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New Bluetooth Technology Qualification Tools Simplify Product Development

Enhancements Streamline Qualification Program for Members

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) recently announced the availability of new tools to help companies bring Bluetooth products to market faster by simplifying Qualification, the process that manufacturers of Bluetooth devices undergo to certify their products and components. These new tools are part of an updated Qualification Program, which aims to assure better interoperability, verify conformance to the Bluetooth Specifications, and strengthen the Bluetooth SIG's ability to enforce compliance.

"Bluetooth technology and the Bluetooth brand are both evolutionary and global. It is a branded standard that will evolve over time but will always represent the Personal Area Network (PAN) to consumers worldwide. As the technology adapts, so must also our process of Bluetooth qualification," said Michael Foley, Ph. D., executive director of the Bluetooth SIG.

From an industry perspective, the new program facilitates more efficient development of Bluetooth devices by now automating much of the qualification process. Increased consistency in how the process is applied, while reducing time and cost of completing the steps, allows member companies to quickly bring a wider array of devices to market.

"We have changed the Qualification Program to prepare for the future. Streamlined systems that reduce development costs ultimately provide savings that are passed onto the consumer," added Foley. "The automated processes and additional testing requirements are in preparation for what we believe to be an onslaught of new products and applications in a variety of industry sectors including automotive and audio, which will be developed in every corner of the globe in the next five years and beyond."

Included among the elements and tools developed as a part of the new Qualification Program are both improvements to existing tools as well as completely new developed additions: The Program Reference Document (PRD 2.0), the Profile Tuning Suite (PTS), the online Test Plan Generator (TPG), the Qualification Listing Interface (QLI), and the Enhanced UnPlugFests (UPF):

- The Program Reference Documents (PRD 2.0) provides members the ability to self-declare that their product is qualified in lieu of going through a Bluetooth Qualification Body (BQB). This document asserts that the requirements of the Bluetooth Specifications and qualification must be met. - The Profile Tuning Suite (PTS) is a completely new tool and serves as a reference test system for Bluetooth profiles and protocols, with the goal of improving Bluetooth interoperability in the marketplace. This tool makes the qualification testing easier and more precise as well as assists member companies in debugging, testing, and certifying Bluetooth devices. - The Test Plan Generator (TPG) provides companies with a test plan directly accessible from the web. The TPG allows members to complete the process online and automatically generates the testing requirements based on an expected qualification date. The TPG eliminates the formerly complex process that required members to derive their own testing requirements from a multitude of documents. - The Qualification Listing Interface (QLI) is the new web interface where members will list their products after completing the Bluetooth Qualification Process in accordance with the newly approved PRD 2.0. For the first time, a complete list of all qualified Bluetooth products, both components and consumer products within the Bluetooth SIG databases, will be accessible online. The list will provide customized information and search functions for different audiences. - The Enhanced UnPlugFests (UPF) are week-long engineering test events open for Bluetooth SIG members with the focus of improving implementations and specifications with special emphasis on interoperability. These events are continuously enhanced based on testing needs of members. Recent additions to these events are testing of security, and robustness and access to the quickly-growing Device Library, which is comprised of hundreds of newly qualified products on the market.