IBM developerWorks editors Steven Brody and Puneet Gupta, report that IBM is hoping to entice Linux based system developers to begin coding applications for the impending Bluetooth wireless connectivity technology, by releasing the BlueDrekar protocol stack for Linux, and by open-sourcing a driver for the HCI UART transport layer. The article also provides some useful background information about Bluetooth technology. Brody and Gupta write . . .

“In an effort to catalyze the adoption of the Bluetooth wireless connectivity technology, IBM is releasing its BlueDrekar protocol stack, designed to satisfy the Bluetooth certification requirements and encourage development for the new technology. In addition to the BlueDrekar protocol stack, IBM is releasing its loadable Linux module of the Line Discipline Driver for the HCI UART Transport Layer under GNU license as a developerWorks project.”

“The Bluetooth standard, named after the Viking King Harald Blaatand (Bluetooth) II, is a short-range wireless communication industry specification that allows portable, personal devices to interact which each other and other stationary devices. It primarily serves as a replacement for peripheral cables and other short-range wireless technologies like the infrared data access standard (IrDA). However, unlike IrDA, this technology uses the spread spectrum radio frequency, and therefore it supports omnidirectional multiple connections without even requiring communicating devices to be in line of sight.”

“. . . The Line Discipline Driver is open source code being released as a developerWorks project so that developers can see one example of code written to support a particular transport layer for the Bluetooth standard. Other transport layers, like USB or PCMCIA, can be developed based on the model, says IBM.”

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Related stories:
IBM BlueDrekar Bluetooth protocol driver for Linux
IBM “Vikings” seek more Linux conquests (ZDNet)
The Official Bluetooth Website
The Bluetooth on Linux homepage

 
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