About Bluetooth Technology

  

For the Danish king, see Harald Bluetooth.
Developed by	Bluetooth Special Interest Group
Introduced	7 May 1998; 23 years ago
Industry	Personal area networks
Compatible hardware	Personal computers Smartphones Gaming consoles Audio devices
Physical range	Typically less than 10 m (33 ft), up to 100 m (330 ft). Bluetooth 5.0: 40–400 m (100–1,000 ft)[1][2]
Website	bluetooth.com

Bluetooth: as per Wikipedia

Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances using UHF radio waves in the ISM bands, from 2.402 GHz to 2.48 GHz, and building personal area networks (PANs).[3] It was originally conceived as a wireless alternative to RS-232 data cables. It is mainly used as an alternative to wire connections, to exchange files between nearby portable devices and connect cell phones and music players with wireless headphones. In the most widely used mode, transmission power is limited to 2.5 milliwatts, giving it a very short range of up to 10 meters (30 feet). 

Bluetooth is managed by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), which has more than 35,000 member companies in the areas of telecommunication, computing, networking, and consumer electronics. The IEEE standardized Bluetooth as IEEE 802.15.1, but no longer maintains the standard. The Bluetooth SIG oversees development of the specification, manages the qualification program, and protects the trademarks. A manufacturer must meet Bluetooth SIG standards to market it as a Bluetooth device. A network of patents apply to the technology, which are licensed to individual qualifying devices. As of 2009, Bluetooth integrated circuit chips ship approximately 920 million units annually. By 2017, there were 3.6 billion Bluetooth devices shipping annually and the shipments were expected to continue increasing at about 12% a year. 

From <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetooth>

Etymology 

The name “Bluetooth” was proposed in 1997 by Jim Kardach of Intel, one of the founders of the Bluetooth SIG. The name was inspired by a conversation with Sven Mattisson who related Scandinavian history through tales from Frans G. Bengtsson's The Long Ships, a historical novel about Vikings and the 10th-century Danish king Harald Bluetooth. Upon discovering a picture of the Harald Bluetooth rune stone[8] in the book Gwyn Jones's A History of the Vikings, Jim proposed Bluetooth as the codename for the short-range wireless program which is now called Bluetooth.

 

Kardach was later quoted as saying, “King Harald Bluetooth…was famous for uniting Scandinavia just as we intended to unite the PC and cellular industries with a short-range wireless link.” Bluetooth was only intended as a placeholder until marketing could come up with something really cool.

 

Bluetooth is the Anglicised version of the Scandinavian Blåtand/Blåtann (or in Old Norse blátǫnn). It was the epithet of King Harald Bluetooth, who united the disparate Danish tribes into a single kingdom; Kardach chose the name to imply that Bluetooth similarly unites communication protocols.

Logo

The Bluetooth logo is a bind rune merging the Younger Futhark runes

 (ᚼ, Hagall) and

 (ᛒ, Bjarkan), Harald's initials. 

From <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetooth> 

Bluetooth profile

To use Bluetooth wireless technology, a device must be able to interpret certain Bluetooth profiles, which are definitions of possible applications and specify general behaviors that Bluetooth-enabled devices use to communicate with other Bluetooth devices. These profiles include settings to parameterize and to control the communication from the start. Adherence to profiles saves the time for transmitting the parameters anew before the bi-directional link becomes effective. There are a wide range of Bluetooth profiles that describe many different types of applications or use cases for devices.

List of applications

Fig 1. A typical Bluetooth mobile phone headset

Wireless control and communication between a mobile phone and a handsfree headset. This was one of the earliest applications to become popular.

·          Wireless control of and communication between a mobile phone and a Bluetooth compatible car stereo system (and sometimes between the SIM card and the car phone).

·         Wireless communication between a smartphone and a smart lock for unlocking doors.

