Bluetooth Technology Central

Overview | Glossary | FAQs

Glossary of Terms

Here are some of the terms you many encounter when discussing Bluetooth technology:

Ad Hoc Network
A network typically created in a spontaneous manner. An ad hoc network requires no formal infrastructure and is limited in temporal and spatial extent.

Bluetooth wireless technology
Bluetooth wireless technology is a wireless communication link, operating in the unlicensed ISM band at 2.4 GHz using a frequency hopping transceiver. It allows real-time AV and data communications between Bluetooth enabled hosts. The link protocol is based on time slots.

Bluetooth Enabled Device
A Bluetooth enabled device is a device that is capable of short-range wireless communications using the Bluetooth system.

Bluetooth Host
A Bluetooth Host is a computing device, peripheral, cellular telephone, access point to PSTN network or LAN, etc. A Bluetooth Host attached to a Bluetooth Controller may communicate with other Bluetooth Hosts attached to their Bluetooth Controllers as well.

Connecting
A phase in the communication between devices when a connection between them is being established.

Connection Establishment
A procedure for creating a connection mapped onto a channel.

Coverage Area
The area where two Bluetooth enabled devices can exchange messages with acceptable quality and performance.

Device Discovery
A procedure for retrieving the Bluetooth device address, clock, class-of-device field and used page scan mode from discoverable devices.

Discoverable Device
A Bluetooth enabled device in range that periodically listens on an inquiry scan physical channel and will respond to an inquiry on that channel. Discoverable device are normally also connectable.

Encryption
Method of encoding data to prevent others from being able to interpret the information.

Link Establishment
A procedure for establishing the default ACL link and hierarchy of links and channels between devices.

Pairing
The process of establishing a new relationship between two Bluetooth enabled devices.

Passcode
When pairing devices, it is strongly recommended to use a passcode to authenticate incoming connections. Also, in certain connection situations you may desire additional assurance that you are connecting to the device or person you expect. A passcode can normally be any combination of keys (letters or numbers).

Personal Area Networking Profile (PAN)
PAN describes how two or more Bluetooth enabled devices can form an ad-hoc network and how the same mechanism can be used to access a remote network through a network access point. The profile roles include the network access point, group ad-hoc network and personal area network user.

Piconet
A collection of devices occupying a shared physical channel where one of the devices is the piconet master and the remaining devices are connected to it.

PIN
A user-friendly number that can be used to authenticate connections to a device before paring has taken place.

Range
Area that a Bluetooth enabled radio can cover with signal. This area can be affected by many different factors.