Bluetooth Technology

"Automatic communication between various devices within a small area in a

house or an office makes it possible to provide unique and innovative services
to a professional worker or a small group of workers using portable devices.
Bluetooth technology has this potential and is coming along fast and quick. It
will replace clumsy wires, make information transfer automatic without
synchronization cradles and introduce many new applications. Technology
visionaries hope that it will do what infra red could not do over the past six
years." - Editor

In an attempt to standardize data transfer and synchronization between

disparate mobile devices in the short-distance range, Intel and Microsoft
established in 1998 a major industry consortium that included IBM, Toshiba,
Ericsson, Nokia, and Puma Technology.

Code-named Blue Tooth for the 10th century Danish king who unified
Denmark, the companies have created a single synchronization protocol to
address end-user problems arising from the proliferation of various mobile
devices -- including smart phones, smart pagers, PDAs, handheld PCs,
copiers, printers, notebooks, and many future digital appliances at home --
that need to keep data consistent from one device to another.

The proposed Bluetooth solutions (hardware and software-based) would

automatically synchronize mobile devices when end-users enter their offices
or home. Intel and others are designing the sending and receiving radio
frequency chip sets. Price point for hardware is in $5-20 range eventually.

Since the start of this initiative in 1998, interest in Bluetooth has grown
tremendously - signified by 1800 members of Bluetooth consortium by mid
2000.While Bluetooth consortium demonstrated prototype products in the
1999-2000, there are no production-quality enduser products using blue tooth
technology as of now, as far as we know. Component products (radios and
chips) that can be integrated into finished products have started becoming
available from Ericsson and others. However, here is an opportunity for more
start-up companies. irDA is a competing technology and has been
implemented in many products for over 6-7 years now but BlueTooth has a
few distinct advantages - with Ericsson/Microsoft/Intel team behind it. In our
opinion, there are relative benefits with several competing technologies - there
is some overlap too. Let competitive products thrive so that we the users get
the best solutions.

The original content for this topic was provided by Puneet

Gupta, a technology specialist in Radio networks and
freelance technology writer based in Bangalore, India. This
content was enhanced and edited by MobileInfo.Com
technical staff.

The author specializes in the field of wireless

communication. He is presently working with Lucent
Technologies in India in GSM/GPRS development. He holds
a degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering
from the University of Delhi.

What is Bluetooth?
"Think of a connected world of electronic devices and appliances around you!
You click on an icon for a device and you are linked to it, automatically and
transparently"

Bluetooth technology eliminates the need for numerous and inconvenient

cable attachments for connecting fixed computers, mobile phones, mobile
computers, handheld devices, digital cameras and even new breed of digital
appliances. It will enable users to connect a wide range of computing and
telecommunications devices easily and simply, without the need to buy, carry,
or connect cables - quite often proprietary to a specific device. It delivers
opportunities for rapid ad hoc connections, and the possibility of automatic,
unconscious, connections between devices. It creates the possibility of using
mobile data in a variety of applications.

Bluetooth makes wireless communication and networking between devices in

a small localized area of a room or a small office as easy as switching on the
light. In Bluetooth all the connections between devices are instantaneous and
invisible and the devices can talk even if they are not in line of sight because
Bluetooth utilizes a radio-based link. Your laptop could send information to a
printer in the next room, or your microwave could send a message to your
mobile phone telling you that your meal is ready.

Bluetooth is actually a standard for wireless communications between devices

in a personal area network (PAN) using radio frequency for a short range
(around 10 meters). So any two devices that follow the standard can
communicate and exchange data between each other without the need of any
connection to be made between them. A group of Bluetooth devices like a
mobile phone, a digital camera, a hand held device etc. can instantly form a
network with each other as soon as they are switched on. You could have a
mobile phone in your pocket and you could be sending e-mails using your
laptop without making any connection between your laptop and the mobile.
Your refrigerator could be placing an order with the supermarket if your milk
supply has been exhausted using your mobile phone.

