Bluetooth Low Energy

Description

Bluetooth Low Energy, or BLE, is used to wirelessly connect two devices to one another. The BLE component allows you to find and connect to BLE devices and to communicate directly with them.

BLE functionality can't be tested with the Thunkable Live app on iOS. To test the BLE functionality in your app on iOS, please download your app.

Blocks

Scan

This function is used to scan for nearby BLE or Bluetooth enabled devices. Scanning happens for 10 seconds. Once scanning has successfully completed then a list of the available device ids and a list of available names will be returned. If the scanning function can not be completed then an error will be returned.

Parameter	Type	Description
Device Ids	List	Returns a list of the IDs of the available devices
Device Names	List	Returns a list of the names of the available devices
error	String	Returns an error message from the function

Connect to Device Id

The Connect to Device Id function allows your app to connect to a BLE enabled device based in the Id of that device.

Parameter	Type	Description
Device Id	String	Expects a text string with the device id you want to connect to
Device Name	String	Returns the name of the device you have just connected to
error	String	Returns an error message from the function

Connect to Device Name

When you know the name of the BLE device that you want to connect to you can use the Connect to Device Name block to connect directly to it. Please note that device names are not unique and it is relatively easy to change the name of a BLE device.

Parameter	Type	Description
Device Name	String	Expects a text block with the name of the device to connect to
Device Id	String	Returns the Id of the device that you have just connected to
error	String	Returns an error message from the function

Receive

If you have a BLE device that is capable of sending data to another device then you will need to use the Receive function in your app in order to listen to, or receive, data coming from the BLE device.

You need to be connected to another Bluetooth device in order to use this block.

You can receive a String or a Byte Array.

Parameter	Type	Description
characteristic UUID	String	Expects a text block with a 32-bit UUID for the BLE type, service or profile required
data	String	Returns a string containing the information received from the BLE device
error	String	Returns an error message from the function

Transmit

Should you need to send data to a BLE device then you can use the Transmit function to send that information.

You need to be connected to another Bluetooth device in order to use this block.

You can transmit a String or a Byte Array.

Parameter	Type	Description
characteristic UUID	String	Expects a text block with a 32-bit UUID for the BLE type, service or profile required
data	String	Expects a text block with the message that you want to send to your BLE device
error	String	Returns an error message from the function