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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.
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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
