Bluetooth® 1.2 specification took place on 5 November 2003

News Summary
5 November 2003

After some delay the adoption of the Bluetooth^® 1.2 specification took place on 5 November 2003

This new specification features same major improvements
During interoperability testing of the Bluetooth^® Core Specification 1.2 it could be shown, that features like Adaptive Frequency Hopping, eSCO, Enhanced Inquiry Scan, L2CAP Flow and Error Control as well as Qos are definitely mature and they are now included in the new specification.

Unfortunately specification for features like Anonymity mode, Absent mask and Scatter mode are not mature enough yet and have therefore been left out of the new specification for the time being.

In comparison to the former version 1.1 one of the major improvements is the Adaptive Frequency Hopping (AFH). This will improve the transmission quality within the highly frequented ISM band. Thanks to this, frequencies that are already covered by other applications, like for example W-LAN, can be avoided.

Thanks to the Enhanced Inquiry Scan it will become possible that Bluetooth^® devices will recognize each other more quickly and connections can be established faster than ever before.

Improved voice quality will be achieved thanks to features covered by the new specification (eSCO-links).

However regardless all these alterations the new Bluetooth^® 1.2 core specification will be forward and backward compatible with the former version 1.1. thus ensuring that products qualified according to the old version will work together with new products without any problems.

Impact on qualification test procedures
The basic Bluetooth^® qualification program will not be touched due to these alterations. However new core and test specifications, a new test case reference list and the alteration of ICS documents will become necessary.

To begin with the new test cases will start in category B or C which means that qualification will be based on test reports and test results with evidence, since validated test equipment will not be available at this stage. Fortunately, RF tests will stay being category A, since the former Bluetooth^® 1.1. test cases can be used without change.

Category B or C tests have some disadvantages in comparison to the category A tests since testing against a validated test system leads to standardised testing and reliable test results. Furthermore generation of additional evidence can be complicated and time consuming.

It is expected that validated test equipment will not be available before Quarter 1/2004 and at the moment it looks as if validated test cases cannot be expected before Quarter 2/2004. So far new Bluetooth^® 1.2 test vectors cannot run on any test systems available so far. 7 layers is working urgently on new test solutions with its partners and a workable solution might be available shortly.

However in the meantime it has become even more important to have an experienced partner like 7 layers at your side who can help you to get over the upheavals generated by the new specification. We offer testing services according to the new Bluetooth^® 1.2 specification, organize the qualification process of products to Bluetooth^® version 1.2 and enable you to make the most of the highly interesting new features the Bluetooth^® 1.2 specification is providing

If you would like more information, contact:
Mr. Frank Spiller
Email: Frank.Spiller@7Layers.com
Phone: +49-2102-7490