·         Wireless control of and communication with iOS and Android device phones, tablets and portable wireless speakers.[36]

·         Wireless Bluetooth headset and Intercom. Idiomatically, a headset is sometimes called "a Bluetooth".

·         Wireless streaming of audio to headphones with or without communication capabilities.

·         Wireless streaming of data collected by Bluetooth-enabled fitness devices to phone or PC.

·         Wireless networking between PCs in a confined space and where little bandwidth is required.

·         Wireless communication with PC input and output devices, the most common being the mouse, keyboard and printer.

·         Transfer of files, contact details, calendar appointments, and reminders between devices with OBEX and sharing directories via FTP.

·         Replacement of previous wired RS-232 serial communications in test equipment, GPS receivers, medical equipment, bar code scanners, and traffic control devices.

·         For controls where infrared was often used.

·         For low bandwidth applications where higher USB bandwidth is not required and cable-free connection desired.

·         Sending small advertisements from Bluetooth-enabled advertising hoardings to other, discoverable, Bluetooth devices.

·         Wireless bridge between two Industrial Ethernet (e.g., PROFINET) networks.

·         Seventh and eighth generation game consoles such as Nintendo's Wii, and Sony's PlayStation 3 use Bluetooth for their respective wireless controllers.

·         Dial-up internet access on personal computers or PDAs using a data-capable mobile phone as a wireless modem.

·         Short-range transmission of health sensor data from medical devices to mobile phone, set-top box or dedicated telehealth devices.

·         Allowing a DECT phone to ring and answer calls on behalf of a nearby mobile phone.

·         Real-time location systems (RTLS) are used to track and identify the location of objects in real time using "Nodes" or "tags" attached to, or embedded in, the objects tracked, and "Readers" that receive and process the wireless signals from these tags to determine their locations.

·         Personal security application on mobile phones for prevention of theft or loss of items. The protected item has a Bluetooth marker (e.g., a tag) that is in constant communication with the phone. If the connection is broken (the marker is out of range of the phone) then an alarm is raised. This can also be used as a man overboard alarm. A product using this technology has been available since 2009.

·         Calgary, Alberta, Canada's Roads Traffic division uses data collected from travelers' Bluetooth devices to predict travel times and road congestion for motorists.

·         Wireless transmission of audio (a more reliable alternative to FM transmitters)

·         Live video streaming to the visual cortical implant device by Nabeel Fattah in Newcastle university 2017.

·         Connection of motion controllers to a PC when using VR headsets

Bluetooth vs Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11)

Bluetooth and Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi is the brand name for products using IEEE 802.11 standards) have some similar applications: setting up networks, printing, or transferring files. Wi-Fi is intended as a replacement for high-speed cabling for general local area network access in work areas or home. This category of applications is sometimes called wireless local area networks (WLAN). Bluetooth was intended for portable equipment and its applications. The category of applications is outlined as the wireless personal area network (WPAN). Bluetooth is a replacement for cabling in various personally carried applications in any setting and also works for fixed location applications such as smart energy functionality in the home (thermostats, etc.).

 

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are to some extent complementary in their applications and usage. Wi-Fi is usually access point-centered, with an asymmetrical client-server connection with all traffic routed through the access point, while Bluetooth is usually symmetrical, between two Bluetooth devices. Bluetooth serves well in simple applications where two devices need to connect with a minimal configuration like a button press, as in headsets and speakers.

Devices

Fig 3. A Bluetooth USB dongle with a 100 m range

Bluetooth exists in numerous products such as telephones, speakers, tablets, media players, robotics systems, laptops, and console gaming equipment as well as some high definition headsets, modems, hearing aids[48] and even watches. Given the variety of devices which use the Bluetooth, coupled with the contemporary deprecation of headphone jacks by Apple, Google, and other companies, and the lack of regulation by the FCC, the technology is prone to interference. Nonetheless Bluetooth is useful when transferring information between two or more devices that are near each other in low-bandwidth situations. Bluetooth is commonly used to transfer sound data with telephones (i.e., with a Bluetooth headset) or byte data with hand-held computers (transferring files).

