Bluetooth HCI socket binding for Node.js

NOTE: Currently only supports Linux and Windows.

• node-gyp requirements

• Bluetooth 4.0 Adapter

Note: the node-usb dependency might fail install, this is ok, because it is an optional optional dependency. Installing libudev-dev via your Linux distribution's package manager will resolve the problem.

This library needs raw USB access to a Bluetooth 4.0 USB adapter, as it needs to bypass the Windows Bluetooth stack.

A WinUSB driver is required, use Zadig tool to replace the driver for your adapter.

WARNING: This will make the adapter unavaible in Windows Bluetooth settings!

npm install bluetooth-hci-socket

var BluetoothHciSocket = require('bluetooth-hci-socket');

var bluetoothHciSocket = new BluetoothHciSocket();

var filter = new Buffer(14);

// ...

bluetoothHciSocket.setFilter(filter);

bluetoothHciSocket.bindRaw([deviceId]); // optional deviceId (integer)

bluetoothHciSocket.bindUser([deviceId]); // optional deviceId (integer)

Requires the device to be in the powered down state (sudo hciconfig hciX down).

bluetoothHciSocket.bindControl();

Query the device state.

var isDevUp = bluetoothHciSocket.isDevUp(); // returns: true or false

Note: must be called after bindRaw.

Start or stop event handling:

bluetoothHciSocket.start();

// ...

bluetoothHciSocket.stop();

Note: must be called after bindRaw or bindControl.

var data = new Buffer(/* ... */);

// ...


bluetoothHciSocket.write(data);

Note: must be called after bindRaw or bindControl.

bluetoothHciSocket.on('data', function(data) {
  // data is a Buffer

  // ...
});

bluetoothHciSocket.on('error', function(error) {
  // error is a Error

  // ...
});

See examples folder for code examples.

Unload btusb kernel module:

sudo rmmod btusb

Set BLUETOOTH_HCI_SOCKET_FORCE_USB environment variable:

sudo BLUETOOTH_HCI_SOCKET_FORCE_USB=1 node <file>.js

sudo kextunload -b com.apple.iokit.CSRBluetoothHostControllerUSBTransport

sudo kextunload -b com.apple.iokit.BroadcomBluetoothHostControllerUSBTransport

Set BLUETOOTH_HCI_SOCKET_USB_VID and BLUETOOTH_HCI_SOCKET_USB_PID environment variables.

Example for USB device id: 050d:065a:

set BLUETOOTH_HCI_SOCKET_USB_VID=0x050d
set BLUETOOTH_HCI_SOCKET_USB_PID=0x065a

node <file>.js