3. Profiles: The More The Merrier

As with all Bluetooth devices, establishing a radio link between a Bluetooth headset and a mobile phone requires several steps. To ensure compatibility between devices from different manufacturers, the BT standard offers protocols, or profiles, that a BT adapter recognizes. The more protocols that BT adapters recognize, the more likely a given Bluetooth radio device, such as a Bluetooth headset, will be recognized.

The diagram below shows the relationships between the separate BT profiles.

The principle BT profile is the General Access Profile, or GAP for short. Among other things, it defines the underlying rules for establishing a connection (pairing/bonding) between the communication partners - in our example, a cell phone and a headset.