Bluetooth Standards.
The Bluetooth Evolution is drawn out here where
the major protocols are noted in
these colored circles based upon a timeline of evolution.
The first thing that we need to distinguish is
the Classic Bluetooth Standards over there at Basic Rate, the BR Systems.
Dividing it in the middle,
then we have Bluetooth Low Energy Standards.
The typical cutting point within the sequence flow of evolution is 4.0 standards.
Here, the Bluetooth Low Energy Standards are evolving,
connecting into standards of 5.0 and what we'll see in the future.
Based upon it, in 1.0,
that was the first adopted specification released in 1999.
Then we have major bugs fixed and stabilized in 1.1 and 1.2.
Then, once again, in 1.1,
which was based on 2002.
That's when the I triple E H0.2.15.1 standard was
released that included the standard of 1.1 from the Bluetooth C, Special Interest Group.
Leading on to 2.0, that's where the EDR,
Enhanced Data Rate, was added.
Then in 2.1, Simple Pairing and NFC Support was included.
NFC, Near Field Communication,
very important technology added onto the specifications of Bluetooth,
and that's why 2.1,
although it's a small circle,
it is very important.
Leading on to 3.0,
Enhanced Power Control for High-Speed Support.
Soon, I'll show you about that
plus HS Support which will come out in the following pages.
Then, going into a major revolution to include Bluetooth Low Energy,
BLE technology in the specifications.
We go into 4.0 in 2010.
Then, leading into fourth-generation mobile communication LTE co-existence
at 4.1 Bluetooth specification.
Then leading onto 4.2 is higher throughput and enhance security.
Then, 5.0 standards in 2016.
Doubling in speed means the data rate is going to be higher.
So, now we're going to take a look into
EDR standards and some of the specifications in further detail.
EDR stands for Enhanced Data Rate.
This was introduced in Bluetooth version 2.0 to enable faster data transfer.
It supports a data rate up to three megabits per second.
EDR provides low power consumption,
which is really needed because a lot of Bluetooth devices are wireless battery operated,
and it uses a reduced duty cycle.
That's how they reduce the power consumption.
So, when you're on for the duty cycle,
that's when you're operating.
You get all the data communication done.
Then, once the duty cycle is done,
then you go into a resting mode where you save energy the most that you can.
Bluetooth high speed, the HS.
Bluetooth high speed technology was released in 2009,
and it was included in the 3.0 version which has a plus HS.
Now, it's a plus HS,
which means that it's not an automatic inclusion into 3.0. What does that mean?
Well, when you write 3.0 plus HS,
this provides data transfer speeds up to 24 megabits per second.
However, you are not using just pure Bluetooth.
The Bluetooth link is used for negotiation and establishment like a control channel,
and the high data rate traffic is carried over
collocated WiFi links using 802.11 technology.
As you know, WiFi 802.11 technology can go further distances.
In addition, their data rates are much higher than Bluetooth because they are
wireless local area network protocols in which
Bluetooth is a wireless personal area network protocol.
So, Bluetooth is a WPAN, P-A-N,
technique in which also WiFi is a WLAN,
wireless local area network protocol.
Their purpose and their designs are different.
So, when you see the 3.0 plus HS,
you know that there is a collocated WiFi support that needs to be used.
If you think about it,
around about 2009, this is when the evolution of smartphones evolved.
The first smartphones that evolved around about 2007,
when it reached 2009,
already Android-based smartphones and Apple-based smartphones were abundantly around.
In addition, we had tablets,
smart tablets, and iPads around.
What we're on the smartphones?
It was WiFi, and Bluetooth, and mobile communication.
So, you had one unit that you could interactively
use WiFi and Bluetooth on a same device,
and these techniques were controlled by one control unit altogether.
So, if you have that,
why not have Bluetooth take advantage of a helping WiFi system?
That is where the concept in 2009 made this possible.
Bluetooth high speed.
The plus HS, this is a part of the specification,
is not mandatory in 3.0.
So, when you use it,
you have that plus HS.
What do you mean by that?
Well, I mean it like this.
If it was a standard part of the 3.0 standards,
then you do not need to write it as a plus HS to follow the 3.0.
The reason that it is a 3.0 with a plus HS written on it,
means that it is a not a part of the mandatory 3.0 standards.
So, when you use it,
it needs to be notified that it is in use.
That's why they write it as a separate plus HS following Bluetooth 3.0.
Once again uses WiFi for high-speed data communication.
Bluetooth 4.0, this is where we have a cut in technology and a big jump.
Therefore, the overall standards have the terminology of Bluetooth Smart.
This was adopted in 2010.
This includes the former modes,
which are the BR and EDR,
but it also includes Bluetooth Low Energy.
So, the standards of the former protocols up to 3.0 are included.
This is, of course, necessary,
backwards compatibility with former standards.
That way, a new device with a Bluetooth 4.0 chip and RF and
modem on it will always be able to talk with all of the former Bluetooth standards,
Bluetooth 3.0, 2.0, and other standards that exist.
That is where the compatibility and interoperability with lower standards
are provided by including the technology of the lower modes.
Of course, Bluetooth Low Energy, BLE, is included.
BLE, this is the important thing,
defined several profiles on how a device can consume very low energy,
just like its name,
and service a lot of dynamic applications.
It provides reduce power consumption and reduce costs,
which are both very important,
while maintaining a similar communication range. Well, that's cool.
So, you have the same communication range of a wireless pan.
But then again, you have much less battery consumption, and it's cheaper.
Well, that sounds like a win-win to me.
A manufacturer can implement customized specifications for their product.
In addition, a device can have multiple BLE profiles,
and that makes it even cooler.
