Need for Communication Interfaces

Why are communication Interfaces Required in Embedded Systems

• Need to send data to a host. The host will analyze of data and present the
data through a Graphical User Interface.
• Need to communicate with another embedded system to transmit/ receive
data.
• Need to be networked to share data. Network interfaces need to be provided
in such a case.
• Need to be connected to the Internet so that anyone can access the
embedded system.
• Mobile devices such as cell phones and palmtops need to interact with other
devices such as PCs and laptops for data synchronization.
• Need of s/w upgradation after it is installed in the field. The software can be
upgraded through communication interfaces.
 Some Communication Interfaces
• RS 232/UART
• RS 422, RS 485
• Universal Serial Bus
• Infrared
• IEEE 1394 Firewire
• Ethernet
• IEEE 802.11 wireless interface
• Bluetooth
 RS232
Recommended Standard 232
RS-232
 RS232/UART
• RS232 is a standard developed by Electronic Industry Association (EIA).
• One of the oldest and most widely used communication interfaces.
• The PC will have two RS232 ports designated as COM1; and COM2.
• Most of the micro-controllers have an on-chip serial interface.
• The evaluation boards of the processors are also connected to the host system
using RS232.
• RS232 is used to connect a DTE (Data Terminal Equipment) to a Data Circuit
Terminating Equipment(DCE).
• A DTE can be a PC, serial printer or a plotter.
• DCE can be a modem, mouse, digitizer or a scanner.
• RS232 interface specifies the physical layer interface only.
• RS232 is a standard for serial communication, i.e. the bits are transmitted serially.
• The communication between two devices is in full duplex, i.e. the data transfer
can take place in both direction.
 RS232/UART
• RS232 Communication Parameters
– When two devices have to communicate through RS232, the sending
device sends the data character by character.
– The bits corresponding to the character are called data bits.
– The data bits are prefixed with a bit called start bit, and suffixed with
one or two bits called stop bits.
– The receiving device decodes the data bits using the start bit and stop
bits.
– This mode of communication is called asynchronous communication
because no clock signal is transmitted.
– In addition to start bit and stop bit an additional bit called parity bit is
also sent.
– Parity bit is used for error detection at the receiving end
 RS232/UART
• For two devices to communicate with each other using RS232,
the communication parameters have to be set on both the
systems.
• And, for a meaningful communication, these parameters have
to be the same. The various communication parameters are:
– Data rate: The rate at which data communication takes place. The PC
supports various data rates such as 50, 150, 300, 600, 1200, 2400,
4800, 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600 and 115200 bps.
– Data bits: Number of bits transmitted for each character. The
character can have 5 or 6 or 7 or 8 bits. If you send ASCII characters,
the number of bits is 7.
 RS232/UART
– Start bit:- The bit that is prefixed to the data bits to identify the
beginning of the character.
– Stop Bits:- These bits are appended to the data bits to identify the end
of character. If the data bits are 7 or 8, one stop bit is appended. If the
data bits are 5 or 6, two stop bits are appended.
– Parity:- The bit appended to the character for error checking. The
parity can be even or odd. For even parity, the parity bit (1 or 0) will be
added in such a way that the total number of bits will be even. For odd
parity, the parity bit will make the total number of bits odd. If the
parity is set to 'none', the parity bit is ignored. For example, if the data
bits are 1010110, the parity bit is 0 if even parity is used ;and the parity
bit is 1 if odd parity is used. At the receiving end, the device will
calculate the parity bit and if the received parity bit matches with the
calculated parity bit, it can be assumed that the data is without errors.
 RS232/UART
– Flow control: If one of the devices sends data at a very fast rate and
the other device cannot absorb the data at that rate, flow control is
used. Flow control is a protocol to stop/resume data transmission.
This protocol is also known as handshaking.
Hardware handshaking in RS232 is done using two signals: Request
to Send (RTS) and Clear to Send (CTS). When a device has data to
send, it asserts RTS and the receiving device asserts CTS.
S/w handshaking--a device sends a request to suspend data
transmission by sending the character Control S (0x13). The signal to
resume data transmission is sent using the character Control Q(0xll).
This software handshaking is also known as XON/XOFF.
 RS232/UART
• RS232 Connector Configuration
– RS232 standard specifies two types of connectors: 25-pin
connector and 9-pin connector. In the 25-pin configuration, only
a few pins are used.
Pin number Function (abbreviation)
1 Chassis ground
2 Transmit data (TXD)
3 Receive data (RXD)
4 Request To Send (RTS)
5 Clear To Send (CTS)
6 Data Set Ready (DSR)
7 Signal Ground (GND)
8 Carrier Detect (CD)
20 Data Terminal Ready (DTR)
22 Ring Indicator (Rl)
 RS232/UART
– For 9-pin connector, the pin details are given
below
Pin number Function (abbreviation)
1 Carrier Detect (CD)
2 Receive Data (RXD)
3 Transmit Data (TXD)
4 Data Terminal Ready (DTR)
5 Signal Ground (GND)
6 Data Set Ready (DSR)
7 Request to Send (RTS)
8 Clear to Send (CTS)
9 Ring Indicator (Rl)
 RS232/UART
– For transmission of 1's and 0's, the voltage levels are
defined in the standard. The voltage levels are different for
control signals and data signals. These voltage levels are:

