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Bluetooth Application Development

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Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R3

4/8/2010

Bluetooth is a wireless communication technology that allows devices, within a 10-meter proximity, to communicate with each other. The discovery process enables devices to query other devices about the services they offer. If a device offers more than one service, the user can select the service they want to use from that particular device. This technology enables devices to communicate without physical cables. Wireless headsets, modems, and printers are prime examples of devices using Bluetooth technology.

Note

The range varies depending on the signal strength of the device.

Bluetooth has adopted a common data and object specification that enables devices to communicate over a wireless connection in a standard way. This allows applications to use typical interfaces when exchanging data, business cards, and calendar entries.

The Bluetooth stack implementation is modular. It is a general-purpose software stack, and is linked by default, or modularized to meet specific usage scenarios and OEM needs. In Windows Embedded CE, the primary way an application can use Bluetooth is through the Winsock interface, which exposes RFCOMM protocol.

Note

Some Windows phones are not compatible with the Microsoft Bluetooth stack. For more information, see Querying Service Capability on Remote Bluetooth Devices.

Virtual COM ports are also exposed, but this interface is designed to be enabled under existing OS services such as UNIMODEM or terminal emulators. By using various protocols and profiles, Bluetooth can be implemented to perform the following tasks:

  • Connect to a modem through a cellular phone.
  • Connect to a local area network (LAN) access point.
  • Enable object exchange and synchronization using the Object Exchange Protocol (OBEX).

For more information about Bluetooth technology, see this Official Bluetooth Wireless Info Web site.

In This Section

  • Winsock Extensions
    Provides information on how to use Bluetooth by using Winsock interfaces.
  • Bluetooth Stack Status
    Provides information about checking the initialization status of the Bluetooth stack by using named events.

See Also

Other Resources

Bluetooth