Brainboxes BL-500 User manual

Bluetooth PC Card
(BL500)
1.0 November 2001
By Paul D. Sinclair.

Bluetooth PC Card Contents •
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Contents
Brain Boxes Information 1
Guarantee..............................................................................................................................1
Copyright..............................................................................................................................1
BRAIN BOXES Limited...................................................................................................... 1
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. ................................................................................................1
Bluetooth Introduction 2
Introduction ..........................................................................................................................2
What is Bluetooth? ............................................................................................................... 2
Wireless Communications ..................................................................................... 2
History of Bluetooth ..............................................................................................2
Technical Information ..........................................................................................................2
Small Size ..............................................................................................................2
International Operation ..........................................................................................3
Easy Connection ....................................................................................................3
Stable Connection .................................................................................................. 3
Audio and Data ......................................................................................................3
Range .....................................................................................................................3
Bandwidth.............................................................................................................. 3
Security .................................................................................................................. 3
Low Power Usage ..................................................................................................3
Interoperability.....................................................................................................................4
Device discovery ..................................................................................................................4
Wireless networks ................................................................................................................4
Piconet....................................................................................................................4
One master, up to 255 slaves ................................................................................. 4
Bluetooth in action ...............................................................................................................5
Unlimited possibilites ............................................................................................5
Three-in-one phone ................................................................................................5
Wireless headset.....................................................................................................5
Synchronization .....................................................................................................5
Internet bridge ........................................................................................................ 5
Glossary................................................................................................................................5
Authentication........................................................................................................5
Device address .......................................................................................................5
Device discovery.................................................................................................... 5
Device name........................................................................................................... 5
Encryption..............................................................................................................6
Master ....................................................................................................................6
Park mode .............................................................................................................. 6
Piconet....................................................................................................................6
Profile.....................................................................................................................6
Slave.......................................................................................................................6
Setting up Your Card 7
Windows 2000......................................................................................................................7
Installation..............................................................................................................7
Uninstalling your card............................................................................................9

Bluetooth PC Card Contents •
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My Bluetooth Devices 14
Windows 2000....................................................................................................................14

Bluetooth PC Card Brain Boxes Information •
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•1
Brain Boxes Information
Guarantee.
BRAIN BOXES LIMITED guarantee your Card for a full 36 months from
purchase, parts and labour, provided it has been used in the specified manner. In
the unlikely event of failure return your interface to BRAIN BOXES LIMITED
or to your Dealer, with proof of purchase, who will determine whether to repair
or replace this product with an equivalent unit.
Copyright.
COPYRIGHT © 1985-2001 BRAIN BOXES LIMITED.
All rights reserved. No part of this hardware, circuitry or manual may be
duplicated, copied, transmitted or reproduced in any way without the prior
written consent of BRAIN BOXES LIMITED.
BRAIN BOXES Limited.
Unit 3C, Wavertree Boulevard South,
Wavertree Technology Park,
Liverpool, L7 9PF,
England.
Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail] /[e-mail]
Web: www.brainboxes.com
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
BRAIN BOXES is a trademark of BRAIN BOXES LIMITED.
IBM, COMPAQ, Hewlett Packard, H.P. and EPSON are trademarks of the
relevant companies. OS/2 and Microchannel Architecture are trademarks of
IBM. Windows is a trademark of Microsoft.

Bluetooth PC Card Bluetooth Introduction •
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Bluetooth Introduction
Introduction
This guide will give you a short technical introduction to the Bluetooth™
technology. This is intended as a Bluetooth overview and you should refer to
your product manuals for specific installation and operation instructions.
What is Bluetooth?
How does it work?
What do all the technical expressions really mean?
What is Bluetooth?
Wireless Communications
Bluetooth is a new technology that eliminates the need for cables between
electronic devices: PCs, mobile phones, headsets, handheld computers, printers,
local area networks, etc. The technology is based on short-range radio transmission
on a globally available frequency. Bluetooth provides fast, reliable, and secure
wireless communications.
History of Bluetooth
Originally invented in Scandinavia, the Bluetooth technology was named after
the Danish Viking king Harold Bluetooth. However, when the technology was
launched in 1998, it was very much an international initiative. A handful of
leading companies within the computer and telecommunications industry formed
the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). The goal was for devices from
different manufacturers to be able to communicate with each other. Today, a
great number of companies have joined the SIG as adopters of the Bluetooth
technology, and the number is increasing all the time. The magnitude of industry
involvement should ensure that Bluetooth becomes a widely adopted technology.
Technical Information
Small Size
Bluetooth does not require much space. In fact, the Bluetooth radio can be built
into a small microchip and integrated in any electronic device where wireless
operation would be an advantage.

