Bluetooth

[matty2670]

How does a bluetooth connection actually work? I can't get my head round data being transferred through the air...

[fo3nix]

ok, well bluetooth is just a protocol that relies on electromagnetic radiation to send information.

what is electromagnetic radiation? it's all around you. there is a type of particle called a photon, that is responsible for EM radiation. radio waves, x-rays, gamma rays, microwaves, infra-red, ultraviolet, and visible light itself are EM radiation.

how does radiation happen? either a photon is coming from somewhere, and gets reflected by something, then ends up somewhere else (where its meant to be), or it can happen if an electron in an atom gets excited, and gains energy. it doesn't like all this energy, so pushes out a photon with that excess energy, so it can drop back down to a lower energy.

radiowaves, etc. all use this same principle. if you take two wires, antennas, and alternate a current through them very quickly, then you'll produce an EM signal. this is what Hertz did for the first radiowaves.

these photons it make shoot all round the air, in every direction. the receiver in your phone or handset or whatever knows to receive this data. it will also be lightly encrypted in some cases too, to stop anyone else from snooping in on your data.

[matty2670]

Thanks for explaining it in a way I could actually understand! I'm very much obliged to you.

[Julia6]

Well, I'm glad you understood it matty, but it left me reeling. I guess some people are meant to understand / do some things, and others are meant to specialise in something else. I personally need diagrams and the opportunity to ask questions, and receive explanations before I can grasp some things. Julia.

[stevie21]

If you use a mobile phone at all then there's already data (your voice) being transferred through the air.
Same with TV.

[mibn2cweus]

Electromagnetic energies come in a variety of wavelengths (or inversely frequencies) depending on the energy level of the photons. Some of these frequencies can be discriminated visually as red, green, blue, etc., light; (white is actually a mixture of several different colors or wavelengths of light).

Radio waves have a specific wavelength (typically much longer and therefore of a lower frequency than visible light). Information is �attached� to radio waves by modulating (altering) their intensity or slightly varying their frequency. The receiver of the radio waves tunes to the specific frequency of the desired broadcast, detects and separates the information from the radio wave then restores (amplifies) it to the required strength.

[fo3nix]

sorry Julia, upon reading what I wrote, it does seem overly complicated. what didn't you understand? as you say, you like to ask questions, and this is the prime place for it!

[Postdog]

Bring back tin cans on a bit of string is what I say.....