Bluetooth

Article Table of contents

Introduction to Bluetooth technology

Bluetooth is a wireless personal area network technology (WPAN for short), a low-range
wireless network technology used for linking devices to one another without a hard-wired
connection. Unlike the IrDa technology (which uses an infrared connection), Bluetooth
devices do not need a direct line of sight to communicate, which makes them more
flexible in use and allows room-to-room communication in small spaces.
The aim of Bluetooth is to transmit voice or data between devices with low-cost radio
circuits, over a range of about ten to just under a hundred metres, using very little power.
Bluetooth technology is designed mainly for linking devices (such as printers, mobile
phones, home appliances, wireless headsets, mouses, keyboards, etc.), computers, or
PDAs to one another, without using a wired connection. Bluetooth is also becoming more
and more commonly used in mobile phones, allowing them to communicate with
computers or PDAs, and is especially widespread in hands-free accessories like Bluetooth
headsets. Bluetooth headsets act as advanced earpieces which include remote control
features.
Bluetooth technology was originally developed by Ericsson in 1994. In February 1998, a
group called the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (Bluetooth SIG), with over 2000
companies including Agere, Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia and
Toshiba, was formed in order to produce the specifications for Bluetooth 1.0, which were
published in July 1999.

The name "Bluetooth" comes from the Danish king Harald I (910-986), nicknamed
Harald I Bltand ("the blue-toothed"), who is credited with uniting Sweden and Norway,
as well as introducing Christianity to Scandinavia.

Characteristics
Bluetooth can reach transfer speeds of about 1 Mbps, which corresponds to 1600 hops
per second in full-duplex mode, with a range of roughly ten metres when using a class II
transmitter, and a little under a hundred metres using a class I transmitter.
The Bluetooth standard actually defines 3 classes of transmitters, whose range varies as a
function of their radiating power:

Class Power (signal loss)

Range
I
100 mW (20 dBm) 100 metres
II
2.5 mW (4 dBm) 15-20 metres
III
1 mW (0 dBm)
10 metres
Unlike IrDA, the primary competing technology, which uses light radiation to send data,
Bluetooth uses radio waves (in the 2.4 GHz frequency band) to communicate, and as a
result, Bluetooth devices don't have to be in visual communication to exchange data. This
means that two devices can communicate even if they are on either side of a wall, and
best of all, Bluetooth devices can detect one another without the user's involvement, so
long as they are within each other's range.

Bluetooth norms
The Bluetooth standard is broken down into multiple norms:

IEEE 802.15.1 defines Bluetooth 1.x, which can reach speeds of 1 Mbps;
IEEE 802.15.2 recommends practices for using the 2.4 GHz frequency band (the
frequency also used by WiFi). However, this standard has not yet been approved;
IEEE 802.15.3 is a standard currently being developed, which would offer
broadband speed (20 Mbps) with Bluetooth;
IEEE 802.15.4 is a standard currently being developed for use with low-speed
Bluetooth applications

For details log on: http://www.bluetooth.org/

How it works
The Bluetooth standard, like WiFi, uses the FHSS technique (Frequency-Hopping Spread
Spectrum), which involves splitting the frequency band of 2.402-2.480 GHz into 79
channels (called hops) each 1MHz wide, then transmitting the signal using a sequence of
channels known to both the sending and receiving stations.
Thus, by switching channels as often as 1600 times a second, the Bluetooth standard can
avoid interference with other radio signals.

Communication principle

The Bluetooth standard is based upon a master/slave operational mode. The term
"piconet" is used to refer to the network formed by one device and all devices found
within its range. Up to 10 piconets can coexist within a single coverage area. A master
can be simultaneously connected to as many as 7 active slave devices (255 when in
parked mode). Devices in a piconet have a logical address of 3 bits, for a maximum of 8
devices. Devices in parked mode are synchronised, but do not have their own physical
address in the piconet.

In reality, at a given moment, the master device can only be connected to a single slave at
once. Therefore, it quickly switches between slaves in order to make it seem as if it is
simultaneously connected to all the slave devices.
Bluetooth enables two piconets to be linked to one another in order to form a wider
network, called a "scatternet", using certain devices which act as a bridge between the
two piconets.

Establishing connections
Establishing a connection between two Bluetooth devices follows a relatively
complicated procedure meant to ensure a certain amount of security, as follows:

Passive mode
Inquiry: Finding access points
Paging: Synchronising with access points
Access point service discovery
Creating a channel with access point
Pairing using PIN (security)
Using the network

During normal use, a device operates in "passive mode", meaning that it is listening to
the network.
Establishing a connection begins with a phase called "inquiry", during which the master
device sends an inquiry request to all devices found within its range, called access points.
All devices which receive the query reply with their address.

The master device chooses an address and synchronises with the access point using a
technique called paging, which primarily involves synchronising its clock and frequency
with the access point.
A link with the access point is then established, allowing the master device to enter an
access point service discovery phase, using a protocol called SDP (Service Discovery
Protocol).
At the end of this service discovery phase, the master device is ready to created a
communication channel with the access point, using the protocol L2CAP.
Depending on the service's needs, an additional channel, called RFCOMM and operating
over the L2CAP channel, may be established in order to provide a virtual serial port.
Indeed, some applications have been designed to connect to a standard port, independent
of the hardware used. For example, certain highway navigation programs have been
designed to connect to any GPS Bluetooth device (GPS stands for Global Positioning
System, a satellite-based geolocation system for finding the geographic coordinates of a
mobile device or vehicle).
The access point may include a security mechanism called pairing, which restricts access
to authorised users only, in order to give the piconet a certain measure of protection.
Pairing is done with an encryption key commonly known as a "PIN" (PIN stands for
Personal Information Number). To do so, the access point sends a pairing request to the
master device. Most of the time, this may prompt the user to enter the access point's PIN.
If the PIN received is correct, the connection is made.
In secure mode, the PIN will be sent encrypted, using a second key, in order to prevent
the signal from being compromised.
When the pairing becomes active, the master device is free to use the communication
channel thereby established.

Bluetooth profiles
The Bluetooth standard defines a certain number of application profiles (called Bluetooth
profiles) in order to define which kinds of services are offered by a Bluetooth device.
Thus, each device can support multiple profiles. Here is a list of the main Bluetooth
profiles:

Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP)

Audio Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP)
Basic Imaging Profile (BIP)
Basic Printing Profile (BPP)
Cordless Telephony Profile (CTP)
Dial-up Networking Profile (DUNP)
Fax Profile (FAX)

File Transfer Profile (FTP)

Generic Access Profile (GAP)
Generic Object Exchange Profile (GOEP)
Hardcopy Cable Replacement Profile (HCRP)
Hands-Free Profile (HFP)
Human Interface Device Profile (HID)
Headset Profile (HSP)
Intercom Profile (IP)
LAN Access Profile (LAP)
Object Push Profile (OPP)
Personal Area Networking Profile (PAN)
SIM Access Profile (SAP)
Service Discovery Application Profile (SDAP)
Synchronization Profile (SP): used to synchronise the device with a personal
information manager (or PIM for short).
Serial Port Profile (SPP)