The term Bluetooth refers to A wireless protocol that is used to communicate from one device to another in a small area usually less than 30 feet. It uses the 2.4 GHz spectrum to communicate a 1 megabit connection between 2 devices for both a voice channel and a 768k data channel. The Bluetooth specification calls for different profiles such as voice and serial emulation to be used by devices to communicate. However interoperability needs to be tested to confirm compatibility of the higher level protocols that use Bluetooth to communicate between devices. Version 1.0 requires users to register the connection between the 2 devices while version 1.1 allows a Bluetooth device to communicate with up to 8 devices.
Considering all electronic devices around us - computers, mobile phone, hi-fi stereo, or a refrigerator; to connect each of them with each other, typically some kind of wire is needed. Now try to imagine 8 devices connected to each other, probably a mess of wire is formed, and possibly causes many unlikely problems; says tiredness (moving between two rooms in case two computers are placed in different room), confusion of wires (which to which?), or even injury from tripping over. With Bluetooth wireless technology, all the wires can be replaced with an air and of course, Bluetooth terminal. No walking between two rooms, no tripping over wires, no confusion of mixing wires up - imagine how easier life is.
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Bluetooth, the Original: there are two tales for the origin of the name Bluetooth. First, the name was derived from king Harald Bluetooth, who had united and reigned Denmark and Norway in 900s. The idea to use the name of Bluetooth is "uniting (devices) through Bluetooth", as same as what king Harald did. Second, more popular one - the same king Harald like to eat blueberries so much that there is a bluish color on his teeth, which originated the name "Bluetooth" for him. |
Bluetooth protocol is simple, consider a virtual modem that translate data of 0s and 1s into a radio frequency signal and vice versa - translating radio frequency signal into data of 0s and 1s. In addition to the working of Bluetooth mentioned above, Bluetooth is also capable of creating a secure channel to accommodate a constant flow of data, such example can be found in a wireless headset for mobile phone. Additional Bluetooth's characteristics: its low-power consumption and short-range wireless technology, can be used in many applications, along with the highlighted one. Most commonly seen, Bluetooth has now become a regular option for mobile phones, personal digital assistants, or even a notebook PCs. Since Bluetooth is using a radio frequency signal to communicate and transfer data, unlike infrared beam, there is no blockage to to the signal and thus allow Bluetooth to be working in anywhere and in anyplace. |
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King Bluetooth1: Uniting notebook and mobile phone through Bluetooth is much more easier than uniting Norway and Denmark. |
For more information please
referred to3: |
Below shown a comparison chart between Bluetooth, cable wires, and infrared. The purpose of the table is to show the reasons why Bluetooth wireless technology is better than physical wire. As noticed, there is the presence of infrared - in which the reason for its presence will be described below the table.
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Comparison Chart : Bluetooth vs. Wire vs. Infrared |
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| Description | Bluetooth | Wire | Infrared |
| Material | Radio Frequency | Copper, Lead, Gold, etc. | IR Ray |
| Operating distance | Typically up to 10 - 42 meters. Theoretically up to 100 meters. | As long as a wire - not include the decline of signal over a distance | Maximum of 5 meters |
| Transmission speed | 11 megabytes at a time | 1 bit at a time for serial and 8 bit for parallel transmission | 115 kilobits at a time |
| Devices setup | none (automatically setup by software) | Physical wire setup, driver setup | Driver setup |
| Blockage | none | Any objects but no between rooms (or have to drill a hole) | Any objects in the line-of-sight |
| Unit capacity | up to 8 devices simultaneously | one-to-one | one-to-one |
| Interference | none (because of 2.4 GHz frequency is over all other frequencies such as radios and TVs. | none but may lead to confusion - connecting wrong wires can lead to damage | yes, if wrongly aligned |
| Data type | Data, voices | Data | Data |
| Connection type | Pairing (as long as disconnect) | Pairing (as long as disconnect) | Temporary - automatically disconnected after a task is done |
As you can see above in the chart that Bluetooth and Infrared have many things in common. In fact, Bluetooth wireless technology was designed based on Infrared technology - both aimed the same solution, turning a messy loads of wire into an air. From the information above, it can be easily seen that Bluetooth technology is really changing the world around us and perhaps change the way we lived. In the past, having everything unwired seems to be a science fiction - imagine an unwired refrigerators wirelessly communicated with local computer to order a run out supplies - now with Bluetooth technology, such imagination can be made into reality and leaving us only imagine of how unwired future is like...
Recent News on Bluetooth
| Ericsson is not walking away from Bluetooth (September 1st, 2004) |
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More than any one other company, Ericsson is regarded as having invented the Bluetooth standard, which now is successfully established worldwide. The standard has reached a mature state and Bluetooth products are being produced in large volumes. Along the way, ETL has secured a blue-chip customer base for its Bluetooth software solutions, including many of the world’s top semiconductor companies. However, even though large volumes of silicon are being manufactured, the business case for ETL to continue designing new Bluetooth solutions is apparently not strong enough. Full Story --> |
| Wi-fi Weds Bluetooth (August 6th, 2004) |
| It was inevitable. As connectivity has continued its evolution of putting more functions in a single box, the pairing of more than one popular wireless technology into a single device was just a matter of time. Full Story --> |
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1. Picture of King Bluetooth
were obtained from BBC News, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/787891.stm. Picture of King Bluetooth was published under the permission from BBC
News, the legal information can be founded at
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/copyright.stm.
2. Contents are obtained from HowStuffWorks.com,
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/bluetooth1.htm with permission granted.
3. Contents are obtained from Bluetooth.com, http://www.bluetooth.com.
Bluetooth trademark is copyrighted by BluetoothSIG Inc, was published under the
permission from BluetoothSIG, Inc, the legal information can be founded at
www.bluetooth.com/util/legal.asp.
4. Contents are obtained from Wirelessreview.com, http://wirelessreview.com/ar/wireless_bluetooth_battles_red/.
The contents was published and modified under permission from Primedia
Publication Inc., the legal informatin can be founded at http://www.rsicopyright.com/ics/prc_main/select_usertype.html?prc=3.5543.545900.
5. Google trademark is copyrighted by Google.com, Inc, was published under the
permission with agreement from Google.com, Inc. Link to http://www.google.com
was linked with permission. The legal information can be founded at
http://www.google.co.th/searchcode.html.
6. Contents are obtained from Ericsson.com, http://www.ericsson.com.
Ericsson trademark is copyrighted by Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson, was
published under permission from Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson, the legal
information can be founded at http://www.ericsson.com/legal.shtml.
