Future support for Serial Coms

[Douglas Ruisaard]

Cam .. you mention that you have Windows working with LC "over USB and *Bluetooth*" ...???  Really?  Can you describe more details about using Bluetooth / Windows / LC?  As far as I know, the ONLY implementation for Bluetooth from LC is Monte Goulding's "mergBLE" which exclusively runs on iOS.  If, on the other hand, you are actually talking about using serial / USB (likely via a USB-to-serial module/adaptor like an FT232) on Windows or Mac, then LC sees these devices as simple "COM" ports and works perfectly well.  But Bluetooth... NO.  So, I'm VERY interested if you have a Bluetooth - LC working combination on Windows!

Serial/USB functionality on iOS is so complicated, it's a joke!  After submitting some sort of detailed "review" of your needs to Apple, they might "sell" you a customized chip which you must integrate into your receiving device.... if your implementation meets their stringent criteria.  No ... I'm NOT kidding!  And then you're still on your own to find a way to integrate the necessary Xcode into LC... good luck with THAT!!

But, hey, I'm not bitter!

LC development *might* consider developing a Bluetooth library for Android if someone (like the LC community, for example) pays them to do so.  I have no problem with that.... other than the price tag for a one-man-show.  According to Iain Morrison from LC:

"... I am truly sorry to inform you that we will not be able to help on this occasion for this work. Our team are completely tied up at the moment on multiple projects and for the foreseeable future I don't think they will be working on any projects of value less than $1,000 per day. Perhaps you could get in touch with a few of the LC developers that you mentioned to see if they would be interested in crowd funding the work, if you can let me know and I will get one of the devs to have a look at a specification and price. As it stands I would probably put a guide price on it of $5k...."

I don't have the wherewithal to implement a KickStarter (or some other crowd-funding methodology) campaign... but I'd *sure* would be interested and contribute to one for this purpose.  I see the lack of Bluetooth support as being a huge gap in LC's functionality.

I have offered (and do so again) for anyone from THIS community with expertise in Android and LC external code integration to consider a project involving either USB/Serial and/or BlueTooth implementation on Android.  I have a full Java library from Adafruit for Android for a specific BLE module which needs integration into LC.  I am, sorry-to-say, completely Java ignorant so I can't even get to first base with this, myself.

I'd invite the rest of this community to consider the possibility of funding the development of a Bluetooth library for Android and voice their opinions on the matter.  I'd also like to hear if anyone would be willing to initiate a crowd-funding campaign for such a venture and what the level of interest is for this functionality. At approx $5,000 it would only take 50 of us contributing $100 to reach such a goal.  Sounds reasonable.

Douglas Ruisaard
Trilogy Software
(250) 573-3935

> ------------------------------
> 
> There is not currently a library available that does what you want.  With
> LCB, you could package your own.  There are a couple of packages with code
> that interfaces with USB deices, but I don't know enough about Android to
> build them in a way that works with LCB.
> 
> Here are a couple:
> https://github.com/felHR85/UsbSerial
> https://github.com/mik3y/usb-serial-for-android
> 
> Here is an example of using the first one:
> https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/projects/communicate-with-your-arduino-through-android/
> 
> 
> On Wed, Jul 4, 2018 at 7:25 AM, General 2018 via use-livecode <
> use-livecode at lists.runrev.com> wrote:
> 
> > Hi ,
> >
> > I have seen questions raised over platform support for Serial Com ports
> > and cannot seem to find a conclusive answer for Android  and IOS.
> >
> > On Windows I use serial data over USB and Bluetooth , this all works fine
> > with LC.
> >
> > I want to migrate to Android - so with LC is serial over USB and Bluetooth
> > possible ?
> > Many Android apps currently us this but need LC too.
> >
> > The only option for IOS is WIFI connection.
> >
> > Regards
> > Camm