Bluetooth

Updated January 10, 2005

• 1. General
• 2. Application Development
• 2.1. C++ Applications
• 2.2. Java™ Mobile Information Device Profile (MIDP) Applications

1. GENERAL

• What is Bluetooth?
• Bluetooth is the industry term for a low-power, short-distance radio link. A Bluetooth chip set enables wireless data connectivity between different types of electronic devices, such as mobile phones, laptops, and digital cameras, within a radius of about 10 meters and without line-of-sight requirements. Bluetooth operates in the 2.4 GHz license-free, Industrial, Scientific, Medical (ISM) frequency band.
• What are the current, announced Bluetooth products from Nokia?
• For a list of Bluetooth phones, click here. For supported enhancements of each phone, click the individual phone links.
• What is the Bluetooth SIG?
• The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) is an industry consortium founded in 1998. Currently there are nine promoter companies (Agere, 3COM, Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia, and Toshiba). In addition, more than 2,500 associate or adopter members have joined the Bluetooth SIG. The consortium is responsible for the Bluetooth Specification and the Bluetooth Qualification Program. Bluetooth Specifications are available on the Bluetooth SIG Web site: www.bluetooth.org/spec.
• What are UnPlugFests?
• UnPlugFests are testing events organized by the Bluetooth SIG. They take place three or four times each year. At UnPlugFests, different manufacturers can test their products' interoperability with other devices.

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2. APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT

• What applications can I create with Bluetooth?
• Initially, Bluetooth replaces the cables for connecting various compatible digital devices. Possible applications include synchronization of data, business card exchange, file transfer, and dial-up networking. The second phase transforms a mobile phone into a Personal Trusted Device, allowing applications such as local value-added services, reliable transactions, and access control. You can develop Bluetooth applications in Symbian C++ or in the Java™ programming language.
• If I develop an application do I have to qualify the application in the Bluetooth SIG?
• No. The qualification is needed only when you implement a new Bluetooth protocol or a profile. That is the case when you develop a Bluetooth module or a Bluetooth protocol stack. Third-party software applications use the device's prequalified Bluetooth capabilities via an Application Programming Interface (API).
• Do Nokia's phones support point-to-multipoint?

• Nokia phones having Symbian OS support point-to-multipoint as a master. Thus, it is possible to develop an application that establishes multiple links from a Nokia phone to other devices. As a slave, the phone can only have one active Bluetooth connection. A master/slave switch is not supported.

  Series 40 devices support only point-to-point connections.

• Do Nokia's phones support Bluetooth audio? Is there an API for it?
• All the newest Nokia Bluetooth phones support Bluetooth audio. Depending on the device, only the Handsfree Profile or both the Handsfree Profile and the Headset Profile are supported as an audio gateway. There is no API for phone-side applications to access Bluetooth audio.

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2.1 C++ APPLICATIONS

• Which Nokia's phones will let me use C++ to develop Bluetooth applications?
• You can develop Bluetooth applications in C++ for devices compliant with:
  • Series 60 Platform 1.0 (based on Symbian OS v6.1)
  • Series 60 Platform 2nd Edition:
    • Series 60 Platform 2nd Edition (based on Symbian OS v7.0s)
    • Series 60 Platform 2nd Edition, Feature Pack 1 (based on Symbian OS v7.0s)
    • Series 60 Platform 2nd Edition, Feature Pack 2 (based on Symbian OS 8.0a)
  • Series 80 Platform 2.0 (based on Symbian OS v7.0s)

  In addition, you can develop C++ applications for the Nokia 7710 multimedia smartphone (based on Symbian OS v7.0s).

  For C++ development tools, please visit the Tools section at www.forum.nokia.com

• What Bluetooth APIs in C++ are available?
• Symbian has provided APIs for Bluetooth-specific protocols RFCOMM, L2CAP, and SDP. There is also limited access to HCI. Furthermore, the OBEX protocol can also be used via the SendAppUi class or you can take advantage of the methods described in the Bluetooth OBEX example.
• Which Bluetooth profiles can C++ applications take advantage of?

• Third-party applications can take advantage of the following profiles through C++ APIs:

  • Generic Access Profile.
  • Serial Port Profile (DevA and DevB).
  • Generic Object Exchange Profile.
  • Object Push Profile (as a client and server).

  In addition, the following profiles can be used from an external Bluetooth device (without an application on the phone):

  • File Transfer Profile (as a server).
  • Dial-Up Networking Profile (as a gateway).
  • Fax Profile (as a gateway).
  • Handsfree Profile (as a gateway); implemented in newer devices.

  For information on supported profiles of all Bluetooth products, visit the Qualified Products page on Bluetooth Qualification Program Website of the Bluetooth SIG.

• Are there any Bluetooth examples?

