ICC'09 Proceedings of the 2009 IEEE international conference on Communications
A Two-State Markov-Based Wireless Error Model for Bluetooth Networks
Wireless Personal Communications: An International Journal
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With both Bluetooth and microwave ovens operating in the same frequency band, fears have arisen about the effects of microwave oven interference on Bluetooth networks. While Bluetooth devices use frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS), the high power output of microwave ovens may still pose a threat to Bluetooth networks. We therefore endeavored to characterize microwave oven behavior and understand its effect upon Bluetooth networks. Our experimental results show that Bluetooth devices will tolerate a high level of interference. With two Bluetooth devices forming a piconet placed within 1 m of an oven, the Bluetooth throughput was significantly greater than half of the maximum throughput rate. Moving to a distance around 10 m from the oven showed very little degradation to the throughput due to interference. The effects of microwave oven interference, while noticeable, are by no means fatal. The results also showed no gain from the forward error correction (FEC) used on some Bluetooth packets.