Connecting devices

Connecting devices allow hardware devices to communicate with each other. The most popular example of connecting devices nowadays is wireless connections. Wireless devices transfer and receive information through infrared or radio waves. The three kinds of wireless connections are Bluetooth, infrared, and WiFi (wireless fidelity). It is most frequently used in business and personal computer environments. Connecting devices, especially Wireless devices, bring convenience to our life and work.

Wireless connecting devices

Bluetooth

Bluetooth uses short-range radio waves over distances of 9 metres. For example, Bluetooth devices such as a keyboard, PDA, cell phone, mouse or computer can connect to each other wirelessly and the distance can be up to 10 meters (33 feet). Some of the Bluetooth devices can support headsets and printers.

Infrared

Infrared also called IR or IrDA (Infrared Data Association) has a frequency below what our eye can see. It is broadly used in infrared light, cell phone and TV remotes. IR wireless is used in wireless technology in devices or systems that convey data through infrared radiation, for instance, infrared wireless printing or infrared keyboards. [Charles D. Knutson with Jeffrey M. Brown, IrDA Principles and Protocols, 2004, ISBN 0-9753892-0-3]

WiFi

WiFi (wireless fidelity) uses radio waves for connection over distances up to around 91 metres, usually in a network environment. Wifi can be used to connect Local Area Networks [LAN] , to connect cellphones to the Internet to download music and other multimedia, to allow PC multimedia content to be stream to the TV (Wireless Multimedia Adapter), and to connect video game consoles to their networks (Nintendo WiFi Connection).

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