Bluetooth protocols simplify the discovery and setup of services between devices. Bluetooth devices can advertise all of the services they provide. This makes using services easier, because more of the security, network address and permission configuration can be automated than with many other network types.

Computer requirements

Fig 4. A typical Bluetooth USB dongle

An internal notebook Bluetooth card (14×36×4 mm)

A personal computer that does not have embedded Bluetooth can use a Bluetooth adapter that enables the PC to communicate with Bluetooth devices. While some desktop computers and most recent laptops come with a built-in Bluetooth radio, others require an external adapter, typically in the form of a small USB "dongle."

Unlike its predecessor, IrDA, which requires a separate adapter for each device, Bluetooth lets multiple devices communicate with a computer over a single adapter.

From <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetooth> 

Technical information

Architecture: Software

Seeking to extend the compatibility of Bluetooth devices, the devices that adhere to the standard use an interface called HCI (Host Controller Interface) between the host device (e.g. laptop, phone) and the Bluetooth device (e.g. Bluetooth wireless headset).

High-level protocols such as the SDP (Protocol used to find other Bluetooth devices within the communication range, also responsible for detecting the function of devices in range), RFCOMM (Protocol used to emulate serial port connections) and TCS (Telephony control protocol) interact with the baseband controller through the L2CAP (Logical Link Control and Adaptation Protocol). The L2CAP protocol is responsible for the segmentation and reassembly of the packets.

Architecture: Hardware 

The hardware that makes up the Bluetooth device is made up of, logically, two parts; which may or may not be physically separate. A radio device, responsible for modulating and transmitting the signal; and a digital controller. The digital controller is likely a CPU, one of whose functions is to run a Link Controller; and interfaces with the host device; but some functions may be delegated to hardware. The Link Controller is responsible for the processing of the baseband and the management of ARQ and physical layer FEC protocols. In addition, it handles the transfer functions (both asynchronous and synchronous), audio coding (e.g. SBC (codec)) and data encryption. The CPU of the device is responsible for attending the instructions related to Bluetooth of the host device, in order to simplify its operation. To do this, the CPU runs software called Link Manager that has the function of communicating with other devices through the LMP protocol.

A Bluetooth device is a short-range wireless device. Bluetooth devices are fabricated on RF CMOS integrated circuit (RF circuit) chips.

Bluetooth protocol stack

Fig 5. Bluetooth Protocol Stack

Bluetooth is defined as a layer protocol architecture consisting of core protocols, cable replacement protocols, telephony control protocols, and adopted protocols. Mandatory protocols for all Bluetooth stacks are LMP, L2CAP and SDP. In addition, devices that communicate with Bluetooth almost universally can use these protocols: HCI and RFCOMM.

From <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetooth>

 

What is Bluetooth? As per SONY support

Bluetooth is a wireless communication technology that can be used for close-range data transmission from one digital device to another. Bluetooth is essentially a one-to-one wireless connection that uses 2.4 GHz-band radio waves.

What is a profile?

For two devices to connect using Bluetooth, both devices must support the same profile. If the devices support different profiles, they cannot be connected.

Check the specifications of the devices for their supported profiles.

 

What is pairing?

When connecting Bluetooth devices for the first time, registration is required. This process is called pairing.

For details on operation method, refer to the manual supplied with the product.

 

From <https://www.sony.co.in/electronics/support/articles/00030769>

For all discussed seminar topics list click here Index.

…till next post, bye-bye and take care.

About 64 bit computing – part 3

Introduction [with respect to software applications]

The current trend in the market towards 64-bit computing on desktops has sparked interest in the industry for 64-bit computers. Intel and AMD have already released their 64-bit processors suitable for desktops and servers. However, 64-bit computers are not new; companies have been using 64-bit systems on highend servers for years and they still do. What is new is the interest in 64-bit computing for desktops. Microsoft’s Vista operating system is expected to give a much needed fillip to the popularization of 64-bit architectures.

