Comparing Bluetooth and Infrared with Cable Based Communication - Coursework Example

Comparing Bluetooth and Infrared with Cable Based Communication The development of communication technology has beena key step in the development of the human race. Since the beginning of time, we have sought better means of communication for various purposes. The search for better communication resulted in a range of innovative techniques being applied from the North American native tribes to the Chinese in Asia. Now, the communication technology available to us is greatly advanced and far ahead, allowing many nations rapid progress. Short range communication has assumed great importance now as better and faster mediums are sought. Three such short range communication mediums are cable, Infra red and Bluetooth technology. The following paper analyses the relative advantages of all three. Bluetooth is an always-on, short-range radio based technology that resides on a microchip. Controlled and moderated by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group, this short range wireless communication technology started off as a utility to enable laptop users to make calls via a mobile phone. It was commissioned by the mobile phone company Ericsson but soon started spreading. The concept behind the technology is fairly simple. It uses a 2.4 GHz band to connect blue tooth devices that may be within ten meters of each other to share at up to 720 Kbps (How Bluetooth Works). This technology can operate with many users to create a piconet, further networks of which allow larger communication. Safety and privacy is assured through encoding each link, thus not allowing third parties to access the data being transferred without the relevant PIN code or authorization. As a radio broadcast communication system is being utilized here, line of sight communication is not a problem in the case of Bluetooth technology. This leads to many possible applications of this technology. First of all wireless communication between various devices such as personal computers in small network or between mobile phones or between a personal computer and its connecting devices such as mouse and keyboard can be employed. This leads to easy communication without the use of long wires that can easily occupy useful space and is unseemly to the eyes and in cramped computer rooms. Game consoles use this technology to allow communication between the processing machine and the controllers. Dial-up internet facility on Personal Digital Assistants makes use of Bluetooth as well. Seeing the range of applications of this technology, one can surmise that it has some obvious benefits. First of all, it replaces serial equipment making use of wires spreading everywhere and allows easy communication with devices near it. There is the further advantage of mobility, where the user is not required to be tethered to the electronic device to be able to use a Bluetooth active device. Such practical advantages make its use worthwhile and convenient. Unlike the Infra Red technology discussed later, it does not require the connecting devices to be in line of sight which gives it an advantage in terms of range over Infra red enable devices. However, there are many disadvantages as well. As many applications as it has, Microsoft chose to not include Bluetooth support in its new operating system as it claimed there were still not many Bluetooth enables devices that required Windows support (How Bluetooth Works). This limits its uses for personal computer users who make use of the Windows operating system. Furthermore, the microchip that is required for Bluetooth technology can be labeled relatively expensive. This presents a challenge to its use in mobile phones which are hugely competitive in terms of prices and companies may see costs rising. This diminishes its extended use by the mobile phone industry unless its cost drops. There is also the problem of security. A number of weaknesses have been pointed out in Bluetooth's pin number based production of a device's initiation key. This can lead to possible cracks in security, allowing a third party to pry open private conversations. Overcoming such a security flaw would require the use of encryption technology which would further take up additional processing power which therefore would make the Bluetooth device less useful as an option in price competitive mobile phone and microcomputer markets. Another popular medium for short range communication is Infra Red technology. This makes use of short range wireless infra red signals to allow communication between various devices. Using this technology, data can be transferred from one computer to another and files can be interchanged. The devices require Light Emitting Diodes to transmit infra red signals to a photodiode which detects the short bursts of light impulses and then interprets them to receive information (Kaine-Krolak). These transmitting and receiving ports are usually attached at the back end of devices. Computer networks can be created using infra red technology, though these are usually temporary in nature and mostly need based. The range of infra red active devices is very small and the devices usually have to be within a few feet of each other. Their signals can not penetrate walls and for two devices to communicate with each other, they need to be in direct line of sight. The networks with infra red technology can support data at 115 Kbps, 1.15 Mbps and a maximum of 4 Mbps depending on whether slow speed, medium speed or high speed local networks are employed (Kaine-Krolak). The applications of infra red technology are many. It can be used in allowing augmentative communication devices to send information such as in locking systems for cars and other input output devices for computers such as keyboards, mouse and printers. The technology can also be employed in the case of emergency response systems related to doors, windows and alarms. Systems to control the environment in buildings etc also employ infra red technology. Further applications include use in the case of headphones, remote controls for televisions, telephones and other instances of wireless communication. The technology has various advantages. It requires very low power which makes it optimal for use in laptops and personal digital assistants. Furthermore, the low cost circuits required for it make its use beneficial in the mobile phone industry which is very competitive and where cost matters a lot. Since a direct line of sight is required for communication, this technology offers a great deal of security in data transfer as it can not be snooped upon very easily. Infra red signals are not interrupted to a great extent by the signals of other nearby devices and hence there is no constraint in the vicinity of