Socket Communications, Inc. (Fremont, CA) has announced a miniature device that will make it easy for developers to add Bluetooth wireless connectivity to intelligent mobile devices and embedded systems. Socket, a maker of I/O interfaces that connect via CompactFlash slots, has already demonstrated a Bluetooth adapter plug-in card compatible with the popular CompactFlash standard (photo). However, the company has also hinted at a more directly “embeddable” proprietary module solution in the future.

Beginning in early Q1, 2001, Socket plans to supply a Bluetooth Evaluation Kit for Embedded Systems that will include hardware and software to make it easy for designers to test the operation of Socket's miniature Bluetooth modules. Each kit will include one of Socket's Bluetooth modules plus an adapter board that allows the module to communicate with a standard computer interface for development and testing purposes.

Socket's Bloetooth modules will support both intelligent appliances capable of running complete Bluetooth software on the embedded operating system, and simple devices that will run more limited Bluetooth instructions within the module. The first embedded operating system supported will be Windows CE; however, support for Embedded Linux is also under development according to Socket executive vice president, Mike Gifford.

 
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