With the advent of 64-bit versions of Linux and Windows operating systems, there comes a huge challenge of porting applications and device drivers. Is it necessary to port all applications? What kind of applications require 64-bit computing horsepower and why? Can 32-bit applications work on the 64-bit platforms? This paper tries to explore the benefits of 64-bit to applications and answer some of the questions posed above.

What is 64-bit Computing?

“64-bit” computing implies computing on a 64-bit processor. Simply put, the labels "16-bit," "32-bit", "64-bit", etc., characterize a processor’s data stream. 64-bit wide memory buses imply that the address lines are 64 bit wide and virtual addressing mechanisms use 64 bit sized pointers. Although we hear the term "64-bit code," it actually refers to code that operates on 64-bit data. It also implies that by special instructions (or modes) one can access the 64-bit registers or computing capability.

Figure:1 depicts a simplistic view of a processor and the blocks that have to be 64-bit wide to be called a 64-bit processor.

64-bit Processor Block Diagram

  

64-bit Computing

 

Why 64-bit?

This question is often not answered completely and cannot be answered very quantitatively. Several factors determine if 64-bit architecture will improve the performance of generic and everyday applications or not.

64-bit architecture will definitely benefit those applications that have one or more of requirements mentioned in this section.

Memory

A 32-bit machine utilizes 32 bits of virtual addressing. It translates to a total virtual memory of 232 bytes which is 4 GB. Often out of the 4 GB process address space, some space is reserved for the use by the Operating System1. While 2 GB may be sufficient in many cases, corporate databases have indexes that are definitely larger.

Graphic applications such as CAD, gaming applications, multimedia and video editing software quickly consume RAM. With the advent of DVD and HD_DVD and beyond, file sizes of 2 GB and more are becoming common. Such huge file sizes cannot be supported easily in current 32 bit systems (without performance penalties).

Simple applications like Web servers can also gain significant performance improvements by loading static content into memory rather than on slower disks. Performance of the 32 bit machine can be hindered owing to the frequent swapping between the processes, when several processes (with large memory requirements) execute concurrently.

Listed below are some applications that require high memory:

▪ Graphic editors (CAD): Graphic editing software is known to be memory hungry. Applications like Panaroma Factory (photo editing software) are found to perform much better under higher virtual memory provided by 64-bit processors.

▪ Video and multimedia editing software: The video and audio editing software need higher memory because of the complex operations they perform on a large data. 64-bit architecture helps these types of applications with higher memory and processing power.

▪ Databases: Large organizations have large data to be handled and higher memory provided by 64-bit architecture, most certainly helps databases as they can store more information in memory compared to a 32-bit platform. This will result in higher performance databases.

The theoretical limit of memory in 64-bit systems is 264 bytes which is 16 EB. Although systems with such a huge amount of memory will be prohibitively expensive, the current systems provide 40 bits of physical address space or 48 bits of virtual address space.

Large-number math

Large-number math is an obvious advantage offered by a 64-bit processor. A 32-bit processor can handle the integer range of -2.1 billion to +2.1 billion (approximately). However, it is not to say that a 32-bit processor cannot handle a 64-bit number today. A number larger than 32-bits can be stored in multiple memory locations as lower and higher 32-bits and the software can be programmed to treat  it as a single 64-bit number (long long). But these are at best workarounds and are not fast. On the other hand, a 64-bit processor will be able to handle bigger numbers without having to resort to the workarounds and hence are inherently faster.

This capability of the processor to handle larger numbers helps the following cases:

▪ Large financial systems: These systems will work with large numbers and 64-bit processor’s ability to work with larger numbers comes in handy.

▪ Computer simulations: Computer simulations used in medical field are extremely complex and require high performance processors. 64-bit processor with its mathematical ability with higher numbers.

