What is Bluetooth Technology?

What is Bluetooth?

Bluetooth is an open wireless technology used for exchanging of data over short distances with the help of short-wavelength radio transmissions from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks (PAN) with high levels of security. It was created by the telecom company Ericsson in 1994.

Why is Bluetooth Called Bluetooth?

The word “Bluetooth” comes from the by name of the tenth-century king Harald I of Denmark who united Danish tribes into a single kingdom. The implication is that Bluetooth does the same with communication protocols, uniting them into one universal standard.

The bluetooth logo is a combination of extremely rare Viking inscriptions and King Haralds initials.

Bluetooth is managed by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), a not-for-profit trade association that oversees the development of Bluetooth standards and the licensing of the Bluetooth technologies and trademarks to manufacturers. A whopping 15,000 companies fall under the SIG in the areas of telecommunication, computing, networking, and consumer electronics.

Bluetooth Uses and Implementation –

• Bluetooth uses a radio technology called frequency-hopping spread spectrum, which chops up the data being sent and transmits chunks of it in the frequency range of 2,400-2,483.5 MHz. This range is the globally recognized Industrial, Scientific and Medical short-range radio frequency band.
• Bluetooth enables a secure way to connect and exchange information between devices such as faxes, mobile phones, telephones, laptops, personal computers, printers, Global Positioning System receivers, digital cameras, and video game consoles.

Communication and Connection –

• A master Bluetooth device can communicate with a maximum of seven devices, though not all devices support this limit. The devices can switch roles, by agreement, and the slave can become the master (for  example, a headset initiating a connection to a phone will begin as the master, initiator of the connection; but may later prefer to be the slave).
• At any given time, data can be transferred between the master and one other device. Since it is the master that chooses which slave to address, being a master is a lighter burden than being a slave. Being a master of seven slaves is possible but being a slave of more than one master is difficult.

Devices –

• Bluetooth exists in many products, such as the iPod Touch, Lego Mindstorms NXT, PlayStation 3, PSP Go, telephones, the Nintendo Wii, and some high definition headsets, modems, televisions and watches.
• The technology is useful when transferring information between two or more devices that are near each other in low-bandwidth situations. Bluetooth is commonly used to transfer sound data with telephones or byte data with hand-held computers. Bluetooth protocols simplify the discovery and setup of services between devices. Bluetooth devices can advertise all of the services they provide.

List of Bluetooth Applications –

1. Bluetooth has a number of applications. Find out about them when two or more devices are connected to each other.
2. Wireless control of and communication between a mobile phone and a hands free headset. This was one of the earliest applications to become popular.
3. Wireless control of and communication between a mobile phone and a Bluetooth compatible car stereo system
4. Wireless networking between PCs in a confined space and where little bandwidth is required.
5. Wireless communication with PC input and output devices, the most common being the mouse, keyboard and printer.
6. Transfer of files, contact details, calendar appointments, and reminders between devices with OBEX.
7. Game consoles such as Nintendo’s Wii and Sony’s PlayStation 3 and PSP Go, use Bluetooth for their respective wireless controllers.
8. Dial-up internet access on personal computers or PDAs using a data-capable mobile phone as a wireless modem.
9. For low bandwidth applications where higher USB bandwidth is not required and cable-free connection desired.
10. Sending small advertisements from Bluetooth-enabled advertising hoardings to other, discoverable, Bluetooth devices.
11. Wireless bridge between two Industrial Ethernet networks.

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