Specifications

When designing technology blocks of Bluetooth-enabled equipment for the wireless ecosystem, developers use the appropriate specifications. The Bluetooth Special Interest Group monitors, updates, and supplements these specifications as they evolve.

Main Specifications

The latest BT Core core specifications provide a baseline for developers to build compatible devices.

Network specifications

The Bluetooth Network Specifications consolidate the recently adopted Mesh Network Specifications (Mesh Profile, Mesh Model, and Mesh Device Properties) and define requirements to enable interoperable multi-cell (m:m) networking solutions for Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) wireless technology. Such solutions are ideal for large-scale building automation device networks, sensor networks, asset tracking, and other networks where multiple devices need to communicate and interact reliably and quickly.

The Network Profile defines the fundamental requirements for implementing an integrated network solution for Bluetooth LE wireless technology. The Mesh Model represents the models used to define the basic functionality of nodes in a mesh network. Mesh Device Properties define the device properties needed to specify the Mesh model.

Traditional profile characteristics

Profiles allow compatible hardware to communicate with each other. The most modern, accepted traditional profile specifications define the general principles for connecting equipment to each other. Profiles rigidly define what data is transferred. The hardware level defines which profiles are supported in which case.

For two Bluetooth devices to be compatible, they must support the same profiles. And while the profiles generally describe the same behavior when used, they are different for Bluetooth BR/EDR and Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) implementations. Compatibility between Bluetooth BR/EDR and Bluetooth LE implementations requires a dual-mode controller, at least one. For BR/EDR, the wide range of adopted Bluetooth profiles describes many different, commonly used application types or use cases for devices. For Bluetooth LE, developers can use the full set of accepted profiles, or they can use the Generic Attribute Profile (GATT) to create new profiles. This flexibility helps support innovative applications that maintain compatibility with other Bluetooth devices.

Bluetooth profiles typically contain information such as dependencies on other profiles, suggested user interface formats, and more. For BR/EDR, the profile will also specify the specific settings and settings at each layer of the Bluetooth protocol stack used to accomplish its task.

Protocol Specifications

The most recent adopted protocol specifications include the following protocols: A/V transmission (AVDTP), network encapsulation Bluetooth (BNEP), IrDA Compatibility (IrDA), Multichannel Adaptation (MCAP), Control Transport A/V (AVCTP) and RFCOMM. This set of specifications contains the protocols that define communication between devices on Bluetooth wireless networks.

GATT specifications

General GATT attributes are collections of characteristics and relationships with other services that define the behavior of a device. Generic Attributes (GATT) define a hierarchically encapsulated data structure that is passed to connected Bluetooth low energy (LE) devices. Specifications also include the service hierarchy, characteristics, and attributes used in the attribute server.

The top level of the hierarchy is a profile, which consists of one or more services required to execute a use case. A service consists of characteristics or links to other services. A characteristic consists of a type (represented by a UUID), a value, a set of properties that indicate the operations supported by the characteristic, and a set of security-related permissions. It may also include one or more descriptors - metadata or configuration flags related to the ownership characteristic. GATT groups these services into a framework that defines the procedures and service formats and their characteristics, including discovery, reading, writing, notification and indication of characteristics, and configuration of translation of characteristics.

GATT is built on top of the ATT attribute protocol, which governs how two Bluetooth Low Energy devices send and receive standard messages. GATT is not used in Bluetooth BR/EDR implementations that only use accepted profiles. Common Attribute Profile procedures define standard ways to discover services, characteristics, and their descriptors, and are then used to communicate Bluetooth Low Energy data to devices. The GATT profile describes usage patterns, roles, and general behavior based on GATT functionality. GATT attributes enable innovation while maintaining full compatibility with legacy devices Bluetooth.

Bluetooth Troubleshooting Messages - Errata Service Releases

Developers use Errata Service Releases. ESRs are documents that list bugs and fixes for every Bluetooth specification since the last specification. Errata Service Releases contain a list of bugs and fixes for the Bluetooth specifications, including the core specification, profile specifications, and technical specifications.

The ESR contains corrections since the latest specification was adopted for the last time. Service error messages are reviewed by the Bluetooth SIG working groups approved by the Bluetooth Architectural Review Board and accepted by the Board of Directors. To ensure device compatibility, members are encouraged to implement these accepted errors. Bugs contained in an ESR can be optionally implemented, unless the dependency between the bugs is explicitly specified.

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