Piconet [The Bluetooth Network]

Piconet is a computer network which links a wireless user group of devices using Bluetooth technology protocols. A Piconet consists of two or more devices occupying the same physical channel (synchronized to a common clock and hopping sequence).

It allows one master device to interconnect with up to seven 7 active slave devices. Up to 255 further slave devices can be inactive, or parked, which the master device can bring into active status at any time, but an active station must go into parked first.

Some examples of Piconet include a cell phone connected to a computer, a laptop and a Bluetooth-enabled digital camera, or several PDAs that are connected to each other.

How it works

A group of devices are connected via Bluetooth technology in an ad hoc fashion. A Piconet starts with two connected devices, and may grow to eight connected devices. Bluetooth communication always designates one of the Bluetooth devices as a main controlling unit or master unit.

Other devices that follow the master unit are slave units. This allows the Bluetooth system to be non-contention based (no collisions).

This means that after a Bluetooth device has been added to the Piconet, each device is assigned a specific time period to transmit and they do not collide or overlap with other units operating within the same Piconet.

Piconet range varies according to the class of the Bluetooth device. Data transfer rates vary between about 200 and 2100 kilo-bits per second.
Because the Bluetooth system hops over 79 channels, the probability of interfering with another Bluetooth system is less than 1.5%.

This allows several Bluetooth Piconets to operate in the same area at the same time with minimal interference. The original Piconet was a networking type used on Nimbus computers produced by RM plc. It provides reliable and secure communication that is ideal for many applications, including home automation, healthcare, automotive, and location-based services.

A piconet is a type of wireless network formed by connecting two to eight Bluetooth-enabled devices in close proximity to each other. In a piconet, one device acts as a master and the other devices are slaves. The master device controls the channel access within the piconet, and the slaves listen to the master device’s commands. Piconets can be used to share data and establish communication between devices over short distances, typically up to a range of 10 meters. Multiple piconets can also be connected together to form a larger network called a scatternet. Piconets are commonly used for applications such as wireless headsets, computer peripherals, and mobile device connections.

More Information

• IEEE 802.15.1 Bluetooth

Last updated on May 4th, 2023