Briefly, Bluetooth technology

• uses radio waves in 2.4 GHz band - therefore, no line of sight is

required
• supports multipoint, not just point to point
• works in a small confined area - 10 to 15 meters apart
• is able to support speeds of 1-2 Mbps today but will offer higher speeds
in future
• chip sets are relatively inexpensive (though more expensive than
IrDA)- $10 to $20 today in large quantities - will go down in future
• has significant industry support with over 1800 members in the industry
consortium

How Bluetooth Technology Works

"Connective convenience"

Bluetooth is a high-speed, low-power microwave wireless link technology,

designed to connect phones, laptops, PDAs and other portable equipment
together with little or no work by the user. Unlike infra-red, Bluetooth does not
require line-of-sight positioning of connected units. The technology uses
modifications of existing wireless LAN techniques but is most notable for its
small size and low cost. The current prototype circuits are contained on a
circuit board 0.9cm square, with a much smaller single chip version in
development. The cost of the device is expected to fall very fast, from $20
initially to $5 in a year or two. It is envisioned that Bluetooth will be included
within equipment rather than being an optional extra. When one Bluetooth
product comes within range of another, (this can be set to between 10cm and
100m) they automatically exchange address and capability details. They can
then establish a 1 megabit/s link (up to 2 Mbps in the second generation of
the technology) with security and error correction, to use as required. The
protocols will handle both voice and data, with a very flexible network
topography.

This technology achieves its goal by embedding tiny, inexpensive, short-range

transceivers into the electronic devices that are available today. The radio
operates on the globally-available unlicensed radio band, 2.45 GHz (meaning
there will be no hindrance for international travelers using Bluetooth-enabled
equipment.), and supports data speeds of up to 721 Kbps, as well as three
voice channels. The bluetooth modules can be either built into electronic
devices or used as an adaptor. For instance in a PC they can be built in as a
PC card or externally attached via the USB port.

Each device has a unique 48-bit address from the IEEE 802 standard.
Connections can be point-to-point or multipoint. The maximum range is 10
meters but can be extended to 100 meters by increasing the power. Bluetooth
devices are protected from radio interference by changing their frequencies
arbitrarily upto a maximum of 1600 times a second, a technique known as
frequency hopping. They also use three different but complimentary error
correction schemes. Built-in encryption and verification is provided.

Moreover, Bluetooth devices won't drain precious battery life. The Bluetooth
specification targets power consumption of the device from a "hold" mode
consuming 30 micro amps to the active transmitting range of 8-30 milliamps
(or less than 1/10th of a watt). The radio chip consumers only 0.3mA in
standby mode, which is less than 3 % of the power used by a standard mobile
phone. The chips also have excellent power-saving features, as they will
automatically shift to a low-power mode as soon as traffic volume lessens or
stops.

Bluetooth devices are classified according to three different power classes, as

shown in the following table.

Power Class Maximum Output Power

1 100 mW (20 dBm)
2 2.5 mW (4 dBm)
3 1 mW (0 dBm)

But beyond untethering devices by replacing the cables, Bluetooth radio

technology provides a universal bridge to existing data networks, a peripheral
interface, and a mechanism to form small private ad hoc groupings of
connected devices away from fixed network infrastructures. Designed to
operate in a noisy radio frequency environment, the Bluetooth radio uses a
fast acknowledgment and frequency hopping scheme to make the link robust.
Bluetooth radio modules avoid interference from other signals by hopping to a
new frequency after transmitting or receiving a packet. Compared with other
systems operating in the same frequency band, the Bluetooth radio typically
hops faster and uses shorter packets. This makes the Bluetooth radio more
robust than other systems. Short packages and fast hopping also limit the
impact of domestic and professional microwave ovens. Use of Forward Error
Correction (FEC) limits the impact of random noise on long-distance links.
The encoding is optimized for an uncoordinated environment.

Bluetooth guarantees security at the bit level. Authentication is controlled by

the user by using a 128 bit key. Radio signals can be coded with 8 bits or
anything upto 128 bits. The Bluetooth radio transmissions will conform to the
safety standards required by the countries where the technology will be used
with respect to the affects of radio transmissions on the human body.
Emissions from Bluetooth enabled devices will be no greater than emissions
from industry-standard cordless phones. The Bluetooth module will not
interfere or cause harm to public or private telecommunications network.

