What is Bluetooth?
Bluetooth is an industrial specification for wireless
personal area networks (PANs). Bluetooth provides a way to
connect and exchange information between devices like
personal digital assistants (PDAs), mobile phones, laptops,
PCs, printers and digital cameras via a secure, low-cost,
globally available short range radio frequency.
Introduction
Bluetooth is a radio standard primarily designed for low
power consumption, with a short range (power class
dependent: 10 centimetres, 10 meters, 100 meters) and with a
low-cost transceiver microchip in each device.
Bluetooth lets these devices talk to each other when they
come in range, even if they are not in the same room, as
long as they are within up to 100 meters of each other,
dependent on the power class of the product. Products are
available in one of three power classes:
- Class 1 (100 mW) [still
readily available]: It has the longest range at up to
100 metres.
- Class 2 (2.5 mW) [most
common]: It allows a quoted transmission distance of 10
metres.
- Class 3 (1 mW) [rare]: It
allows transmission of 10 cm (3.9 in), with a maximum of
1 metre.
Bluetooth applications
- A Bluetooth mouse
- Wireless networking between desktops and laptops, or
desktops in a confined space and where little bandwidth
is required
- Bluetooth peripherals such as printers and keyboards
- Bluetooth cell phones able to connect to computers,
personal digital assistants (PDAs)
- Various handsfree devices.
- Transfer of files (images, mp3s, etc) between mobile
phones, Personal digital assistants (PDAs) and computers
- Certain mp3 players and digital cameras to transfer
files to and from computers
- Bluetooth headsets for mobile phones and smartphones
- Medical applications
- Bluetooth car kits
- Certain data logging equipment transmits data to a
computer via Bluetooth.
- For remote controls where infrared was traditionally
used.
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