Qt Serial Port: Android, iOS - will it work ?
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@ekkescorner That sounds great! Thanks for the heads up.
I'm actually not coming here from Qt usage – we're working on an iOS app without Qt.
I only used Qt before for a desktop app.Nevertheless, I think it will be insightful to look at your example app.
@pit.garbe I'm also doing iOS Apps - but WITH Qt and so I'm getting the Android APP out of the box ;-)
For me QtQuickControls2 were the reason to go this way instead of using Xamarin, Ionic, Angular or iOS + Android nativeBTW: if you download a BT LE Scanner APP from Apple Store you can inspect the Addimat, find Custom Service and Characteristic. There's one with Notifications. Start Notifications and put the magnetic key in and out - watch the value
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@pit.garbe I'm also doing iOS Apps - but WITH Qt and so I'm getting the Android APP out of the box ;-)
For me QtQuickControls2 were the reason to go this way instead of using Xamarin, Ionic, Angular or iOS + Android nativeBTW: if you download a BT LE Scanner APP from Apple Store you can inspect the Addimat, find Custom Service and Characteristic. There's one with Notifications. Start Notifications and put the magnetic key in and out - watch the value
@ekkescorner The Addimat lock arrived on Friday, and indeed, using a scanner app I could verify that it is usable in the way I intent to. Great.
I'm still looking forward to have a look at your example app, but I already want to thank you for inadvertently convincing me to buy this device after dismissing it for so long. It definitely seems to be the way to go for us :-)
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@ekkescorner The Addimat lock arrived on Friday, and indeed, using a scanner app I could verify that it is usable in the way I intent to. Great.
I'm still looking forward to have a look at your example app, but I already want to thank you for inadvertently convincing me to buy this device after dismissing it for so long. It definitely seems to be the way to go for us :-)
@pit.garbe great to hear. Seems that my app will be ready this week. I'll let you know
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I made some "fun" discoveries.
- Upon connecting to the Addimat lock, I always get the pairing popup.
- It makes no difference, what I do with that popup, I can still read the characteristic.
- The connection sporadically gets lost, which I can fix by reconnecting, but that shows the popup again :(
Looking closer, using the Mac OS Console.app, I discovered that, indeed, the pairing result is always negative. Depending on which button I press (Cancel, OK) and what PIN code I enter (especially, how long it is) there are several different outcomes printed to the console. All of which clearly indicate failure to pair.
Since there is, as I mentioned earlier, no data sheet for the Bluetooth version of the lock, there is also unfortunately no info about the default Bluetooth PIN. Maybe it's even by "design" that the lock never pairs. (I tried all kinds of typical default PINs, mind you).
Did you also run into these problems?
Update: I now sent an email to Addimat, asking for the PIN.
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I made some "fun" discoveries.
- Upon connecting to the Addimat lock, I always get the pairing popup.
- It makes no difference, what I do with that popup, I can still read the characteristic.
- The connection sporadically gets lost, which I can fix by reconnecting, but that shows the popup again :(
Looking closer, using the Mac OS Console.app, I discovered that, indeed, the pairing result is always negative. Depending on which button I press (Cancel, OK) and what PIN code I enter (especially, how long it is) there are several different outcomes printed to the console. All of which clearly indicate failure to pair.
Since there is, as I mentioned earlier, no data sheet for the Bluetooth version of the lock, there is also unfortunately no info about the default Bluetooth PIN. Maybe it's even by "design" that the lock never pairs. (I tried all kinds of typical default PINs, mind you).
Did you also run into these problems?
Update: I now sent an email to Addimat, asking for the PIN.
@pit.garbe I did most work on Android, where the OS never is asking to pair.
on iOS - yes, the iOS is asking and you should NOT pair, because - as I understand this - this would pair the Addimat as HID and you're running into virtual keyboard problems.
Pairing code is 308630 - never tried if pairing one time would help on iOSI have no problems of lost connections.
just tried this again - no problem. Even if connecting also to another custom BT LE Device.
Notifications from Addimat (Key in/out) and Notifications from other device (BatteryLevel and measurement of mobile network level) all ame in perfect - even while going to other Pages of the APP.
So I'm really happy with QT BT LE.Only problem what could happen with Addimat: if you tottle the key while it is logged in sometimes the ID is lost (getting 0000000000000000) followed by sending the Key ID again.
To avoid this I'm using a Timer waiting 3 seconds before doing logout. If same Key enters again while Timer is running I ignore and continue -
After hours of comparing other code bases, where the disconnections don't happen, to mine I'm happy to announce that it was caused by a remote log viewing library that also uses Bluetooth to announce itself. Quite the discovery.
Ok, so now I don't have the disconnects anymore, but the pairing popup remains.
You said the pairing would make the Addimat act as a HID device? Uh, that's definitely not what I'd want. But it doesn't pair anyway. Maybe it can somehow be told to be ignored forever? -
After hours of comparing other code bases, where the disconnections don't happen, to mine I'm happy to announce that it was caused by a remote log viewing library that also uses Bluetooth to announce itself. Quite the discovery.
