This is an Android-only fork of github.com/don/BluetoothSerial

Bluetooth Serial Plugin for Cordova

This plugin enables serial communication over Bluetooth. It was written for communicating between Android and BLClassis serial devices.

Limitations

• The phone must initiate the Bluetooth connection
• Will not connect Android to Android*

Installing

Install with Cordova CLI:

cordova plugin add cordova-plugin-ia-bluetooth-serial

Install with Ionic CLI:

ionic cordova plugin add cordova-plugin-ia-bluetooth-serial

API

Methods

• bluetoothSerial.connect
• bluetoothSerial.connectInsecure
• bluetoothSerial.disconnect
• bluetoothSerial.write
• bluetoothSerial.available
• bluetoothSerial.read
• bluetoothSerial.readUntil
• bluetoothSerial.subscribe
• bluetoothSerial.unsubscribe
• bluetoothSerial.subscribeRawData
• bluetoothSerial.unsubscribeRawData
• bluetoothSerial.clear
• bluetoothSerial.list
• bluetoothSerial.isEnabled
• bluetoothSerial.isConnected
• bluetoothSerial.readRSSI
• bluetoothSerial.showBluetoothSettings
• bluetoothSerial.enable
• bluetoothSerial.discoverUnpaired
• bluetoothSerial.setDeviceDiscoveredListener
• bluetoothSerial.clearDeviceDiscoveredListener
• bluetoothSerial.setName
• bluetoothSerial.setDiscoverable

connect

Connect to a Bluetooth device.

bluetoothSerial.connect(macAddress, connectSuccess, connectFailure);

Description

Function connect connects to a Bluetooth device. The callback is long running. Success will be called when the connection is successful. Failure is called if the connection fails, or later if the connection disconnects. An error message is passed to the failure callback.

For Android, connect takes a MAC address of the remote device.

Parameters

• macAddress: Identifier of the remote device.
• connectSuccess: Success callback function that is invoked when the connection is successful.
• connectFailure: Error callback function, invoked when error occurs or the connection disconnects.

connectInsecure

Connect insecurely to a Bluetooth device.

bluetoothSerial.connectInsecure(macAddress, connectSuccess, connectFailure);

Description

Function connectInsecure works like connect, but creates an insecure connection to a Bluetooth device. See the Android docs for more information.

For Android, connectInsecure takes a macAddress of the remote device.

Parameters

• macAddress: Identifier of the remote device.
• connectSuccess: Success callback function that is invoked when the connection is successful.
• connectFailure: Error callback function, invoked when error occurs or the connection disconnects.

disconnect

Disconnect.

bluetoothSerial.disconnect([success], [failure]);

Description

Function disconnect disconnects the current connection.

Parameters

• success: Success callback function that is invoked after the connection is disconnected. [optional]
• failure: Error callback function, invoked when error occurs. [optional]

write

Writes data to the serial port.

bluetoothSerial.write(data, success, failure);

Description

Function write data to the serial port. Data can be an ArrayBuffer, string, array of integers, or a Uint8Array.

Internally string, integer array, and Uint8Array are converted to an ArrayBuffer. String conversion assume 8bit characters.

Parameters

• data: ArrayBuffer of data
• success: Success callback function that is invoked when the connection is successful. [optional]
• failure: Error callback function, invoked when error occurs. [optional]

Quick Example

// string
bluetoothSerial.write("hello, world", success, failure);

// array of int (or bytes)
bluetoothSerial.write([186, 220, 222], success, failure);

// Typed Array
var data = new Uint8Array(4);
data[0] = 0x41;
data[1] = 0x42;
data[2] = 0x43;
data[3] = 0x44;
bluetoothSerial.write(data, success, failure);

// Array Buffer
bluetoothSerial.write(data.buffer, success, failure);

available

Gets the number of bytes of data available.

bluetoothSerial.available(success, failure);

Description

Function available gets the number of bytes of data available. The bytes are passed as a parameter to the success callback.

Parameters

• success: Success callback function that is invoked when the connection is successful. [optional]
• failure: Error callback function, invoked when error occurs. [optional]

Quick Example

bluetoothSerial.available(function (numBytes) {
    console.log("There are " + numBytes + " available to read.");
}, failure);

read

Reads data from the buffer.

bluetoothSerial.read(success, failure);

Description

Function read reads the data from the buffer. The data is passed to the success callback as a String. Calling read when no data is available will pass an empty String to the callback.

Parameters

• success: Success callback function that is invoked with the number of bytes available to be read.
• failure: Error callback function, invoked when error occurs. [optional]

Quick Example

bluetoothSerial.read(function (data) {
    console.log(data);
}, failure);

readUntil

Reads data from the buffer until it reaches a delimiter.

bluetoothSerial.readUntil('\n', success, failure);

Description

Function readUntil reads the data from the buffer until it reaches a delimiter. The data is passed to the success callback as a String. If the buffer does not contain the delimiter, an empty String is passed to the callback. Calling read when no data is available will pass an empty String to the callback.

