Collecting and Analyzing Failure Data of Bluetooth Personal Area Networks

This work presents a failure data analysis campaign on Bluetooth Personal Area Networks (PANs) conducted on two kind of heterogeneous testbeds (working for more than one year). The obtained results reveal how failures distribution are characterized and suggest how to improve the dependability of Bluetooth PANs. Specically, we dene the failure model and we then identify the most effective recovery actions and masking strategies that can be adopted for each failure. We then integrate the discovered recovery actions and masking strategies in our testbeds, improving the availability and the reliability of 3.64% (up to 36.6%) and 202% (referred to the Mean Time To Failure), respectively

New Solutions Based On Wireless Networks For Dynamic Traffic Lights Management: A Comparison Between IEEE 802.15.4 And Bluetooth

Abstract The Wireless Sensor Networks are widely used to detect and exchange information and in recent years they have been increasingly involved in Intelligent Transportation System applications, especially in dynamic management of signalized intersections. In fact, the real-time knowledge of information concerning traffic light junctions represents a valid solution to congestion problems. In this paper, a wireless network architecture, based on IEEE 802.15.4 or Bluetooth, in order to monitor vehicular traffic flows near to traffic lights, is introduced. Moreover, an innovative algorithm is proposed in order to determine dynamically green times and phase sequence of traffic lights, based on measured values of traffic flows. Several simulations compare IEEE 802.15.4 and Bluetooth protocols in order to identify the more suitable communication protocol for ITS applications. Furthermore, in order to confirm the validity of the proposed algorithm for the dynamic management of traffic lights, some case studies have been considered and several simulations have been performed

A survey on Bluetooth multi-hop networks

Bluetooth was firstly announced in 1998. Originally designed as cable replacement connecting devices in a point-to-point fashion its high penetration arouses interest in its ad-hoc networking potential. This ad-hoc networking potential of Bluetooth is advertised for years - but until recently no actual products were available and less than a handful of real Bluetooth multi-hop network deployments were reported. The turnaround was triggered by the release of the Bluetooth Low Energy Mesh Profile which is unquestionable a great achievement but not well suited for all use cases of multi-hop networks. This paper surveys the tremendous work done on Bluetooth multi-hop networks during the last 20 years. All aspects are discussed with demands for a real world Bluetooth multi-hop operation in mind. Relationships and side effects of different topics for a real world implementation are explained. This unique focus distinguishes this survey from existing ones. Furthermore, to the best of the authors’ knowledge this is the first survey consolidating the work on Bluetooth multi-hop networks for classic Bluetooth technology as well as for Bluetooth Low Energy. Another individual characteristic of this survey is a synopsis of real world Bluetooth multi-hop network deployment efforts. In fact, there are only four reports of a successful establishment of a Bluetooth multi-hop network with more than 30 nodes and only one of them was integrated in a real world application - namely a photovoltaic power plant. © 2019 The Author

Bluetooth 5.0 Suitability Assessment for Emergency Response within Fire Environments

Natural disasters, such as wildfires, can cause widespread devastation. Future-proofing infrastructure, such as buildings and bridges, through technological advancements is crucial to minimize their impact. Fires in disasters often stem from damaged fuel lines and electrical equipment, such as the 2018 California wildfire caused by a power line fault. To enhance safety, IoT applications can continuously monitor the health of emergency personnel. Using Bluetooth 5.0 and wearables in mesh networks, these apps can alert others about an individual’s location during emergencies. However, fire can disrupt wireless networks. This study assesses Bluetooth 5.0’s performance in transmitting signals in fire conditions. It examined received signal strength indicator (RSSI) values in a front open-fire chamber using both Peer-to-Peer (P2P) and mesh networks. The experiment considered three transmission heights of 0.61, 1.22, and 1.83 m and two distances of 11.13 m and 1.52 m. The study demonstrated successful signal transmission with a maximum loss of only 2 dB when transmitting through the fire. This research underscores the potential for reliable communication in fire-prone environments, improving safety during natural disasters

A PROTOCOL SUITE FOR WIRELESS PERSONAL AREA NETWORKS

A Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) is an ad hoc network that consists of devices that surround an individual or an object. Bluetooth® technology is especially suitable for formation of WPANs due to the pervasiveness of devices with Bluetooth® chipsets, its operation in the unlicensed Industrial, Scientific, Medical (ISM) frequency band, and its interference resilience. Bluetooth® technology has great potential to become the de facto standard for communication between heterogeneous devices in WPANs. The piconet, which is the basic Bluetooth® networking unit, utilizes a Master/Slave (MS) configuration that permits only a single master and up to seven active slave devices. This structure limitation prevents Bluetooth® devices from directly participating in larger Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs) and Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPANs). In order to build larger Bluetooth® topologies, called scatternets, individual piconets must be interconnected. Since each piconet has a unique frequency hopping sequence, piconet interconnections are done by allowing some nodes, called bridges, to participate in more than one piconet. These bridge nodes divide their time between piconets by switching between Frequency Hopping (FH) channels and synchronizing to the piconet\u27s master. In this dissertation we address scatternet formation, routing, and security to make Bluetooth® scatternet communication feasible. We define criteria for efficient scatternet topologies, describe characteristics of different scatternet topology models as well as compare and contrast their properties, classify existing scatternet formation approaches based on the aforementioned models, and propose a distributed scatternet formation algorithm that efficiently forms a scatternet topology and is resilient to node failures. We propose a hybrid routing algorithm, using a bridge link agnostic approach, that provides on-demand discovery of destination devices by their address or by the services that devices provide to their peers, by extending the Service Discovery Protocol (SDP) to scatternets. We also propose a link level security scheme that provides secure communication between adjacent piconet masters, within what we call an Extended Scatternet Neighborhood (ESN)