Ok, so now I don't have the disconnects anymore, but the pairing popup remains.
You said the pairing would make the Addimat act as a HID device? Uh, that's definitely not what I'd want. But it doesn't pair anyway. Maybe it can somehow be told to be ignored forever?@pit.garbe good to hear that your disconnects are gone. for the pairing question on iOS I don't know if there's a way to avoid. perhaps Addimat can add a way ro configure the device to disable HID. will ask them.
but for my use-case not so important: my app will be the only app running on Tablet whole day, so one time to cancel the pairing question isn't a real problem. also most of my customers will use large Android tablets instead of iPads and on Android there's no pairing question. -
So, I got the documents. Data sheet and instructions. After reading them it's clear that paring is definitely only for HID mode. I sent a followup to both the person who sent me the docs and the one who apparently wrote the instructions, asking for a way to disable HID mode altogether.
Btw., I just now realised that you probably speak German ;)
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So, I got the documents. Data sheet and instructions. After reading them it's clear that paring is definitely only for HID mode. I sent a followup to both the person who sent me the docs and the one who apparently wrote the instructions, asking for a way to disable HID mode altogether.
Btw., I just now realised that you probably speak German ;)
@pit.garbe said in Qt Serial Port: Android, iOS - will it work ?:
Btw., I just now realised that you probably speak German ;)
yep - I'm living in Rosenheim
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So, I got the documents. Data sheet and instructions. After reading them it's clear that paring is definitely only for HID mode. I sent a followup to both the person who sent me the docs and the one who apparently wrote the instructions, asking for a way to disable HID mode altogether.
Btw., I just now realised that you probably speak German ;)
@pit.garbe BTW: have you tried to change the switch on the device to computer instead keyboard ? does this help on iOS ?
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info for all waiting for my Qt 5.8 - QtQuickControls2 - Bluetooth LE Example APP:
- finished all the work for BT LE Scanner to inspect devices, services, characteristic, descriptors and to try out read, write, notifications
- finished my work for a customer project using a custom device to scan pegel of mobile networks (this won't be open source)
- finished my work for a customer project using the Addimat (waiter lock) for user login-logout
- working on HeartRate and another example
- working on device-specific settings and device-favorites to make restart app easier with auto-connect to devices and notifications
then have to write the blog to provide some documentation
expect blog and app at github next week -
Grüße aus Dresden :)
So, I just found out by accident how to fix the popup issue.
Simply pair the lock once as a keyboard, then navigate to the Bluetooth system settings and remove the lock there ("ignore this device"). Then it will not try to connect to the iPad again by itself. Presumably because it has its own list of known devices and the iPad is now ignoring all incoming connection by the lock.
It can only be connected to this iPad as a keyboard again after clearing the pairing list on the lock itself. This can be done by putting the little selection dial on the bottom to the third, unmarked position (not "COM P" and not "Key Board") and plugging it in again, then off again and turn the dial back to one of the other positions and plugging it in again.
The iPad will then be asked again to enter the PIN upon connecting to the lock.
So, for us its perfect. Disable once and never be bothered again. Even from the iPad settings screen its impossible to reconnect again (by accident).
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@pit.garbe BTW: have you tried to change the switch on the device to computer instead keyboard ? does this help on iOS ?
@ekkescorner said in Qt Serial Port: Android, iOS - will it work ?:
@pit.garbe BTW: have you tried to change the switch on the device to computer instead keyboard ? does this help on iOS ?
That didn't help. And I think its a switch between COM (serial port) and USB HID mode. It doesn't affect the Bluetooth features. Only the third setting disables Bluetooth altogether, and, as it turns out, is used to clear the pairing list.
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Grüße aus Dresden :)
So, I just found out by accident how to fix the popup issue.
Simply pair the lock once as a keyboard, then navigate to the Bluetooth system settings and remove the lock there ("ignore this device"). Then it will not try to connect to the iPad again by itself. Presumably because it has its own list of known devices and the iPad is now ignoring all incoming connection by the lock.
It can only be connected to this iPad as a keyboard again after clearing the pairing list on the lock itself. This can be done by putting the little selection dial on the bottom to the third, unmarked position (not "COM P" and not "Key Board") and plugging it in again, then off again and turn the dial back to one of the other positions and plugging it in again.
The iPad will then be asked again to enter the PIN upon connecting to the lock.
So, for us its perfect. Disable once and never be bothered again. Even from the iPad settings screen its impossible to reconnect again (by accident).
@pit.garbe said in Qt Serial Port: Android, iOS - will it work ?:
Grüße aus Dresden :)
thx
So, I just found out by accident how to fix the popup issue.
Simply pair the lock once as a keyboard, then navigate to the Bluetooth system settings and remove the lock there ("ignore this device"). Then it will not try to connect to the iPad again by itself.
will do this next time testing the lock on iOS. Doing all my work on Android and only from time to time verify if all works and looks good on iOS, too
