The Bluetooth Special Interest Group has filled out its test suite for device manufacturers that want to test their products with Bluetooth profiles using simulation software.
The updated suite, called the Bluetooth Profile Tuning Suite (PTS) Version 3, also looks ahead to new uses for the short-range wireless technology. New Bluetooth specifications add high-speed capabilities as well as low-energy uses. The new PTS, made available last Thursday to SIG members, already has been downloaded more than 400 times, according to Kristian Hasselqvist, the PTS program manager.
The seven new and updated profiles include ones for streaming video, remote control, and health and fitness monitoring. The latter uses the basic or classic Bluetooth technology for health-care devices now but will be updated once the SIG completes work on its low-energy profile.
Other profiles include an update to the basic printing profile which allows simulated testing of printers and handheld devices, a dial-up networking profile that envisions future high-speed networking, a phone book access profile, and a SIM access profile. The SIG also announced support for Windows Vista; Windows XP already has support.
“The PTS has saved Bluetooth SIG member companies millions of dollars in time and expense associated with device qualification and contributed to greater interoperability between the 2 billion Bluetooth devices in existence today,” said Mike Foley, the SIG’s executive director, in a statement. “With so much new development and demand, our organization has a growing challenge of making sure all possible combinations of Bluetooth devices work well together. PTS Version 3 makes that possible.”