|
Illustration by Christina Ung
The Next New ThingWritten by David English Bluetooth technology is ever evolving. While manufacturers are implementing the current specification, working groups are testing additions, enhancements and revisions for the next version. And study groups are exploring features and functionality that could be years away. Most recently, the Bluetooth Core Specification V3.0 + HS brought highspeed capabilities to the technology. On the horizon is Bluetooth low energy technology, as well as two new study groups. This article, a new feature in SIGnature magazine, will report on current and upcoming activities related to the development of Bluetooth technology. High Speed Reality
While the Bluetooth Core Specification V3.0 + HS includes a variety of innovations, its hallmark feature is that it will enable an 802.11 radio to perform Bluetooth wireless functions, explains Peter Cook, senior program manager forthe Bluetooth SIG. “All the usability and functionality of Bluetooth technology can now be done using the high speed 802.11 radio,” he says. “The primary use cases involve bulk data transfers, such as printing, synchronization, file transfer and even video streaming.” Faster speeds create opportunity for improved applications. “We have a video distribution profile today, but its use has been limited in the past due to the availability of only the Bluetooth classic and Enhanced Data Rate radios.The user experience with these conditions may not be considered high quality for some applications,” says Cook. “But high-definition video will now be feasible because the specification mandates 802.11g, which has a maximum throughput of 24 Mbps.” That’s quite a jump from the maximum 3 Mbps made possible with the Bluetooth V2.1 + EDR spec. Even that, however, was a boost from the original1 Mbps basic data rate. Enhanced Data Rate is now mandatory for products that support the high speed radio. “That provides a more graceful fallback if another device doesn’t support high speed,” Cook explains. To make the most of the new core specification, the Bluetooth SIG is optimizing some current profiles to maximize data rates with the 802.11 radio. Most of these profiles are OBEX (Object Exchange) based. “Some examples include the basic imaging profile, synchronization profile and file transfer profile,”notes Cook. “If, for example, you’re in a meeting where not everyone has an Internet connection but you want to transfer files, you’ll be able to do that quickly with the other participants.” The 802.11 radio will also save power. Even though the 802.11 radio drains the battery faster than previous versions, the difference is offset by the significantly shorter time required for the same task. “If I were to transfer a 30-megabyte file over a Bluetooth wireless connection, I might finish in about five and a half minutes at the basic rate,” says Cook. “I could perform this same action in about 20 seconds with high speed, and the average power-per-bit transferred would be less.” Consumers should see Bluetooth high speed enabled devices by the end of 2009. “I anticipate mobile phones and PCs as the primary devices,” Cook projects. “These will then be followed by MP3 players, cameras and projectors.” Low Energy Update
While manufacturers are moving full speed ahead with Bluetooth V3.0 + HS, the Bluetooth low energy specification is still a work in progress, with full implementation not expected until late 2009. The low energy specification will enable devices that aren’t practical – or even possible – with the current versions of the specification. “Bluetooth low energy technology will provide intelligent sensing and status reporting, where the radio is mostly powered off, as compared with today’s Bluetooth technology, where the radio is mostly on,” says Cook. While the highspeed specification is designed to support large data transfer scenarios, the low energy version will be optimized for sending small amounts of data and preserving battery life. Many of the early low energy devices will be sensors that transmit data through a peer-to-peer wireless connection. “Initial low energy use cases will include sports and fitness, proximity, medical, and home information control applications,” says Cook. Low energy devices also could be developed for extreme environments.“You might put a temperature sensor in a smelting plant,” he says. “It could transmit the temperature over certain frequencies for several years. And when it goes bad, you just add another sensor.” Several working groups are developing profiles based on the proposed specification. “The AV Working Group is developing a simple remote control using the low energy transport, while the Automation Working Group is working to support battery status, temperature and humidity sensors,” says Cook.“And the Personal User Interface Device Working Group is working on a set of profiles that will provide for different alerts and updates to be broadcast from your phone to your watch, or from your watch to your phone, depending on which device received the relevant information. Profile work is currently being prioritized by the Ecosystem Committee.” How far along is the Bluetooth low energy specification? “We have approved the controller,” Cook explains. “In a device, you have both a controller and a host. You might think of the controller as the hardware and the host as the software. The hardware is the difficult part, because before people start spending on silicon, they want to be certain it’s right.” In June 2009, the controller was approved as a prototyping specification (Version 0.9). “Companies can now build to that spec and start producing prototype devices, as well as participate in formal interoperability testing sessions to finalize the specification,” Cook notes. “Then later this year or early next year, we’ll have an approved Version 1.0 from which companies will be able to make their products.” David English has written for CNET, Forbes, Fortune and PC Magazine.
|