TechOnLine - Part I_ Introducing Bluetooth

7/28/2019 TechOnLine - Part I_ Introducing Bluetooth

1/3

echOnLine - Part I: Introducing Bluetooth

TechOnLine > Related Content Welcome, Emeka Maduneme | My Archive |

ech Groups:

nalognet

ommunicationsnet

SPnet

DAnet

mbeddednet

OCnet

&Mnet

roduct Evaluation:

evel. Systems

My Reservations

eference Designsesign Challenge

earn More

reescale

ducational Resources:

ve Webcasts

n-Demand Webcasts

ourses

eature Articles

echnical Papers

orums

ech Topics:

luetooth

SoC

esign Services

nternet/Network Security

ava

nux

MEMS

ower Supplies

TOS

iming Closure

ML

SB / Firewire

oIP

Web-Enabled Design

ompany Directory:

dditional Resources:

alendar

obs

ews

Worse | Better

Rate This Article

Add Comments 1 2 3 4 5

TechOnLine Publication Date: Dec. 1, 2000

Part I: Introducing BluetoothSimon Gawne

Red-M

At the height of his powers Harald Bluetooth, a 10th century Viking king, ruled over bothDenmark and Norway. He united the two kingdoms for the first time, bringing a peace thatlasted 25 years. When Ericsson sought to name an emerging technology that could unitethe worlds of computing and telecommunicationshopefully for far longerthe colorful kingwas an apt choice. The technology in question is known as Bluetooth.

In 1998, Ericsson Mobile Communications, Intel, IBM, Toshiba, and Nokia Mobile Phonesrepresenting the diverse market support needed to generate support for the new protocolformed a Special Interest Group (SIG) to promote and define Bluetooth. Today, more than1900 companies have joined the SIG to work for an open Bluetooth standard. Alreadythousands of developers are working on Bluetooth devices for what has been described as"the world's fastest-growing technology."

Is It a Bird?.. Is It a Plane?Bluetooth is a de facto industry standardan open source specification available fordevelopers to manipulate and enhancefor short-range digital radio. It is designed tooperate in the unlicensed radio spectrum known as the Industrial - Scientific - Medical (ISM)band, which is generally available in most parts of the world.

Bluetooth allows a variety of devicesnot only conventional PCs, laptops, mobile phonesand peripherals, but also PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) and other next-generationemerging portable devicesto communicate without cables or hard wiring. This is its initialadvantage, but the emergence of Bluetooth has far wider implications, as Chris Angell,senior consultant with telecommunications consultancy Intercai Mondiale, says, "Much ofthe future's communication will be done between computers, passing messages on ourbehalf and sometimes on their own behalf. Bluetooth will provide the glue to stick thecommunication systems of the 21st century together."

Thanks to Bluetooth, a device has a wireless connection to its environmentfreed from theconfines of its cord and socket, yet retaining its ability to communicate with other machines.Even more powerful, perhaps, is the addition of wire-free network connectivity for PDAs(Personal Digital Assistants) as they evolve from standalone address and scheduling tools,to mobile communicators, integrating data and voice communications with handheld

computing. The openness of the standard ensures that devices can operate with otherBluetooth applications and equipment, regardless of the manufacturer.

The technology is not designed to compete with next generation mobile systems (3G:UMTS/GPRS), but to support them. Network operators can take advantage of Bluetooth's low costand ubiquity for short-range transmissionup to 10-feet with simple low power (0-dBm)handheld devices and up to 100-feet with higher power (20-dBm) base stations. In addition,its moderate bandwidth (data can be sent up to 1-Mbit/s) and self-organizing abilities shouldbe seamless to the user.

Bluetooth chips will evolve quickly to consume a minimum amount of power and cover avery small footprintideal for the often tiny devices into which they will be placed.

TOOLS

Printer Friendly

* Email a Friend

= Add to 'My Arch

Add to Favorites

RESOURCES

PMost Popular Fea

Articles

CHighest Rated Fe

Articles

RELATED CONT

Feature Article

Where Forth Art Thou

Bluetooth?

Jim Lipman

Technical Paper

From Idea to a BluetoBased Product

Mats AnderssonconnectBlue

Interview

Interview Transcript

Gawne

Feature Article

Part II: BluetoothTh

Technical Details

Simon GawneRed-M

RELATED COMPARed-M

tp://www.techonline.com/community/related_content/11405 (1 of 3)11/20/2005 10:54:31 PM

