Bluetooth SPP on iOS

[Scott T]

Can rhomobile communicate via a bluetooth serial connection? We
currently use a bluetooth/IR device to read data from a simple IR
device on Blackberry and some other, older devices, but would like to
move into iOS development. Can we do BT SPP on iOS?

[Jon Tara]

Not available in iOS, at least not for normal developers.

Perhaps through the Made for iPhone program, which is much more involved and expensive than the regular app developer program.

[Jon Tara]

For MFI, I believe you need to incorporate a special Apple authentication chip in your device.

[Jon Tara]

Apparently, you can buy boards with the Apple authentication chip present. You'd be out of luck, though, if you want to use an existing Bluetooth device:

http://www.connectblue.se/products/bluetooth-products/bluetooth-modules/bluetooth-iphone-ios-accessory-module-obs414/

I presume the manufacturer provides some library that provides SPP support. Not sure if you would still have to join the MFI program, or if that's covered by the manufacturer's participation.

Way back when I defined and implemented the Windows API for the Widcomm Bluetooth stack (the first Bluetooth stack for Windows), before they were bought by Broadcomm. So, since I am doing iOS development now, I've kept an eye on the (mostly nonexistent) Bluetooth application development support in iOS...

[Jon Tara]

Unfortunately, you need to join MFI:

http://support.connectblue.com/display/PRODBTSPA/cB-OBS414+Terms+and+Conditions

[Jon Tara]

This was cited as the best place to get some feel for the costs, which are shrouded in mystery. It's apparently arbitrary and project-dependent. I know there is a $1 cost for the authentication chip, and a $4/device royalty. Beyond that, I dunno, and companies enrolled in the program are precluded from talking by NDA.

http://www.apress.com/9781430229315

Good luck! (I think you're gonna need it! :) )

[Scott Trafford]

Actually we just do raw Ir over a serial port connection currently.  No device-specific library.

-Scott

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[Jon Tara]

To clarify, do you mean a physical serial port, or Bluetooth SPP?

iOS doesn't support SPP. It won't talk to a Bluetooth device outside of it's very limited profiles, which do NOT include SPP, unless the device has the special Apple ID chip.

If you can jailbreak, that's a different story. There are SPP drivers available for jailbreak, but you may need to disable the built-in Bluetooth stack.

[Scott Trafford]

Bluetooth SPP.  Jailbreak is not an option, since we don't want to force customers to do that.

-Scott

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[Jon Tara]

I think you are out of luck then, unless you are the device manufacturer, and are willing to incorporate the Apple ID chip and join the MFI program.

[Scott Trafford]

No, we are not the mftr.  Thanks for your help.  Android it is!

-Scott

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[Jon Tara]

That out of the way... you can certainly write a Rhodes extension to interface to SPP. Shouldn't be terribly difficult.

On Friday, October 28, 2011 11:51:10 AM UTC-7, Scott Trafford wrote:

Android it is!

[evgeny vovchenko]

http://docs.rhomobile.com/rhodes/device-caps#bluetooth

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