BLUETOOTH TECHNOLOGY

ABSTRACT

                   Bluetooth is a communication standard for short-distance wireless communication. It replaces the many proprietary cables that connect one device to another with a single universal short-range radio link. For instance Bluetooth radio technology built into both the cellular phone and the laptop would replace the cable used today, to connect a laptop to a cellular phone. 

                   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.

                   The paper about Bluetooth technology provides description of some of the usage models and explains how the Bluetooth architecture is optimized to enable them.

                   This paper concentrates on how the security is implemented in Bluetooth wireless technology. It also deals with applications and future developments of the same area as well as how the Bluetooth is positioned relative to other wireless technology standards.

INTRODUCTION

                   Bluetooth Technology was first launched in the year 1994. When launched, it gave a brilliant surprise to portable lifestyle. It was developed to provide a wireless interconnect between small mobile devices and their peripherals. This new innovation has given a solution to give cable free computer connections, which means real freedom to working environment despite location and wire availability.

                   Bluetooth wireless allows portable computers, notebooks, mobile phones, personal digital assistant and other handy gadgets to make use of ‘short range, low power’ radio technology to connect to each other. Bluetooth technology gives 400 KBPS data transfer rate and operates in 2.4 GHz frequency band, similar to cordless phones and 802.11b wireless LAN technology. It also supports 10-m computers connection at 1 MBPS speed.

                   Original Bluetooth market requirements dictated integration into small handheld devices, low cost, high security, low power and ubiquitous global use of Bluetooth technology. The goals of the technology did not include developing another wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) technology, for which there was already many in the market and many more being developed. While WLAN had good ad hoc networking there was no clear market standard to pick. Moreover cost was too high for integration, there were no global standards and integration into small handheld devices was a problem. As such it was decided to take a different approach: replace the cable from the ‘Network Adapters’ with a low cost RF link that we now call BLUETOOTH.

                   Bluetooth has taken its first step as a basic cable replacement technology and is now quickly evolving into more sophisticated applications such as peer to peer networking and personal area networking for cellular phones, PDAs, Computers, Printers and other devices. The market for Bluetooth handsets is forecast to increase dramatically reaching a total of 779.7 million devices by the year 2006.

                   Bluetooth is a global standard for wireless connectivity. Today Bluetooth technology is the only specification targeted at this new market of cable replacement. Even the IEEE organization has recognized the need for wireless cable replacement technology and started the development of the 802.15-working group that focuses on this market. 

                   The Bluetooth technology tries to emulate the cost, security and capabilities of common cables carried by mobile travelers. “The technology must be secure as a cable; must be manufactured for about the same cost as a cable; must connect to variety of devices available to the mobile users and support data rates that are consistent with a mobile travelers needs; must support many simultaneous and private connections, must support the types of data used by the mobile users and must be very low power and compact to support the small portable devices into which the technology must be global as the mobile devices will travel and must work with devices found in other parts of the world”. 

DEVELOPMENT OF THE BLUETOOTH TECHNOLOGY

                   Members of a Special Interest group (SIG) developed the Bluetooth technology. The participating companies agree not to charge royalties on any Intellectual Property (IP) necessary to implement the technology. The SIG started initially with promoters, who were the primary developers of the technology, and then expanded to include early adapters and adoptees.

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group allows for developing interactive services and applications over interoperable radio modules and data communication protocols. Intel brings architectural knowledge, advanced Silicon technology, manufacturing expertise and software components to the group. Nokia contributed the radio technology and mobile handset software. IBM and Toshiba developed a common specification for integrating Bluetooth technology into mobile devices.

                   The Bluetooth technology was developed to be used within a unique global environment that would not only enable integration into the host devices but would also allow the mobile devices to travel from one country to another. In addition, due to the personal/ confidential data contained on the different types of client devices. (E.g. the mobile computer), the link formed between these devices needed to be as secure as the cable it was replacing.           

BLUETOOTH SPECIFICATION

                   Bluetooth devices are connected through an Ad hoc network. An ad hoc network is a simple network where communications are established between multiple stations in a defined coverage area, without the use of an access point or server. The IEEE 802.11 standard specifies the etiquette that each station must observe so that they all have fair access to wireless media. It provides methods for arbitrating requests to use the media to ensure that the output is maximized for all the users.

                   Bluetooth technology is incorporated into a miniature radio, which is built into a microchip. The microchip is manufactured into the circuitry of wide range of devices, which by virtue of its presence, provides wireless interaction with any other Bluetooth enabled devices. A single Bluetooth radio can communicate with more than 200 other devices supporting the intelligent sharing of information.

                   Bluetooth is essentially a radio transceiver operating in a spread spectrum mode; it changes frequency for every data packet some 1600 times per second. Bluetooth is in fact both a hardware specification and a software framework for interoperations; each designed to be implemented in a single chip.

COMPONENTS OF A BLUETOOTH SYSTEM

                   The major components in a Bluetooth system are as

A Radio Chip

                   The radio unit is the actual radio transceiver, which enables the wireless link between Bluetooth devices.

A Baseband unit

                   The baseband unit is the hardware, consisting flash memory and a PU, which interfaces with the radio unit and the host device electronics at the hardware level. It takes the data that has been sent to it by the application processor and converts it into a form that can be easily transmitted across the radio spectrum. It takes the data from the application software, compresses it, splits it up into packet assigns identifying codes to the packets and decides what type of data connection should be used.

A Software Stack

                   The software stack is essentially driver software or firmware which enables the application level software to interface with the baseband unit.

An Application Software

                                It implements the user interface and overall functionality of the Bluetooth device.

BLUETOOTH USAGE MODELS

                   While the Bluetooth usage model is based on connecting devices together, it is focused on three broad categories

§        Voice/data access points

§        Peripheral Interconnects

§        Personal Area Networking (PAN)

Voice/Data Access Points

It is one of the key initial usage models and involves connecting a computing device to a communicating device via a secure wireless link.

                   For example a mobile computer equipped with Bluetooth technology could link to a mobile phone that uses Bluetooth technology to connect to Internet to access e-mail. The mobile phone acts as a Personal access point. Even more ideal, the notebook can connect to the Internet while the cell phone is carried in a briefcase or purse. The Bluetooth usage model also envisions public data access points in the future. Imagine the current data equipped pay phones in airports being upgraded with Bluetooth modems. This would allow any mobile device equipped with Bluetooth technology to easily connect to the Internet while located within ten meters of that access point. These Access points support much higher data rates than today’s modems.

Peripheral Interconnects

                   Imagine standard keyboards, mice, and joysticks that work over a wireless link. The Bluetooth link is built into the mobile computer; hence the cost of the peripheral device is less because an access point is not needed. Additionally many of the devices can be used in multiple markets. For example, a Bluetooth headset used in the office could be connected to a Bluetooth access point that provides access to the office phone and multimedia functions of the mobile computer. 

Personal Area Networking (PAN)

                   This Personal Area Networking focuses on ad hoc formation and break down of personal networks.

          Imagine meeting someone in an airport and quickly and securely exchanging documents by establishing a private piconet. In the future Bluetooth kiosks could provide access to electronics media that could be quickly downloaded for later access on the mobile device.          

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