▪ Graphics rendering (3D gaming): Computer programs like Crafty (an open-source, high performance chess program) have shown 47% improvement when run under 64-bit mode over 32-bit mode on AMD Athlon processors.

▪ Compression, Cryptography (Encryption): Most of the digital security systems are based on the algorithm used to encrypt the data and the size of the keys (for encryption) used in the process. Larger keys are safer and are harder to break. With 32-bit processors, 256-bit key will need 8 addresses in memory (8 x 32 = 256 bit) and will involve more mathematical computations. A 64-bit processor will store the same encryption key in 4 addresses in memory and will significantly speed up the encryption process.

Date Format

The current Date format is a 32-bit signed integer which will expire soon2, hence the format has to be changed to 64 bit signed integer. It is said that in Microsoft Windows environment a process cannot run for more than 49.7 days. This is due to the limitation of 32 bit time format. The system clock is used to evaluate the elapsed time (in milliseconds from the inception) and this turns negative after 49.7 days.

What about normal applications?

It is quite obvious that applications written to exploit 64-bit architectures can gain from faster access to data, availability of 64-bit resources like 64-bit and 128 bit registers, 64-bit pointers and larger data types.

Applications can also have larger file caches and map large process data in virtual address space and can support larger files using standard system library calls, etc.

Categorically it cannot be stated that 64-bit systems are better off for all scenarios, in certain cases the gains are not significant (but they do measure up to 32 bit counterparts).

To port or not to port?

The big question still remains unanswered and ambiguous. The effort for porting all applications can be quite high and must be balanced with a return-on-investment assessment. To ease the problems of existing applications, most 64-bit architectures (operating system and processor) operate in 2 modes – 64-bit mode and compatibility mode. 32-bit applications can work without recompilation in the compatibility mode albeit with some performance penalties. It is however advisable to port device drivers and other performance sensitive applications to 64-bit and optimize the application to make use of the enhancements provided by the 64-bit architecture.

Evolution path for Applications

 

Above Figure shows what we foresee as the evolution path for applications. Legacy 16-bit and 32-bit applications will continue to exist. Some applications will just be compiled in 64-bit mode to benefit from a few obvious advantages, while few others will be enhanced to exploit the features of the 64-bit architecture.

Within the next 2-3 years we will see a lot more proliferation of 64-bit desktop applications as 64-bit desktops and operating systems, specifically from Microsoft appear and become popular in the market.

 

64-bit Drawbacks

Memory address values (called pointers) are now twice as large and take up twice the space.

¾    Pointers normally take up a fraction of the space in cache

¾    Now they are doubled in size and can squeeze out other useful data from the cache and reduce performance.

¾    (slight improvement is to tag 64-bit integers during programming e.g. REX mnemonic prefix, increase size < 10% for current applications)

Conclusions

64-bit code can be compiled on 32-bit architectures.

¾    64-bit data can be processed as two 32-bit calculations although a performance penalty is incurred.

¾    Only applications designed to process 64-bit data and are implemented on 64-bit hardware will achieve any speedup.

¾    On a daily basis we’re running into the Windows 2 GB barrier with our next-generation content development and pre-processing tools.

¾    If cost-effective, backwards-compatible 64-bit CPU’s were available today, we’d buy them today. We need them today.

 

The links where 64-bit Computing is discussed is given below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-956UoImjn0&t=301s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2aB13sOBi8

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/64-bit_computing

https://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/64-bit-computing

https://www.webopedia.com/insights/64-bit-computing/

https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/64-bit-computing/

https://searchdatacenter.techtarget.com/definition/64-bit-processor

https://www.palisade.com/decisiontools_suite/64bit.asp

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2002/03/an-introduction-to-64-bit-computing-and-x86-64/

 

For all discussed seminar topics list click here Index.

…till next post, bye-bye and take care.