it Q

Submit
http://www.techonline.com/communityhttp://www.techonline.com/community/my_archivehttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_grouphttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_group/analoghttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_group/commhttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_group/dsphttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_group/edahttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_group/embeddedhttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_group/sochttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_group/tandmhttp://www.techonline.com/community/prod_evalhttp://www.techonline.com/community/prod_eval/devel_systemshttp://www.techonline.com/community/prod_eval/my_reservationshttp://designs.techonline.com/http://www.techonline.com/community/prod_eval/design_challengehttp://www.techonline.com/static/flash/virtual-tour.htmlhttp://www.techonline.com/community/prod_eval/virtualab/product_eval/freescale/prodhttp://www.techonline.com/community/ed_resourcehttp://www.techonline.com/community/ed_resource/webcast_upcominghttp://www.techonline.com/community/ed_resource/webcasthttp://www.techonline.com/community/ed_resource/coursehttp://www.techonline.com/community/ed_resource/feature_articlehttp://www.techonline.com/community/ed_resource/tech_paperhttp://www.techonline.com/community/ed_resource/forumhttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_topichttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_topic/bluetoothhttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_topic/csochttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_topic/design_serviceshttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_topic/internethttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_topic/javahttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_topic/linuxhttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_topic/memshttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_topic/power_supplieshttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_topic/rtoshttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_topic/timing_closurehttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_topic/umlhttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_topic/usbhttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_topic/voiphttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_topic/web_enabled_designhttp://www.techonline.com/community/member_companyhttp://www.techonline.com/community/calendarhttp://www.techonline.com/community/jobhttp://www.techonline.com/community/newsmailto:[email protected]://www.techonline.com/community/related_content/11405?printhttp://email_a_friend_window(%2711405%27,%27feature_article%27,%[email protected]%27%29/http://email_a_friend_window(%2711405%27,%27feature_article%27,%[email protected]%27%29/http://document.myarchive.submit%28%29/http://document.myarchive.submit%28%29/http://this_page_to_favorites%28%29/http://www.techonline.com/community/home/24414http://www.techonline.com/community/home/24414http://www.techonline.com/community/home/24414http://www.techonline.com/community/home/32197http://www.techonline.com/community/home/32197http://www.techonline.com/community/home/32197http://www.techonline.com/community/related_content/24301http://www.techonline.com/community/related_content/24301http://www.techonline.com/community/related_content/20817http://www.techonline.com/community/related_content/20817http://www.techonline.com/community/related_content/11955http://www.techonline.com/community/related_content/11955http://www.techonline.com/community/related_content/11765http://www.techonline.com/community/related_content/11765http://www.techonline.com/community/member_company/non_member/3052http://www.techonline.com/community/member_company/non_member/3052http://www.techonline.com/community/related_content/11765http://www.techonline.com/community/related_content/11765http://www.techonline.com/community/related_content/11955http://www.techonline.com/community/related_content/11955http://www.techonline.com/community/related_content/20817http://www.techonline.com/community/related_content/20817http://www.techonline.com/community/related_content/24301http://www.techonline.com/community/related_content/24301http://www.techonline.com/community/home/32197http://www.techonline.com/community/home/32197http://www.techonline.com/community/home/32197http://www.techonline.com/community/home/24414http://www.techonline.com/community/home/24414http://www.techonline.com/community/home/24414http://this_page_to_favorites%28%29/http://this_page_to_favorites%28%29/http://document.myarchive.submit%28%29/http://document.myarchive.submit%28%29/http://email_a_friend_window(%2711405%27,%27feature_article%27,%[email protected]%27%29/http://email_a_friend_window(%2711405%27,%27feature_article%27,%[email protected]%27%29/http://www.techonline.com/community/related_content/11405?printhttp://www.techonline.com/community/related_content/11405?printmailto:[email protected]://www.techonline.com/community/newshttp://www.techonline.com/community/jobhttp://www.techonline.com/community/calendarhttp://www.techonline.com/community/member_companyhttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_topic/web_enabled_designhttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_topic/voiphttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_topic/usbhttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_topic/umlhttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_topic/timing_closurehttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_topic/rtoshttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_topic/power_supplieshttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_topic/memshttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_topic/linuxhttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_topic/javahttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_topic/internethttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_topic/design_serviceshttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_topic/csochttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_topic/bluetoothhttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_topichttp://www.techonline.com/community/ed_resource/forumhttp://www.techonline.com/community/ed_resource/tech_paperhttp://www.techonline.com/community/ed_resource/feature_articlehttp://www.techonline.com/community/ed_resource/coursehttp://www.techonline.com/community/ed_resource/webcasthttp://www.techonline.com/community/ed_resource/webcast_upcominghttp://www.techonline.com/community/ed_resourcehttp://www.techonline.com/community/prod_eval/virtualab/product_eval/freescale/prodhttp://www.techonline.com/static/flash/virtual-tour.htmlhttp://www.techonline.com/community/prod_eval/design_challengehttp://designs.techonline.com/http://www.techonline.com/community/prod_eval/my_reservationshttp://www.techonline.com/community/prod_eval/devel_systemshttp://www.techonline.com/community/prod_evalhttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_group/tandmhttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_group/sochttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_group/embeddedhttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_group/edahttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_group/dsphttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_group/commhttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_group/analoghttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_grouphttp://www.techonline.com/communitylogout?url=/community/home/related_content/11405http://www.techonline.com/community/my_archivehttp://www.techonline.com/communityhttp://www.techonline.com/community/homehttp://www.techonline.com/community/homehttp://www.techonline.com/community/member_companyhttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_topichttp://www.techonline.com/community/ed_resourcehttp://www.techonline.com/community/prod_evalhttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_grouphttp://www.techonline.com/community/homehttp://www.techonline.com/ad_click/contact_ushttp://www.techonline.com/ad_click/about_ushttp://www.techonline.com/community/supporthttp://www.techonline.com/community/faqshttp://www.techonline.com/community/home/preferenceshttp://www.techonline.com/community/sitemaphttp://www.techonline.com/community/homehttp://www.techonline.com/community/home


