Technologies
Our range of wireless connectivity products utilise well established and tested core technologies. Our aim is to provide you with an overview of the relevant technologies; please contact us if you need more detailed information.
Please select from the following list of technologies:
Bluetooth
Bluetooth wireless technology is a short-range communications technology intended to replace the cables connecting portable and/or fixed devices while maintaining high levels of security. The key features of Bluetooth technology are robustness, low power, and low cost. The Bluetooth specification defines a uniform structure for a wide range of devices to connect and communicate with each other.
Bluetooth Class
The Bluetooth power class defines the output power of the Bluetooth device. The table below shows the output power and anticipated range for each power class. The figures are based on a unity gain (0dBi) antenna.
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Bluetooth Profiles
In order to use Bluetooth wireless technology, a device must be able to interpret certain Bluetooth profiles. The profiles define the possible applications. Bluetooth profiles are general behaviors through which Bluetooth enabled devices communicate with other devices. Bluetooth technology defines a wide range of profiles that describe many different types of use cases. By following a guidance provided in Bluetooth specifications, developers can create applications to work with other devices also conforming to the Bluetooth specification.
Security
Developers that use Bluetooth wireless technology in their products have several options for implementing security. There are three modes of security for Bluetooth access between two devices.
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Security Mode 1: non-secure
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Security Mode 2: service level enforced security
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Security Mode 3: link level enforced security
The manufacturer of each product determines these security modes. Devices and services have different security levels. For devices, there are two levels: "trusted device" and "untrusted device." A trusted device has already been paired with one of your other devices, and has unrestricted access to all services.
Services have three security levels:
- Services that require authorization and authentication
- Services that require authentication only
- Services that are open to all devices
Robustness
Bluetooth operates within the 2.4GHz ISM band, shared with other technologies. However Bluetooth has strong immunity to interference by virtue of its adaptive frequency hopping capability. The Bluetooth device identifies frequencies in use within the band and avoids them. Bluetooth devices can hop between 79 separate frequencies within the ISM band, thus providing an efficient and highly noise immune communications system.
For further details of Bluetooth technology please go to www.bluetooth.com.
GSM/GPRS
GSM is a second generation (2G) mobile telephone system, based on digital technology and TDMA multiplexing to allow frequency sharing between multiple devices. The system provides voice, circuit switched data (CSD) and SMS bearer services. Circuit switched data transfers emulate analogue modem communications; hence data oriented communications devices became known as GSM modems.
GPRS can be viewed as an overlay on the GSM networks, adding packetised data transfer capability. The advent of GPRS enabled end to end IP based communications between mobile devices and servers, facilitating near real time updating of information. GPRS is referred to as a 2.5G service, with a maximum theoretical data transfer rate of approximately 48kbps. In reality this figure depends upon the mobile device capability and the availability of network resources.
EDGE is an evolution of GPRS, referred to as a 2.75G service. It has a theoretical maximum data rate of 384kbps but again, practical data rates are dependant upon the mobile device and the availabiity of network resources.
UMTS/HSPA
UMTS is a third generation (3G) mobile technology, which has evolved from GSM/GPRS but utilises a CDMA radio network.