The Bluetooth baseband protocol is a combination of circuit and packet

switching. Slots can be reserved for synchronous packets. Each packet is
transmitted in a different hop frequency. A packet nominally covers a single
slot, but can be extended to cover up to five slots. Bluetooth can support an
asynchronous data channel, up to three simultaneous synchronous voice
channels, or a channel, which simultaneously supports asynchronous data
and synchronous voice. It is thus possible to transfer the date asynchronously
whilst at the same time talking synchronously at the same time. Each voice
channel supports 64 kb/s synchronous (voice) link. The asynchronous
channel can support an asymmetric link of maximally 721 kb/s in either
direction while permitting 57.6 kb/s in the return direction, or a 432.6 kb/s
symmetric link.

Modes of operation
An interesting aspect of the technology is the instant formation of networks
once the bluetooth devices come in range to each other. A piconet is a
collection of devices connected via Bluetooth technology in an ad hoc fashion.
A Piconet can be a simple connection between two devices or more than two
devices. Multiple independent and non-synchronized piconets can form a
scatternet. Any of the devices in a piconet can also be a member of another
by means of time multiplexing. i.e a device can be a part of more than one
piconet by suitably sharing the time. The Bluetooth system supports both
point-to-point and point-to-multi-point connections. When a device is
connected to another device it is a point to point connection. If it is connected
to more that one (upto 7 ) it is a point to multipoint connection. Several
piconets can be established and linked together ad hoc, where each piconet
is identified by a different frequency hopping sequence. All users participating
on the same piconet are synchronized to this hopping sequence. If a device is
connected to more than one piconet it communicates in each piconet using a
different hopping sequence. A piconet starts with two connected devices,
such as a portable PC and cellular phone, and may grow to eight connected
devices. All Bluetooth devices are peer units and have identical
implementations. However, when establishing a piconet, one unit will act as a
master and the other(s) as slave(s) for the duration of the piconet connection.
In a piconet there is a master unit whose clock and hopping sequence are
used to synchronize all other devices in the piconet. All the other devices in a
piconet that are not the master are slave units. A 3-bit MAC address is used
to distinguish between units participating in the piconet. Devices synchronized
to a piconet can enter power-saving modes called Sniff and hold mode, in
which device activity is lowered. Also there can be parked units which are
synchronized but do not have a MAC addresses. These parked units have a 8
bit address, therefore there can be a maximum of 256 parked devices.

Voice channels use either a 64 kbps log PCM or the Continuous Variable
Slope Delta Modulation (CVSD) voice coding scheme, and never retransmit
voice packets. The voice quality on the line interface should be better than or
equal to the 64 kbps log PCM. The CVSD method was chosen for its
robustness in handling dropped and damaged voice samples. Rising
interference levels are experienced as increased background noise: even at
bit error rates up 4%, the CVSD coded voice is quite audible.

What are the Applications?

(Major Portion of Content Provided by Puneet Gupta - a MobileInfo.Com
Technology Writer)

Bluetooth has a tremendous potential in moving and synchronizing

information in a localized setting. Potential for Bluetooth applications is huge,
because we transact business and communicate more with people who are
close by than with those who are far away - a natural phenomenon of human
interaction. The following list represents only a small set of potential
applications - in future many more imaginative applications will come along:
• By installing a Bluetooth network in your office you can do away with
the complex and tedious task of networking between the computing
devices, yet have the power of connected devices. No longer would
you be bound to fixed locations where you can connect to the network.
Each Bluetooth device could be connected to 200 other devices
making the connection of every device with every other possible. Since
it supports both point to point and point to multipoint it will virtually
make the maximum number of simultaneously linked devices unlimited.

• The Bluetooth technology connects all your office peripherals

wirelessly. Connect your PC or notebook to printers, scanners and
faxes without the ugly and trouble some cable attachments. You can
increase your freedom by connecting your mouse or the keyboard
wirelessly to your computer.

• If your digital cameras in Bluetooth enabled, you can send still or video
images from any location to any location without the hassle of
connecting your camera to the mobile phone on the wireline phone.

• Bluetooth allows us to have three way phones. At home, your phone

functions as a portable phone (fixed line charge). When you're on the
move, it functions as a mobile phone (cellular charge). And when your
phone comes within range of another mobile phone with built-in
Bluetooth wireless technology it functions as a walkie-talkie (no
telephony charge).

