Which Bluetooth library is stack independent

Question

I making a windows application that needs to use Bluetooth for communication so far as now I have tried blue cove for Java.

It seems to be limited to few stacks only.. I have a Toshiba stack, but I still want a library that could handle most popular stacks.

Doesn't matter if its for C, C++ or Java.

Answer 1

Bluecove is already as good as it gets.

This is due to the unfortunate fact of how Bluetooth is handled on Windows. Instead of agreeing on a single implementation for the whole platform, vendors tend to ship their own stack with the device driver software. This is partly due to historical reasons and partly because hardware vendors don't care enough about this to do anything about it.

Bluecove provides implementations for the Microsoft, Broadcom WIDCOMM and BlueSoleil stacks, which should cover >90% of all available devices. In your case, I see three options:

1. Try to get your device to work with a different stack. I know for a fact that BlueSoleil works with certain Toshiba-based devices, google should give a good overview of the options for your specific device.

2. Get another device. Bluetooth dongles are ridiculously cheap these days, so this is a valid option. It's a bit more messy than using a build-in device, but then again, what good is a build-in device if the software doesn't work?

3. Try to write an implementation for Toshiba devices for Bluecove yourself. IIRC Toshiba does provide an SDK upon request. You might run into legal issues though if the license forbids integration with Bluecove in some way.

Morale of the story: Bluetooth drivers are a mess, especially on Windows. Be sure to check your software's requirements before you buy your next device.