Question 1

How to set up Bleno on Raspberry Pi for a BLE peripheral?

Accepted Answer

Install bluetooth and libbluetooth-dev packages, disable bluetoothd using systemctl, and run setcap to grant node permissions. Refer to the Linux prerequisites in the README for detailed steps, including environment variables for custom device names.

Question 2

Bleno vs noble: which one should I use for BLE in Node.js?

Accepted Answer

Use Bleno for creating BLE peripherals (servers) that advertise services, and noble for central roles (clients) that scan and connect. They are not fully compatible when used together on the same adapter, so choose based on your project's role.

Question 3

Why isn't my Bleno peripheral advertising on Linux?

Accepted Answer

Check if bluetoothd is disabled and the adapter is powered up with hciconfig. Ensure bleno.state is 'poweredOn' before calling startAdvertising, and verify that service UUIDs and name lengths comply with BLE limits listed in the README.

Question 4

How to handle BLE write requests in Bleno characteristics?

Accepted Answer

Define an onWriteRequest handler in the Characteristic options to process incoming data. Use the callback with result codes like RESULT_SUCCESS, and handle offsets and withoutResponse parameters as shown in the README examples.

Question 5

What are the limitations of iBeacon mode in Bleno on macOS?

Accepted Answer

In iBeacon mode on macOS, the peripheral becomes non-connectable, meaning it can only advertise and not accept connections. This restricts use cases to beacon-only scenarios, unlike Linux where connectable advertising is possible.

Question 6

Can I use Bleno on Windows without a specific Bluetooth adapter?

Accepted Answer

No, Bleno on Windows requires a compatible Bluetooth 4.0 USB adapter with the WinUSB driver installed via Zadig, as per the prerequisites. Built-in or unsupported adapters may not work, limiting hardware flexibility.

A node.js module for implementing BLE (Bluetooth low energy) peripherals

What is A node.js module for implementing BLE (Bluetooth low energy) peripherals?

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