Bluetooth Profiles

[RGeB]

Thanks to the developer for this very useful app.

I have used it to automate foregrounding of the OBDLink app, connection to a paired MX+ OBD interface device, and change to the dashboard page when my car is started (then disconnect the interface device and background the app when the car is turned off, so the android host device will sleep).

The only way I could make this work was to use appropriate delay blocks with quite a few simulated screen clicks. I understand that this should be a last resort, but some other blocks did not work for me. In particular, I would prefer to use "bluetooth device connect"'and "bluetooth device disconnect". Automate finds the paired MX+ OBD interface device, but the bluetooth Profile used by the device is SPP (under android) which is not listed in these Automate blocks.

Is it possible to add the SPP profile to these Automate blocks?

[Henrik "The Developer" Lindqvist]

There's no specific "profile" for SPP, see:

https://developer.android.com/reference/android/bluetooth/BluetoothProfile

I guess it's based on basic RFCOMM so if an app decide to implement SPP it handles the connection locally, so third-party app like Automate can't (dis)connect such.

[RGeB]

Thanks Henrick,

I am not an app developer, but SPP (which stands for serial port profile) is listed as a bluetooth profile by Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Bluetooth_profiles#Serial_Port_Profile_(SPP). I get the message that it can not be implemented in Automate. Thanks for the advice.

[Henrik "The Developer" Lindqvist]

It's not implemented in Android.

[RGeB]

I understand, thanks to your advice. But there are example flows on your community page that have blocks supposedly controlling BT devices that use SPP. So either those flow authors have not understood, or they are using your site to blow hot air up our kilts. eg: https://llamalab.com/automate/community/flows/12271

[Henrik "The Developer" Lindqvist]

The Bluetooth device disconnect block in that flow doesn't have any profile selected, which then default to the Headset & hand-free (HSP/HFP) profile. I doubt that works, unless the BT device also has such profile.

[RGeB]

Only SPP https://www.scantool.net/obdlink-lxbt/

[Henrik "The Developer" Lindqvist]

As said i doubt the flow works, but if i does then great.

[Michael Bürschgens]

Hi 

I also find it unnecessarily restricting that Automate enforces the selection of a bluetooth profile in these blocks and does not provide an "Any" option.

I use the BT connection to my car as trigger for certain flows and it doesn't matter which profile is used for this connection.

[Henrik "The Developer" Lindqvist]

Sadly, that's how the Android API works.

[Michael Bürschgens]

How can other automation tools detect bluetooth connections without specifying a device type?

[Henrik "The Developer" Lindqvist]

Simply detecting BT connection doesn't require a profile, see Bluetooth device connected block.

But connecting or disconnecting a BT device do require a profile, see Bluetooth device connect and Bluetooth device disconnect blocks.

[Michael Bürschgens]

I must have done something wrong when testing. Yesterday everytime I saved the block with an empty "Device type" field the field got filled in again with the preset value. Today I can save the block with the field empty. Strange.