Question 1

How to set up Noble on a Raspberry Pi for BLE projects?

Accepted Answer

On Raspbian, install required packages with sudo apt-get install bluetooth bluez libbluetooth-dev libudev-dev, then grant Node.js permissions using sudo setcap cap_net_raw+eip $(eval readlink -f `which node`) to run without root. This is detailed in the Linux setup section.

Question 2

Noble vs Web Bluetooth API – which one should I use?

Accepted Answer

Use Noble for server-side Node.js applications on desktop OSes needing to act as a BLE central device. For web apps in browsers, use the Web Bluetooth API, which is client-side but has limited browser support and doesn't require Node.js setup.

Question 3

How to handle BLE device discovery and filtering with Noble?

Accepted Answer

Call noble.startScanning() with service UUIDs array to filter devices, and set allowDuplicates parameter to control duplicate events. The discovered peripheral object includes advertisement data like localName and serviceUuids for further processing.

Question 4

Troubleshooting 'Command disallowed' error when connecting in Noble?

Accepted Answer

This error often occurs with adapters like CSR-based ones that cannot connect while scanning. Stop scanning using noble.stopScanning() before connecting, as noted in the adapter-specific known issues section.

Question 5

Can Noble be used in production for IoT applications?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but carefully test on target hardware due to OS-specific quirks and connection limits. It's stable for prototyping and many production uses, but consider adapter compatibility and setup complexity.

Question 6

How to read and write data to a BLE characteristic using Noble?

Accepted Answer

After connecting and discovering characteristics, use characteristic.read(callback) to read data and characteristic.write(data, withoutResponse, callback) to write. Enable notifications with characteristic.subscribe() to receive updates.

A node.js BLE (Bluetooth low energy) central module

What is A node.js BLE (Bluetooth low energy) central module?

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