piconetistä

A piconet is a small wireless network formed by devices using Bluetooth technology. It typically consists of one "master" device that controls the network and one or more "slave" devices that synchronize with the master. A piconet can have up to eight devices in total, with one master and seven slaves. The master device dictates the timing and communication within the piconet.

Devices within a piconet communicate using a technique called frequency hopping. The master device selects a hopping sequence, and all devices in the piconet follow this sequence to avoid interference from other wireless devices. This hopping occurs rapidly, changing frequencies many times per second.

The term "piconet" itself is a portmanteau of "picosecond" and "network," reflecting the short-range and rapid nature of the communication. Piconets are commonly used for connecting peripherals to devices, such as wireless headphones to a smartphone, or a keyboard to a computer. They are designed for low power consumption and short-distance communication, typically up to about 10 meters, although longer ranges are possible with certain Bluetooth versions and power classes.

When a device leaves the range of the piconet or is turned off, it is removed from the network. New devices can join a piconet through a process called "pairing," where devices are authenticated and authorized to connect. Multiple piconets can coexist in the same physical area, and a device can potentially be a member of more than one piconet simultaneously, though it can only be a slave to one master at a time.