2/3


roducts

echOnLine Newsletters

Bluetooth is ideal for organizations whose office location and layout change rapidly ormobile workers who only use an office part-time and want quick connection to the Internetor email. Moreover, whole new market segments marrying mobility with cost-effectivecommunications will emerge: imagine a caf offering Bluetooth connectivitycustomerscould use their devices to send email, surf the Web, or work from a PC or PDA without thehigh cellular charges they would incur today.

Traditional methods of inter-devices communication are cables, which often involvecomplex software configuration, and infrared light, which does not require a cable, butneeds line-of-sight. Bluetooth eliminates those problems, avoiding cables and enablingcommunication between several devices, sufficient to support a small LAN, for example.

While Bluetooth's cordlessness is a distinct benefit and, for many industry players, this isthe catalyst for pursuing its development, it has much greater potential as a platform foradvanced applications.

The goal for Bluetooth and the many leading industry players supporting it, is to enableintercommunication between any devices, where appropriate. For example, Red-M aims totake Bluetooth beyond its initial concept as a simple short-range cable replacementtechnology and enable a whole new class of mobile communication applications. Already its3000AS and 1000AP platforms incorporate a high power, high sensitivity radio design thatprovides coverage of up to 100-feet per access server or access point.

Small numbers of users can use Bluetooth to create their own Personal Area Network. Forexample, Bluetooth could enable a group of people with laptops to view and store apresentation being run on a single laptop. Jeff Parker, technical director at ICL e-

innovations, says, "It is estimated that there could be 34 million Bluetooth-enabled laptopsby the end of 2003."

Open for BusinessBluetooth provides packet-oriented, variable bandwidth of up to 712-kbit/s, depending onthe symmetry of the link, and offers dedicated voice channels to ensure good speechquality. The protocol can provide several simultaneous connections to other Bluetoothapplications through a piconet and, through sophisticated frequency-hopping algorithms,can run applications successfully within an environment of other piconets.

Bluetooth offers a number of advantages to device designers:

q CostA sophisticated radio interface is more complex, but more flexible, than thetype of infrared interface common today on mobile phones and PCs. It is vital thatthe target price per unit for implementing a Bluetooth interface is as low as possible.

At $15 per unit, it is currently twice that of infrared and DECT due to small volumes,but will fall ifas seems highly likelyevery home, every office is expected to runnumerous Bluetooth-enabled devices. As predictions for this technology are as highas 2.1 billion devices in 2005, economics dictate that they will become cheap tomake. Moreover, the radio technology will be integrated into other micro-controllers,so that for a small premium, devices will be built with the technology already inside.

q SizeSmall is not only beautiful, it is essential when it comes to implementingBluetooth on a wide range of devices. Reduced size means low power consumption,avoiding bulky power sources. It is achievable and feasible on a single chip andseveral RF components, so should be easy to install; its low power output andsophisticated power conservation design ensures minimum power consumption.

q DevelopmentCable-free communications are only the start in exploitingBluetooth's potential. It is far more than a compact, low-maintenance, wirelesstransport mechanism. At the core of Bluetooth's specification development is anopenness designed to expand its possibilities, achieved through sharing ideastheopen sourcedirectly related to Bluetooth's specification. This fosters a willingnessto exploit the possibilitiesmost of them have yet to be thought of, yet aloneexploredsafe in the knowledge that the intellectual property of individualapplications remains the property of the developer.

q LANs and WANsBluetooth is not to be viewed as a replacement for conventionalLANs, although it can, however, provide the final connection to the LAN throughBluetooth ports. They will allow wireless access from anywhere within the coverage

http://www.techonline.com/community/producthttp://www.techonline.com/community/tol_newsletterhttp://www.techonline.com/community/tol_newsletterhttp://www.techonline.com/community/product