For Data Transmission: Control Signal:

-3v to -12v =1 -3v to -12v =0
+3v to 12 v= 0 +3v to 12 v= 1

-3v to 3v is not a valid RS232-level

 RS232/UART
– Note that the voltage levels used in RS232 are different
from voltage levels used in embedded systems (as most
chips use 5 volts and below only).
– Another problem is that the processor gives out the data
in parallel format, not in serial format. These problems are
overcome through the use of UART (Universal
Asynchronous Receive Transmit) chips.
 RS232/UART
• UART
– The processors process the data in parallel format, not in serial format.
– To bridge the processor and the RS232 port, Universal Asynchronous
Receive Transmit (UART) chip is used.
– UART has two sections: receive section and transmit section.
– Receive section receives the data in serial format, converts it into parallel
format and gives it to the processor.
– The transmit section takes the data in parallel format from the processor
and converts it into serial format.
– The UART chip also adds the start bit, stop bits and parity bit.
– Many micro-controllers have on-chip UART. However, the necessary voltage
level conversion has to be done to meet the voltage levels of RS232.
– This is achieved using a level shifter.
 RS232/UART

Level RS232
UART
Shifter Connector

Fig1. Hardware for RS232 Interface

UART chip operates at 5 Volts. The level conversion to the desired voltages is done
by the level shifter, and then the signals are passed on to the RS232 connector.

RS232 standard specifies a distance of 19.2 meters. However, you can achieve
distances up to 100 meters using RS232 cables. The data rates supported will be
dependent on the UART chip and the clock used.
 RS232/UART
• Null Modem Cable Connection
– To connect two DTEs such as two PCs, the two RS232 ports using a
null modem cable are interconnected.
– If you want to connect two DTEs such as two PCs, you need to
interconnect the two RS232 ports using a null modem cable.
– The null modem cable connections are shown the figures for 25-pin
and 9-pin connectors.
– However, the minimal connections required are for TD, RD and GND.
– In 25 pin connectors, it is sufficient if to connect pin 2 to pin 3, pin 3
to pin 2 and pin 7 to pin 7. This is the minimal configuration.
– To make two devices communicate with each other using RS232
interface, you need to connect the two PCs using a null modem cable
and set the communication parameters on both the devices.
 RS232/UART

1 1

2 2

3 3

4 4

5 5

6 6
7 7
20 20

Fig2. Null Modem Cable Connections (25-pin Connectors)

 RS232/UART

2 2

3 3

4 4
5 5
6 6

7 7

8 8

Fig3. Null Modem Cable Connections (9-pin Connectors)

RS 232
 RS422/RS485
• RS422 standard for serial communication is used in noisy environments.
• The distance between two devices can be up to 1200 meters.
• Twisted copper cable is used as the transmission medium.
• In RS422, voltage difference between the two copper wires represents the
logic levels. Two channels are used for transmit and receive paths.
• RS422 is better suited to work in noisy environments over longer distances
because of balanced transmission.
• RS485 is a variation of RS422 to connect a number of devices in a network.
• An RS485 controller chip is used on each device.
• A network using RS485 protocols operates in a Master/Slave configuration.
• Up to 512 devices can be networked.
• Using one twisted pair, half-duplex communication can be achieved and
Using two twisted pairs, full-duplex communication can be achieved.
 USB
• Universal Serial Bus has gained immense popularity in recent years.
• Desktops, laptops, printers, display devices, video cameras, hard disk drives,
CDROM drives, audio equipment etc. are now available with USB interface.
• Using USB, a number of devices can be networked using Master/Slave
architecture.
• A host, such as the PC, is designated as a master.
• On the host, such as a PC, there will be a host controller — a combination of
hardware and software — to control all the USB devices.
• Devices can be connected to the host controller either directly or through a
hub.
• A hub is also a USB device that extends the number of ports — from 2 to 8 —
to connect other USB devices.
• A USB device can be self-powered, or powered by the bus.
• USB can supply 500 mA current to the devices.
 USB

