Bluetooth has now established itself in the market place enabling a variety of devices to be connected together using wireless

technology. Bluetooth technology has come into its own connecting remote headsets to mobile phones, but it is also used in a huge number of other applications as well. In fact the development of Bluetooth technology has progressed so that it is now an integral part of many household items. Cell phones and many other devices use Bluetooth for short range connectivity. In this sort of application, Bluetooth has been a significant success.

Development of Bluetooth technology and Bluetooth SIG

The development of Bluetooth technology dates back to 1994 when Ericsson came up with a concept to use a wireless connection to connect items such as an earphone and a cordless headset and the mobile phone. The idea behind Bluetooth (it was not yet called Bluetooth) was developed further as the possibilities of interconnections with a variety of other peripherals such as computers printers, phones and more were realised. Using this technology, the possibility of quick and easy connections between electronic devices should be possible. It was decided that in order to enable the development of Bluetooth technology to move forward and be accepted, it needed to be opened up as an industry standard. Accordingly, in Feb 1998, five companies (Ericsson, Nokia, IBM, Toshiba and Intel) formed the Bluetooth SIG - Special Interest Group. The Bluetooth SIG grew very rapidly, because by the end of 1998 it welcomed its 400th member. The Bluetooth SIG also worked rapidly on the development of Bluetooth technology. Three months after the formation of the special interest group - it was not yet known as the Bluetooth SIG, the name Bluetooth was adopted. The following year the first full release of the standard occurred in July 1999. The Bluetooth SIG performs a number of functions:

Publish and update the Bluetooth specifications Administer the qualification programme Protect Bluetooth trademarks Evangelise Bluetooth technology

The Bluetooth SIG global headquarters is in Kirkland, Washington, USA and there are local offices in Hong Kong, Beijing, China; Seoul, Korea; Minato-Ku, Tokyo; Taiwan; and Malmo, Sweden.

The name Bluetooth

The name of the Bluetooth standard originates from the Danish king Harald Bltand who was king of Denmark between 940 and 981 AD. His name translates as "Blue Tooth" and this was used as his nickname. A brave warrior, his main achievement was that of uniting Denmark under the banner of Christianity, and then uniting it with Norway that he had conquered. The Bluetooth standard was named after him because Bluetooth endeavours to unite personal computing and telecommunications devices.

Bluetooth standard releases

There have been many releases of the Bluetooth standard as updates have been made to ensure it keeps pace with the current technology and the needs of the users.

BLUETOOTH STANDARD VERSION 1.0 1.0a 1.0b 1.0b + CE 1.1

RELEASE DATE

July 1999 July 1999 Dec 1999 Nov 2000 February 2001

Draft version of the Bluetooth standard First published version of the Bluetooth standard Small updates to cure minor problems and issues Critical Errata added to issue 1.0b of the Bluetooth standard First useable release. It was used by the IEEE for their standard IEEE 802.15.1 - 2002. This release of the Bluetooth standard added new facilities including frequency hopping and eSCO for improved voice performance. Was released by the IEEE as IEEE 802.15.1 - 2005. This was the last version issued by IEEE.

1.2

Nov 2003

2.0 + EDR

Nov 2004

This version of the Bluetooth standard added the enhanced data rate (EDR) to increase the throughput to 3.0 Mbps raw data rate.

2.1

July 2007

This version of the Bluetooth standard added secure simple pairing to improve security.

3.0 + HS

Apr 2009

Bluetooth 3 added IEEE 802.11 as a high speed channel to increase the data rate to 10+ Mbps

4.0

Dec 2009

The Bluetooth standard was updated to include Bluetooth Low Energy formerly known as Wibree

Bluetooth basics
The first release of Bluetooth was for a wireless data system that could carry data at speeds up to 721 Kbps with the addition of up to three voice channels. The aim of Bluetooth technology was to enable users to replace cables between devices such as printers, fax machines, desktop computers and peripherals, and a host of other digital devices. One major use was for wirelessly connecting headsets for to mobile phones, allowing people to use small headsets rather than having to speak directly into the phone. Another application of Bluetooth technology was to provide a connection between an ad hoc wireless network and existing wired data networks. The technology was intended to be placed in a low cost module that could be easily incorporated into electronics devices of all sorts. Bluetooth uses the licence free Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) frequency band for its radio signals and enables communications to be established between devices up to a maximum distance of around 100 metres, although much shorter distances were more normal.. Bluetooth is well established, but despite this further enhancements are being introduced. Faster data transfer rates, and greater flexibility. In addition to this efforts have been made to ensure that interoperation has been improved so that devices from different manufacturers can talk together more easily.