Bluetooth PC Card Bluetooth Introduction •
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International Operation
You can use Bluetooth almost anywhere. The radio operates in the 2.45 GHz
band, which is licence-free and available to any radio system in the world
Easy Connection
You can establish a connection between two or more devices almost instantly. The
connection will be maintained even if the devices are not within line of sight.
Stable Connection
Bluetooth provides a very stable connection. The technology ensures that, under
normal circumstances, you will not be bothered by interference from other radio
signals operating in the same frequency band.
Audio and Data
You can use a Bluetooth enabled device for data transfer or audio
communication; or you can use it for both simultaneously.
Range
Bluetooth is based on short-range radio transmission. The normal range of the
Bluetooth radio is either 10 meters or 100 meters, depending on your Bluetooth
equipment.
Bandwidth
A Bluetooth radio link has a maximum data transfer rate of 724 kbit/s, or three
voice channels; the data rate for a voice channel is 64 kbit/s.
Security
Two advanced security mechanisms ensure a high level of security:
Authentication prevents access to critical data and makes it impossible to falsify
the origin of a message.
Encryption prevents eavesdropping and maintains link privacy.
Low Power Usage
The Bluetooth radio is very economical, limiting its output power exactly to
what is actually needed. For instance, when transmitting to a receiving radio that
is only a couple of meters away, the radio immediately modifies its signal
strength to suit the small distance. Bluetooth consumes only a tiny bit of the
power that eg. a mobile phone needs.

Bluetooth PC Card Bluetooth Introduction •
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Interoperability
Interoperability refers to the ability of two devices to communicate with each
other. Now, any Bluetooth device features one or more applications, known as
profiles. For one Bluetooth device to be able to communicate with another, the
two devices must have at least one shared profile. If, for instance, your Bluetooth
device features the profile object exchange, you can exchange business cards
with any other Bluetooth device that has the object exchange profile. Some other
examples of profiles are: file transfer, serial port, and network.
Device discovery
When two or more Bluetooth devices are within range, a link can be established.
However, first of all a Bluetooth device needs to discover the other Bluetooth
devices that are active within its range. This operation is called device discovery.
When another Bluetooth device responds, it supplies necessary information,
some of which concerns its identity: the device name (eg. Adam) or the unique
device address (eg. 00:50:CD:3A:4B:69). A link can now be established to the
discovered device.
Wireless networks
Piconet
At the very heart of the Bluetooth technology is the idea of forming small
wireless networks known as piconets. When a Bluetooth device has established a
link to one or more other devices, a piconet has been formed. The device that
initiates a connection acts as the master. The other devices are slaves. The master
controls all traffic in the piconet. Communication between slaves can only take
place via the master. In the below example of a piconet, the laptop (master)
transmits to the handheld computer (slave 1) and the mobile phone (slave 2):
One master, up to 255 slaves
As already mentioned, in a piconet there can only be one master. Furthermore,
up to seven slaves can be active. However, there can be additional slaves which
are not active but remain synchronized to the piconet. Such slaves are referred to
as parked. A parked device can very quickly become active and begin
communicating in the piconet. By swapping active and parked slaves, you can
increase the number of slaves virtually connected to the piconet from seven to
255 devices

Bluetooth PC Card Bluetooth Introduction •
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Bluetooth in action
Unlimited possibilites
A technology that, like Bluetooth, eliminates the need for cables offers a great
number of potential applications.The possibilities are virtually unlimited.
Nevertheless, in some areas it is particularly obvious that Bluetooth is an ideal
solution. This section gives you a few examples.
Three-in-one phone
Use the three-in-one phone for different purposes – at the office, as an intercom;
on the road, as a mobile phone; at home, as a portable phone
Wireless headset
Use the wireless headset for hands-free operation of a phone – in the car, in the
office, or at home.
Synchronization
Automatic synchronization of eg. your PC, mobile phone, and handheld
computer. An example: As soon as you enter the office, the calendar in your
handheld computer is automatically updated to agree with the calendar in your
office PC.
Internet bridge
Connect to the Internet no matter where you are, using a laptop and a mobile
phone.
Glossary
Authentication
Security mechanism that prevents access to critical data and makes it impossible
to falsify the origin of a message.
Device address
The unique address of a Bluetooth device.
Device discovery
Before a link can be established, a Bluetooth device needs to discover the other
Bluetooth devices that are active within its range.
Device name
The name that a Bluetooth device presents itself with when supplying identity
information to another device.

Bluetooth PC Card Bluetooth Introduction •
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Encryption
Security mechanism that prevents eavesdropping and maintains link privacy.
Master
The device that initiates a connection and, during this connection, controls all
traffic in a piconet.
Park mode
Economical, low-power "sub-mode" of standby. In park mode, a slave does not
participate in the piconet but remains synchronized to it. Park mode is used to
increase the number of slaves connected to a master.
Piconet
A wireless network formed by two or more Bluetooth devices.
Profile
Application that a Bluetooth device facilitates. For one device to communicate
with another, the two devices must have a shared profile. For instance, to
transfer files from one computer to another, both computers must feature the file
transfer profile.
Slave
A device in a piconet controlled by another device (the master).

