Bluetooth technology has been in play for years in connecting devices such as TVs to soundbars, computers to printers or speakers, and other device connections. Bluetooth device networks can provide users with the ability to connect reliably and securely to as many as thousands of devices.
The demand for connected lighting and other devices, in homes and commercially, is driving tremendous growth and advancements in the industry. This demand is driving the need for specialised Bluetooth engineers in this exciting field. Below, we discuss emerging specialisations in Bluetooth technology engineering and highlight several of our TechTeamz engineers in the Bluetooth environment.
Overview and industry trends in Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a standard technology to transmit sound and data from one device to another. The Bluetooth market continues to grow and expand, with a projected increase of 10.8% in the compound annual growth rate. Increasing demand for automation, location technologies, and simplified connections resulted in about 552 million smart home devices shipped in 2021. The expectations are the number of devices shipped will exceed one billion by 2026, with total shipments expected to exceed 7 billion by the same year. In addition, the anticipation is that Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) devices will nearly equal the number of Bluetooth Classic devices in the next 5 years.
Bluetooth technology and its varied uses are continually expanding in popularity and capabilities with the aid of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). This global community helps nurture businesses and the prospects for Bluetooth technology. Its members host working groups, committees, expert and study groups, and task forces to investigate matters surrounding Bluetooth technology engineering and developments, helping to drive the future of connecting and connecting devices.
Each device implementing Bluetooth technology must be qualified to use the Bluetooth brand. Qualification helps ensure the product meets the brand specifications and requirements, upholding the brand’s name. Recent advances in Bluetooth include new wireless headphones, which operate better with lower power requirements and broadcast a signal which allows sharing audio between several devices. Bluetooth also implemented direction finding several years ago, allowing smartphones and other Bluetooth-enabled devices to follow a signal from a small Bluetooth transmitter, essentially providing directions to the transmitter. The radio-finding technology is like the well-established technology used in navigation beacons for aeroplanes and ship navigation.
There are many uses for location-finding devices, and expectations are that these uses and the demand for related devices will continue to grow in the coming years. For example, indoor navigation technology is used in commercial buildings, such as offices, hospitals, museums, and even stores, allowing users to quickly and easily locate what they need. In addition, the technology is currently used in industry for finding assets, assisting with workers’ safety, and for autonomous guided vehicles. These uses and new ones are expected to flourish as the demand for artificial intelligence and assistive technology grows.
Bluetooth low energy
Bluetooth LE radio frequency allows for low-power operation. It transmits data in the 2.4GHz unlicensed ISM frequency band over 40 channels. Bluetooth LE radio provides developers with the flexibility necessary to meet the unique connectivity requirements of the products in the markets in which they work. Bluetooth LE was initially known for its device communications and capabilities. It is now commonly used in device locating equipment to address the increasing demand for superior precision indoor location services. Bluetooth LE now includes features that enable one device to determine another device’s existence, distance, and path.
Bluetooth LE supports multiple communication network technologies, promotes more accessible connections of one device to another, and can create a mesh enabling Bluetooth technology to create dependable, substantial device networks. Bluetooth LE is increasingly used in smart buildings, industry, homes and cities to provide lighting, improved service, asset tracking, asset management, household device communications, and location services. Bluetooth and other technology brings artificial intelligence into all aspects of life.
Bluetooth Stack
The Bluetooth protocol stack allows wireless and other, more complex, devices to connect via Bluetooth. How does Bluetooth stack work?
The Bluetooth protocol stack is a group of arranged software programs. Each individual layer is capable of communication with the layer above it and below it. Two well-defined levels of functionality can represent Bluetooth in the stack. A simple, low-level hardware connection such as for radio represents the core layer, while the second layer comprises more complex devices which require communication with and between the various layers of the stack.
There are several core protocols: Bluetooth radio, Baseband, Link Manager Protocol (LMP), Logical Link Control and Adaptation Protocol (L2CAP), and Service Discovery Protocol (SDP). Other protocols include cable replacement protocol or radio front end component which allows a serial communications connection over Bluetooth, adopted protocols which provide Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP), Internet Protocol (IP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), and Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) via Bluetooth, and finally are ATtention (AT) commands which were originally developed for control of modems are now used by many smartphones to support telephony connections, there are also a vast number of vendor specific AT commands in use. AT commands mode is used to change the default settings of a Bluetooth module. If there is a need to change the properties of the Bluetooth device or reset the device to the default settings.
