ABSTRACT
The past five years, since the last printing of the handbook, has seen an explosion of applications in the wireless personal area network (WPAN) space. In the first edition of this chapter on WPANs we talked about the then emerging Bluetooth™ wireless technology; today Bluetooth is an everyday word, specifically “Bluetooth technology is shipping today at a rate of over 13 million devices per week and has an installed base of 1 billion devices. Improved pairing and lower power consumption will enhance the Bluetooth experience for all users and speed the technology’s growth to the next billion Bluetooth
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devices.”∗ This rapid growth is being driven not only by increasing attach rates in the important mobile phone segment but also newly emerging segments; for example, consumers are having to choose if they want their Bluetooth-enabled automobile with a hands-free car kit and a 2 year cellular service contract! WPAN communication is also emerging in consumer electronics, that is, as fashion enabled accessories, toys, medical enabled devices as well as sensors. To be sure there are other WPAN wireless technologies but far and away the Bluetooth wireless technology is leading the WPAN network space. Bluetooth is the über WPAN connectivity solution.