• There are five examples that can be found in the SDK Help:

  • Bluetooth advertiser describes how to add a Bluetooth service into a service discovery database and how to advertise it to other devices.
  • Bluetooth discovery describes how to search for other devices and for their Bluetooth services.
  • Bluetooth HCI describes how to access Host Controller Interface by using HCI commands.
  • Bluetooth OBEX describes how to send and receive an OBEX object (file).
  • Bluetooth point to point describes how to send data over RFCOMM.
• What equipment is required to test C++ Bluetooth applications with the SDK?

• Series 60 Platform 2nd Edition, Series 80 Platform 2.0, and Nokia 7710 multimedia smartphone:

  • A PC with Windows 2000/XP operating system, Pentium 4 processor (at least 2GHz).
  • A compatible SDK.
  • A Bluetooth unit supporting H4/BCSP HCI protocol, 115.2 Kbps baud rate, and installation as a COM port.
  • Another Bluetooth device as a remote end for testing the application.

  For installation instructions, please refer to the document Setting Up and Using Bluetooth Hardware with Development Tools in the Bluetooth Documents section at www.forum.nokia.com.

  Series 60 Platform 1.0:

  • A laptop computer with a Windows 2000 operating system and a PC card slot.
  • Series 60 SDK 1.2 for Symbian OS.
  • A Bluetooth PC Card (either a Nokia Connectivity Card DTL-4 or a Socket Bluetooth CF card (older, F version) with a PC card adapter).
  • Another Bluetooth device as a remote end for testing the application.

  For installation instructions, please refer to the document Setting Up and Using Bluetooth for the Series 60 Platform in the Bluetooth Documents section at www.forum.nokia.com.

• Where can I find further information on installing and configuring the Bluetooth testing environment?
• Please download the document Setting Up and Using Bluetooth Hardware with Development Tools from the Bluetooth Documents section at www.forum.nokia.com. The document also describes system requirements and the usage of Bluetooth examples on the emulator.

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2.2 Java™ Mobile Information Device Profile (MIDP) Applications

• Can I use Java™ technology to develop Bluetooth applications for Nokia phones?

• You can develop Bluetooth applications in Java for phones compliant with:

  • Series 40 Platform 2.0.
  • Series 60 Platform 2nd Edition.
  • Series 80 Platform 2.0.

  In addition, you can develop Java applications for the Nokia 7710 multimedia smartphone.

• What is JSR-82? Which interfaces are supported in Nokia phones?

• The specification Java™ APIs for Bluetooth (JSR-82) defines two Java™ packages: the core Bluetooth API (javax.bluetooth) and the OBEX API (javax.obex). The OBEX API is independent of the core Bluetooth API. Each API is optional and can be implemented without the other.

  In Nokia's devices, the core Bluetooth API (javax.bluetooth) is implemented and you can access RFCOMM (Serial Port), L2CAP, and SDP protocols using Java APIs. The OBEX API is not implemented.

  For detailed information on the Java APIs for Bluetooth, please refer to the JSR-82 specification on the Java Community Process Web site.

• What development tool can I use to develop Bluetooth applications in the Java™ programming language?

• Nokia Developer's Suite for the Java™ 2 Platform, Micro Edition (J2ME™), Version 2.0 for Windows is the tool used to develop Java applications in the Java programming language.

  There are specific MIDP SDKs and MIDP Prototype (Concept) SDKs for Series 60 and Series 80 Platforms, and for the Nokia 7710 multimedia smartphone

  For supported integrated development environments (IDEs), please refer to Java Tools and SDKs at forum.nokia.com. Access to the Tools page requires free registration at Forum Nokia.

• How can I test Bluetooth MIDlets on the emulator?

• There are two options. When using a MIDP Concept SDK emulator, you can execute two emulators on the same PC and simulate Bluetooth traffic between them. This is useful when you are developing, for example, a multiplayer game.

  When using a MIDP SDK, you can test applications between the emulator and real Bluetooth devices.

  With Series 60 MIDP SDK 2.1, and Series 80 MIDP SDK 1.0 Beta, you can use Bluetooth devices compatible with H4/BCSP HCI protocols, supporting a baud rate of 115.2 Kkbps and installation as a COM port. For detailed instructions, please refer to the document Setting Up And Using Bluetooth Hardware With Development Tools in the Bluetooth Documents section at www.forum.nokia.com

  With Series 60 MIDP SDK 1.2.1, the only possible Bluetooth hardware that you can use is the Nokia Connectivity Card DTL-1/DTL-4 or Socket Bluetooth Card (the older, F version). For installation instructions, please refer to the document Setting Up and Using the Bluetooth Testing Environment for Platform for Series 60 in the Bluetooth Documents section at www.forum.nokia.com

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