Energy efficiency in short and wide-area IoT technologies—A survey

In the last years, the Internet of Things (IoT) has emerged as a key application context in the design and evolution of technologies in the transition toward a 5G ecosystem. More and more IoT technologies have entered the market and represent important enablers in the deployment of networks of interconnected devices. As network and spatial device densities grow, energy efficiency and consumption are becoming an important aspect in analyzing the performance and suitability of different technologies. In this framework, this survey presents an extensive review of IoT technologies, including both Low-Power Short-Area Networks (LPSANs) and Low-Power Wide-Area Networks (LPWANs), from the perspective of energy efficiency and power consumption. Existing consumption models and energy efficiency mechanisms are categorized, analyzed and discussed, in order to highlight the main trends proposed in literature and standards toward achieving energy-efficient IoT networks. Current limitations and open challenges are also discussed, aiming at highlighting new possible research directions

Wireless personal area networks and free-space optical links

This thesis is concerned with the link layer design of indoor (IrDA) and outdoor infrared links, as well as the performance of the higher layers of two major Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) technologies: IrDA and Bluetooth. Recent advancesin wireless technology have made it possible to put networking technology into small portable devices. During the past few years, WPAN technologies have been the subject of a tremendous growth both in research and development. Although many studies have been conducted on wireless links to address different issues on physical and link layers, wireless communications are still characterised by high error rates becauseof the frequently changing medium. On the other hand, performance studies of the higher layers are also very important. In this thesis, for the first time, a comprehensivestudy of the interactions betweenthe higher and the lower protocol layers of IrDA and Bluetooth has been carried out to improve the overall system performance. Mathematical models for the link layers are introduced for the infrared systems: infrared data association (IrDA) and free space optics (FSO). A model for the IrDA (indoor infrared) link layer is developed by considering the presence of bit errors. Based on this model, the effect of propagation delay on the link through put is investigated. An optimization study is also carried out to maximize the link throughput. FSO (outdoor infrared) links are often characterized by high speed and long link distance. A mathematical model for the FSO link layer is also developed. Significant improvement of the link throughput is achieved by optimizing the link parameters. Based on the link layer model, the performance of the IrDA higher layers (transport, session and application layers) is investigated. First, a mathematical model of TinyTP (transport protocol) is elaborated and subsequently verified by simulations. The effects of multiple connections and available buffer size are investigated. The throughput at the TinyTP level is optimized for different buffer sizes. Subsequently, the session layer, including Object Exchange (OBEX) and IrDA Burst (IrBurst) protocols, is studied and modelled. The derived mathematical model is verified by simulation results. A set of protocol parameters and hardware selection guidelines is proposed to optimize the overall system performance while also keeping the hardware requirementto a minimum. Finally, two rapidly developing IrDA applications, IrDA financial messaging(IrFM) and IrDA simple connection (IrSC), are studied. IrFM is investigated by comparison to other digital payment technologies, while the performance of IrSC is compared in two different technical approaches. In order to improve the throughput and minimize the transmission delay for the Bluetooth data applications, a systematic analysis is carried out for the Bluetooth Logical Link Control and Adaptation Layer Protocol (L2CAP). L2CAP is layered above the Bluetooth link layer (Baseband) and is essential to Bluetooth data applications. A simple and intuitive mathematical model is developed to derive simple equations for the L2CAP throughput and the average packet delay. The derived throughput equation, which is validated by simulations, takes into account bit errors as well as packet retry limits. Finally, a number of easy-to-implement performance enhancement schemes are proposed, including the optimum use of the protocol parameters

Wi-Fi Channel Saturation as a Mechanism to Improve Passive Capture of Bluetooth Through Channel Usage Restriction

Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology that provides audio and data links between personal smartphones and playback devices, such as speakers, headsets and car entertainment systems. Since its introduction in 2001, security researchers have suggested that the protocol is weak, and prone to a variety of attacks against its authentication, link management and encryption schemes. Key researchers in the field have suggested that reliable passive sniffing of Bluetooth traffic would enable the practical application of a range of currently hypothesised attacks. Restricting Bluetooth's frequency hopping behaviour by manipulation of the available channels, in order to make brute force attacks more effective has been a frequently proposed avenue of future research from the literature. This paper has evaluated the proposed approach in a series of experiments using the software defined radio tools and custom hardware developed by the Ubertooth project. The work concludes that the mechanism suggested by previous researchers may not deliver the proposed improvements, but describes an as yet undocumented interaction between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi technologies which may provide a Denial of Service attack mechanism