Abstract Blueetooh Technology

Look around you at the moment, you have your keyboard connected to the computer, as well as a printer, mouse, monitor and so on. They are connected by cables. Cables have become the bane of many offices, homes etc. Most of us have experienced the 'joys' of trying to figure out what cable goes where, and getting tangled up in the details. Companies that manufacture computers, entertainment systems and other electronic devices have realized that the incredible array of cables and connectors involved in their products makes it difficult for even expert technicians to correctly set up a complete system on the first try. Setting up computers and home entertainment systems becomes terrifically complicated when the person buying the equipment has to learn and remember all the details to connect all the parts. In order to make the use of electronics devices more user friendly, we need a better way for all the electronic parts of our modern life to talk to each other. That's where Bluetooth, which is a cable-replacement technology, comes in.

Bluetooth technology eliminates the need for numerous and inconvenient cable attachments for connecting fixed computers, mobile phones, mobile computers, handheld devices, digital cameras and even new breed of digital appliances. It will enable users to connect a wide range of computing and telecommunications devices easily and simply, without the need to buy, carry, or connect cables - quite often proprietary to a specific device. It delivers opportunities for rapid ad hoc connections, and the possibility of automatic, unconscious, connections between devices. It creates the possibility of using mobile data in a variety of applications. Bluetooth makes wireless communication and networking between devices in a small-localized area of a room or a small office as easy as switching on the light. 

The heart of the Bluetooth brand identity is the name, which refers to the Danish king Harald "Bluetooth" Blaatand who unified Denmark and Norway. In the beginning of the Bluetooth wireless technology era, Bluetooth was aimed at unifying the telecom and computing industries.

Briefly, Bluetooth technology

• Uses radio waves in 2.4 GHz band - therefore, no line of sight is required
• Supports multipoint, not just point to point
• Works in a small confined area - 10 to 15 meters apart
• Is able to support speeds of 1-2 Mbps today but will offer higher speeds in future
• Chip sets are relatively inexpensive (though more expensive than IrDA)- $10 to $20 today in large quantities - will go down in future
• Has significant industry support with over 1800 members in the industry consortium

Bluetooth is a standard for a small, cheap radio chip to be plugged into computers, printers, mobile phones, etc. A Bluetooth chip is designed to replace cables by taking the information normally carried by the cable, and transmitting it at a special frequency to a receiver Bluetooth chip, which will then give the information received to the computer, phone whatever

Features of Bluetooth chip:

·        Operates in the 2.56 GHZ ISM (industrial, scientific, medical) band which is globally available

·        Uses FHSS (frequency hopping spread spectrum technique)

·        Omni-directional, non line of sight transmission through walls

·        10m to 100m range

·        Low cost

·        Requires 1mW power

·        Allows for both voice and data communications

·        Supports speed of 1-2 Mbps

INTRODUCTION

  

Look around you at the moment, you have your keyboard connected to the computer, as well as a printer, mouse, monitor and so on. They are connected by cables. Cables have become the bane of many offices, homes etc. Most of us have experienced the 'joys' of trying to figure out what cable goes where, and getting tangled up in the details. Companies that manufacture computers, entertainment systems and other electronic devices have realized that the incredible array of cables and connectors involved in their products makes it difficult for even expert technicians to correctly set up a complete system on the first try. Setting up computers and home entertainment systems becomes terrifically complicated when the person buying the equipment has to learn and remember all the details to connect all the parts. In order to make the use of electronics devices more user friendly, we need a better way for all the electronic parts of our modern life to talk to each other. That's where Bluetooth, which is a cable-replacement technology, comes in.

Bluetooth technology eliminates the need for numerous and inconvenient cable attachments for connecting fixed computers, mobile phones, mobile computers, handheld devices, digital cameras and even new breed of digital appliances. It will enable users to connect a wide range of computing and telecommunications devices easily and simply, without the need to buy, carry, or connect cables - quite often proprietary to a specific device. It delivers opportunities for rapid ad hoc connections, and the possibility of automatic, unconscious, connections between devices. It creates the possibility of using mobile data in a variety of applications. Bluetooth makes wireless communication and networking between devices in a small localized area of a room or a small office as easy as switching on the light. 