List of applications

Wireless control of and communication between a mobile phone and a handsfree headset. This was one of the earliest applications to become popular. Wireless control of and communication between a mobile phone and a Bluetooth compatible car stereo system

Wireless Bluetooth headset and Intercom. Wireless networking between PCs in a confined space and where little bandwidth is required. Wireless communication with PC input and output devices, the most common being the mouse, keyboard and printer. Transfer of files, contact details, calendar appointments, and reminders between devices with OBEX. Replacement of previous wired RS-232 serial communications in test equipment, GPS receivers, medical equipment, bar code scanners, and traffic control devices. For controls where infrared was often used. For low bandwidth applications where higher USB bandwidth is not required and cable-free connection desired. Sending small advertisements from Bluetooth-enabled advertising hoardings to other, discoverable, Bluetooth [10] devices. Wireless bridge between two Industrial Ethernet (e.g., PROFINET) networks. Three seventh-generation game consoles, Nintendo's Wii Bluetooth for their respective wireless controllers.
[11]

and Sony's PlayStation 3 and PSP Go, use

Dial-up internet access on personal computers or PDAs using a data-capable mobile phone as a wireless modem. Short range transmission of health sensor data from medical devices to mobile phone, set-top box or [12] dedicated telehealth devices. Allowing a DECT phone to ring and answer calls on behalf of a nearby cell phone Real-time location systems (RTLS), are used to track and identify the location of objects in real-time using Nodes or tags attached to, or embedded in the objects tracked, and Readers that receive and process the [13] wireless signals from these tags to determine their locations Personal security application on mobile phones for prevention of theft or loss of items. The protected item has a Bluetooth marker (e.g. a tag) that is in constant communication with the phone. If the connection is broken (the marker is out of range of the phone) then an alarm is raised. This can also be used as a man overboard alarm. A [14] product using this technology has been available since 2009.

Devices
A Bluetooth USB dongle with a 100 m range. The MacBook Pro, shown, also has a built in Bluetooth adaptor.

Bluetooth exists in many products, such as the iPod Touch, Lego Mindstorms NXT, PlayStation 3, PSP Go, [15] telephones, the Nintendo Wii, and some high definitionheadsets, modems, and watches. The technology is useful when transferring information between two or more devices that are near each other in low-bandwidth situations. Bluetooth is commonly used to transfer sound data with telephones (i.e., with a Bluetooth headset) or byte data with hand-held computers (transferring files). Bluetooth protocols simplify the discovery and setup of services between devices. Bluetooth devices can [16] advertise all of the services they provide. This makes using services easier because more of the security, network [citation needed] address and permission configuration can be automated than with many other network types.
[citation needed]

Bluetooth enables devices to connect with each other or to a computer over short distances wirelessly. This technology is commonly found in cell phones, PDAs and other electronic devices. Bluetooth functionality improves as newer standards are introduced.

1. Bluetooth v1.0
o

Bluetooth v1.0 and v1.0b were the first versions introduced. Devices had problems communicating, and there were security issues preventing devices from remaining anonymous while connected.

Bluetooth v1.1

Version 1.1 fixed many of the issues in 1.0 and 1.0b, and became the first functional Bluetooth revision. Choose from a complete range of certificates with the strongest SSL

Bluetooth v1.2
o

Bluetooth 1.2 introduced major changes in Bluetooth technology. Data transfer rate was increased to 1 Mbit/s and the inclusion of frequency hopping spread spectrum changed radio frequencies to eliminate interference.

Bluetooth v2.0
o

Revision 2.0 has better functionality when pairing multiple devices and lower power consumption. Devices labeled 2.0 + EDR enjoy the benefit of enhanced data transfer rates up to 3Mbit/s.

Bluetooth v2.1
o

Bluetooth 2.1 includes easier connection with fewer steps during the pairing process. It also includes a more enhanced method of reducing power consumption.

Bluetooth v3.0
o

Version 3.0 offers high-speed data transfer rates of 24Mbit/s. It uses the standard 802.15 Bluetooth radio but also includes 802.11 functionality for larger file transfers and improved speed.

Specifications and features

The Bluetooth specification was developed as a cable replacement in 1994 by Jaap Haartsen and Sven Mattisson, [22] who were working for Ericsson in Lund, Sweden. The specification is based on frequency-hopping spread spectrum technology. The specifications were formalized by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). The SIG was formally announced on May 20, 1998. Today it has a membership of over 14,000 companies worldwide. It was established by Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Toshiba and Nokia, and later joined by many other companies. All versions of the Bluetooth standards are designed for downward compatibility. That lets the latest standard cover all older versions.

Bluetooth v1.0 and v1.0B

Versions 1.0 and 1.0B had many problems, and manufacturers had difficulty making their products interoperable. Versions 1.0 and 1.0B also included mandatory Bluetooth hardware device address (BD_ADDR) transmission in the Connecting process (rendering anonymity impossible at the protocol level), which was a major setback for certain services planned for use in Bluetooth environments.

Bluetooth v1.1

Ratified as IEEE Standard 802.15.1-2002
[23]

Many errors found in the 1.0B specifications were fixed. Added support for non-encrypted channels. Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI).

Bluetooth v1.2
This version is backward compatible with 1.1 and the major enhancements include the following:

Faster Connection and Discovery Adaptive frequency-hopping spread spectrum (AFH), which improves resistance to radio frequency interference by avoiding the use of crowded frequencies in the hopping sequence. Higher transmission speeds in practice, up to 721 kbit/s,
[24]

than in v1.1.