Fig 4. USB device connection hierarchy

 USB
• USB Physical Interface
– A shielded 4-wire twisted copper cable is used with the pin
connections.
– Data is transmitted over a differential twisted pair of wires
labeled D+ and D-.
Pin number Function (abbreviation)
1 +5 V Power (VBUS)
2 Differential data line (D+)
3 Differential data line (D-)
4 Power and Signal ground (GND)
 USB
• Features of USB
– Data rates: USB 1.1 supports 12 Mbps data rate, and 1.5 Mbps for slower
peripherals. USB2.0 supports data rates up to 480 Mbps.
– Special features: USB supports plug and play. The host will detect and identify
the device by exchanging a set of packets. This is known as "Bus
Enumeration". The devices are hot-pluggable.
– Communication protocol: The communication between the host and the
devices is in the form of packets. The host obtains the configuration and
properties of the device and assigns a unique ID. When a device is removed,
the hub informs the host. Short data packets are exchanged for handshaking,
acknowledgements, and for informing the capabilities of the devices. Packets
of the size up to 1023 bytes are exchanged for data transfer. When a device is
plugged in, the host automatically gets the complete information about the
device, either directly or through the hub. An ID is assigned to that device and
the communication can start.
 USB
• Device Classes: Each USB device has a unique ID (between 1 and
127) and a device descriptor provides information about the device
class and its properties. The device classes are display,
communication, audio, mass storage and human interface (such as
keyboards, front panel knobs, control panel in VCR, data gloves etc.)
is a powerful, versatile and simple communication interface. So, not
surprisingly, many peripherals are now provided with a USB
interface.
 Infrared
• Infrared interfaces are used in remote control units of TV, VCR, air-
conditioner, etc.
• These interfaces are all based on proprietary protocols.
• Infrared interfaces are now commonplace for a number of devices
such as palmtops, cell phones, digital cameras, printers, keyboards,
mice, LCD projectors, ATMs, smart cards etc.
• Infrared interface provides a low-cost, short range, point-to-point
communication between two devices.
• The only drawback with infrared is that it operates in line of sight
communication mode and it cannot penetrate through walls. It
supports only data.
 Infrared
Transceiver
Processor UART/Packetizer Encoder/Decoder
LED, Photodiode

Fig 5. IrDA Module

• IrDA module shows the device with infrared transceiver.

• The transmitter is LED and receiver is a Photodiode.
• For low data rates the processor of the embedded system itself can be
used whereas for high data rates, a different processor may be needed.
• The data to be sent on the infrared link is packetized and encoded as
per the IrDA protocols and sent over the air to the other device.
• The receiving device will detect the signal, decode and depacketize the
data
 Infrared
• For the communication through infrared Interface, the IrPHY and
IrLAP are specified in the standard.
• Link Management is done through IrLMP, above which the
Application layer protocols will be running.

Higher Layers
(Application, IrCOMM)
Link Management Protocol
(IrLMP)
Link Access Protocol
(IrLAP)
Physical Layer
(IrPHY)
Fig 6. Protocol Architecture
 Infrared
• Physical layer: IrPHY specifies the data rates and the mode of
communication. IrDA has two specifications viz., IrDA Data and IrDA
control. IrDA Data has a range of 1 meter with bi-directional
communication. Serial IR (SIR) supports data rate up to 115 Kbps
and Fast IR (FIR) supports data rates up to 4 Mbps. IrDA Control has
a range of 5 meters with bi-directional communication speed up to
75 Kbps. A host such as PC can communicate with 8 peripherals
using IrDA protocols.
• Data Link layer: IrLAP is based on HDLC protocol. Master/slave
protocol is used for communication between two devices. The
device that starts the communication is the Master. The master
sends the command and the slave sends a response.
 Infrared
• Link management layer: This layer facilitates a device to query the
capabilities of other devices. It also provides the software capability
to share IrLAP between multiple tasks.
• Higher layers: The higher layer protocols are application specific.
IrCOMM protocol emulates the standard serial port. When two
devices such both fitted with infrared interface come face to face,
they can exchange the data using the application layer protocols.
 IEEE 1394 Firewire
• Apple Computers Inc. initiated the development of a mechanism to
interconnect consumer devices such as PC, printer, TV, VCR, digital
camera, CD player using a serial bus known as Fireware.
• Later on, it led to the development of the standard IEEE 1394.
• The consumer devices can be connected using this serial bus. The
cable length can be up to 4.5 meters.
• The only restriction is that the devices cannot be connected in
loops.
• IEEE 1394 provides plug and play capability and hot insertion
capability.
• Peer-to-peer communication is supported and hence even if the PC
is not there, any two devices can be connected.
 IEEE 1394 Firewire
PC Printer TV VCR CD Player