3/3


area of those ports. Similarly, Bluetooth is in no way intended to replace the mainbackbone networks that make up WANsit is a local animal onlybut, once again,can provide wireless access to a WAN wherever it is needed.

q Bluetooth's relationship with 3GNational networks are designed to delivercommunications on the move or wireless to any location, whereas interconnectionbetween devices in close proximity to one another is far better served by Bluetooth.The point of interworking between the two comes when a call (service or function ofsome kind) from one undefined location via the larger telephony service needs to bedelivered to another undefined location and then distributed in that location. Thelarger cellular network will do the long-distance delivery and Bluetooth the localdistribution, via a user's 3G/cellular handset/terminal with in-built Bluetoothtransceiver.

The same will apply for local delivery of wired services, especially in the short term.In a Bluetooth-zoned shopping mall, a handheld device user could access theInternet over a 1-Mbit/s Bluetooth wireless link to a network service over DSL(Digital Subscriber Line broadband local loop technology), so delivering the 3Gmobile usage model today in open spaces, such as malls, airports, restaurants, andmotorway services.

Cellular phones are intended for speech and are not optimized for delivering datathey arejust telephones, after all. Enhancements to GPRS (so-called 2.5G) will allow data to becarried more easily and at higher bit-rates to the 9.6-kbit/s of GSM (somewhere between28.8- and 64-kbit/s) and even as packets rather than circuit-switched data. 3Gknown

globally as IMT 2000 and UMTS across Europeis designed to carry packet data, withspeech carried simply as a particular type of data application. 3G will deliver multipleservices according to different bandwidth requirementssimultaneously if necessarywithdata rates measured in hundreds of kbit/s.

There has been much discussion of potential applications such as vending machines callingfor supplies, cars sending service requirements to garages, a dishwasher informing thehouseholder via an email that needs more water softener, communications between PCsand PDAs and even wireless LANs. All could, theoretically, be delivered via 2.5G/3G. Buteach device would need an expensive transceiver and base stations would have to havesufficient capacity to cope with the traffic volumes. Most of that traffic would be local... muchof it within 10-m from start to finish if VCRs, TVs, and kitchen appliances are included. Thisis ideal for Bluetoothit can provide all that local interconnection, plus a gateway tonational networks as and when needed.

Moreover, Bluetooth will become commercial in time to catch the 2.5G wave and, of course,the emergence of 3G systems, helping them to deliver a wide range of applications. A farcry, indeed, from simply replacing a cable.

Rudolf Schnetler, CIO of Sanlam Health comments: "Bluetooth will change the way we workand communicate into the future, and will have a major impact on m-commerce.

Worse | Better

Rate This Article

Add Comments 1 2 3 4 5

Home | Site Map | Prefs | FAQs | About Us | Contact Us | Tech Groups | Product Evaluation | Ed Resources | Tech Topics | Compa

Directory

Privacy Statement (Updated 8-12-05) | Terms and Conditions

EE Times | EE Times International Sites | DesignLines | CMP Media

Copyright 1996 - 2005 TechOnLine, Bedford, MA, All Rights Reserved.


Submit
mailto:[email protected]://www.techonline.com/community/homehttp://www.techonline.com/community/sitemaphttp://www.techonline.com/community/home/preferenceshttp://www.techonline.com/community/faqshttp://www.techonline.com/community/home/38640http://www.techonline.com/community/home/38641http://www.techonline.com/community/tech_grouphttp://www.techonline.com/community/prod_evalhttp://www.techonline.com/community/ed_resourcehttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_topichttp://www.techonline.com/community/member_companyhttp://www.techonline.com/community/member_companyhttp://www.techonline.com/outside_page/14909http://www.techonline.com/outside_page/14919http://www.eetimes.com/http://www.eetimes.com/local/http://www.eetimes.com/designlines/http://www.cmp.com/http://www.cmp.com/http://www.eetimes.com/designlines/http://www.eetimes.com/local/http://www.eetimes.com/http://www.techonline.com/outside_page/14919http://www.techonline.com/outside_page/14909http://www.techonline.com/community/member_companyhttp://www.techonline.com/community/member_companyhttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_topichttp://www.techonline.com/community/ed_resourcehttp://www.techonline.com/community/prod_evalhttp://www.techonline.com/community/tech_grouphttp://www.techonline.com/community/home/38641http://www.techonline.com/community/home/38640http://www.techonline.com/community/faqshttp://www.techonline.com/community/home/preferenceshttp://www.techonline.com/community/sitemaphttp://www.techonline.com/community/homemailto:[email protected]

Documents

TechOnLine - Part I_ Introducing Bluetooth