All About Bluetooth®
Bluetooth® technology is everywhere – our phones, speakers, cars, and more. Nowadays, even toothbrushes, coffee machines, and record players use it! Haven’t you ever wondered how this wonderful technology works? You probably use Bluetooth® to pair your phone to your luxury Mercedes-Benz every day, so it is about time to dive into the science behind the magic!
How Did Bluetooth® Get Its Name?
Courtesy of FabrikBrands.com
We all know what Bluetooth® does – it connects our devices without wires. But where did the name come from? It might surprise you, and could certainly become a fun party fact to share!
The name comes from the Nordic man who united Denmark and Norway in the 900s. He had a rotten tooth and therefore went by the name Harald Bluetooth®. When the name was first imagined for the budding technology, it was only intended to be a placeholder. But it stuck!
You might also wonder how Bluetooth® got its logo. The interweaving white lines come from the combination of two ancient runes that stand for Harald’s initials, H (ᚼ) and B (ᛒ)!
So, Seriously: How Does Bluetooth® Work?
Courtesy of DefenderShield.com
Well, it all starts with radio waves. As you might remember from high school science class, there are many types of light. Each has its own wavelength and all light is on the ‘Electromagnetic Spectrum.’ The amazing technology that connects your phone and your car uses radio waves, which have longer wavelengths but less energy than the visible light we can see. Using radio waves means that Bluetooth® does not use a lot of power, and won’t drain your phone battery too quickly.
Now that we’ve discussed the medium through which Bluetooth® communicates (ie, radio waves), we also need to discuss how the protocol works. Basically, the protocol is the instruction manual for devices who want to talk to each other. If they aren’t all on the same page, then Bluetooth® won’t work. The creators of the company not only developed the technology to allow devices to talk, but it also established an international agreement so that all devices are on the same page! This means that all Bluetooth® devices, across the world, use the ISM band (Industrial, Scientific, and Medical) of the radio wave spectrum.
What About Other Ways for Gadgets to Talk?
Courtesy of TheWorldVideos1
When it comes to connecting devices without a wire, the other option is to use infrared communication. That’s what happens when you point your remote at the TV. The only downside to this type of transmission is that the two devices have to be connected by a line of sight. That is to say, if you try and use your TV remote from the other room, nothing will happen! Another downside of Infrared tech is that a device can only talk to one other gadget at a time. Bluetooth®, however, lets your computer talk to your phone, your speaker, and your watch all at once!
After learning about the simplicity of infrared communication, you might be wondering how Bluetooth® keeps from interfering with itself. With all of those signals dancing around the room, how on earth does one gadget here the one it’s looking for? The answer is that all devices switch their frequency band more than 1600 times a second! This method is called ‘Spread Spectrum Frequency Hopping‘ and it means that no two devices will be on the same frequency for more than a millisecond at a time!
What about Bluetooth® and Mercedes-Benz?
Mercedes-Benz uses Bluetooth® to connect your phone to your COMAND system so you can play music, talk handsfree, and more! Look here to check for compatibility between your luxury vehicle and accessory devices. Or, if you need instructions on how to connect a certain device to your COMAND center, check here, here, or here! There are many online resources for learning more about this wonderful technology. Make sure you are getting the most out of it with your Mercedes-Benz vehicle!
Connect with us