Digital
Camera
Fig 7. Connecting Devices through IEEE 1394 Bus

Bus Management
Transaction Layer
Resources
Data Link Layer
Management
Physical Layer Node Control

Fig 8. Protocol architecture IEEE 1394

 IEEE 1394 Firewire
• Each device is given a 6-bit identification number and maximum of
63 devices can be interconnected on a single bus.
• Using bridges, multiple buses can be connected. Each bus is given a
10-bit identification number and 1023 buses can be interconnected.
• The standard specifies copper wire or optical fiber as the
transmission medium with data rates 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 and
3200 Mbps.
• The functionality of various layers presented in the protocol
architecture is as follows:
– Physical layer: This layer specifies the electrical and mechanical connections.
Bus initialization and arbitration are the functions of this layer. These functions
ensure that only one device transmits data at a time.
 IEEE 1394 Firewire
– Data Link layer: The layer takes care of packet delivery,
acknowledgements and addressing of the devices.
– Transaction layer: This layer handles the writing and reading of
the data from the devices.
– Management protocols: These protocols are used to manage
the bus and they run on each of the devices. These protocols do
the necessary resource management and control the nodes.
 Ethernet
• Ethernet interface is now ubiquitous.
• It is available on every desktop and laptop.
• Availability of low-cost Ethernet chips and the associated protocol stack,
providing an Ethernet interface is very easy and useful to the embedded
system.
• Through the Ethernet interface, the embedded system can be connected
to the LAN.
• The data collected by an embedded system can be transferred to a
database on the LAN.
• The Ethernet interface provides the physical layer and data link layer
functionality.
• Above the data link layer, the TCP/IP protocol stack and the application
layer protocols will run
 Ethernet

Fig 9. Ethernet LAN Protocol Architecture

 Ethernet
• Physical layer: The Ethernet physical layer specifies a RJ 45 jack
using which the device is connected to the Local Area Network.
Unshielded twisted pair or coaxial cable can be used as the
medium. In each pair, one wire carries signal voltage between 0 to
+2.5 volts and the second wire carries signals with voltage between
—2.5 volts and 0 volts, and hence the signal difference is 5 volts.
Speeds of 10 Mbps and 100 Mbps are supported.
Pin number Function (abbreviation)
1 Transmit Data (TD+)
2 Transmit Data (TD-)
3 Receive Data (RD+)
4 No connection (NC)
5 No connection (NC)
6 Receive Data (RD-)
7 No Connection (NC)
8 No Connection (NC)
 Ethernet
• Data link layer: The data link layer is divided into Medium Access Control
(MAC) layer and Logical Link Control (LLC) layer. The MAC layer uses the
Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) protocol to
access the shared medium. The LLC layer specifies the protocol for logical
connection establishment, flow control, error control and
acknowledgements. Each Ethernet interface will have a unique Ethernet
address of 48 bits.
To make the embedded system network-enabled, the upper layer protocols
viz., TCP/IP stack has to run above the Ethernet. The TCP/IP stack has to be
embedded along with the Operating System and application software in the
firmware. If the embedded system has to send mails, Simple Mail Transfer
Protocol (SMTP) has to run. To support file transfer application, File Transfer
Protocol (FTP) software has to be ported. If the embedded system has to
work as a web server, the HTTP server software has to run on the system.
 IEEE 802.11
• IEEE 802.11 family of standards is for Wireless Local Area Networks
and Personal Area Networks.
• These Standards cover the physical and MAC layers of Wireless
LANs.
• The LLC layer is same as for the Ethernet LAN.
• Each Wireless LAN node an antenna to radiate waves.
• All the nodes-running the same MAC protocol and competing to
access the same medium will form a Basic Service Set (BSS).
• This BSS can interface to a backbone LAN through Access Point (AP).
• The backbone LAN can be a wired LAN such as Ethernet LAN.
• Two or more BSSs can be interconnected through the backbone
LAN. Access Points are also referred as "Hotspots".
IEEE 802.11