other communicating devices (Kaine-Krolak). Last but not the least, the Infra Red Data Association enabled devices face few international regulation constraints and can be used on devices by travelers to a variety of destinations. There are however substantial disadvantages as well which restrict expansive use of the infra red technology. The first is the issue of speed. Rate of data transfer using infra red signals is relatively low compared to other wireless communication technologies which puts a constraint on the amount of data to be transferred and may be disadvantageous in terms of large file transfers which may take a long while. There is also the problem with the devices being needed to be in line o sight of each other to enable communication. This puts a limit on the range to which this technology can be applied and thus can not be made use of in cases which require slightly longer distance coverage. Furthermore, while its signals are not affected by the signals of other devices and technologies, they are highly sensitive to other variables in the environment such as direct sunlight and rain. It further shows distortion in signals with smog and dust which limits its use in various environmental conditions (Kaine-Krolak). A third technology for communication is the use of cable. This type of technology sends data usually one bit at a time unless a collection of multiple cables is brought into use. The cable utilized is a large fiber or a metal rope which is used for communication. A number of variants are utilized for this. Coaxial cables have an inner conductor surrounded by insulating layers and are brought into use as a transmission line for radio frequency signals (William). The more popular fiber optic cable consists of optical fibers that are plastic coated and deployed inside protective tubes. They usually come in many coatings designed for use in telephone poles, to be set in underground trenches and various other areas. The speed of communication usually varies with these different forms. Cable communication technology has many uses which manifest themselves all around us. They are used to connect a variety of input and output devices to the personal computer system. Employed in various communication architectures ranging from Ethernet and FireWire to PCI Express, the use of cable technology is standard in the case of computer networking in most businesses and institutions (William). Industrial applications of this technology are also plentiful. There are numerous advantages to utilizing cable based communication. The biggest advantage is the higher speed that wired networks offer. The speeds that many consumers and users are able to access over the computer networks and that various internet service providers offer bear testament to the superior speed of this technology. It is also very secure compared to other forms of wireless technology. Since all data communication is through the cable, there is no chance of a third part catching the signal of transmission, decoding it and being able to snoop on the data or listen to private conversation, without direct access to the cable being used (William). Furthermore, this technology can be utilized over much longer distances. Since the signals are not obstructed by signals from other devices and do not have physical obstruction, therefore they remain strong over large distances. No line of sight communication is required either as the connecting devices can be as far as required, provided the connecting cable can reach there. There are however obvious disadvantages that forced the initiation of wireless technology in the first place. Cable based communication requires the use of sometimes cumbersome cables that can quickly cluster around. An example is in their use for periphery devices on a personal computer system. A room can become quickly clustered with cables ranging fro keyboards and mouse to printers and a range of other devices. There is also the added restriction of mobility. The cable technology requires the device to be tethered to the electronic device for use where as new devices such as mobile phones, which bank upon mobility, can not use this technology in numerous areas. On place where they are made use of is in data transfer between mobile phones and personal computers where transmission of large files is required at a high speed. This use too, it must be said, is more because of necessity than absolute advantage as there are no relevant and low cost but high speed alternatives available. Should a high speed wireless technology emerge, mobile phone companies would probably find themselves shifting over to it. In this fast moving world, mobility is crucial for many people. There is also the disadvantage in terms of cost when communicating devices are large in number. Whereas wireless technology may require individual chips, each device will require its own cable which adds to the cost as the distances in the network increase. Furthermore, a cable transmits signals one bit at a time. For faster communication, parallel technology can be utilized but this would add massively to costs as multiple cables would be required across the same distance (William). In essence, the three technologies compared here have their own benefits and drawbacks. It is unfair to say that one is better than the other as they offer unique advantages and can suffice in various conditions under differing environments. Where speed is required, cable is made use of. Where mobility is an issue, wireless technologies like Bluetooth and Infrared can be employed. They also impose varying limits on cost. One element therefore that can be used to distinguish between them is their relative costs. Considering a situation where price is not an issue and users can employ any technology in terms of its advantages, for a user with a bulk load of data transfer to be carried out, cable technology will be optimal. However, if the user craves mobility and cleaner spaces with less obstruction, wireless technology is undoubtedly the answer. As technologies develop further, one can assume wireless methods such as Bluetooth and Infrared may be able to transfer at greater speeds and handle larger amounts of data. Thus, they may slowly replace cable technology as the most used in the years to come. However as of right now, cable based communication technology remain the primary used one by users worldwide. Works Cited "How Bluetooth works." GSM Favorites. GSM Favorites. 13 Mar 2009 . Kaine-Krolak, Maureen. "An Introduction to Infrared Technology." Applications in the Home, Classroom, Workplace, and Beyond . Trace R&D Center, University of Wisconsin. 13 Mar 2009 . William, B. Wires & Cables - An Introduction to Wired Communications Media. New York: The McGraw-Hill Publishing Inc, 2007. Read More