| a) Bluetooth Technology, And Their Advantages | | | | Current prototype circuits are contained on a |
| And Disadvantages | | | | board that is 0.9 cm square, with a much |
| | | | smaller circuit board being developed. |
| Bluetooth has a lot to offer with an | | | | |
| increasingly difficult market place. | | | | When one Bluetooth device comes in contact |
| Bluetooth helps to bring with it the promise | | | | with another, they will automatically |
| of freedom from the cables and simplicity in | | | | exchange addresses and details of capability. |
| networking that has yet to be matched by LAN | | | | Then, they can establish a 1 MB link with |
| (Local Area Network). | | | | security that they will use as required. The |
| | | | protocols involved with handle both data and |
| In the key marketplace, of wireless and | | | | voice, with a very flexible topography. |
| handheld devices, the closest competitor to | | | | |
| Bluetooth is infrared. Infrared holds many | | | | The technology achieves its goal by embedding |
| key features, although the line of sight it | | | | tiny, non expensive short range tranceivers |
| provides does not go through walls or through | | | | into the devices available today. The radio |
| obstacles like that of the | | | | operates on the 2.45 GHz frequency band, and |
| | | | supports up to 721 KBps, along with three |
| Bluetooth technology. | | | | voice channels. |
| | | | |
| Unlike infrared, Bluetooth is not a line of | | | | Each devices offers a unique 48 bit address |
| sight and it provides ranges of up to 100 | | | | from the IEEE 802 standard, with the |
| meters. Bluetooth is also low power and low | | | | connections being point to point or |
| processing with an overhead protocol. What | | | | multipoint. The max range is 10 meters, |
| this means, is that it is ideal for | | | | although it can be extended to 100 meters by |
| integration into small battery powered | | | | increasing the power. The devices are also |
| devices. To put it short, the applications | | | | protected from radio interference by changing |
| with Bluetooth are virtually endless. | | | | their frequencies, also known as frequency |
| | | | hopping. |
| Disadvantages, Bluetooth has several positive | | | | |
| features and one would be extremely hard | | | | What is important, is the fact that Bluetooth |
| pressed to find downsides when given the | | | | devices will not drain battery life. The |
| current competition. The only real downsides | | | | specification targets power consumption of |
| are the data rate and security. Infrared can | | | | the device, limiting the drain on the |
| have data rates of up to 4 MBps, which | | | | battery. The radio chip will consume only |
| provides very fast rates for data transfer, | | | | 0.3mA in stand by mode, which is less than 5% |
| while Bluetooth only offers 1 MBps. | | | | of the power that standard phones use. |
| | | | |
| For this very reason, infrared has yet to be | | | | Bluetooth will also guarantee security at the |
| dispensed with completely and is considered | | | | bit level. The authentification is controlled |
| by many to be the complimentary technology to | | | | by the user via a 128 bit key. The radio |
| that of Bluetooth. Infrared has inherent | | | | signals can be coded with anything up to 128 |
| security due to its line of sight. | | | | bit. With the frequency hopping, Bluetooth is |
| | | | already very hard to listen into. |
| The greater range and radio frequency (RF) of | | | | |
| Bluetooth make it much more open to | | | | The baseband protocol is a combination of |
| interception and attack. For this reason, | | | | both circuit and packet switches. Slots can |
| security is a very key aspect to the | | | | be reserved for synchronous packets as well. |
| Bluetooth specification. | | | | Each packet will be transmitted in a |
| | | | different hop frequency. Normally, a packet |
| Although there are very few disadvantages, | | | | covers a single slot although it can be |
| Bluetooth still remains the best for short | | | | extended to cover up to five slots. |
| range wireless technology. Those who have | | | | |
| tried it love it, and they know for a fact | | | | Bluetooth can also support data channels of |
| that Bluetooth will be around for years to | | | | up to three simultaneous voice channels. |
| come.b) Bluetooth Technical Operations Of | | | | Therefore, it is possible to transfer the |
| Wireless Link Technology | | | | data while you talk at the same time. Each |
| | | | individual voice channel will support 64 KB. |
| Bluetooth is a high speed, low powered | | | | |
| wireless link technology that is designed to | | | | From a technical standpoint, Bluetooth is |
| connect phones or other portable equipment | | | | very different indeed. It is the best |
| together with little to no work required by | | | | wireless method in the world, surpassing even |
| the user. Unlike infrared, Bluetooth does not | | | | infrared. For communication on the go, |
| require line of site positioning to work. | | | | Bluetooth is indeed very hard to compete |
| | | | with. |