• In meetings and conferences you can transfer selected documents

instantly with selected participants, and exchange electronic business
cards automatically, without any wired connections.

• Connect your wireless headset to your mobile phone, mobile computer

or any wired connection to keep your hands free for more important
tasks when you're at the office or in your car.

• Have automatic synchronization of your desktop, mobile computer,

notebook (PC-PDA and PC-HPC) and your mobile phone. For
instance, as soon as you enter your office the address list and calendar
in your notebook will automatically be updated to agree with the one in
your desktop, or vice versa.

• Automatic Message Delivery: Compose e-mails on your portable PC

while you're on an airplane. As soon as you've landed and switched on
your mobile phone, all messages are immediately sent.

• Upon arriving at your home, the door automatically unlocks for you, the
entry way lights come on, and the heat is adjusted to your pre-set
preferences.

• IBM researchers are working on a number of personal devices like a

WatchPad that could be connected with other devices through
 Bluetooth. The Watch Pad is very thin and contains 8MB of RAM.
They are also working on a version of CyberPhone called CyberPhone
- that can project data onto a small mirror. The CyberPhone can show
as much information as a small PDA because of high resolution VGA
screen.

You enter the airport-waiting lounge, equipped with Bluetooth-enabled

Internet ports. Via the ports, you and other guests use Bluetooth-enabled
laptops, PDAs, and other devices to access your office or home-based
servers via the airline server. Using voice-over IP, you also make "free"
Internet voice calls courtesy of your airline.

The Air Interface & Frequency Band

The Bluetooth air interface is based on a nominal antenna power of 0dBm.
The air interface complies with the FCC rules for the ISM band at power levels
up to 0dBm. Spectrum spreading has been added to facilitate optional
operation at power levels up to 100 mW worldwide. Spectrum spreading is
accomplished by frequency hopping in 79 hops displaced by 1 MHz, starting
at 2.402 GHz and stopping at 2.480 GHz. Due to local regulations the
bandwidth is reduced in Japan, France and Spain. An internal software switch
handles this. The maximum frequency hopping rate is 1600 hops/s. The
nominal link range is 10 centimeters to 10 meters, but can be extended to
more than 100 meters by increasing the transmit power. The Modulation is
GFSK (Gaussian Frequency Shift Keying) with a BT=0.5. The Modulation
index must be between 0.28 and 0.35. A binary one is represented by a
positive frequency deviation, and a binary zero is represented by a negative
frequency deviation. The symbol timing shall be better than ±20 ppm.

-> Frequency bands in different countries. Bluetooth SIG is working towards

harmonization of frequencies

The Current State of the Technology

(circa mid 2000)

Bluetooth technology has moved fast in terms of standards adoption, early
release of chip sets and a few demo products. Nonetheless, Bluetooth is in
early stages of development from the point of view of its adoption in enduser
applications.
To be more specific, Bluetooth technology is in a period where first release of
specifications have been developed and adopted by the core members. Chips
sets have been developed by several vendors and have been released to
systems integrators. Software development kits have also been released by
major vendors. A number of developers conferences have been held in
Europe and North America. Now, the second level of developers like 3COM
and extended Systems have got into the act to develop systems development
tools that business application developers can use.

Some product demonstrations during 2000:

• The Ericsson Bluetooth Headset is a lightweight, wireless mobile
phone headset, with a built-in Bluetooth radio chip that acts as a
connector between the headset and the Bluetooth plug on the Ericsson
phone. When your phone rings, you can answer by simply pressing a
key on the headset. If you want to make a call, press the key on the
headset and use voice recognition to initiate the call. The phone can be
up to 10 meters (30 ft.) away, in a briefcase, your coat pocket, or even
in another room while you speak and enjoy complete mobility without
cables dangling about. Weighing a mere 20 grams (0.75 oz.), the
Bluetooth Headset sits comfortably on either ear and can be used with
Ericsson T28, T28 WORLD and R320 cellular phones.

• Nokia displayed a Bluetooth headset that allows users wireless

communication with their mobile phones over distances of up to 10
metres.

