Bluetooth: A Cable Replacement

Bluetooth: A Cable Replacement
Technology
The thought of dipping into the various Bluetooth-specific specifications is something
which shouldn’t be done lightheartedly. An engineer suitably equipped with a jug of
coffee and other caffeine-based products should only then, but not necessarily advisably,
embark upon the thousand or so pages. The page count doesn’t stop there either;
with the new release of the Specification of the Bluetooth System and the many
adopted profiles, we will surely see an emerging wealth of detailed information ready
to be ingested by the most fearless. The release of the Specification of the Bluetooth
System: Core v2.0, plus Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) offers backward compatibility
with v1.2 and the ability to support a host of other profile enhancements. And, of
course, we already have a series of adopted profiles that have been prepared and incorporated
into a formal release of the Specification of the Bluetooth System: Profiles. With
the recent marriage of Bluetooth and Ultra-wideband (UWB) we may even witness a
new evolution to the specification suite; perhaps we can hear the pounding keys of a
keyboard thrashing out the Specification of the Bluetooth System: Core v3.0 with an
accompanied wealth of new profiles complementing the array of new Bluetooth/
UWB-enabled applications. This continued growth is evidence of a technology that
has taken up permanent residence in communication-enabled products, albeit those
predominantly targeted towards the cellular market (phone and headset). The
plethora of Bluetooth-orientated product flyers occupies much of the window space
in our local high streets, tempting us to abandon our cables for simpler useability. With
its growth predicted to overtake that of WiFi, Bluetooth technology demonstrates that
it has an undying ambition to govern our everyday use of technology (some reports
have already witnessed the growth of Bluetooth exceeding that of WiFi; it really comes
down to whom you believe, as Bluetooth has only captured a niche market). In
Chapter 13, WiFi: Enabling True Ubiquitous Connectivity, we adopt a more realistic
perspective about the success and enormous market penetration of WiFi where we have seen an unparalleled acceptance of the technology covering a wide spectrum of
application areas. Bluetooth wireless technology’s success is evident in the cellular
market. Indeed, this is further heightened in the United Kingdom, the United States
and, similarly, other European countries where local and/or national Governments
have made it an illegal offence to operate a cellular phone within a vehicle. Drivers, in
turn, are only allowed to operate hands-free devices. Those caught holding a cellular
phone within their vehicle will receive an on-the-spot fine and will automatically
accrue three penalty points on their driving license (this refers to UK-specific law and
penalties). As such, it has increased the popularity of the automotive Bluetooth working
group and technologies surrounding the potential deployment, which detail scenarios
that conform to the now frowned upon use of a cellular phone within a moving
vehicle. Nowadays, perusing the vehicle manufacturers’ brochures, even for some of
the basic ranges of vehicles, an option for Bluetooth wireless technology hands-free
capability is usually available at an additional cost. Naturally, at the far end of the
vehicle spectrum the technology has become an integral component of the car or, at
least is being introduced as a no-cost option, offering wireless connectivity as standard;
a handful of car manufacturers have already ventured into this area, which is
increasingly becoming prevalent.
The momentum of Bluetooth wireless technology is accelerating at a phenomenal
rate within applications surrounding the cellular and audio market and, as such,
has become the de facto short-range cable replacement standard. In the UK, Europe
and increasingly the US, many consumers have chosen to interoperate their cellular
phone with a Bluetooth-enabled headset, plainly supporting the new hands-free ethos.
Similarly, with an increase in popularity of Apple’s iPod generation of products, a
somewhat natural evolution to the headset is to support wireless stereo functionality
affording the freedom of cable-free use. You may recall in Chapter 9, Aura Communications
Technology: Creating the Personal Bubble, we offered an alternative wireless solution for
stereo headset operation based upon Near Field Communications (NFC). For those
who can remember a day where so many critics were eager to place the nail into
the Bluetooth coffin in its very early stages, we can now be assured of a technology
reaching a level of maturity where vehicle, consumer electronic and cellular manufacturers
(and hopefully the wider market population) can reassuringly consider it a viable
wireless solution.