Parameters

• delimiter: delimiter
• success: Success callback function that is invoked with the data.
• failure: Error callback function, invoked when error occurs. [optional]

Quick Example

bluetoothSerial.readUntil('\n', function (data) {
    console.log(data);
}, failure);

subscribe

Subscribe to be notified when data is received.

bluetoothSerial.subscribe('\n', success, failure);

Description

Function subscribe registers a callback that is called when data is received. A delimiter must be specified. The callback is called with the data as soon as the delimiter string is read. The callback is a long running callback and will exist until unsubscribe is called.

Parameters

• delimiter: delimiter
• success: Success callback function that is invoked with the data.
• failure: Error callback function, invoked when error occurs. [optional]

Quick Example

// the success callback is called whenever data is received
bluetoothSerial.subscribe('\n', function (data) {
    console.log(data);
}, failure);

unsubscribe

Unsubscribe from a subscription.

bluetoothSerial.unsubscribe(success, failure);

Description

Function unsubscribe removes any notification added by subscribe and kills the callback.

Parameters

• success: Success callback function that is invoked when the connection is successful. [optional]
• failure: Error callback function, invoked when error occurs. [optional]

Quick Example

bluetoothSerial.unsubscribe();

subscribeRawData

Subscribe to be notified when data is received.

bluetoothSerial.subscribeRawData(success, failure);

Description

Function subscribeRawData registers a callback that is called when data is received. The callback is called immediately when data is received. The data is sent to callback as an ArrayBuffer. The callback is a long running callback and will exist until unsubscribeRawData is called.

Parameters

• success: Success callback function that is invoked with the data.
• failure: Error callback function, invoked when error occurs. [optional]

Quick Example

// the success callback is called whenever data is received
bluetoothSerial.subscribeRawData(function (data) {
    var bytes = new Uint8Array(data);
    console.log(bytes);
}, failure);

unsubscribeRawData

Unsubscribe from a subscription.

bluetoothSerial.unsubscribeRawData(success, failure);

Description

Function unsubscribeRawData removes any notification added by subscribeRawData and kills the callback.

Parameters

• success: Success callback function that is invoked when the connection is successful. [optional]
• failure: Error callback function, invoked when error occurs. [optional]

Quick Example

bluetoothSerial.unsubscribeRawData();

clear

Clears data in the buffer.

bluetoothSerial.clear(success, failure);

Description

Function clear removes any data from the receive buffer.

Parameters

• success: Success callback function that is invoked when the connection is successful. [optional]
• failure: Error callback function, invoked when error occurs. [optional]

list

Lists bonded devices

bluetoothSerial.list(success, failure);

Description

Function list lists the paired Bluetooth devices. The success callback is called with a list of objects.

Example list passed to success callback. See BluetoothDevice and BluetoothClass#getDeviceClass.

[{
    "class": 276,
    "id": "10:BF:48:CB:00:00",
    "address": "10:BF:48:CB:00:00",
    "name": "Nexus 7"
}, {
    "class": 7936,
    "id": "00:06:66:4D:00:00",
    "address": "00:06:66:4D:00:00",
    "name": "RN42"
}]

Note

id is the generic name for uuid or [mac]address so that code can be platform independent.

Parameters

• success: Success callback function that is invoked with a list of bonded devices.
• failure: Error callback function, invoked when error occurs. [optional]

Quick Example

bluetoothSerial.list(function(devices) {
    devices.forEach(function(device) {
        console.log(device.id);
    })
}, failure);

isConnected

Reports the connection status.

bluetoothSerial.isConnected(success, failure);

Description

Function isConnected calls the success callback when connected to a peer and the failure callback when not connected.

Parameters

• success: Success callback function, invoked when device connected.
• failure: Error callback function, invoked when device is NOT connected.

Quick Example

bluetoothSerial.isConnected(
    function() {
        console.log("Bluetooth is connected");
    },
    function() {
        console.log("Bluetooth is *not* connected");
    }
);

isEnabled

Reports if bluetooth is enabled.

bluetoothSerial.isEnabled(success, failure);

Description

Function isEnabled calls the success callback when bluetooth is enabled and the failure callback when bluetooth is not enabled.

Parameters

• success: Success callback function, invoked when Bluetooth is enabled.
• failure: Error callback function, invoked when Bluetooth is NOT enabled.

Quick Example

bluetoothSerial.isEnabled(
    function() {
        console.log("Bluetooth is enabled");
    },
    function() {
        console.log("Bluetooth is *not* enabled");
    }
);

readRSSI

Reads the RSSI from the connected peripheral.

bluetoothSerial.readRSSI(success, failure);

Description

Function readRSSI calls the success callback with the rssi.

