21-07-2012, 01:15 PM
Working With Bluetooth Devices
[attachment=28333]
Introduction to Working With Bluetooth
Devices
This document describes how Bluetooth works and summarizes the Bluetooth specification in order
to provide a foundation for understanding Apple’s Bluetooth support. It also provides task information,
accompanied by several code examples, that illustrates how to develop applications that access
Bluetooth-enabled devices.
What Is Bluetooth?
Bluetooth is an open specification that enables low-bandwidth, short-range wireless connections
between computers and peripherals, such as mice, cell phones, and personal data assistants (PDAs).
The appeal of the Bluetooth model lies in its convenience for wirelessly transferring information and
small data files between devices.
Bluetooth is not a networking solution, so it is not a competitor of AirPort, Apple’s wireless networking
technology. Nor is it a replacement for the cables needed by high-bandwidth peripherals, such as
FireWire. Rather, Bluetooth offers a replacement for IrDA (Infrared Data Association) technology,
because it is not constrained by IrDA’s shorter range and line-of-sight requirements.
Who Should Read This Document?
Because this document comprises conceptual and task information, its audience is broad. This document
sets the stage with an overview of Bluetooth technology. Then, it describes how Apple implements
the Bluetooth specification and how to access Bluetooth-enabled devices on Mac OS X. If you’re
unfamiliar with Bluetooth technology in general, you can read this document for a high-level summary.
If you’re primarily interested in learning about how Apple implements the Bluetooth specification.
Bluetooth Overview
Bluetooth is a cable-replacement technology designed to wirelessly connect peripherals, such as mice
and mobile phones, to your desktop or laptop computer and to each other. An inexpensive, low-power,
short-range radio-based technology, Bluetooth is not a wireless networking solution, such as AirPort.
Rather, it is an alternative to the IrDA (Infrared Data Association) standard. Although the IrDA
standard, too, supports wireless communication between peripherals and computers, it has two
limiting requirements. First, IrDA devices must be very close, no more than about 1 meter apart.
Second, the communicating devices must have a direct line of sight to each other.
Because it relies on radio waves, however, Bluetooth communication overcomes these strict
requirements:
■ Bluetooth devices can communicate at ranges of up to 10 meters.
■ Bluetooth devices do not need to be in direct sight of each other.
This makes Bluetooth communication much more flexible and robust. It’s also important to note that
because Bluetooth excels at low-bandwidth data transfer, it is not intended as a replacement for
high-bandwidth cabled peripherals. For high-bandwidth devices, such as external hard drives or
video cameras, cables are still the best option.
Apple's Bluetooth support is integrated into Mac OS X, version 10.2 and later, and is based on the
Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) specification (discussed in “Bluetooth Architecture” (page 12)).
Apple also provides some high-level bridges between Mac OS X functionality and the Bluetooth
protocol stack. This means that many Bluetooth devices work transparently with computers running
Mac OS X version 10.2 and later. The Mac OS X HID Manager, for example, handles a Bluetooth
mouse just as it does a cabled mouse. In many cases, such high-level bridges allow your application
to handle Bluetooth devices without including any Bluetooth-specific code.
What Bluetooth Does Best
The characteristics of Bluetooth technology—low cost, low power, and radio based— encouraged the
concept of a personal area network (PAN). A PAN envelops the user in a small, mobile bubble of
connectivity that is effortlessly available at any time. Bluetooth’s freedom from cables and potential
ubiquity make it ideal for carrying your personal network around with you.
With a PAN, the possibilities are limitless:
■ Imagine being able to connect to the Internet on a dial-up connection you access through your
mobile phone. Surfing the Internet then becomes possible anywhere your mobile phone can
connect to your internet service provider.
■ Perhaps you prefer to use a traditional mouse with your laptop. Choose a Bluetooth-enabled
mouse and you won’t have to keep track of a mouse cable.
■ If you have a Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone that stores your business information in the Vcard
format, you can easily share this information with your colleagues. Swap your Vcard with theirs,
by wirelessly connecting to their Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones.
Future Directions for Bluetooth
Industry analysts predict the growing popularity and availability of Bluetooth-enabled devices. This
in turn raises consumer expectations for mobile PANs and provides many opportunities for vendors
to create new products. At the end of 2003, the Bluetooth SIG released the second version (version
1.2) of the Bluetooth specification. This successor to version 1.1 provides a number of improvements,
including:
■ Enhanced quality of service (QOS). This guarantees that your human-interface (and other QOS)
devices will get the time to transfer data when they need it.
■ A more adaptive frequency-hopping algorithm. The new algorithm increases communication
reliability and decreases interference from other wireless emitters operating the same frequency
range.
Apple’s ongoing support for Bluetooth communication is evidenced by frequent Bluetooth software
updates and up-to-date SDKs. Using the software frameworks and built-in support Apple provides,
you can bring your Bluetooth applications to Mac OS X with ease. Apple is committed to helping you
find ways to provide your customers with the wireless connectivity they need.