Extended Synchronous Connections (eSCO), which improve voice quality of audio links by allowing retransmissions of corrupted packets, and may optionally increase audio latency to provide better support for concurrent data transfer. Host Controller Interface (HCI) support for three-wire UART. Ratified as IEEE Standard 802.15.1-2005
[25]

Introduced Flow Control and Retransmission Modes for L2CAP.

Bluetooth v2.0 + EDR

This version of the Bluetooth Core Specification was released in 2004 and is backward compatible with the previous version 1.2. The main difference is the introduction of an Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) for faster data transfer. The [24] nominal rate of EDR is about 3 Mbit/s, although the practical data transfer rate is 2.1 Mbit/s. EDR uses a [26] combination of GFSK and Phase Shift Keying modulation (PSK) with two variants, /4-DQPSK and 8DPSK. EDR can provide a lower power consumption through a reduced duty cycle. The specification is published as "Bluetooth v2.0 + EDR" which implies that EDR is an optional feature. Aside from EDR, there are other minor improvements to the 2.0 specification, and products may claim compliance to "Bluetooth v2.0" without supporting the higher data rate. At least one commercial device states "Bluetooth v2.0 without EDR" on [27] its data sheet.

Bluetooth v2.1 + EDR

Bluetooth Core Specification Version 2.1 + EDR is fully backward compatible with 1.2, and was adopted by the [26] Bluetooth SIG on July 26, 2007. The headline feature of 2.1 is secure simple pairing (SSP): this improves the pairing experience for Bluetooth [28] devices, while increasing the use and strength of security. See the section on Pairing below for more details. 2.1 allows various other improvements, including "Extended inquiry response" (EIR), which provides more information during the inquiry procedure to allow better filtering of devices before connection; and sniff subrating, which reduces the power consumption in low-power mode.

Bluetooth v3.0 + HS
Version 3.0 + HS of the Bluetooth Core Specification was adopted by the Bluetooth SIG on April 21, 2009. Bluetooth 3.0+HS supports theoretical data transfer speeds of up to 24 Mbit/s, though not over the Bluetooth link itself. Instead, the Bluetooth link is used for negotiation and establishment, and the high data rate traffic is carried over a collocated 802.11 link. The main new feature is AMP (Alternate MAC/PHY), the addition of 802.11 as a high speed transport. The HighSpeed part of the specification is not mandatory, and hence only devices sporting the "+HS" will actually support the Bluetooth over 802.11 high-speed data transfer. A Bluetooth 3.0 device without the "+HS" suffix will not support High [29] Speed, and needs to only support a feature introduced in Core Specification Version 3.0 or earlier Core [30] Specification Addendum 1.
Bluetooths strength lies in its core feature set:
[26]

It operates in the no licence industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) spectrum of 2.4 to 2.485 GHz (as does Wi-Fi of course) It uses a spread spectrum, frequency hopping, full-duplex signal at a nominal rate of 1600 hops/sec

Power can be altered from 100mW (Class 1) down to 1mW (Class 3), thus effectively reducing the distance of transmission from 10 metres to 1 metre It uses adaptive frequency hopping (AFH) capability with the transmission hopping between 79 frequencies at 1 MHz intervals to help reduce co-cannel interference from other users of the ISM band. This is key to giving Bluetooth a high degree of interference immunity Bluetooth pairing occurs when two Bluetooth devices agree to communicate with each other and establish a connection. This works because each Bluetooth device has a unique name given it by the user or as set as the default Several issues beset early Bluetooth deployments:

A large lack of compatibility between devices meant that Bluetooth devices from different vendors failed to work with each other. This caused quite a few problems both in the hands-free mobile world and the personal computer peripheral world and led to several quick updates. In the PC world, user interfaces were poor forcing ordinary users to become experts in finding their way around arcane set-up menus. There were also a considerable number of issues arising in the area of security. There was much discussion about Bluejackingwhere an individual could send unsolicited messages to nearby phones that were discoverable. However, people that turned off discoverability needed an extra step to receive legitimate data transfers thus complicated legitimate use. Early versions of the standard were fraught with problems and the 1Mbit/s v1.0 release was rapidly updated to v1.1 which overcame many of the early problems. This was followed up by v1.2 in 2003 which helped reduce co-channel interference from non-Bluetooth wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi. In 2004, V2.0 + Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) was announced that offered higher data rates up to 3Mbit/s and reduced power consumption. To bring us up to date, V2.1 + Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) was released in August 2007 which offered a number of enhancements the major of which seems to be an improved and easier-to-use mechanism for pairing devices. The next version of Bluetooth is v3.0 which will be based on ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless technology. This is called high speed Bluetooth while there is another proposed variant, announced in June 2007, called Ultra Low Power Bluetooth (ULB). During this spread of updates, most of the early days problems that plagued Bluetooth have been addressed but it cannot be assumed that Bluetooths market share is unassailable as there are a number of alternatives on the table as it is viewed that Bluetooth does not meet all the markets needs especially the automotive market.