A Node.js BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) central module.

Want to implement a peripheral? Checkout bleno

Note: macOS / Mac OS X, Linux, FreeBSD and Windows are currently the only supported OSes. Other platforms may be developed later on.

Prerequisites

OS X

• install Xcode

Linux

• Kernel version 3.6 or above
• libbluetooth-dev

Ubuntu/Debian/Raspbian

sudo apt-get install bluetooth bluez libbluetooth-dev libudev-dev

Make sure node is on your path, if it's not, some options:

• symlink nodejs to node: sudo ln -s /usr/bin/nodejs /usr/bin/node
• install Node.js using the NodeSource package

Fedora / Other-RPM based

sudo yum install bluez bluez-libs bluez-libs-devel

Intel Edison

See Configure Intel Edison for Bluetooth LE (Smart) Development

FreeBSD

Make sure you have GNU Make:

sudo pkg install gmake

Disable automatic loading of the default Bluetooth stack by putting no-ubt.conf into /usr/local/etc/devd/no-ubt.conf and restarting devd (sudo service devd restart).

Unload ng_ubt kernel module if already loaded:

sudo kldunload ng_ubt

Make sure you have read and write permissions on the /dev/usb/* device that corresponds to your Bluetooth adapter.

Windows

node-gyp requirements for Windows

Install the required tools and configurations using Microsoft's windows-build-tools from an elevated PowerShell or cmd.exe (run as Administrator).

npm install --global --production windows-build-tools

node-bluetooth-hci-socket prerequisites

• Compatible Bluetooth 4.0 USB adapter
• WinUSB driver setup for Bluetooth 4.0 USB adapter, using Zadig tool

See @don's set up guide on Bluetooth LE with Node.js and Noble on Windows

Notes

Maximum simultaneous connections

This limit is imposed upon by the Bluetooth adapter hardware as well as it's firmware.

| Platform | | | :------- | --- | | OS X 10.11 (El Capitan) | 6 | | Linux/Windows - Adapter dependent | 5 (CSR based adapter) |

Adapter specific known issues

Some BLE adapters cannot connect to a peripheral while they are scanning (examples below). You will get the following messages when trying to connect :

Sena UD-100 (Cambridge Silicon Radio, Ltd Bluetooth Dongle (HCI mode)) : Error: Command disallowed

Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7260 (Intel Corporation Wireless 7260 (rev 73)) : Error: Connection Rejected due to Limited Resources (0xd)

You need to stop scanning before trying to connect in order to solve this issue.

Install

npm install noble

Usage

var noble = require('noble');

Actions

Start scanning

noble.startScanning(); // any service UUID, no duplicates


noble.startScanning([], true); // any service UUID, allow duplicates


var serviceUUIDs = ["<service UUID 1>", ...]; // default: [] => all
var allowDuplicates = <false|true>; // default: false

noble.startScanning(serviceUUIDs, allowDuplicates[, callback(error)]); // particular UUID's

NOTE: noble.state must be poweredOn before scanning is started. noble.on('stateChange', callback(state)); can be used register for state change events.

Stop scanning

noble.stopScanning();

Peripheral

Connect

peripheral.connect([callback(error)]);

Disconnect or cancel pending connection

peripheral.disconnect([callback(error)]);

Update RSSI

peripheral.updateRssi([callback(error, rssi)]);

Discover services

peripheral.discoverServices(); // any service UUID

var serviceUUIDs = ["<service UUID 1>", ...];
peripheral.discoverServices(serviceUUIDs[, callback(error, services)]); // particular UUID's

Discover all services and characteristics

peripheral.discoverAllServicesAndCharacteristics([callback(error, services, characteristics)]);

Discover some services and characteristics

var serviceUUIDs = ["<service UUID 1>", ...];
var characteristicUUIDs = ["<characteristic UUID 1>", ...];
peripheral.discoverSomeServicesAndCharacteristics(serviceUUIDs, characteristicUUIDs, [callback(error, services, characteristics));

Service

Discover included services

service.discoverIncludedServices(); // any service UUID

var serviceUUIDs = ["<service UUID 1>", ...];
service.discoverIncludedServices(serviceUUIDs[, callback(error, includedServiceUuids)]); // particular UUID's

Discover characteristics

service.discoverCharacteristics() // any characteristic UUID

var characteristicUUIDs = ["<characteristic UUID 1>", ...];
service.discoverCharacteristics(characteristicUUIDs[, callback(error, characteristics)]); // particular UUID's

Characteristic

Read

characteristic.read([callback(error, data)]);

Write

characteristic.write(data, withoutResponse[, callback(error)]); // data is a buffer, withoutResponse is true|false

• withoutResponse:
  • false: send a write request, used with "write" characteristic property
  • true: send a write command, used with "write without response" characteristic property

Broadcast

characteristic.broadcast(broadcast[, callback(error)]); // broadcast is true|false

Subscribe

characteristic.subscribe([callback(error)]);

• subscribe to a characteristic, triggers 'data' events when peripheral sends an notification or indication
• use for characteristics with notify or indicate properties

Unsubscribe

characteristic.unsubscribe([callback(error)]);

• unsubscribe to a characteristic
• use for characteristics with notify or indicate properties

Discover descriptors

characteristic.discoverDescriptors([callback(error, descriptors)]);

Read value

descriptor.readValue([callback(error, data)]);

Write value

descriptor.writeValue(data[, callback(error)]); // data is a buffer

Handle

Read

peripheral.readHandle(handle, callback(error, data));

Write

peripheral.writeHandle(handle, data, withoutResponse, callback(error));

Events

See Node.js EventEmitter docs for more info. on API's.

Adapter state change

state = <"unknown" | "resetting" | "unsupported" | "unauthorized" | "poweredOff" | "poweredOn">

noble.on('stateChange', callback(state));

Scan started:

noble.on('scanStart', callback);

The event is emitted when scanning is started or if another application enables scanning or changes scanning settings.

Scan stopped

noble.on('scanStop', callback);

The event is emitted when scanning is stopped or if another application stops scanning.

Peripheral discovered

peripheral = {
  id: "<id>",
  address: "<BT address">, // Bluetooth Address of device, or 'unknown' if not known
  addressType: "<BT address type>", // Bluetooth Address type (public, random), or 'unknown' if not known
  connectable: <connectable>, // true or false, or undefined if not known
  advertisement: {
    localName: "<name>",
    txPowerLevel: <int>,
    serviceUuids: ["<service UUID>", ...],
    serviceSolicitationUuid: ["<service solicitation UUID>", ...],
    manufacturerData: <Buffer>,
    serviceData: [
        {
            uuid: "<service UUID>"
            data: <Buffer>
        },
        ...
    ]
  },
  rssi: <rssi>
};

noble.on('discover', callback(peripheral));

Note: on OS X the address will be set to 'unknown' if the device has not been connected previously.

Warnings

noble.on('warning', callback(message));

Peripheral

Connected

peripheral.once('connect', callback);

Disconnected:

peripheral.once('disconnect', callback);

RSSI update

peripheral.once('rssiUpdate', callback(rssi));

Services discovered

peripheral.once('servicesDiscover', callback(services));

Service

Included services discovered

service.once('includedServicesDiscover', callback(includedServiceUuids));

Characteristics discovered

characteristic = {
  uuid: "<uuid>",
   // properties: 'broadcast', 'read', 'writeWithoutResponse', 'write', 'notify', 'indicate', 'authenticatedSignedWrites', 'extendedProperties'
  properties: [...]
};

service.once('characteristicsDiscover', callback(characteristics));

Characteri