The heart of the Bluetooth brand identity is the name, which refers to the Danish king Harald "Bluetooth" Blaatand who unified Denmark and Norway. In the beginning of the Bluetooth wireless technology era, Bluetooth was aimed at unifying the telecom and computing industries.

What is Bluetooth?

"Think of a connected world of electronic devices and appliances around you!  You click on an icon for a device and you are linked to it, automatically and transparently"

Bluetooth technology eliminates the need for numerous and inconvenient cable attachments for connecting fixed computers, mobile phones, mobile computers, handheld devices, digital cameras and even new breed of digital appliances. It will enable users to connect a wide range of computing and telecommunications devices easily and simply, without the need to buy, carry, or connect cables - quite often proprietary to a specific device. It delivers opportunities for rapid ad hoc connections, and the possibility of automatic, unconscious, connections between devices.  It creates the possibility of using mobile data in a variety of applications.

Bluetooth makes wireless communication and networking between devices in a small localized area of a room or a small office as easy as switching on the light. In Bluetooth all the connections between devices are instantaneous and invisible and the devices can talk even if they are not in line of sight because Bluetooth utilizes a radio-based link. Your laptop could send information to a printer in the next room, or your microwave could send a message to your mobile phone telling you that your meal is ready.

Bluetooth is actually a standard for wireless communications between devices in a personal area network (PAN) using radio frequency  for a short range (around 10 meters). So any two devices that follow the standard can communicate and exchange data between each other without the need of any connection to be made between them. A group of Bluetooth devices like a mobile phone, a digital camera, a hand held device etc. can instantly form a network with each other as soon as they are switched on. You could have a mobile phone in your pocket and you could be sending e-mails using your laptop without making any connection between your laptop and the mobile. Your refrigerator could be placing an order with the supermarket if your milk supply has been exhausted using your mobile phone.

Briefly, Bluetooth technology

• uses radio waves in 2.4 GHz band - therefore, no line of sight is required
• supports multipoint, not just point to point
• works in a small confined area - 10 to 15 meters apart
• is able to support speeds of 1-2 Mbps today but will offer higher speeds in future
• chip sets are relatively inexpensive (though more expensive than IrDA)- $10 to $20 today in large quantities - will go down in future
• has significant industry support with over 1800 members in the industry consortium

ELECTRONIC CONVERSATION

When any two devices need to talk to each other, they have to agree on a number of points before the conversation can begin. The first point of agreement is physical: Will they talk over wires, or through some form of wireless signals? If they use wires, how many are required -- one, two, eight, 25? Once the physical attributes are decided, several more questions arise:

• Information can be sent 1 bit at a time in a scheme called serial communications, or in groups of bits (usually 8 or 16 at a time) in a scheme called parallel communications. A desktop computer uses both serial and parallel communications to talk to different devices: Modems, mice and keyboards tend to talk through serial links, while printers tend to use parallel links.
• All of the parties in an electronic discussion need to know what the bits mean and whether the message they receive is the same message that was sent. In most cases, this means developing a language of commands and responses known as a protocol. Protocols are a set of rules and conventions that are followed by the electronics devices while communicating.

WHAT IS BLUETOOTH TECHNOLOGY?

 Bluetooth is a standard for a small , cheap radio chip to be plugged into computers, printers, mobile phones, etc.A Bluetooth chip is designed to replace cables by taking the information normally carried by the cable, and transmitting it at a special frequency to a receiver Bluetooth chip, which will then give the information received to the computer, phone whatever

Features of Bluetooth chip:

• Operates in the 2.56 GHZ ISM(industrial, scientific, medical) band which is globally available
• Uses FHSS(frequency hopping spread spectrum technique)
• Omni-directional, non line of sight transmission through walls
• 10m to 100m range
• Low cost
• Requires 1mW power
• allows for both voice and data communications
• supports speed of 1-2 Mbps

Bluetooth is a standard developed by a group of electronics manufacturers that allows any sort of electronic equipment  from computers and cell phones to keyboards and headphones to make its own connections, without wires, cables or any direct action from a user. Bluetooth is intended to be a standard that works at two levels:

• Bluetooth is a radio-frequency standard .So, it provides agreement at the physical level.
• It also provides agreement at the next level up, where products have to agree on when bits are sent, how many will be sent at a time and how the parties in a conversation can be sure that the message received is the same as the message sent.

