How they work : “The Bluetooth”

In this age and time, we are faced with many electronic devices like, computers, entertainment systems or telephones, these various pieces and parts of the systems do “talk” with each other using a variety of wires, cables, radio signals and infrared light beams, and an even greater variety of connectors, plugs and protocols. There are lots of different ways that electronic devices can connect to one another; e.g. Component cables, Electrical wires, Ethernet cables, WiFi , Infrared signals, etc. Each day that passes by, more and more technologies emerge. This method of connecting devices together is becoming more and more complex every day. Bluetooth is yet another method that has invaded our day to day life, with devices found in the phones, cars, computers etc. A Bluetooth connection is wireless and automatic, and it has a number of interesting features that can simplify our daily lives. What is Bluetooth anyway? When data is sent from one electronic device to another (for instance, from a computer to a handheld), the two devices usually have to be connected by a cable. Making sure you have the right cable and compatible connecting ports, however, can be frustrating and confusing and in some cases costly. In an effort to go round this problem, several thousand electronics manufacturers came together to develop a wireless equipment standard that would enable a range of devices (such as computers, digital cameras, handhelds, mobile phones and printers) to “talk to each” other without wires and without brand compatibility worries. They named the new standard “Bluetooth”. 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 or several? Once the physical attributes are decided, several more questions arise: How much data will be sent at a time? For instance, serial ports send data 1 bit at a time, whil¬e parallel ports send several bits at once. How will they speak to each other? 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. This means developing a set of commands and responses known as a protocol. Bluetooth offers a solution to the problem Bluetooth takes small-area networking to the next level by removing the need for user intervention and keeping transmission power extremely low to save battery power. Picture this: You’re on your Bluetooth-enabled cell phone, standing outside the door to your house. You tell the person on the other end of the line to call you back in five minutes so you can get in the house and put your stuff away. As soon as you walk in the house, the map you received on your cell phone from your car’s Bluetooth enabled GPS system is automatically sent to your Bluetooth-enabled computer, because your cell phone picked up a Bluetooth signal from your PC and automatically sent the data you designated for transfer. Five minutes later, when your friend calls you back, your Bluetooth-enabled home phone rings instead of your cell phone. The person called the same number, but your home phone picked up the Bluetooth signal from your cell phone and automatically re-routed the call because it realized you were home. And each transmission signal to and from your cell phone consumes just 1 milliwatt of power, so your cell phone charge is virtually unaffected by all of this activity. eddie@afrowebs.com