So, you can support Bluetooth healthcare profiles,
sports and fitness profiles.
Also internet protocol support profiles
and environmental sensing profiles and other ones.
On one device, you can have multiple profiles supported because the BLE standards of
4.0 and higher include this type of support for various applications simultaneously,
and that's really useful.
We have Bluetooth Beacons.
Well, this is a device transmitting technology
that sends out a unique ID number that can be read by a Bluetooth receiver,
which can be used by various applications on smartphones.
Think of it this way when you go to a stadium and there's
various vending machines and also entrances as
well as where are the men's restroom and the women's restroom,
all of this information in addition to finding
your seat and other possible coupons in the area.
Well, you can locate a Bluetooth beacon device at specific locations where,
if somebody enters the proximity,
the neighborhood of that range,
they will receive the beacon signal and be
able to see all around here these are the services,
these are the support facilities that are around
that could be very useful that is exactly what this does.
Bluetooth beacons are commonly deployed as very small devices that are
battery-powered and broadcasting those through BLE technology this uses BLE,
the Beacons using BLE technology and they are
therefore in a mode where 4.0 and higher devices can all detect these signals.
Yet, they are at very low energy consuming modes.
Smartphone apps identify the location of
the Bluetooth beacon device and activate location-specific information on the smartphone.
So in other words, if I go into a certain range where there
was a specific Bluetooth BLE device,
that was sending out a beacon signal to identify that there
is a special service or a coupon and if I receive that coupon,
I can go around the corner and there is a stand which sells
hotdogs or coke or other type of drinks beverages.
Well, that sounds pretty cool,
then I will know that because a coupon will pop up on
my smartphone once it detects the preset beacon signal,
that's how this mechanism works.
These beacons are used in many location-based applications,
in terms of advertisement,
coupon distribution, home automation,
transportation systems, and sports stadiums as well as stores of course.
Bluetooth 4.1, the specifications were included and released in 2013.
Where incremental software updates to Bluetooth were
added and there were no hardware upgrades just software improvements.
What happened was they improve the software
such that coexistence with LTE Technology was possible,
this was about the time that
LTE fourth generation mobile communications were
becoming more and more popular and installed everywhere.
So, therefore coexistence control is very important.
Bulk data exchange rates support is included
and device multiple role simultaneous support is also included.
Bluetooth 4.2, this was released in 2014.
Pairing for emerging IoT devices were dealt with in this new release.
This is when IoT technology,
the need for it,
as well as various products that are coming
out are being prepared through this new standard in 4.2.
Low energy, secure connection,
link layer privacy with extended scanner filter policies,
and also the sixth version of profile called
IPSP Internet Protocol Support Profile is prepared to support connected home maps.
Bluetooth 5 was released in 2016,
the new features that are focusing on IoT support were included,
it had a two times higher transmission speed
in BLE technology going up to two megabits per
second and also two times more
improved advertising message size extension was also included.
Four times increasement in advertising range such that it could reach about 240 meters.
That's a significant distance.
It brings about eight times more advertising capacity.
New coding scheme to support error correction and
higher output class was added up to 100 milliwatts.
So, we talked a lot about these different standards.
Let's organize what we learn into a table format,
so that we know the differences comparing them side-by-side,
and here we go,
the specs that we will look into are,
when it was adopted because release time is very important.
Then there was maximum transmission rate and looking
at things like the BR mode as well as the BLE,
LE mode low energy mode.
Standard wireless pan range of distance of
service and then improving pairing without a pin,
improved security always important,
and NFC support near-field communication very important,
and the standards look like this.
In 1.1, which was released in 2002,
the overall maximum transmission data rate was at the 723.1
kilobits per second with a range of 10 meters like a standard wireless pan range.
The range stays the same,
the transmission overall data rate stays the same,
the improved security feature was definitely added and that helped.
Then we go to 2.0, +EDR technology over here you can see the EDR
definitely kicks up the data rate to exceed beyond 2.0 megabits per second,
it reaches up to 2.1.
The range is the same, improve security.
Another key feature of 2.0 +EDR is NFC support.
We go to 2.1 +EDR,
the data rate goes even higher to three megabits per second
the range stays the same but it has the feature of improved pairing.
3.0 +HS, this year,
you can go up to 25 megabits per second if you have
the +HS standards that are supported of your device.
So in other words, if you're just using 3.0 without +HS,
then this data rate will not be achievable,
please keep that in mind.
The other features are the same as it had in the 2.1 +EDR mode.
Then going to the 4.0, here we have the data rate at
25 megabits per second and also there's a one megabits per second data rate.
The overall wireless pan range increases
up to 50 meters this is a significant improvement.
Having the range up to 50 meters that's compared to the
10,10,10,10,10 you see over there this is a range five times of increasement.
This is significantly important.
The other features are the same as before and then we go to 5.0.
Here, you can see that the data rate of this point which was
one megabits per second can go up to two and the other features stay the same.
Looking at other specifications comparing it
in terms of what you see over there voice dialing,
call mute, and other characteristics will go down this way.
Where we can see voice dialing was included in all and call mute was included in all,
so far so good.
But then this is where the new technologies
3.0 +HS and beyond differentiate themselves from the former ones and
that is 802.11 cooperated transmission that is
indeed the +HS that feature there co-located devices.
Then we have low power consumption and it started with a
3.0 +HS but it becomes really mature.
When we go to low energy,
BLE technology that is included in 4.0 and higher modes.
In addition, when we go to 5.0,
you will see that error correction in the physical layer coding as well as
high output power transmission is a characteristic,
a feature of Bluetooth 5.0 alone.
These are the references that I used and I recommend them to you. Thank you.
Jong-Moon ChungProfessor, School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering
