bluetooth fundamentals
Bluetooth technology is named after Harald Bluetooth, a Danish king who managed to consolidate Denmark and a part of Norway in the 1900s. The choice for the name of this technology is a manifestation of how influential and central the companies from this region are to the telecommunications industry.
Bluetooth is a networking technology that does not rely on user control or large amounts of power. By keeping the transmission power to an extremely low setting (1 milliwatt), Bluetooth is ideal for mobile battery operated devices. Moreover, Bluetooth does not rely on the user since it can automatically detect and communicate with other Bluetooth devices without any user input.
Bluetooth technology relies on two things, a radio frequency technology and the protocol software enabling it to transmit data to other devices. Bluetooth-capable devices can transmit data to other devices not within the line of sight of the user. It also enables different devices to communicate using certain rules such as the amount of data that will be sent, the type of communication between the devices and the radio frequency or frequencies this communication will take place. These protocols ensure that Bluetooth devices experience the least amount of interference from other Bluetooth capable objects while communicating with each other.
Blue tooth has been regarded as a new wave in the IT sector from the day of its origin. Blue tooth is continuing its success story. Toshiba introduced blue tooth in September 2000 to consumers for $ 199. The new technology is supported by SIG (Special Interest Group). SIG founded in 1998 consists of 2000 members who have access to the Blue tooth specifications (information needed to make a blue tooth product). The SIG works to promote the Blue tooth technology and consists of members like IBM, Inet, Microsoft, and Nokia.
The benefit of Blue Tooth Technology
When put in simple terms blue tooth device comprises of a base band processor, a radio and an antenna. The base-band processor converts the data into signals, which radios can decipher. These signals are changed into a frequency of 2.4 giga hertz, which the radio transmits through the antenna. The antenna of another blue tooth device, within at least 30 feet distance, receives a transmitted signal in the air. The signals are processed in the reverse order.
Blue tooth specification is a de facto standard, which contains the information needed to ensure that the devices supporting the Blue tooth wireless technology can communicate with each other worldwide. Volume I – Core and Volume II – Profiles are the two parts of the document, in which the Core part specifies components like the radio, base-band, link manager, service discovery protocol, and the Profiles part consists of the protocol and procedures needed for various types of blue tooth operations.
In 1994, Sweden-based Sony Ericsson pioneered Bluetooth technology, Four years later Ericsson joined with IBM, Intel, Nokia and Toshiba to form the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) and today there are over 4,000 electronics manufacturers that belong to the group. The name Bluetooth comes from the Danish King, Harald Blåtand (translated as Bluetooth in English). In the 10th century, King Harald united warring factions of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. The King’s ability to establish peaceful communication between differing peoples is a metaphor for the ability to connect devices from differing technologies.
This new wireless technology connects devices such as mobile phones, hands-free headsets, MP3 players, PDAs, digital cameras, wireless game controllers, computers and printers. By embedding Bluetooth chips and receivers into devices, the need for cables is eliminated. The Bluetooth chip takes the information normally carried by the cable, and transmits it at a special frequency to a receiver Bluetooth chip, which will then give the information received to the device.
The Bluetooth Advantage
There are numerous advantages to using Bluetooth. The most popular benefit that Bluetooth technology offers is that it is wireless. After years of dealing with multiple devices, cables, cradles and more, users are looking for more convenient ways to communicate and do business.
Other favorite advantages of Bluetooth include the ability to transmit both data and voice communications and the ability to send to more than one device at a time. Other advantages include: