Bluetooth is a type of wireless technology that uses the 2.4 GHz band to exchange data between digital devices such as smartphones. The technology is designed mainly for short-distance communication, and many people are familiar with it through Bluetooth headphones, speakers, computer mice, and keyboards.
There are two types of Bluetooth technologies: Classic, and Low Energy (Bluetooth 4.0 and above). Classic and Low Energy are not compatible with one other and are used for different purposes according to their features. Bluetooth Classic can transmit comparatively large amounts of data, so is mainly used for high-quality audio, video, and voice streaming. By contrast, Bluetooth Low Energy provides low power consumption and is therefore used for devices such as sensors that need to run for long periods of time on coin cell batteries, and smartphones.
The new Bluetooth standard, Bluetooth 5, was announced at the end of 2016. Primarily an enhancement to the Low Energy version, Bluetooth 5 has the following features in addition to the previous standard (v. 4.2).
- Uses coding technology to give it four times the communication range
- Doubles the speed of data transmission to 2 Mbps
- The size of advertising packets is eight times larger
To launch a product with Bluetooth technology on the market, you need Bluetooth logo certification to show that the product meets all the relevant requirements. In order to gain this certification, you need to have the product tested at a facility recognized by Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG)—the organization that promotes Bluetooth technology. If you need help gaining certification, you can contact a Bluetooth Qualification Expert (BQE) for support.
TÜV Rheinland Japan is a Bluetooth Qualification Test Facility (BQTF) accredited by Bluetooth SIG, and we have two BQEs, enabling us to provide a one-stop service.
Our services are also available for the new Bluetooth 5 standard, so please feel free to get in touch if you are looking to gain certification.