All the protocols in a stack play a role in device communications and, ultimately, performance. It is important that the role of each layer, including the information communicated, is carefully engineered to ensure the expected outcomes. A stack becomes more complex with more complicated devices or stricter specifications in order to ensure the projected results. The interface between the various components of the stack must be planned, written and tested to avoid conflicts, or other undesirable behaviour.
Specialised Bluetooth technology engineers at TechTeamz
For both businesses and consumers, especially those with an interest in technology and gadgets, Bluetooth and its ever-expanding uses can be pretty exciting. TechTeamz has experienced experts specialising in Bluetooth technology engineering and applications. Here we introduce you to two TechTeamz Bluetooth engineers and talk about their work, top accomplishments and the field itself.
Carmen Cruz
Carmen Cruz works remotely and spends much of each day testing Bluetooth devices to ensure they meet the required specifications and certify them for using the Bluetooth brand name. She also reviews Bluetooth features and current specifications and takes part in Bluetooth SIG. Remaining engaged and active in the Bluetooth community and with updates helps Carmen stay up on the latest requirements for the qualification of devices and other important information.
Carmen has contributed to the Bluetooth Qualification of Host and Controller Bluetooth 5.3 products, bringing them to the public. For fun and experience, he attends UnPlug Fests supported by the Bluetooth SIG. During these non-profit events, participants test the interoperability of devices. How exciting would it be to compete, learn, and improve your implementation skills with others in the field? Carmen has gained a lot from participating in the SIG and strongly suggests others interested in the area of Bluetooth engineering visit the Bluetooth website. Much is available there to provide more information about the technology and SIG from the assortment of posts, videos, and reading materials available. They can also find Bluetooth brand specifications and details about qualifications on the website to learn more about the brand and its requirements.
Carmen finds the recent transition from classic Bluetooth audio to Bluetooth LE and Auracast a significant achievement for the brand. As mentioned above, this new technology allows high-quality audio to be broadcast to multiple devices simultaneously with low power requirements. The new technology is expected to bring many new use cases and may ultimately open doors in markets not currently using the technology. Carmen is excited to see what advancements and opportunities this advancement and others bring to the field.
Miguel Gorgues
Miguel Gorgues is another TechTeamz Bluetooth engineer who starts each morning with a standup meeting, an agile methodology held the first hour of each morning, which provides a chance to review progress and talk about ideas and solutions to problems or roadblocks encountered. Afterwards, he gets to work on his assignments, which typically include testing and development tasks. He may be asked to develop testing methods or bug fixes for firmware updates. Miguel also assists in the development of improved tools and procedures used in automation.
Miguel indicates that some of his more noteworthy accomplishments in the field have contributed to product development, testing and improvement. He took part in creating a new Python plug-in now used to manage all the required test configurations and execution instructions. Miguel also told us about an exciting medical device-related project, where he contributed to the controls for electromagnets, motors, and accelerometers. He told us the complexity of the project proved both challenging and exciting. Miguel, like Carmen, has also been part of the qualification process for Bluetooth devices, specifically the development and automation of testing required for product qualification.
If you think you want to be a Bluetooth engineer like Miguel, he offers some great advice. Don’t be scared to go after what you want, but remember to be patient as great things take time to develop! He recently came to the field from another communications-related one and was a bit intimidated by the daunting task of Bluetooth. He felt overwhelmed by all the various requirements, protocols, and features specific to Bluetooth devices. As you become more familiar with the technology and its uses, enjoy learning it! He says being in the field has really opened his eyes to the tremendous number of applications and markets open to Bluetooth devices.
Miguel says he is most excited by the multitude of potential for Bluetooth LE and related devices. Especially interested in the availability of highly accurate asset tracking and audio streaming trends expected to have a tremendous impact on Bluetooth in the coming year, Miguel is excited to belong to the field and take part in these exciting developments.
Let TechTeamz help you build the team for your next project, or come and joins us to see what the excitement is all about. Whether you are an engineer looking for a project or have a project that needs talented Bluetooth engineers, TechTeamz can help.
