BLE on Windows

[msr]

Hi,

Have anyone managed to interface with BLE peripherals on Windows? Is there any library/API that can be used?
Qt has now support for BLE in several platforms except Windows (http://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qtbluetooth-index.html) and unfortunately I'm not aware of an alternative for it.

[funkathustra]

Hi,

Have anyone managed to interface with BLE peripherals on Windows? Is there any library/API that can be used?
Qt has now support for BLE in several platforms except Windows (http://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qtbluetooth-index.html) and unfortunately I'm not aware of an alternative for it.

Are you looking for an API to make calls to the OS to pair/unpair devices, scan, and stuff like that? Or are you just looking to communicate with already-paired devices?

If you're just looking to communicate with paired devices, you'll do it through the same API as any other devices -- use SetupDi calls found in setupapi.dll to get a handle to your device, and then do calls using the Microsoft Bluetooth GATT library (BluetoothAPIs.h) functions if you're reading/writing to a generic GATT device.

If you're writing a Windows Store app, it's much simpler.

[coppice]

Windows 8 supports BLE, but most people are still using Windows 7. Some might think MS refused to add BLE support to Windows 7, just to push people towards Windows 8. Could that possibly be true?  Windows 10 obviously supports BLE, and if it becomes more popular than 8 I guess the BLE support issue will gradually be solved.

[funkathustra]

Windows 8 supports BLE, but most people are still using Windows 7. Some might think MS refused to add BLE support to Windows 7, just to push people towards Windows 8. Could that possibly be true? 

Windows 7 was introduced 6 years ago, and discontinued more than 3 years ago. You honestly think Microsoft should go back and push new functionality into their legacy products? Are you insane?

Be glad that they continued patching it against security bugs for three years after they released Windows 8 -- that's way more than most other companies do: Apple expects users to upgrade every year -- and users stop getting security updates if they're more than one version behind.

[miguelvp]

My CY5672 PRoC BLE Remote Control Reference Design Kit works great on Windows 7.

http://www.cypress.com/documentation/development-kitsboards/cy5672-proc-ble-remote-control-reference-design-kit-rdk

They sell the BLE dongle by itself as well:

http://www.cypress.com/documentation/development-kitsboards/cy5670-cysmart-usb-dongle

Be aware that it's via emulation so I guess it won't support any BLE devices.


But it doesn't matter much, since it's up to you to get the free upgrade to Windows 10 around the corner if you have Windows 7 or 8 installed.

[coppice]

Windows 8 supports BLE, but most people are still using Windows 7. Some might think MS refused to add BLE support to Windows 7, just to push people towards Windows 8. Could that possibly be true? 

Windows 7 was introduced 6 years ago, and discontinued more than 3 years ago. You honestly think Microsoft should go back and push new functionality into their legacy products? Are you insane?

Be glad that they continued patching it against security bugs for three years after they released Windows 8 -- that's way more than most other companies do: Apple expects users to upgrade every year -- and users stop getting security updates if they're more than one version behind.

Windows 7 is what practically all businesses are currently using, and MS have been fully aware since Windows 8 launched that this would be so. They do put new functionality into old OSes when businesses kick hard enough.