Bluetooth is a technology with a very interesting history. When it first came around in the late 1990s, it promised to replace the mess of wires that was tucked behind every desk of the day. Unfortunately, the capabilities of early Bluetooth didn’t live up to the hype, and it never quite took off. It wasn’t until the rise of the smartphone more than a decade later that Bluetooth, now several versions more advanced, really started to make sense.

As [Larry Bank] explains in a recent blog post, that means there’s a whole lot to learn if you want to really understand Bluetooth hacking. For example, the Bluetooth versions that were used in the 1990s and 2000s are actually a completely different protocol from that which most modern devices are using. But the original protocol, now referred to as “Classic”, is still supported and in use.

That means to really get your head wrapped around working with Bluetooth, you need to learn about the different versions and all the tools and tricks associated with them. To that end, [Larry] does a great job of breaking down the primary versions of Bluetooth and the sort of tools you might find yourself using. That includes microcontrollers such as the ESP32 or Arduino Nano 33 BLE.

But the post isn’t just theory. [Larry] also goes over a few real-world projects of his that utilize Bluetooth, such as getting a portable printer working with his Arduino, or figuring out how to use those tiny mobile phone game controllers for his own purposes. Even if you don’t have these same devices, there’s a good chance that the methods used and lessons learned will apply to whatever Bluetooth gadgets you’ve got your eye on.

Readers may recall [Larry] from our previous coverage of his exploits, such as his efforts to increase the frame rate of the SSD1306 OLED display or his wireless bootloader for the SMART Response XE. Whenever we see his name pop up in the Tip Line, we know a fascinating hardware deep dive isn’t far behind.