So any two devices that follow the standard can communicate and exchange data between each other without the need of any connection to be made between them. A group of Bluetooth devices like a mobile phone, a digital camera, a hand held device etc. can instantly form a network with each other as soon as they are switched on. You could have a mobile phone in your pocket and you could be

sending e-mails using your laptop without making any connection between your laptop and the mobile. Your refrigerator could be placing an order with the supermarket if your milk supply has been exhausted using your mobile phone.

HARDWARE ARCHITECTURE

The Bluetooth hardware consists of an analog radio part and a digital part - the Host Controller. The Host Controller has a hardware digital signal processing part called the Link Controller (LC), a CPU core and interfaces to the host environment.

The Link Controller consists of hardware that performs baseband processing and physical layer protocols . The function of the Link Controller includes Asynchronous transfers, Synchronous transfers, Audio coding and Encryption. 

The CPU core allows the Bluetooth module to handle Inquiries and filter Page requests without involving the host device. The Host Controller can be programmed to answer certain Page messages and authenticate remote links. 

The Link Manager (LM) software runs on the CPU core. The LM discovers other LM's and communicates with them via the Link Manager Protocol (LMP) to perform its service provider role and to use the services of the underlying Link Controller. 

In order to make different hardware implementations compatible, bluetooth devices use the host controller interface(HCI) as a common interface between the bluetooth host(e.g. a portable PC) and a bluetooth core.

Bluetooth definitions

·         Piconet: Devices connected in an ad hoc fashion, that is, not requiring predefinition and planning, as with a standard network. Two to eight devices can be networked into a piconet. It is a peer network, that is, once connected, each device has equal access to the others. However, one device is defined as master, and the others as slaves.

·         Scatternet: Several piconets may form a larger scatternet, with each piconet maintaining independence.

·         Master unit: The master in a piconet whose clock and hopping sequence synchronizes the other devices.

·         Slave unit: Devices in a piconet that are not the master.

·         MAC address: Three bit address that distinguishes each unit in a piconet.

·         Parked units: Piconet devices that are synchronized but don’t have MAC addresses.

·         Sniff and hold mode: Power-saving mode of a piconet device.

NETWORK TOPOLOGY

When bluetooth enabled devices come within the range of each other and are switched on, they automatically & instantly form a network and that too without any direct action from the user. And this is the most interesting aspect of this technology.

An electronic conversation takes place to share address and capability details.The devices look for other devices which have addresses in the same range as the device itself has.These addresses are set up by the manufacturer . They also look for whether they have data to share between them or whether one needs to control the other.The user doesn't have to press a button or give a command -- the electronic conversation happens automatically. Once the conversation has occurred, the devices -- whether they're part of a computer system or a stereo -- form a network. Bluetooth systems create a personal-area network (PAN), or piconet, that may fill a room or may encompass no more distance than that between the cell phone on a belt-clip and the headset on your head. Once a piconet is established, the members randomly hop frequencies in unison so they stay in touch with one another and avoid other piconets that may be operating in the same room.

Piconet is basically a collection of devices connected via bluetooth technology in an ad hoc fashion . The devices in a piconet share a single channel for transmission purposes.

Piconets with a single slave operation (a), a multi-slave operation (b), and a scatternet operation (c).

(When master unit of one piconet is slave in another piconet, that is known as scatternet)

It supports both point-to-point and/or point-to-multipoint connections. Units can dynamically be added or disconnected to the network.

A piconet starts with two connected devices and grows upto eight devices. All devices are peer units.However, when establishing a piconet, one unit acts as master and all other units act as slave for the duration of connection.This is done to control the traffic.The clock and hopping sequence of master unit are used to synchronise all other devices in the piconet. With the current Bluetooth Specification, up to seven slaves can actively communicate with one master. However, there can be virtually an unlimited number of units attached to a master, able to start communication instantly. Several piconets can be established and linked together in ad hoc scatternets to allow communication and data exchange in flexible configurations. If several other piconets are within range they each work independently and each have access to full bandwidth. Each piconet is established by a different frequency hopping scheme.

