HID Profile

[madscientist_42]

I would like my ESP32 to act as a bluetooth keyboard. As I understand, this is not currently possible. Will support for the HID profile allow this? Is there any progress on this matter?

HID profile support would require one to implement it on top of the current Classic service layers which aren't there yet...yet.

Even if you had it there, it would require a bit of work on someone's part to implement that profile layer on top of the current ones in Android (remember...they're using BlueDroid right now to do that.)- or you could nab BlueKitchen's stuff or if I get done with something I'm putzing with a bit, you could implement classic on top of something like lwbt.

Ultimately, none of the FOSS available stacks do HID that I know of. BlueKitchen's not really FOSS (not knocking it- it's Source Available, and I think it might offer something there...). Having said this, it's very doable as long as you trim the excess fat (i.e. WiFi if you don't actually NEED it, etc.) and I'm intending to do something ultimately there if I find enough time in everything else I'm doing to do that.

[HITMAnsOFT]

You'd be surprised at how many are implementing HOGP these days.

If I'm not mistaken, Apple magic keyboards/mice/trackpads all use HOGP. No way a classic BT keyboard would work for several months on a pair of AAs.

[madscientist_42]

Apple's mostly gone BLE. HOGP makes a lot of sense. It removes the need of most of the proprietary designs out of box. Problem is? Only Apple's got full HOGP support right now. It's a bit of a mixed bag. On Windows, you don't really have it until WinX if I'm not mistaken. If you're on Linux, the distributions haven't qualified the versions of BlueZ that support the profile. Android? Heh. Some have the latest iterations of Fluoride/Bluedroid- which would have it...but most devices don't have it. Even when you do...some devices don't work right under HOGP, some do. It's a bit of a mess unless you're using Apple's stuff because they're a bit slow adopting it.

It's why I want to make a Classic bridge to HOGP that can be battery or mains powered- it would allow a lot of devices to be used where they couldn't otherwise. Many of the new wireless AirMice use HOGP. Pretty much all the nifty VR and similar Android/iPhone controllers out from Mocute, etc. are HOGP. No workie with many of the things I'd like to use them with.

[HITMAnsOFT]

Oh I forgot to add smart TVs. The touchpad remote for my Panasonic is also BLE-based, and it has smaller batteries than the standard IR remote. I was thinking about getting Apple keyboard/trackpad for my MacBook Pro, with the hope that they might work with the TV also.

I was experimenting with a gyroscope and an Arduino Pro Micro(32u4) to make something like an air mouse glove. I got the cursor moving the way I like! The only issue was the USB cable, which I'm trying to get rid of by using ESP32 instead of Pro Micro.

[madscientist_42]

Oh I forgot to add smart TVs. The touchpad remote for my Panasonic is also BLE-based, and it has smaller batteries than the standard IR remote. I was thinking about getting Apple keyboard/trackpad for my MacBook Pro, with the hope that they might work with the TV also.

I was experimenting with a gyroscope and an Arduino Pro Micro(32u4) to make something like an air mouse glove. I got the cursor moving the way I like! The only issue was the USB cable, which I'm trying to get rid of by using ESP32 instead of Pro Micro.

Ah, someone else putzing in a similar space.

[chipswithgravey]

Looks like someone has opened a ticket about this: https://github.com/espressif/esp-idf/issues/782