• Nokia and Fujifilm have been developing a prototype Mobile Imaging

technology, allowing a modified Nokia 9110 Communicator containing
a Bluetooth chip to receive images taken on a Bluetooth equipped
Fujifilm digital camera. After adding a few lines of text, the user can
send the received photograph to another Nokia Communicator, or to
the Fujifilm Web service, where it could be viewed, printed or saved on
a CD-R. By combining the ease of SMS messaging with digital
photography, Mobile Imaging is a clear indication of the potential of
Bluetooth.

• The AutoPC is a Windows CE-based device that combines a computer

with a car radio. It uses voice recognition technology to enable hands-
free communication for the driver and enables mobile devices such as
phones, PDAs, notebooks, pagers and so on to be docked.

• Xircom demonstrated the capabilities of its Compact Flash product by

transferring voice data file between two Windows CE palm-sized PCs
at a data rate of 721kB/sec. The device looks like any ordinary
Compact Flash card, with the exception of a square plastic antenna
attached to one end.

Some Bluetooth enabled products in the market:

• Ericsson R520 Bluetooth/WAP/GPRS/Triband
• Ericsson T36 Bluetooth/WAP/HSCSD/Triband
• Alcatel OneTouch 700 GPRS, WAP, Bluetooth
• TDK Bluetooth Product Range
• Bluetooth-enabled Nokia 9110 linked to a FujiFilm digital camera
• Ericsson Bluetooth GSM Headset
• Ericsson Communicator

MobileInfo's Advisory and Comments:

There is significant hype about Bluetooth. It is not unlike WAP. The PR
machinery of Bluetooth community, vendors and developers would make you
believe that Bluetooth is going to solve all the problems of short-distance
connectivity without wires at a low cost and in the near future. They may also
not acknowledge any overlap with 802.11 wireless LAN or HomeRF
technologies. Reality is a little bit different than the glossy Powerpoint
presentations and speeches by eloquent VPs of marketing for these vendors.
We advise the user organizations to apply a bit of caution to some of these
claims. Here is our assessment:

• With the momentum going at this speed and R&D dollars committed,
we should expect during 2001 a reasonable set of products at silicon
level, chip level and device adapter level that the systems integrators
can utilize in the finished products for enduser devices - from smart
phones to laptops.
• The prices of Bluetooth-enabled components will remain high during
first part of 2001and this will delay widespread adoption. By December,
the prices had come down both as a result of ramp of production but
also due to single chip implementations and general downturn in the
economy.
• Increased competition and production will bring the prices down in
2002.
• Distance limitation of Bluetooth in the first version will limit its use to
close-range applications only. From systems engineering perspective,
we do not see much conflict with wireless LAN applications and
Bluetooth. The former is well-tested technology spanning much longer
distances and higher speed. Let us not get into fruitless arguments and
use appropriate technology where its core applications are. Also,
expect 802.11 wireless LAN adapters to decrease in prices.
• Bluetooth will inevitably go through a phase where real experience will
fall short of the promise it held.
• The number of 1000 plus vendors will shrink to, may be, 100 plus who
will survive the rationalization that will follow in 2002-2003 time frame.
Therefore, stay with vendors who have holding power or those who
have great alliances. Otherwise you will have to say goodbye to your
initial Bluetooth experimentation.
• Security standards for Bluetooth are still in a formative stage. Which
devices talks to which and how do users allow or deny access to other
Bluetooth devices as they approach them is still not clear - it is still
being discussed at SIG level in 802.15 subgroup of IEEE. Therefore,
 there is still a gap between the cup that holds Bluetooth Elixir and the
lip that must sip it to reach short-distance connectivity salvation.

Status of Bluetooth at the end of 2002

Competing Technologies
(Major Portion of Content Provided by Puneet Gupta - a MobileInfo
Technology Writer)

Besides Bluetooth many other technologies exist like IrDA, Home RF (SWAP)
that provide similar or related services. A quick glance into their scope and
properties would help putting all of these into perspective. Lets look at the
features of Bluetooth first (for the sake of comparison)

• Operates in the 2.56 GHZ ISM band which is globally available

• Uses FHSS
• Can support up to 8 devices in a piconet
• Omni-directional, non line of sight transmission through walls
• 10m to 100m range
• Low cost, $20
• 1mW power
• Extended range with external power amplifier (100 meters)