Fig 10. IEEE 802.11 Wireless LAN

 IEEE 802.11
• The physical medium specifications for 802.11 WLANs are:
– Diffused Infrared with operating wavelength between 850 and
950 nm. The data rate supported using this medium is 1 Mbps to
2 Mbps.
– Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum operating in 2.4 GHz ISM
band. Up to 7 channels each with a data rate of 1 Mbps or 2
Mbps can be used.
– Frequency hopping spread spectrum operating in 2.4 GHz ISM
band with 1 Mbps data rate to 2 Mbps.
 IEEE 802.11
• ISM band (2400 - 2483.5 MHz) is a 'free' band and hence no
government approvals are required to operate radio systems
in this band.
• 802.11b standard supports data rates up to 22 Mbps at 2.4
GHz, with a range of 100 meters.
• 802.11a, operates in the 5 GHz frequency band and can
support data rates up to 54 Mbps, with a range of 100 meters.
• 802.11g supports 54 Mbps data rates in the 2.4 GHz band.
IEEE 802.11

Fig 11. CSMA/CA Protocol

 IEEE 802.11
• The MAC protocol used in 802.11 is called CSMA/CA (Carrier Sense
Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance).
• Before transmitting, a node senses the radio medium and if the channel is
free for a period longer than a pre-defined value DIFS, the node transmits
immediately.
• If the channel is busy, the node keeps sensing the channel and if it is free
for a period of DIFS, the node waits for some more period called random
back-off interval and then transmits its frame.
• When the destination receives the frame, it has to send an
acknowledgement (ACK).
• To send the ACK, the destination will sense the medium and if it is free for
a pre-defined short time SIFS, the ACK is sent.
• If the ACK does not reach the station, the frame has to be retransmitted
using the above procedure.
• A maximum of 7 retransmissions are allowed after which the frame is
discarded. This procedure is known as CSMA/CA.
 IEEE 802.11

Fig 12. Communication between nodes in Wireless LAN

 IEEE 802.11
• An important feature of IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN is that two or more
nodes can communicate directly also without the need for a centralized
control.
• In Fig. 12(a), the configuration uses the Access Point as described
earlier.
• In Fig. 12(b), direct communication between two devices is shown.
• When two or more devices form a network without the need for
centralized control, they are called ad hoc networks.
• Embedded systems are now being provided with wireless LAN
connectivity to exchange data.
• The main attraction of wireless connectivity is that it can be used in
environments where running a cable is difficult such as in shop floors of
manufacturing units.
 Bluetooth
• Devices such as desktop, laptop, printer, modem, mobile
phone, etc are interconnected through wires for using a
service (e.g. a print service) or for sharing information (e.g.
transferring a file from desktop to laptop).
• These devices form a Personal Area Network (PAN).
• When we bring two devices close to each other, these two
can automatically form a network and exchange data.
• The networks, formed spontaneously by coming closer of two
or more devices, are termed as ad-hoc networks.
 Bluetooth
• In an ad-hoc network, the topology may change dynamically
with time, and the number of nodes in the network may also
change with time.
• If these devices are made to communicate through radio links
and also if one device discover other devices, such networks
can be administered easily.
• A number of technologies have been proposed for PANs.
Notable among them are Bluetooth, IrDA and IEEE 802.11.
• Bluetooth holds a great promise because it can provide
wireless connectivity to embedded systems at a very low cost.
 Bluetooth
• The salient features of Bluetooth technology are:
– It is a low-cost technology—its cost will soon be as low as a cable
connection. Since most of the Bluetooth-enabled devices have to
operate through a battery, the power consumption is also very low.
– It is based on radio transmission in the ISM band. ISM band is not
controlled by any government authority and hence no special
approval is required to use Bluetooth radio systems.
– It caters to short ranges. The range of a Bluetooth device is typically
10 meters, though with higher power, the range can be increased to
100 meters.
– It is based on open standards formulated by a consortium of industries
and a large number of equipment vendors are committed to this
technology.
 Bluetooth
• Most of electronic devices can be Bluetooth-enabled.
• These include a PC, laptop, PDA, digital camera, mobile
phone, pager, MP3 player, headset, printer, keyboard, mouse,
LCD projector, domestic appliances such as TV, microwave
oven, music players etc.
• To make a device Bluetooth-enabled, a module containing
the Bluetooth hardware and firmware is attached to the
device. And, a piece of software is run on the device.
• A Bluetooth-enabled device communicates with another
Bluetooth-enabled device over the radio medium to exchange
information or transfer data.
 Bluetooth

