Subject: Advanced Network Technologies

Topic: Emerging Wireless Technologies

Difficulty: High

Piconet

A piconet is a network of devices connected using Bluetooth technology. The network ranges from two to eight connected devices. When a network is established, one device takes the role of the master while all the other devices act as slaves.

Scatternet

A scatternet is a type of network that is formed between two or more Bluetooth-enabled devices, such as smartphones and newer home appliances. A scatternet is made up of at least two piconets

Master-unit

The device in the piconet whose clock and hopping sequence are used to synchronize all other devices in the piconet is known as Master Unit.

Slave unit

All devices in a piconet that are not the master (up to seven active units for each master) is called Slave Unit.

MAC address

MAC is a 3-bit medium access control address used to distinguish between units participating in the piconet.

Parked units

Devices in a piconet which are time-synchronized but do not have MAC addresses is known as Parked Units.

Sniff and hold mode

Devices that are synchronized to a piconet, and which have temporarily entered power-saving mode in which device activity is reduced is known as Sniff and Hold Mode.