Using Bluetooth with Widcomm driver on PC

[RGSchmidt]

I know that NI states that they only support BT devices that work with Microsoft driver. I am creating a BT "Hands Free" device but the MS drivers don't support the required functionality. Is there any way to hook the LV BT functions into Widcomm driver? NI supports Widcomm for PDA so why not PC?

I would prefer not to have to develop app using MSVC but ... 😞

Thanks. 

[CKap]

Hello,

If you have access to the header file for the Widcomm driver DLL, then I would suggest that you use the Shared Library Import Wizard (LabVIEW 8.2) to create VIs pertaining to the different function calls. I would guess that the Bluetooth API in LabVIEW makes calls to the dll for the Microsoft Bluetooth driver and for that reason the Widcomm driver is not supported. I would like for you to file a Product Suggestion to let R&D know about your requirements.

Regards,
Chetan K
Application Engineering
National Instruments

[RGSchmidt]

Hi Chetan,

I was trying to avoid all of the extra work of wrapping all of the necessary DLL functions (and there are a lot) but it looks like it is either that or use MSVC. I may be able to get away with using CVI since I will be making the DLL calls.

I will also file a Product Suggestion so that R&D can know that MS is not always the best (solution. 🙂

Thanks.

[Jarrod_S.]

Your product suggestion would be most welcome. It's interesting to point out that WidComm drivers were the most popular on PDA targets, and so for a while the PDA Module only supported WIDCOMM and not MS (now there's support for both on PDA).

Another quick and easy alternative that might work for you would be to set up your Bluetooth connection as a virtual serial port and just use VISA to send data from your PC to your Bluetooth device. This doesn't allow for advanced functionality, however, such as pairing and detection, just sending data.

[Michael.Phillips]

The LabVIEW PDA Module supports Bluetooth communication on PDA devices running Pocket PC 2003 or Windows Mobile 5.0 with the WIDCOMM Bluetooth DLLs version 1.4 or later or the Microsoft Bluetooth driver. If your PDA device has the WIDCOMM Bluetooth driver, you must install the WIDCOMM Bluetooth DLLs.

Note: Do not install the WIDCOMM Bluetooth DLLs if you have the Microsoft Bluetooth driver or you receive an error when you use the Bluetooth VIs and functions.

Complete the following steps to install the WIDCOMM Bluetooth DLLs.

1. Connect to ActiveSync on the host computer.
2. On the host computer, run labview\PDA\Utilities\Bluetooth\setup.exe to install the DLLs on the PDA device.

You also can right-click the PDA target in the Project Explorer window and select Install»Support for WIDCOMM Bluetooth from the shortcut menu.

Refer to readme.txt, located in the labview\PDA\Utilities\Bluetooth directory, for more information about manually installing the WIDCOMM Bluetooth DLLs.

All of the above information was copied from the LabVIEW PDA Module Help.

[Michael.Phillips]

My mistake, I see you were asking about PCs, not PDAs.