Bluetooth VS infrared – Comparison of Range and transmission speed
Comparison Table of Bluetooth and Infrared
| Feature | Bluetooth | Infrared (IR) |
| Communication Range | Short to Medium (typically 10 meters) | Short (typically within line of sight) |
| Data Transfer Speed | Moderate to High (depends on version) | Moderate (lower compared to Bluetooth) |
| Multipoint Connectivity | Yes (multiple devices can connect) | Limited (usually point-to-point) |
| Frequency Band | 2.4 GHz (varies with Bluetooth version) | Infrared spectrum |
| Applications | Widely used in various devices (headsets, speakers, peripherals) | Used in some remote controls, short-range data transfer |
| Usability | More versatile in terms of device compatibility | Limited to line-of-sight applications |
| Common Use Cases | Audio streaming, file sharing, device connectivity | Remote controls, some data transfer applications |
| Connection Method | Wireless | Line of Sight |
| Interference | Susceptible to interference | Susceptible to interference from obstacles |
| Security | Secure (supports encryption) | Limited (line of sight helps, but less secure) |
| Ease of Use | Easy to pair and connect devices | May require direct line of sight for connectivity |
| Power Consumption | Moderate | Low (especially when idle) |
Range Of Bluetooth
Bluetooth used to transfer data using radio waves. It is used to transfer data on a particular frequency of 2.4 gigaHertz.It is used to send data from one device to another. It is known as wireless technology. It is used for the wireless communication between the two devices.it is used to send data on a short distance.
Range Of Bluetooth
The maximum range of Bluetooth Is 10 meters. Although twice that of infrared.
You have many advantages over infrared.
The transmission speed of Bluetooth
Bluetooth used to transfer data on the rate of 1 and 3 megabits per second. The common effective speed is 3 Mbps.
Uses of Bluetooth
Bluetooth mostly used in mobile devices. it is used to transfer data from one mobile phone to another. Still, it is commonly used in computer other peripheral devices.
Device Location
Bluetooth used Radio waves for the transmission of data instead of light. It is not a very big issue for these limitations. The communicating devices can be placed
Anywhere within an effective range.
Advantage of Bluetooth
- It avoids interference from other devices.
- It used less power.
- It is easily upgradable.
- It has a better range than infrared.
- Bluetooth devices are inexpensive.
- Bluetooth is used to transfer voice and data.
- It is free to use.
- This technology is used in many devices headsets card systems printers etc
Disadvantage of Bluetooth
- It can lose connection in many situations.
- security is a big issue of Bluetooth.
- It can only allow short-range communication between devices.
- It has a lower bandwidth than Wi-Fi.
Infrared Technology
Infrared is a wireless technology that is commonly used for wireless communication between electronic devices. It uses wireless infrared pulses for transmission of data, these pulses are not seen by the human eye but can be detected by a sensor in receiving data. It is a very effective technique used in a different application.
Range of Infrared
The effective range for infrared is very short. It is used to transfer data not more than 5 meters, and often closer to each other.
The transmission speed of infrared
Internet wireless transmits data in the range between 115 kilobits per second and 15 megabits per second depending upon the device and also depending upon the position of the devices. Infrared devices are much greater than that of Bluetooth devices The most common speed for infrared is 3 Mbps.
Uses of Infrared
Infrared wireless is more effectively used by devices that are close to each other and relatively stationary. One of the main uses of infrared is in-home electronic devices. And now it’s popular in different applications, like the wireless keyboard. Due to Line of Sight limitation infrared wireless is mostly used in devices that are placed in one place are close to each other.
Advantages of infrared
- It provides secure communication due to the line of sight and point-to-point communication.
- The battery used in infrared devices runs for a long time
- It has a faster response time.
- It provides good stability time
- The infrared technology is more effective for devices that are close to each other close more than 10 millimeters
- They are small in size
- They are less expensive
- They provide high security for the data.
- It provides high repeatability
Disadvantages of Infrared Technology
- Infrared waves at high power can damage the eyes
- Infrared waves are damaged by dust Smoke for sunlight etc.
- It required line-of-sight between the sender and receiver.
- It supports short-range and performance is the degraded with long-distance
- It supports lower data transmission
- It can easily handle only one device at one
- It is lower than Bluetooth.