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QLn Series User Guide
Wireless Communications with Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a worldwide standard for the exchange of data
between two devices via radio frequencies. This form of point-
to-point communication does not require access points or
other infrastructure. Bluetooth radios are relatively low pow-
ered to help prevent interference with other devices running at
similar radio frequencies. This limits the range of a Bluetooth
device to about 10 meters (32 feet). Both the printer and the
device it communicates with must follow the Bluetooth stan-
dard. Other than conditions specified elsewhere in this manu-
al, only one of the radio options can be installed in the printer
at one time and the antenna used for these transmitters must
not be co-located or must not operate in conjunction with any
other antenna.
Bluetooth Networking Overview
Each Bluetooth enabled QLn Series printer is identified
by a unique Bluetooth Device Address (BDADDR). This ad-
dress resembles a MAC address whereby the first three
bytes are vendor, and the last three bytes are device (e.g.
00:22:58:3C:B8:CB). In order to exchange data, two Bluetooth
enabled devices must establish a connection.
Bluetooth software is always running in the background,
ready to respond to connection requests. One device (known
as the master or the client) must request/initiate a connection
with another. The second device (the slave or the server) then
accepts or rejects the connection. A Bluetooth enabled QLn
Series printer will normally act as a slave creating a miniature
network with the terminal sometimes referred to as a “picon-
et”.
Discovery identifies Bluetooth devices that are available for
pairing whereby the master device broadcasts a discovery re-
quest and devices respond. If a device is not discoverable, the
master cannot pair unless in knows the BDADDR or has previ-
ously paired with the device.
Bluetooth 2.1 or higher uses Security Level 4 Secure Simple
Pairing (SSP), a mandatory security architecture that features
four (4) association models: Numeric Comparison (user must
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