Bluetooth Technology Intro

Capabilities

The definition of Bluetooth - a wireless technology that is a worldwide specification for a small form factor, low cost solution that will provide link between mobile devices and other electronic devices.

 

Similiar to 802.11 b/g wireless and many cordless telephone systems, Bluetooth operates on 2.4 GHz radio signals. The 2.4 GHz band seems to be a bit crowded, with interferences between the devices a bit hard to avoid.  Telephones are now being offered at the 5.8 GHz frequency band, which will help to remedy this.

The technical specifications of Bluetooth will indicate a maximum transfer rate of 723 kbps with a range of 65 - 328 feet, all depending on the class of that particular device.  The speed is a fraction of what is offered by wireless standards, so it's obvious that Bluetooth doesn't really pose a threat to replacing your wireless network.

Applications

There are numerous products that will take advantage of Bluetooth capabilities, such as laptops, PDAs, headphones, and even wireless printer adapters.

A lot of laptops out there will include an onboard Bluetooth adapter which allows the system to connect to any Bluetooth device right out of the box. For computers that don't have an adaptor built right in, there are several USB adaptors available for Bluetooth.

Bluetooth is hard to compete with.  For short range wireless, beyond competition. Bluetooth standards keep getting higher and higher, making it a wireless technology that is here to stay.