TOKYO: From its annual All Hands Meeting in Tokyo last week, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) formally adopted Bluetooth Core Specification Version 3.0 + High Speed (HS), or Bluetooth 3.0. This latest iteration of the popular short-range wireless technology fulfills the consumers’ need for speed while providing the same wireless Bluetooth experience — faster. Manufacturers of consumer electronics and home entertainment devices can now build their products to send large amounts of video, music and photos between devices wirelessly at faster rates.
Bluetooth 3.0 gets its speed from the 802.11 radio protocol. The inclusion of the 802.11 Protocol Adaptation Layer (PAL) provides increased throughput of data transfers at the approximate rate of 24 Mbps. In addition, mobile devices including Bluetooth 3.0 will realize increased power savings due to enhanced power control built in. Past speeds were 1 Mbps for Bluetooth Version 1.2 and up to 3 Mbps supported for Version 2.0 + EDR. It’s easy to understand that a jump to 24 Mbps with version 3.0 + HS is an enormous increase.
“Like Ricky Bobby in Talladega Nights, this latest version was ‘born to go fast,’” said Michael Foley, Ph.D., executive director of the Bluetooth SIG. “Utilizing the 802.11 radio was a natural choice as it provides efficiencies for both our members and consumers – members get more function out of the two radios they are already including in devices, and consumers with Bluetooth 3.0 + HS products will get faster exchange of information without changing how they connect. We are excited to expand the possibilities of the personal area network (PAN).”
This newest version of Bluetooth technology builds on the inherent qualities of the current 2.1 + EDR version, including Simple Secure Pairing and built-in, automatic security. And as with all versions of the Bluetooth specification, Bluetooth 3.0 + HS provides developers, manufacturers and consumers with the benefit of backwards compatibility, enabling both the expansion and enhancement of this technology with every new specification release. Once products reach the market, the easiest way for consumers to learn which devices are compatible with other Bluetooth enabled devices is to visit the Bluetooth Gadget Guide at http://gadgetguide.bluetooth.com/.
Bluetooth continues to evolve, building on its inherent strengths — small-form factor radio, low power, low cost, built-in security, robustness, ease-of-use, and ad hoc networking abilities. More than eight new Bluetooth enabled products are qualified every working day and more than 19 million Bluetooth units are shipping per week. There are over two billion Bluetooth devices in the marketplace and that number climbs daily, making it the only proven wireless choice for developers, product manufacturers and consumers worldwide.
Applications
With the availability of Bluetooth version 3.0 + HS, consumers can expect to move large data files of videos, music and photos between their own devices and the trusted devices of others, without the need for cables and wires. Some applications consumers will experience include:
• Wirelessly synchronize entire music libraries between PC and music player or phone;
• Bulk download photos to a printer or PC;
• Send video files from camera or phone to computer or television.
The Bluetooth SIG’s formal adoption of the specification is only the first step in the product lifecycle. News just released from wireless chip manufacturers and Bluetooth SIG member companies Atheros, Broadcom, CSR and Marvell shows that the second step – getting silicon solutions to device manufacturers – is already under way. End products for consumers are expected to be in the market in nine to twelve months.
Technical specifications
For engineers interested in the technical details, the new Bluetooth specification release includes several major enhancements:
• Generic Alternate MAC/PHY (AMP)
• 802.11 Protocol Adaptation Layer (PAL)
• Generic Test Methodology
• Enhanced Power Control
• Unicast Connectionless Data
Download the Master Table of Contents & Compliance Requirements for Bluetooth 3.9 + HS from http://bluetooth.com/Bluetooth/Technology/Basics.htm. Note that the full specs are now 1774 pages.