Bluetooth systems create a personal-area network (PAN), or piconet, that may fill a room or may encompass no more
distance than that between the cell phone on a belt-clip and the headset on your head.
When Bluetooth-capable devices come within range of one another, an electronic conversation takes place to determine
whether they have data to share or whether one needs to control the other. The user doesn’t have to press a button or
give a command -- the electronic conversation happens automatically. Once the conversation has occurred, the devices
-- whether they’re part of a computer system or a stereo -- form a network.
Once a piconet is established, the members randomly hop frequencies in unison so they stay in touch with one another
and avoid other piconets that may be operating in the same room.
One of the ways Bluetooth devices avoid interfering with other systems is by sending out very weak signals of 1
milliwatt. By comparison, the most powerful cell phones can transmit a signal of 3 watts. The low power limits the
range of a Bluetooth device to about 10 meters, cutting the chances of interference between your computer system and
your portable telephone or television. Even with the low power, the walls in your house won’t stop a Bluetooth signal,
making the standard useful for controlling several devices in different rooms.
72_0103_003
10 December 2002
© 2002 Itronix Corporation. All rights reserved.
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