All users participating on the same piconet are synchronized to this hopping scheme/pattern.  

Network arrangements

Bluetooth network arrangements (topology) can be either point-to-point or point-to-multipoint. Any unit in a piconet can establish a connection to another piconet to form a scatternet. See the figure to the right, which diagrams a scatternet in which piconet A, which consists of four units, is connected to piconet B, consisting of two units. Note that the master unit of A is not the link between the two piconets.

 

Transmission types and rates

The baseband (single channel per line) protocol combines circuit and packet switching. To assure that packets do not arrive out of order, slots (up to five) can be reserved for synchronous packets. As noted earlier, a different hop signal is used for each packet. Circuit switching can be either asynchronous or synchronous. Up to three synchronous (voice) data channels, or one synchronous and one asynchronous data channel, can be supported on one channel. Each synchronous channel can support a 64 Kb/s transfer rate, which is fully adequate for voice transmissions. An asynchronous channel can transmit as much as 721 Kb/s in one direction and 57.6 Kb/s in the opposite direction. It is also possible for an asynchronous connection to support 432.6 Kb/s in both directions if the link is symmetric.

 Radio frequency and spectrum hopping

What if there’s a lot of radio noise? Won’t that interfere with Bluetooth connections? As a rule, the answer is no. It is designed to use fast acknowledgement and frequency hopping, which will make connections robust. It is packet-based, and will jump to a new frequency after each packet is received, which not only helps limit interference problems, but also adds to security. Data rates are one megabyte/second, including headers. Full duplex transmissions (both directions at once) are accomplished via time division multiplexing.

The Bluetooth radio chip functions at 2.4 gigahertz, which is in the unlicensed ISM (Industrial Scientific Medical) band. It separates the 2.4 gigahertz frequency band into 79 hops one megahertz apart, starting with 2.402 and ending with 2.480 (though this bandwidth is narrower in Japan, France, and Spain). This spread spectrum is used to hop from one channel to another, pseudo-randomly, which adds a strong layer of security. Up to 1600 hops per second can be made. The standard frequency range is 10 centimeters to 10 meters, and can be extended to at least 100 meters by increasing transmission power.

Connection protocol

Bluetooth connections are established via the following techniques:

1.      Standby: Devices not connected in a piconet are in standby mode. In this mode, they listen for messages every 1.28 seconds over 32 hop frequencies (fewer in Japan, Spain, and France).

2.      Page/Inquiry: If a device wishes to make a connection with another device, it sends out a page message, if the address is known, or an inquiry followed by a page message, if it is unknown. The master unit sends out 16 identical page messages on 16 hop frequencies to the slave unit. If there is no response, the master retransmits on the other 16 hop frequencies. The inquiry method requires an extra response from the slave unit, since the MAC address is unknown to the master unit.

3.      Active: Data transmission occurs.

4.      Hold: When either the master or slave wishes, a hold mode can be established, during which no data is transmitted. The purpose of this is to conserve power. Otherwise, there is a constant data exchange. A typical reason for going into hold mode is the connection of several piconets.

5.      Sniff: The sniff mode, applicable only to slave units, is for power conservation, though not at as reduced a level as hold. During this mode, the slave does not take an active role in the piconet, but listens at a reduced level. This is usually a programmable setting.

6.      Park: Park mode is a more reduced level of activity than the hold mode. During it, the slave is synchronized to the piconet, thus not requiring full reactivation, but is not part of the traffic. In this state, they do not have MAC addresses, but only listen enough to keep their synchronization with the master and check for broadcast messages.

 Data transmission

As noted earlier, data can be transmitted both synchronously and asynchronously. The Synchronous Connection Oriented (SCO) method is used primarily for voice, and Asynchronous Connectionless (ACL) is primarily for data. Within a piconet, each master-slave pair can use a different transmission mode, and modes can be changed at any time. Time Division Duplex (TDD) is used by both SCO and ACL, and both support 16 types of packets, four of which are control packets that are the same in each type. Because of the need for smoothness in data transmission, SCO packets are generally delivered via reserved intervals, that is, the packets are sent in groups without allowing other transmissions to interrupt. SCO packets can be transmitted without polling by the sending unit. ACL links support both symmetric and assymetric transmissions.