Fig 13. Wireless PAN

 Bluetooth
• A set of devices can form a Personal Area Network if they are
in the radio vicinity of each other
• When a device comes in the vicinity of another device,
Bluetooth protocols facilitate their forming a network.
• A device can find out what services are offered by the other
device and then obtain that service.
• Such networks are called ad-hoc networks as the network is
formed on the fly and once the device gets out of sight, the
network is no longer there.
• Such networks can be formed in office, at home, in cars and
also in public places such as shopping malls, airports etc
 Bluetooth
• Bluetooth System Specification
– Frequency of operation: operate in the ISM band in the
frequency range 2400 -2483.5 MHz . This band consists of 79
channels each of 1 MHz bandwidth, with a lower guard band of
2 MHz and upper guard band of 3.5 MHz. When a device
transmits its data, it uses frequency hopping, i.e. the device
transmits each packet in a different channel. The receiving
device has to switch to that channel to receive that packet.
Though the radio design becomes complex when frequency
hopping is used, the advantage is that it provides secure
communication.
 Bluetooth
– Modulation: Gaussian Frequency Shift Keying (GFSK) is used as the
modulation technique. Binary 1 is represented by a positive
frequency deviation and 0 by negative frequency deviation. The
radio receiver has to be designed in such a way that the Bit Error
Rate (BER) of minimum 0.1% is ensured, i.e. the radio should provide
a link which ensures that there will not be more than 1 error for
every 1000 bits transmitted.
– Operating range: Class 1 devices transmit maximum of 100 mW.
The range of such devices is 100 meters. Class 2 devices transmit 10
mW. The range is 50 meters. Class 3 devices transmit 1 mW. The
range is 10 meters.
 Bluetooth
– Services supported: Both data and voice services are supported by Bluetooth
devices. For voice communication, Synchronous Connection Oriented (SCO)
links are used which support circuit switching operation. For data
communication, Asynchronous Connection Less (ACL) links are used which use
packet switching. The SCO links carry voice. There is no retransmission of
voice packets if they are lost or received in error.
For data services, devices exchange data in the form of packets. The receiving
device acknowledges the packet or reports that the packet is received in error.
If a packet is received with errors, the packet is retransmitted. It is also
possible to broadcast packets by one device to all the other devices in the
network. However, in broadcast mode there is no acknowledgement or
indication that the packet is received with errors. The broadcasting device
informs the receiving devices how many times a broadcast packet will be
transmitted so that at least once every device will receive the packet without
errors.
 Bluetooth
– Data rates: A Bluetooth device can support three synchronous voice channels and
one asynchronous data channel. For voice communication, 64 Kbps data rate is used
in both directions. For asynchronous links, two types of channels are defined with
different data rates. In asymmetric channel, data rates are 723.2 Kbps in one
direction and 57.6 Kbps in the other direction. In symmetric channel, data rate is
433.9 Kbps in both directions.
– Network topology: In a PAN, a set of devices form a small network called piconet. In
a piconet, there will be one Master and one or more Slaves. The Master decides the
hop frequency sequence and all the Slaves tune to these frequencies to establish
communication links. Any device can be a Master or Slave. It is also possible for a
Master and Slave to switch roles—a Slave can become a Master. A piconet can have
maximum number of seven slaves which can actively communicate with the Master.
In addition to these active slaves, a piconet can contain many Slaves that are in
parked mode. These parked devices are synchronized with the Master, but they are
not active on the channel. The communication between the Master and the Slave
uses Time Division Duplex (TDD).
Fig 14. Bluetooth Piconet and Scatternet
 Bluetooth
A scatternet is formed by a number of piconets. In this scatternet,
each piconet will have a Master and a number of Slaves. The Master
of a piconet can be a Slave in another piconet. Each piconet in the
scatternet will have its own frequency hopping sequence and hence
there will be no interference between two piconets. In a scatternet,
even if the coverage areas of two piconets overlap, there will be no
interference.
 Bluetooth
– Communication between Master and Slave: They
communicate in the form of packets. Each packet is
transmitted in a time slot. Each time slot is of 625
microseconds duration. These slots are numbered from 0 to
227-1. Master starts the transmission in even slots by sending a
packet addressed to a slave and the slave sends the packets in
odd numbered slots. A packet generally occupies one time
slot, but can extend up to five slots. If the Master starts the