[attachment=28333]
Introduction to Working With Bluetooth
Devices
This document describes how Bluetooth works and summarizes the Bluetooth specification in order
to provide a foundation for understanding Apple’s Bluetooth support. It also provides task information,
accompanied by several code examples, that illustrates how to develop applications that access
Bluetooth-enabled devices.
What Is Bluetooth?
Bluetooth is an open specification that enables low-bandwidth, short-range wireless connections
between computers and peripherals, such as mice, cell phones, and personal data assistants (PDAs).
The appeal of the Bluetooth model lies in its convenience for wirelessly transferring information and
small data files between devices.
Bluetooth is not a networking solution, so it is not a competitor of AirPort, Apple’s wireless networking
technology. Nor is it a replacement for the cables needed by high-bandwidth peripherals, such as
FireWire. Rather, Bluetooth offers a replacement for IrDA (Infrared Data Association) technology,
because it is not constrained by IrDA’s shorter range and line-of-sight requirements.
Who Should Read This Document?
Because this document comprises conceptual and task information, its audience is broad. This document
sets the stage with an overview of Bluetooth technology. Then, it describes how Apple implements
the Bluetooth specification and how to access Bluetooth-enabled devices on Mac OS X. If you’re
unfamiliar with Bluetooth technology in general, you can read this document for a high-level summary.
If you’re primarily interested in learning about how Apple implements the Bluetooth specification.
Bluetooth Overview
Bluetooth is a cable-replacement technology designed to wirelessly connect peripherals, such as mice
and mobile phones, to your desktop or laptop computer and to each other. An inexpensive, low-power,
short-range radio-based technology, Bluetooth is not a wireless networking solution, such as AirPort.
Rather, it is an alternative to the IrDA (Infrared Data Association) standard. Although the IrDA
standard, too, supports wireless communication between peripherals and computers, it has two
limiting requirements. First, IrDA devices must be very close, no more than about 1 meter apart.
Second, the communicating devices must have a direct line of sight to each other.
Because it relies on radio waves, however, Bluetooth communication overcomes these strict
requirements:
■ Bluetooth devices can communicate at ranges of up to 10 meters.
■ Bluetooth devices do not need to be in direct sight of each other.
This makes Bluetooth communication much more flexible and robust. It’s also important to note that
because Bluetooth excels at low-bandwidth data transfer, it is not intended as a replacement for
high-bandwidth cabled peripherals. For high-bandwidth devices, such as external hard drives or
video cameras, cables are still the best option.
Apple's Bluetooth support is integrated into Mac OS X, version 10.2 and later, and is based on the
Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) specification (discussed in “Bluetooth Architecture” (page 12)).
Apple also provides some high-level bridges between Mac OS X functionality and the Bluetooth
protocol stack. This means that many Bluetooth devices work transparently with computers running
Mac OS X version 10.2 and later. The Mac OS X HID Manager, for example, handles a Bluetooth
mouse just as it does a cabled mouse. In many cases, such high-level bridges allow your application
to handle Bluetooth devices without including any Bluetooth-specific code.
What Bluetooth Does Best
The characteristics of Bluetooth technology—low cost, low power, and radio based— encouraged the
concept of a personal area network (PAN). A PAN envelops the user in a small, mobile bubble of
connectivity that is effortlessly available at any time. Bluetooth’s freedom from cables and potential
ubiquity make it ideal for carrying your personal network around with you.
With a PAN, the possibilities are limitless:
■ Imagine being able to connect to the Internet on a dial-up connection you access through your
mobile phone. Surfing the Internet then becomes possible anywhere your mobile phone can
connect to your internet service provider.
■ Perhaps you prefer to use a traditional mouse with your laptop. Choose a Bluetooth-enabled
mouse and you won’t have to keep track of a mouse cable.
■ If you have a Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone that stores your business information in the Vcard
format, you can easily share this information with your colleagues. Swap your Vcard with theirs,
by wirelessly connecting to their Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones.
Future Directions for Bluetooth
Industry analysts predict the growing popularity and availability of Bluetooth-enabled devices. This
in turn raises consumer expectations for mobile PANs and provides many opportunities for vendors
to create new products. At the end of 2003, the Bluetooth SIG released the second version (version
1.2) of the Bluetooth specification. This successor to version 1.1 provides a number of improvements,
including:
■ Enhanced quality of service (QOS). This guarantees that your human-interface (and other QOS)
devices will get the time to transfer data when they need it.
■ A more adaptive frequency-hopping algorithm. The new algorithm increases communication
reliability and decreases interference from other wireless emitters operating the same frequency
range.
Apple’s ongoing support for Bluetooth communication is evidenced by frequent Bluetooth software
updates and up-to-date SDKs. Using the software frameworks and built-in support Apple provides,
you can bring your Bluetooth applications to Mac OS X with ease. Apple is committed to helping you
find ways to provide your customers with the wireless connectivity they need.