Bandwidth is controlled by the master unit, which determines how much of the total each slave unit can use. Slaves cannot transmit data until they have been polled by the master, and the master can broadcast messages to the slave units via ACL link.

 Error correction and security

Three error correction techniques have been defined: 1/3 rate forward error correction code (FEC), 2/3 rate forward error correction code FEC, and automatic repeat request (ARQ). The FEC methods are designed to reduce the number of retransmissions. However, the overhead significantly slows transmissions, so is generally not used in relatively error-free environments, with the exception of packet headers. The ARQ scheme requires that the header error and cyclic redundancy checks are okay. When they are, an acknowledge is sent. When they aren’t, the data is resent.

Security is provided in three ways: through pseudo-random frequency band hops, authentication, and encryption. Frequency band hops make it difficult for anyone to eavesdrop. Authentication allows a user to control connectivity to only devices specified. Encryption uses secret key lengths of 1, 40, and 64 bits. The quality of security is excellent for most applications. However, it is not the highest level available, and for those users who require it, the suggestion is to investigate separate network transfer protocols and security software.

  Control of link connections

The basic part of the Bluetooth system consists of the radio chip and controller, as shown in the figure above. The Link Manager (LM) is software that controls link setup, authentication, link configuration, and other protocols. The hardware underlying the LM is the link controller (LC). These two perform the following tasks:

·         Sending and receiving data.

·         Paging and inquiries.

·         Setting up connections.

·         Authentication.

·         Negotiating and setting up link types, i.e., SCO or ACL.

·         Determining the frame type of each packet.

·         Placing a device in sniff or hold mode.

Competing Technologies

Bluetooth Technology

• Besides Bluetooth many other technologies exist like IrDA, Home RF (SWAP) that provide similar or related services. A quick glance into their scope and properties would help putting all of these into perspective.

IrDA
IrDA is an international organization that creates and promotes interoperable, low-cost infrared data interconnection standards. IrDA has a set of protocols covering all layers of data transfer and in addition has some network management and interoperability designs.

It requires line of sight technology.i.e. you have to point the remote control to your to myour TV or DVD player

Moreover, it is ono to one technology

But bluetooth technology intends to get around these problems.

Bluetooth and IrDA are both critical to the marketplace. Each technology has advantages and drawbacks and neither can meet all users' needs. Bluetooth's ability to penetrate solid objects and its capability for maximum mobility within the piconet allows for data exchange applications that are very difficult or impossible with IrDA.

Home RF

The HomeRF is a subset of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) who is working on the development of a standard for inexpensive RF voice and data communication. Currently, the HomeRF Working Group specification provides for wireless Ethernet transmission.

• Range: Maximum 40 meters
• Data rates of 1.2Mbps

operates in the 2.45 GHz range of the unlicensed ISM band Range: upto 150 feet employs frequency hopping at 50 hops per second It supports both a TDMA service to provide delivery of interactive voice and CSMA/CA service for delivery of high speed data packets

Currently SWAP has more installed base compared to Bluetooth but it is believed that Bluetooth is eventually going to prevail. Bluetooth is a technology to connect devices without cables. The intended use is to provide short-range connections between mobile devices and to the Internet via bridging devices to different networks (wired and wireless) that provide Internet capability. HomeRF SWAP is a wireless technology optimized for the home environment. Its primary use is to provide data networking and dial tones between devices such as PCs, cordless phones, Web Tablets and a broadband cable or DSL modem. Both technologies share the same frequency spectrum but do not interfere when operating in the same space. [Derfler00] 

              

Avoiding Interference

One of the ways Bluetooth devices avoid interfering with other systems is by sending out very weak signals of 1 milliwatt. By comparison, the most powerful cell phones can transmit a signal of 3 watts. The low power limits the range of a Bluetooth device to about 10 meters, cutting the chances of interference between your computer system and your portable telephone or television. Even with the low power, the walls in your house won't stop a Bluetooth signal, making the standard useful for controlling several devices in different rooms.