IrDA
IrDA is an international organization that creates and promotes interoperable,
low-cost infrared data interconnection standards. IrDA has a set of protocols
covering all layers of data transfer and in addition has some network
management and interoperability designs. IrDA protocols have IrDA DATA as
the vehicle for data delivery and IrDA CONTROL for sending the control
information. [Feng99] [Williams00] IrDA DATA defines a standard for an
interoperable universal two way cordless infrared light transmission data port.
Adapters now include the traditional upgrades to serial and parallel ports

Features:
• Range: From contact to at least 1metre. Can be extended to 2 meters.
A low power version relaxes the range objective for operation from
contact through at least 20 cm between low power devices and 30 cm
between low power and standard power devices. This implementation
affords 10 times less power consumption. These parameters are
termed the required maximum ranges by certain classes of IrDA
featured devices and sets the end user expectation for discovery,
recognition and performance.
• Bi-directional communication is the basis of all specifications
• Data transmission from 9600 b/s with primary speed/cost steps of 115
kb/s and maximum speed up to 4 Mb/s
• Data packets are protected using a CRC (CRC-16 for speeds up to
1.152Mb/s and CRC-32 at 4 Mb/s).
IrDA vs Bluetooth
If you examine the benefits of each technology, you can see that Bluetooth
and IrDA are both critical to the marketplace. Each technology has
advantages and drawbacks and neither can meet all users' needs. Bluetooth's
ability to penetrate solid objects and its capability for maximum mobility within
the piconet allows for data exchange applications that are very difficult or
impossible with IrDA. For example, with Bluetooth a person could synchronize
their phone with a PC without taking the phone out of their pocket or purse
(this is not possible with IrDA). The omni-directional capability of Bluetooth
allows synchronization to start when the phone is brought into range of the
PC.

The Bluetooth standard defines the layers 1 and 2 of the OSI model. The
application framework of Bluetooth is aimed to achieve interoperability with
IrDA and WAP. In addition, a host of other applications will be able to use the
Bluetooth technology and protocols.

APPLICATION PROGRAMS
IrDA Interoperability Application Programs WAP Interoperability
TCP / IP

LOGICAL LINK CONTROL

LINK MANAGER
BASEBAND
RADIO

HOME RF
The HomeRF is a subset of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
who is working on the development of a standard for inexpensive RF voice
and data communication. Currently, the HomeRF Working Group specification
provides for wireless Ethernet transmission.

• Range: Maximum 40 meters

• Data rates of 1.2Mbps

The HomeRF Working Group has also developed the Shared Wireless
Access Protocol (SWAP). SWAP is a industry specification that permits PCs,
peripherals, cordless telephones and other devices to communicate voice and
data without the usage of cables. SWAP is similar to the CSMA/CA protocol of
IEEE 802.11 but with an extension to voice traffic. The SWAP system can
either operate as an adhoc network or as a infrastructure network under the
control of a connection point. In an adhoc network, all stations are peers and
control is distributed between the stations and supports only data. In an
infrastructure network, a connection Point is required so as to coordinate the
system and it provides the gateway to the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone
Network). Walls and floors don't cause any problem in its functionality and
some security is also provided through the use of unique network IDs. It is
robust, reliable and minimizes the impact of radio interference.

Features:
• operates in the 2.45 GHz range of the unlicensed ISM band
• Range: upto 150 feet
• employs frequency hopping at 50 hops per second
• It supports both a TDMA service to provide delivery of interactive voice
and CSMA/CA service for delivery of high speed data packets
• The network is capable of supporting upto 127 nodes
• Transmission Power : 100mW
• Data Rate : 1Mbps using 2FSK modulation and 2 Mbps using 4 FSK
modulation
• Voice connections : upto 6 full duplex conversations
• Data Security : Blowfish encryption algorithm (over 1 trillion codes)
• Data Compression : LZRW3-A algorithm

SWAP vs Bluetooth
Currently SWAP has more installed base compared to Bluetooth but it is
believed that Bluetooth is eventually going to prevail. Bluetooth is a
technology to connect devices without cables. The intended use is to provide
short-range connections between mobile devices and to the Internet via
bridging devices to different networks (wired and wireless) that provide
Internet capability. HomeRF SWAP is a wireless technology optimized for the
home environment. Its primary use is to provide data networking and dial
tones between devices such as PCs, cordless phones, Web Tablets and a
broadband cable or DSL modem. Both technologies share the same
frequency spectrum but do not interfere when operating in the same space.
[Derfler00]

A quick glance comparison between these technologies is presented below.

