Soon, bluetooth data sharing may get faster

London, Nov 28: Your Bluetooth device may soon become faster at transferring data! Researchers are looking into ways information can be shared quickly and effectively using Bluetooth technology. Bluetooth technology is the most widespread standard wireless communication. One of its applications is the creation of electronic sensor networks.

Researchers at the University of the Basque Country in Spain studied the performance of Bluetooth networks and measured the delays taking place in information transmission time. Transmitting the information received quickly and effectively is essential if a sensor is to successfully carry out its function.

"Let's suppose that we need a system for monitoring vital signs in a home for the elderly; preferably a wireless system. Using the deployed standard, the sensors that will be communicating via Bluetooth are connected to each other," said Josu Etxaniz-Maranon from the university's Electronic Design Research Group.

"The elderly individuals in the home are fitted with these sensors which are used to measure their body temperature, heart rate, etc and to forward the data to the nursing department," said Etxaniz.

Time is a critical factor in a network of this type, and the interval that elapses between measuring a person's heart-rate and receiving the data should be as short as possible, he added. The research group has designed a hardware platform with specific cards that communicate via Bluetooth and form networks.

"We have transferred the data from one end of the network to the other, and then brought them back," said Etxaniz. In multi-hop systems, the data pass through more than one node as they make their way towards the "finishing post".

Researchers carried out numerous tests with the platforms and changed the parameters that could affect time performance: how the connections between the nodes work, type of data chunk assigned by the standard used for communications, etc. They also developed two specific methodologies for gathering information on the times.

They determined the behaviour of some of the support nodes of the standard Bluetooth, as well as how the data processing and communication tasks affect the general delay.

"One of the results which attracted our attention most was when we confirmed that there isn't the slightest delay when the nodes are permanently on; on the other hand, the delay varied between one hop and another," said Etxaniz.

In this mode of working, the delay displays a parabolic trend. According to Etxaniz, it is essential to take this factor into consideration so that the Bluetooth networks can be effective.

PTI