with little to no work
required by the user. Unlike infrared, Bluetooth
doesn’t require line of site positioning to work.

Current prototype circuits are contained on a board
that is 0.9 cm square, with a much smaller circuit
board being developed.

When one Bluetooth device comes in contact with
another, they will automatically exchange addresses
and details of capability. Then, they can establish
a 1 MB link with security that they will use as
required. The protocols involved with handle both
data and voice, with a very flexible topography.

The technology achieves its goal by embedding tiny,
non expensive short range tranceivers into the
devices available today. The radio operates on the
2.45 GHz frequency band, and supports up to 721
KBps, along with three voice channels.

Each devices offers a unique 48 bit address from
the IEEE 802 standard, with the connections being
point to point or multipoint. The max range is
10 meters, although it can be extended to 100
meters by increasing the power. The devices are
also protected from radio interference by changing
their frequencies, also known as frequency hopping.

What’s important, is the fact that Bluetooth
devices won’t drain battery life. The specification
targets power consumption of the device, limiting
the drain on the battery. The radio chip will
consume only 0.3mA in stand by mode, which is less
than 5% of the power that standard phones use.

Bluetooth will also guarantee security at the bit
level. The authentification is controlled by the
user via a 128 bit key. The radio signals can
be coded with anything up to 128 bit. With the
frequency hopping, Bluetooth is already very
hard to listen into.

The baseband protocol is a combination of both
circuit and packet switches. Slots can be reserved
for synchronous packets as well. Each packet
will be transmitted in a different hop frequency.
Normally, a packet covers a single slot although
it can be extended to cover up to five slots.

Bluetooth can also support data channels of up to
three simultaneous voice channels. Therefore,
it’s possible to transfer the data while you talk
at the same time. Each individual voice channel
will support 64 KB.

From a technical standpoint, Bluetooth is very
different indeed. It’s the best wireless method
in the world, surpassing even infrared. For
communication on the go, Bluetooth is indeed
very hard to compete with.