With many different Bluetooth devices in a room, you might think they'd interfere with one another, but it's unlikely that several devices will be on the same frequency at the same time, because Bluetooth uses a technique called spread-spectrum frequency hopping. In this technique, a device will use 79 individual, randomly chosen frequencies within a designated range, changing from one to another on a regular basis. In the case of Bluetooth, the transmitters change frequencies 1,600 times every second, meaning that more devices can make full use of a limited slice of the radio spectrum. Since every Bluetooth transmitter uses spread-spectrum transmitting automatically, it’s unlikely that two transmitters will be on the same frequency at the same time. This same technique minimizes the risk that portable phones or baby monitors will disrupt Bluetooth devices, since any interference on a particular frequency will last only a tiny fraction of a second.

As radio signals can be easily intercepted, Bluetooth devices have built-in security to prevent eavesdropping or falsifying the origin of messages (spoofing). 

The main security features are:

• a challenge-response routine - for authentication, which prevents spoofing and unwanted access to critical data and functions.
• stream cipher - for encryption, which prevents eavesdropping and maintains link privacy.
• session key generation - session keys can be changed at any time during a connection.

Three entities are used in the security algorithms:

The Bluetooth device address (48 bits), is a public entity unique for each device. The address can be obtained through the inquiry procedure.

A private user key (128 bits), is a secret entity. The private key is derived during initialization and is never disclosed. 

A random number (128 bits), is different for each new transaction. The random number is derived from a pseudo-random process in the Bluetooth unit.

In addition to these link-level functions, frequency hopping and the limited transmission range also help to prevent eavesdropping. 

Applications 

AOpen BT02C Bluetooth Module

Our engineers have successfully developed a handy Bluetooth Module for you to make use of the great Bluetooth technology on AOpen Motherboards, with a clean outlook of your Desktop Computer. The whole idea of AOpen Bluetooth solution is simple and easy installation inside the front panel of your housing. Users can install AOpen Bluetooth Module at the back of drive cover, or any free space between your front panel and metal housing. With excellent RD capability of both Motherboard / Housing and R.F. wireless technology.  The antenna and transmission / receiving characteristic are well designed and adjusted for this installation location.

The installation of AOpen Bluetooth Module

Users can easily install AOpen Bluetooth Module as the steps shown below.

The application of Bluetooth

With Bluetooth technology integrated in AOpen motherboard, you can link your handheld device, Bluetooth-enabled cellular phone and peripherals within 10-meter distance.

Home

The Three-in-one Phone

With Bluetooth support, one handset will be able to provide multiple functionality. When at home, the phone functions as a cordless phone, connected to the fixed line. When on the move, it functions as a mobile phone connected to the mobile network. Additionally,when the phone comes within range of another mobile phone with built-in Bluetooth technology, it functions as a walkie-talkie.

The Internet Bridge

An extension of this model could be a mobile computer that allows surfing the Internet irrespective of the location of the user,

and regardless of whether the user is cordlessly connected through a mobile phone (cellular) or through a wireline connection (e.g. PSTN, ISDN, LAN, xDSL).

Smart Home

Homes equipped with Bluetooth devices may be able to recognise the arrival of its bonafide residents and unlock the door on their arrival. The device will also adjust heat to a preset temperature. While this is happening, the data from the individual’s PDA may be exchanged with the home electronic board, and the family calendar is updated to reflect the scheduled activities in the office.

Office

The Automatic Synchronizer

The Bluetooth technology will also allow automatic synchronization of the desktop,mobile computer, PDAs and the mobile phone. For instance, as soon as one enters his/her office the address list and calendar in the PDA will automatically be updated to agree with the one in the desktop, or vice versa.

The Interactive Conference

In meetings and conferences, one can transfer selected documents instantly with

selected participants, and exchange electronic business cards automatically, without any wired connections. In another similar application, one can access one’s PDA to send the presentation to the electronic whiteboard. The minutes of the meeting are also recorded on a PDA and wirelessly transferred to other participants before they leave the meeting .

