How To: Bluetooth control of Raspberry Pi

A simple daemon which accepts commands from a paired bluetooth client.

Install Python’s bluez package on your Pi and PC

$ sudo apt-get install python-bluez bluez python-gobject python-dbus python-daemon

Discover the hciX address of your Pi

$ hcitool dev

Devices:
	hci0	xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx

Discover the address of your phone/laptop

• Make sure Bluetooth is enabled on the phone/laptop.

• Make sure Bluetooth on your phone/pc/laptop is discoverable.

• On an Android phone, go to settings→Bluetooth. Make device discoverable (visible). The device only remains discoverable for a short time.

./finddevice.py

Add pc/laptop bluetooth as trusted to the Pi

• Temporarily:

bluez-simple-agent hci# xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx

• Permanently:

sudo bluez-test-device trusted xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx yes

Add phone as trusted Bluetooth device

Make Pi visible

$ hostname
prsg2
$ sudo hciconfig hci0 piscan
$ hciconfig -a
...
UP RUNNING PSCAN ISCAN
...

$ bluez-simple-agent

Initiate pairing on phone

• Select settings→Bluetooth→SCAN.

• Look for the host name from the hostname command above.

• Click to connect with device. On the phone a dialog box appears. 'Bluetooth Pairing Request', Confirm passkey is 999999 to pair with prsg. DO NOT CLICK 'OK' ON PHONE yet. Back to the Pi.

Confirm passkey and accept pairing on Pi

$ bluez-simple-agent
not registered
RequestConfirmation (/org/bluez/hci0/dev_XX_XX_XX_XX_XX_XX, 999999)
Confirm passkey (yes/no) yes
^C

• Use the Ctrl+C to terminate bluez-simple-agent.

Complete pairing on phone

• NOW press OK on the phone to complete pairing on phone.

Send commands from pc/laptop to Pi

Start Daemon on Pi

• Daemon implements start/stop/restart. To start daemon on Pi, type:

$ ./daemon-rxcmd.py start

Start the command client on your pc/laptop

• Type this command with the address of the Pi:

./rxcmd.py xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx

Pi screen should read:

$ ./daemon-rxcmd.py start
Accepted connection from  ('xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx', 1)

On pc/laptop,

You can now enter commands:

Talking to: rosrov1-0. Hit enter to send, 'esc' to quit
command001

PI now reads

$ ./daemon-rxcmd.py start
Accepted connection from  ('xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx', 1)
received [command001]

init script

• To be completed

References

• http://www.gavinj.net/2012/06/building-python-daemon-process.html

• http://blog.scphillips.com/posts/2013/07/getting-a-python-script-to-run-in-the-background-as-a-service-on-boot/

• https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BluetoothSetup

• http://www.elinux.org/RPi_Bluetooth_LE

• https://people.csail.mit.edu/albert/bluez-intro/x232.html

• http://www.radekdostal.com/content/android-bluetooth-chat-client-python

• http://www.binarytides.com/code-chat-application-server-client-sockets-python/