I am having trouble with my Google Fu today and I can't seem to find anything about this. How can I use TCP sockets -- or any other relevant way to send bytes -- to talk between an iOS device and a host via USB instead of Wifi?
Without applying for Apple's MFI Program (and perhaps signing NDAs), information on communicating via the dock connector's USB interface isn't available for devices running Apple's stock iOS.
It is possible to use PeerTalk without Apple's MFI Program.
Source: https://stackoverflow.com/a/28715653/710069
Newer answer:
An Ethernet-Lightning connector, such as this one (but other MiFi certified ones are supposedly being developed, or use a chain of dongles involving Apple's Lightning to USB Camera kit + USB Ethernet), will allow connecting an iOS device, via Ethernet (TCP sockets, et.al.), to a small "coat pocket-able" computer, such as a Raspberry Pi 3B+, which supports standard USB ports.
Call the Raspberry Pi, with appropriate software, a USB to Ethernet/TCP converter for iOS.
I am currently using just this mechanism to develop iOS apps supporting various USB SDR radios, such as RTL-SDRs, by streaming rtl_tcp from a Raspberry Pi to an iPad.
Related
I have done some research on core bluetooth framework. Successfully setup discovery of peripheral of other iPhone, connect, discovered services and characteristics and write some values. All went well. Surprisingly come to know there is apple MIFI program (need to research on it).
In excitement I ordered iPhoneSE, HC-05 bluetooth module, Arduino Builder's Kit R2 with original Arduino UNO. It took some days/wasted in shipment and decent amount and now it's not working.
I write proper set up/initialization for peripheral and central classes, adopted delegates and I think it's all correct. However I am not able to connect to HC-05 bluetooth module.
Observations:
On a Android device i turned on bluetooth in device settings, HC-05
was able to be discovered, enter 0000/1234 (password as per
documentation). And yes i was able to connect it. It means HC-05 is
not malfunctioning.
On a iPhoneSE iOS v11.0, Setting -> turn on bluetooth. But HC-05 is
not discoverable.
I simply want to be successfully discover and connect to HC-05 module using BLE technology. Then with delegate methods look up services/characteristics and then try to on/off led.
I can provide more info and background if needed.
I need some help and direction so that I can purchase the correct bluetooth module which connect to iPhone, and I am sure I can do it.
Thanks.
To answer above question-
HC-05 will not connect iPhone. Because HC_05 is not bluetooth low energy.
I have used AT-09 from amazon.
I have written complete article how I achieved it here, and challanges I faced with solution.
The HC-05 isn't compatible with iOS.
This is because Apple uses MFi Licensing Program and HC-05 is not licensed.
To get things working go for a module supporting minimal BT Version V4.0 BLE. Even better, BT Version: V4.2 BLE & V5.0 (better range and larger packet-size), if iOS (v11.0) supports it.
I am not going to recommend a specific model, that's what Google is for.
Apple devices under the MFi licensing scheme only support limited profiles.
HC-05 is based on Bluetooth 2.0. What will work for Apple mobile devices (iPhone, iPad) will be those modules that utilise Bluetooth 4.0 or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).
I want to create an iPad app that connects to another machine, laptop or otherwise, via USB and communicates to some other application I develop running there.
I know that this is easy to achieve via Bluetooth or WiFi but this particular set of solutions must be done via a USB cable.
Is it possible to do so without access to the Apple MFi program? (I am about 5 weeks in and the response is not looking good).
iOS App --> USB Cable --> Mac OSX --> Desktop App (without MFi access)
Thanks
To use USB communication Apple does not provide any API within IOS SDK. The only option right now is MFI. I don't think Apple will allow this in near future.
To use serial communication, you need MFI as you may have discovered. However, there is a poor man's way of achieving this. I have done so during development.
Enable "Internet sharing" on your device and connect to it. Use "ifconfig" on your Mac to find out the interface to use. You do not need to use this as the default connection, but it needs to be active. If I remember correctly, only one end can initiate connections (it was a while so I am sorry that I don't remember the details).
EDIT: I would also like to point out that I did this on an iPhone, not an iPad.
Not over USB but over RS232 (serial port)
Look here: http://www.redpark.com/c2db9.html
But:
The cable uses the old 30 pin connector, but according to them it's compatible with the Lightning adapter
The application won't be accepted on the AppStore, it's for internal use only.
There is a (small) book that explains how to use this cable to connect an iPhone directly to an Arduino, it's been published in late 2011. "iOS Sensor Apps with Arduino Wiring the iPhone and iPad into the Internet of Things" http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920021179.do
I am wanting to send data over the usb on the iphone and have it captured by my application. This application will be private and not sold. I would also like to just use the standard usb cable that is standard. Is this possible?
This is possible with Apple's MFI Program. The downside is this will probably be quite expensive and you will of course have to develop a piece of hardware that can be sold as a product for your application.