Travelers

 Automatic Check-in

The Bluetooth enabled mobile phone or the PDA can present the electronic ticket to the airline system without one having to go through the queue at the check-in counters. The airline's on-line system performs the identification via the ID-tag feature built into the mobile phone or the PDA and confirms the reserved seat.

In the airport waiting lounge, kiosks could be equipped with Bluetooth-enabled Internet ports. Via these ports, one could connect the Bluetooth-enabled laptops, PDAs, and other devices to access the office or home-based servers via the airline server.

 FUTURE FOR BLUETOOTH

Bluetooth has a good future ahead because

it meets a basic need of connectivity in close proximity,

 is the result of initiatives of nine leading communications and computer industry vendors including companies like 3-COM, Ericsson, Lucent, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Nokia, Toshiba etc.

 Since the formation of the original group, more than 1800 manufacturers worldwide have joined the initiative worldwide. According to one market research report, Bluetooth technology is expected to be built into over 100 millions devices before the end of 2002. According to still another report from market research firm Cahners In-Stat Group, there will be over 670 million Bluetooth enabled devices worldwide by 2005.

Bluetooth will have tremendous effects on everyday life. Bluetooth is one of the key technologies that can make the mobile information society possible, blurring the boundaries between home, the office, and the outside world. The seamless connectivity promised by Bluetooth makes it possible to explore arange of interactive and highly transparent personalized services which were even difficult to dream of because of the complexity involved in making various devices talk to each other.

Bluetooth applications can have far reaching impacts on many other industries as well. Bluetooth technology adoption is expected to be widespread throughout the computer and telecommunications industry.

Implementation of the Bluetooth technology is expected to grow the market for personal mobile devices and indirectly increase airtime usage for wireless data. 

Over the long term. manufacturers will also benefit from the ability to replace multiple connection ports with a single Bluetooth module, gaining economies at the production level. The Bluetooth SIG has defined favorable adoption terms, including open, royalty-free availability of the specification and is playing an important role in spreading the technology.

 Is Bluetooth really the wave of the future?

 To be fair, it must be admitted that not all pundits agree on whether Bluetooth technology is truly the wave of the future. Mark Riseley, an analyst at Inteco, has said, "People are not crying out for Bluetooth devices. They will inevitably be asking, "Do I want to switch on the lights using my mobile phone?" It seems a bit like taking a hammer to crack a nut and may not be considered worth the money."

Let's first look at the potential applications-a difficult task, considering the virtually infinite nature of them. So, we'll start with Riseley's point of view. He refers to applications like switching on lights with a mobile phone. Certainly, such applications are possible. However, that's a minor one. So many more have far greater practicallity. As this article mentioned earlier, the removal of the spaghetti of cords surrounding a PC is one that most non-technical (and technical) users can relate to. Of course, there are the esthetics of not having that junk around. Beyond that, though, there is more practical consideration for removing it: the danger associated with tripping or electrical shock from worn cables. When the typical user sees the advantages there-coupled with the likely low cost of Bluetooth devices-it seems likely that moving to products that provide the technology will seem like a good choice.

However, it is not the average user who leads the way in acceptance of new technologies; it is the business person on the go, the traveler, who demands products to stay in touch with the home office and home, and to make giving presentations easier. These are the people who jumped on cell phones and PDIs. The convenience of checking for e-mail while stuck in traffic is a strong motivator. The ease of linking with a printer or fax at the client's office, which Bluetooth can provide, must be irresistible. To be able to give a presentation with a laptop and not have to deal with cables and plugging in peripherals is a dream come true.

Then, there are the conveniences of gadgets able to do double duty. "Where did I leave the TV remote?" can become a question of the past when the cell phone that just happens to be in your coat pocket will do the channel switching just as well. Picture yourself in the car on the way to a client's office when you realize you've forgotten to bring a file that's on your home PC. Wouldn't it be wonderful not to have to turn around, go back home, get out of the car, boot up the PC, dig out a blank floppy disk, copy the file, and then head back out? Imagine dialing the Internet from your cell phone and downloading the file while you drive along.

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