Bluetooth PC Card Setting up Your Card •
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Setting up Your Card
Windows 2000
Installation
This section will give you all the information that is needed to install your Brain
Boxes Bluetooth PC Card into your computer.
Insert the Bluetooth Product CD into your CDROM drive.
Insert the Card into a free PC Card Slot
Windows 2000 will detect your card and start the Found Ne w Hardware
Wiz ard.
Click Next

Bluetooth PC Card Setting up Your Card •
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Select “Search for a suitable driver for my device”. Click Next
Select CD-ROM drives. Click Next
The Wizard has found the required software. Click Next

Bluetooth PC Card Setting up Your Card •
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The software is now installed. Click Finish.
The Found Ne w Hardware wizard will detect a number of devices on your card
and install the drivers for them.
A My Bluetooth devices icon will now appear
in the My Computer folder on your desktop.
Double clicking on this icon will open the My
Bluetooth Devices user interface which will
enable you to configure your card and establish
connections with other bluetooth enabed devices.
This user interface can also be accessed by
clicking the Brain Boxes bluetooth icon found in
the icon tray on your start bar.
Full details of the My Bluetooth Devices user interface can be found in the
configuration section of this manual on page xxx
Uninstalling your card
Right Click My Compute r on your desktop and select Properties.

Bluetooth PC Card Setting up Your Card •
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Select the Hardware tab
Click Hardware Wiz ard
Click Next

Bluetooth PC Card Setting up Your Card •
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Select Unins tall/Unplug a de vice . Click Next
Select “Uninstall a Device”. Click Next
Scroll down the list of devices until you reach the “Brain Boxes Bluetooth
PCMCIA Device”, select this device. Click Next

Bluetooth PC Card Setting up Your Card •
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Select “Yes, I want to uninstall this device”. Click Next
Click Next
Click Next

Bluetooth PC Card Setting up Your Card •
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Click Finish
Click Finish.
Both the hardware and software elements of your Brain Boxes have now been
successfully uninstalled.
If you need to reinstall the software immediately then you will need to reboot
your machine.

Bluetooth PC Card My Bluetooth Devices •
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My Bluetooth Devices
Windows 2000
Connecting Devices
Click on the Brain Boxes Bluetooth icon in your icon tray or double click on
the My Bluetooth devices icon on your desktop.
Click Discovery
This will discover any other bluetooth enabled devices

Bluetooth PC Card My Bluetooth Devices •
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Right Click a discovered device and click ‘Service Search’ this will attempt to connect to the
device chosen. The other device will need to allow the connection.
A number of virtual COM Ports will then appear under the device name. Select one of the virtual
COM Ports.
Right Click on the chosen Virtual COM Port.
Click Connect

Bluetooth PC Card My Bluetooth Devices •
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A Brain Boxes Bluetooth COM port will be set up.
You will then be told that a virtual port has been established and given the COM number
assigned.
The screen shot above shows how you’re my Bluetooth Devices will look now that you are
connected.
You will now be able to transfer data using hyperterminal or a similar program.

Bluetooth PC Card My Bluetooth Devices •
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Devices Tested So Far
Device A Device B Intero
p
erable
Printers and Printer adapters
Brainboxes PC card + CD51 HP995C Yes
Brainboxes PC card + CD51 MPI Printer adapter (version 020)
Brainboxes PC card + CD51 MPI Printer adapter (version 030)
Telephones
Brainboxes PC card + CD51 T39 Ericsson No
Upon Pairing to the
phone a bluescreen
occurred on the PC
even thou
g
h the phone
said that the pairing
was successful.
Brainboxes PC card + CD51 Nokia 6210
Brainboxes BL631 + Extended
Systems Ericsson DBA-10 Yes
Digianswer PC card T39 Ericsson Yes
Can get dial up
networking and serial
port connections but
the ISP phone number
was engaged
LAN access points
Brainboxes PC card + CD51 AXIS 9010 (192.168.0.7) No
Upon searching for
services or just trying
to connect directly to
the A XIS, nothing
happens
IBM PC Card (Digianswer) AXIS 9010 (192.168.0.7) No
Service Discovery
failed and trying to
connect directly also
failed
Modems
PC Cards
Brainboxes PC card + CD51 TDK PC Card and software No
Can't
g
et the TDK card
and stack to work in
the first place!
Brainboxes PC card + CD51
Digianswer PC Card and
software
Brainboxes PC card + CD51 IBM P C Card (Digianswer) No
Can connect with
BL500 as master and
operate normally but
can only transfer data
one way when
Digianswer is master
CF Ca rds
Nokia FLA-15
He adset
Ericsson Headset
Vending Machines