Data
Peak Data Relative Voice network
Range network
Rate Cost support
support
IEEE
2 Mbps 50m Medium Via IP TCP / IP
802.11
IrDA 16 Mbps < 2m Low Via IP Via PPP
Via IP and
Bluetooth 1 Mbps < 10m Medium Via PPP
cellular
Via IP and
HomeRF 1.6 Mbps 50m Medium TCP / IP
PSTN
What’s the future for Bluetooth
Bluetooth has a good future ahead because it meets a basic need of
connectivity in close proximity, is the result of initiatives of nine leading
communications and computer industry vendors including companies like 3-
COM, Ericsson, Lucent, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Nokia, Toshiba etc. Since the
formation of the original group, more than 1800 manufacturers worldwide
have joined the initiative worldwide. According to one market research report,
Bluetooth technology is expected to be built into over 100 millions devices
before the end of 2002. According to still another report from market research
firm Cahners In-Stat Group, there will be over 670 million Bluetooth enabled
devices worldwide by 2005.

As a result of success of WAP (Wireless Application Protocol), adoption of

smart phones and handheld devices, Bluetooth will have tremendous effects
on everyday life. Bluetooth is one of the key technologies that can make the
mobile information society possible, blurring the boundaries between home,
the office, and the outside world. The seamless connectivity promised by
Bluetooth makes it possible to explore a range of interactive and highly
transparent personalized services which were even difficult to dream of
because of the complexity involved in making various devices talk to each
other. Already many Bluetooth pilot products have rolled into the market
backed by big vendors, which is a very healthy sign for the acceptance of the
technology. The support for Bluetooth is not limited to companies developing
Bluetooth enabled products only. Bluetooth applications can have far reaching
impacts on many other industries as well. Bluetooth technology adoption is
expected to be widespread throughout the computer and telecommunications
industry. Implementation of the Bluetooth technology is expected to grow the
market for personal mobile devices and indirectly increase airtime usage for
wireless data. Over the long term. manufacturers will also benefit from the
ability to replace multiple connection ports with a single Bluetooth module,
gaining economies at the production level. The Bluetooth SIG has defined
favorable adoption terms, including open, royalty-free availability of the
specification and is playing an important role in spreading the technology.

Do a keyword search on home page or this page using "Bluetooth and

802.11" as keywords to understand debate between Bluetooth and 802.11.
Also go to Bluetooth versus WLAN/802.11b page

The Bluetooth Standard and Specifications

The Bluetooth Specification is a de facto standard containing the information
required to ensure that diverse devices supporting the Bluetooth wireless
technology can communicate with each other worldwide. The document is
divided into two parts: Volume 1, Core, and Volume 2, Profiles. The Core part
specifies components such as the radio, base band, link manager, service
discovery protocol, transport layer, and interoperability with different
communication protocols. The Profiles part specifies the protocols and
procedures required for different types of Bluetooth applications.
Software Development Kits for Bluetooth
1. Extended XTNDAccess Bluetooth SDK and protocol stack
2. Impronto Simulator from Rococo Software runs Java applications in a
simulated Bluetooth environment, allowing developers to run simply test
and configure applications before deploying them on Bluetooth devices.
Rococo announced in January 2002 use of Extended Systems Bluetooth
development stack with its own Java Developer kit.
3. Palm Inc. is shipping Bluetooth SDK (for free ) and Bluetooth HDK
(Hardware Development Kit (Two Palm SDIO cards, a serial cradle, and
SDIO drivers) for $199. SDK has been approved by Bluetooth SIG. SDK
conforms to version 1.1 of Bluetooth specifications. SDIO stands for
Secure Digital Input Output card..
4. Cambridge SiliconRadio's Development kit
5. Digianswer A/S Bluetooth Development PC Card for Windows CE
6. Melody - Bluetooth hardware emulator - Bluetooth over IP SDK to test
Bluetooth applications without hardware
7. Socket Communications SPANWorks II Bluetooth SDK
8. RAPPORE Technology's SDK and protocol stack for Linux embedded
syste