BLE only This function is experimental and the API may change

Parameters

• success: Success callback function that is invoked with the rssi value.
• failure: Error callback function, invoked when error occurs. [optional]

Quick Example

bluetoothSerial.readRSSI(
    function(rssi) {
        console.log(rssi);
    }
);

showBluetoothSettings

Show the Bluetooth settings on the device.

bluetoothSerial.showBluetoothSettings(success, failure);

Description

Function showBluetoothSettings opens the Bluetooth settings on the operating systems.

Parameters

• success: Success callback function [optional]
• failure: Error callback function, invoked when error occurs. [optional]

Quick Example

bluetoothSerial.showBluetoothSettings();

enable

Enable Bluetooth on the device.

bluetoothSerial.enable(success, failure);

Description

Function enable prompts the user to enable Bluetooth.

Android

enable is only supported on Android and does not work on iOS or Windows Phone.

If enable is called when Bluetooth is already enabled, the user will not prompted and the success callback will be invoked.

Parameters

• success: Success callback function, invoked if the user enabled Bluetooth.
• failure: Error callback function, invoked if the user does not enabled Bluetooth.

Quick Example

bluetoothSerial.enable(
    function() {
        console.log("Bluetooth is enabled");
    },
    function() {
        console.log("The user did *not* enable Bluetooth");
    }
);

discoverUnpaired

Discover unpaired devices

bluetoothSerial.discoverUnpaired(success, failure);

Description

Android

Function discoverUnpaired discovers unpaired Bluetooth devices. The success callback is called with a list of objects similar to list, or an empty list if no unpaired devices are found.

Example list passed to success callback.

[{
    "class": 276,
    "id": "10:BF:48:CB:00:00",
    "address": "10:BF:48:CB:00:00",
    "name": "Nexus 7"
}, {
    "class": 7936,
    "id": "00:06:66:4D:00:00",
    "address": "00:06:66:4D:00:00",
    "name": "RN42"
}]

The discovery process takes a while to happen. You can register notify callback with setDeviceDiscoveredListener. You may also want to show a progress indicator while waiting for the discover proces to finish, and the sucess callback to be invoked.

Calling connect on an unpaired Bluetooth device should begin the Android pairing process.

Parameters

• success: Success callback function that is invoked with a list of unpaired devices.
• failure: Error callback function, invoked when error occurs. [optional]

Quick Example

bluetoothSerial.discoverUnpaired(function(devices) {
    devices.forEach(function(device) {
        console.log(device.id);
    })
}, failure);

setDeviceDiscoveredListener

Register a notify callback function to be called during bluetooth device discovery. For callback to work, discovery process must be started with discoverUnpaired. There can be only one registered callback.

Example object passed to notify callback.

{
    "class": 276,
    "id": "10:BF:48:CB:00:00",
    "address": "10:BF:48:CB:00:00",
    "name": "Nexus 7"
}

Parameters

• notify: Notify callback function that is invoked when device is discovered during discovery process.

Quick Example

bluetoothSerial.setDeviceDiscoveredListener(function(device) {
	console.log('Found: '+device.id);
});

clearDeviceDiscoveredListener

Clears notify callback function registered with setDeviceDiscoveredListener.

Quick Example

bluetoothSerial.clearDeviceDiscoveredListener();

setName

Sets the human readable device name that is broadcasted to other devices.

bluetoothSerial.setName(newName);

Android

For Android, setName takes a String for the new name.

Parameters

• newName: Desired name of device.

Quick Example

bluetoothSerial.setName("Really cool name");

setDiscoverable

Makes the device discoverable by other devices.

bluetoothSerial.setDiscoverable(discoverableDuration);

Android

For Android, setDiscoverable takes an int for the number of seconds device should be discoverable. A time of 0 will make it permanently discoverable.

Parameters

• discoverableDuration: Desired number of seconds device should be discoverable for.

Quick Example

bluetoothSerial.setDiscoverable(0);

Misc

Where does this work?

Android

Current development is done with Cordova 4.2 on Android 5. Theoretically this code runs on PhoneGap 2.9 and greater. It should support Android-10 (2.3.2) and greater, but I only test with Android 4.x+.

Development Devices include

• Nexus 5 with Android 5
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 (GT-P7510) with Android 4.0.4 (see Issue #8)
• Google Nexus S with Android 4.1.2
• Nexus 4 with Android 5
• Samsung Galaxy S4 with Android 4.3

On the Arduino side I test with Sparkfun Mate Silver and the Seeed Studio Bluetooth Shield. The code should be generic and work with most hardware.

I highly recommend Adafruit's Bluefruit EZ-Link.

API

The API for available, read, readUntil was influenced by the BtSerial Library for Processing for Arduino

What format should the Mac Address be in?

An example a properly formatted mac address is AA:BB:CC:DD:EE:FF