transmission in slot 0 using frequency f1, the slave transmits in
slot 1 using frequency f2, master transmits in slot 2 using
frequency f3, and so on.
 Bluetooth
States of Bluetooth Devices
• Inquiry State: An application program in a Bluetooth device can
enter the inquiry state to enquire about other devices in the vicinity.
• Inquiry Scan State: To respond to an inquiry, the devices should
periodically enter into inquiry scan state.
• Inquiry Response State: when the inquiry is successfully completed,
they enter the inquiry response state.
• Page State: When a device wants to get connected to another
device, it enters the page state. In this state, the device will become
the Master and page for other devices. The command for this paging
has to come from an application program running on this Bluetooth
device.
 Bluetooth
• Master Response State: When the device pages for the other
device, the other device may respond and the Master enters the
master response state.
• Page Scan State: Devices should enter the page scan state
periodically to check whether other devices are paging for them.
• Slave Response State: When device receives the page scan
packet, it enters the slave response state.
• Connection: Once paging of devices is completed, the Master
and the Slave establish a connection. Thereafter, the connection
is in active state, during which the packet transmission takes
place. The connection can also be put in one of the three modes:
'hold' or 'sniff or 'park'
Fig 15. Bluetooth State Transition Diagram
 Bluetooth
In hold mode, the device will stop receiving the data traffic for a
specific amount of time so that other devices in the piconet can use
the channel. After the expiry of the specific time, the device will
start listening to traffic again.
In sniff mode, Device need not to listen to all the packets but only
packets specified by sniff parameters.
In park mode the device only listens to a beacon signal from the
Master occasionally, and it synchronizes with the Master but does
not do any data transmission.
 Bluetooth
• A typical procedure for setting up a Bluetooth link can be:
– The device sends an inquiry using a special inquiry hopping sequence.
– Inquiry scanning devices respond to the inquiry by sending a packet.
This packet contains the information needed to connect to it.
– The inquiring device requests a connection to the device that
responded to the inquiry.
– Paging is used to initiate the connection with the selected device.
– The selected device that has entered the page scan state responds to
the page.
– If the responding device accesses the connection, it synchronizes with
the Masters timing and frequency hopping sequence.
 Bluetooth
Bluetooth Addressing: Each Bluetooth module (the radio
transceiver) is given a 48-bit address containing three fields: LAP
(Lower Address Part) with 24 bits, Upper address part (UAP) with 8
bits and Non-Significant Address Part with 16 bits. This address is
assigned by the manufacturer of the Bluetooth module and consists
of company ID and company assigned number. This address is
unique to every Bluetooth device. In Bluetooth specifications, this
address is referred to as BD_ADDR.
Each active member in a piconet will have a 3-bit address. The
parked members also need to have addresses so that the master
can make them active for exchange of packets. Parked member
address is either the BD_ADDR of 48 bits or an 8-bit parked
member address denoted by PM_ADDR.
 Bluetooth
• Bluetooth profiles: To ensure interoperability between devices
manufactured by different vendors, Bluetooth SIG released
the Bluetooth 'profiles' which define the precise
characteristics and protocols supported by these devices. The
Bluetooth profiles are defined for headset, cordless phone,
fax machine, LAN Access Point, serial communication, dial-up
networking, file transfer, synchronization of data between two
devices, etc.
Fig 16. Bluetooth Protocol Architecture
 Bluetooth
• Bluetooth Protocol Architecture
– Baseband and RF
• The baseband layer is for establishing the links between devices based
on the type of service required— ACL for data services and SCO for
voice services. It also takes care of addressing and managing the
different states of the Bluetooth device. The RF portion provides the
radio interface.
– Link Manager Protocol (LMP)
• This is used to set up and control links. The three layers—RF, Link
controller and the Link manager—will be on the Bluetooth module
attached to the device. The link manager on one device exchanges
messages (LMP messages )with the link manager on the other device
Link messages have higher priority compared to data. The functions of
the LMP are as follows:
 Bluetooth
• Authentication • Detach
• Encryption • Hold mode
• Clock offset request • Park mode
• Timing accuracy information • Power control
request • Request SCO link
• LMP version • Quality of Service (QoS)
• Type of packets supported parameters exchange
• Switching Master/Slave role • Multi-slot packet control