EDIT: If you look at the 'iOS Accessories' section on the MFI Program link above, it suggests that you can communicate over the 30-pin usb dock connector.
I'm trying to figure out if an iPhone can connect to another non-iPhone device over wireless or Bluetooth and have seen conflicting information. Much of what I've found was before version 3.0 of the SDK came out, when it certainly wasn't possible. Looking at Stack Overflow questions, like Can the iPhone 3.0 SDK provide full access to Bluetooth devices (headsets)? mention you can't connect to an arbitrary device unless if it's part of the "Works for iPhone" device. Do I need hardware that is part of this program?
Looking through the Apple documentation, Peer-to-Peer Connectivity, it mentions connecting two iPhones, not an iPhone to another Bluetooth device. Then there are articles like iPhone SDK focus: Bluetooth enhancements that includes this quote
...and with the newly-announced "standard support" should allow file transfer between the iPhone and a computer, as well as between nearby iPhones
Another Stack Overflow question, GameKit in iPhone SDK 3.0, mentions Bonjour, and the Apple documentation for Bonjour talks about connecting to Bonjour devices, but can an iPhone connect to any Bonjour device? Does it have to have a Wi-Fi connection, or can it use Bluetooth?
Even if I could use Bluetooth to connect to another device, it won't be available on first generation iPhones and iTouches, I believe. Is that correct? I'm thinking of an iPhone application that would need to communicate with other non-iPhone devices in the area, probably using Bluetooth, but possibly a direct wireless connection. What are the possibilities and limitations of this approach? Is it not possible to have an iPhone connect to an arbitrary Bluetooth device? Does the other device have to be on a wireless Bonjour network that? I'm trying to figure out if it's even possible for this to work or if it's not worth the effort.
The only way to communicate with other Bluetooth devices via the External Accessory framework in iPhone OS 3.0 is if they are in the Made for iPod accessory program. Even though they communicate through standard Bluetooth connections, accessories need special hardware in order to process the data stream coming from the iPhone / iPod touch. Unfortunately, this means that your idea of communicating with generic Bluetooth devices won't work on iPhone OS 3.0.
If the devices you want to talk to are Bonjour-discoverable via Wi-Fi, they don't need to be part of the Made for iPod program. However, that doesn't sound like your case.
Third-party developers in the near future may produce dongles that connect through the 30-pin dock port and give access to existing Bluetooth devices. If these developers opened up their communication protocol, that might enable your goal of communicating with these devices.
You can use NSStream for opening IPv4/IPv6 sockets on the iPhone. The devices to which you're connecting do not have to be iPhones or use Wi-Fi necessarily. Because of how network communication protocols are laid out, you simply don't have to care what kind of device your iPhone is communicating with.
Bonjour, on the other hand, uses NSStream internally. It's basically a nifty little wrapper which allows for auto-discovery. You need the Bonjour protocol installed on all devices which you want to participate in the auto-discovery process. There is even an implementation for Windows.
As part of the iPhone OS 3.0 SDK, Apple announced the ability to control hardware accessories through either Bluetooth or the dock connector. The dock connector supports standard protocols (that is, play, pause, etc.) as well as any custom protocols the developer wants to implement.
As far as connecting via Bluetooth, you can talk to other iPhones or other devices. For example, you can use stereo Bluetooth to connect compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones, car kits, or other accessories.
As far as what devices support Bluetooth communication, everything except the first generation iPod Touch should be okay.
See also Apple's page on iPhone OS accessories.
Anybody knows how to integrate iPhone with other non-iPhone devices using serial port?
You can't directly. There may be some sort of serial line (i2c) on the dock connecter, but it is not exposed through the SDK, the Made for iPhone/ExternalAccessory.framework stuff is only for USB and BT.
You could conceivably use a WiFi/serial bridge (such things do exist) since you can send whatever you want over a TCP tunnel, but I doubt that is what you want.
Underlying ExternalAccessoryFramework for 30-pin connector it's the real UART handshaking (using Tx, Rx, Gnd, Vcc and some detect pins and no flow control) but not USB. Those pins of USB are only used for iTunes, Xcode and powering. The iOS app does not need to understand UART and only needs to send/receive bytes through NSOutputStream and NSInputStream.
But you need to pay Apple for MFi(Made For iPhone) Program first and buy some confidential IC to enable your accessory to communicate with iOS. They will require you to propose a product plan and expected sales and consider whether they would accept you as a MFi manufacturer.
You can get the info on using the ExternalAccessory framework from apple's developer portal.
You can't get the required serial handshake(?) info without joining the Made for iPhone program. This requires that you are developing a commercial device.
I have tried to get information on this protocol from apple through my university and have thus far failed.
I successfully received serial communication from the Arduino on the iPhone. I made a google doc explaining my process.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Yi9_hcw8XSyYNCG2OJT9oHlTG-dC-Dnuc58VIULa81Q/edit