Bluetooth baseband hops on to new standard

NewLogic's Boost Bluetooth solution can now offer support for adaptive frequency hopping (AFH).

NewLogic's Boost Bluetooth solution can now offer support for adaptive frequency hopping (AFH).

A rapidly increasing number of devices such as Bluetooth and 802.11b communicate using the 2.4GHz ISM band.

It will therefore become increasingly important to ensure that devices using the ISM band are able to maintain a high quality of service in the presence of other devices using the same band.

Adaptive frequency hopping (AFH) is a technique currently in the process of being specified by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) as a means of helping to ensure Bluetooth devices provide a high quality of service and that other products using the same band, in particular 802.11b systems, maintain reliable communications.

Products using AFH scan each channel of the ISM band for activity and using this information, identify which subset of channels in the ISM band are available for communication.

This subset of channels is then used for communication and so avoids the channels being used by other products to ensure that a high quality of service is maintained.

"We are very pleased that we are the first company to provide AFH capability in a Bluetooth IP baseband design", said Hans-Peter Metzler, President and CEO of NewLogic.

The AFH option comprises hardware changes and additional "lower layer" software.

When the Bluetooth SIG finalises the AFH specification, the software part of the option can be modified in line with the final specification and ensure compliance for Bluetooth qualification.

(This was Electronicstalk's Top Story on 13 December 2002).

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