• Name request • Link supervision
• Connection establishment
 Bluetooth
–Logical Link Control and Adaptation Protocol (L2CAP)
• L2CAP runs above the baseband and carries our the data link layer functionality.
L2CAP layer is only for ACL links. L2CAP data packets can be up to 64 Kilobytes
long. L2CAP protocol runs on hosts such as laptop, cellular phone or other
wireless devices.
• The functions of L2CAP layer are:
• Protocol multiplexing
• Segmentation and reassembly:
• Quality of Service:
L2CAP layer sends connection request and QoS request message from the
application programs through the higher layers. It receives from the lower layers
the responses for these requests. The responses can be: connection indication,
connection confirmation, connect confirmation negative, connect confirmation
pending, disconnect indication (from remote), disconnect confirmation, timeout
indication and quality of service violation indication.
 Bluetooth
–Service Discovery Protocol
• Provides the Bluetooth environment the capability to create ad hoc networks.
• It is used for discovering the services offered by a device. SDP offers the
following services:
– A device can search for the service needed by it in the piconet.
– A device can discover a service based on a class of services
– Browsing of services.
– Discovery of new services when devices enter in the radio range of other
devices.
– Mechanism to find out when a service becomes unavailable when the device
goes out of radio range.
– The details of services such as classes of services and the attributes of services.
– To discover services on another device without consulting the third device.
 Bluetooth
• When a device wants to discover a service, the application software
initiates the request (which is the client) and the SDP client sends SDP
request to the server (the device which can provide the required service).
SDP client and server exchange SDP messages.
• The server maintains list of service records. Each record is identified by a
unique 32-bit number. Service record will have a number of attributes like
service class ID list (type of service), service ID, protocol description list
(protocol used for using the service), provider name, Icon URL (an iconic
representation of the service), service name and service description
• Each attribute will have two components: attribute ID and attribute value.
• Service Discovery Protocol (SDP)provides the capability to discover the
availability ofservices in a Bluetooth network and to access these services.
 Bluetooth
– RFCOMM
• RFCOMM is a transport protocol to emulate serial communication (RS232 serial
port) over\L2CAP. Through RFCOMM, two devices can communicate using serial
communication protocols over Bluetooth radio. To achieve this, RFCOMM emulates
the 9 signals of RS 232. These signals are:
– 102 Signal Ground (GND)
– 103 Transmit Data (TD)
– 104 Received Data (RD)
– 105 Request to Send (RTS)
– 106 Clear to Send (CTS)
– 107 Data Set Ready (DSR)
– 108 Data Terminal Ready (DTR)
– 109 Data Carrier Detect (DCD) 125
– 125 Ring Indicator (RI)
• IT supports two types of devices. Type 1 devices are communication end-points
such as computers and printers. Type 2 devices are part of communication
segment such as modems.
 Bluetooth
– Telephony Control Protocol Specifications (TCS)
• handles signaling information to establish voice and data calls
between Bluetooth devices.
• This protocol is based on the International Telecommunications
Union (ITU) standard Q.931, which is the standard for signaling in
Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN).
• TCS messages are exchanged between devices to establish and
release connections and to provide supplementary services such
as calling line identification (to identify the telephone number of
the calling subscriber).
 Bluetooth
–Host Control Interface
• Bluetooth device will have two parts: a module implementing the lower layers
(LMP and below) and a software module implementing higher layers stack
(L2CAP and above). The Host Controller Interface (HCI) provides a standard
interface between the Bluetooth module and the host software, so that we
can buy the hardware module from one vendor and software module from
another vendor. HCI uses three types of packets:
– commands which are sent from the host to the module,
– Events which are sent from the module to the host, and
– Data packets which are exchanged between the host and the module.
• The functions of HCI are
– setting up and disconnection of the links and configuring the links.
– Control of baseband features such as timeouts.
– Retrieving of status information of the module.
– Invoking the test modes to test the module for local testing of Bluetooth devices.
 Bluetooth
• The HCI commands can be categorized as
– Link control commands to establish piconets and
scatternets
– Link policy commands to put devices in hold mode or sniff
mode
– Commands to get information about the local hardware
– Commands to get the status parameters
– Commands to test the local Bluetooth module.