openHAB with Bluetooth

Last modified by Normann P. Nielsen on 2025/12/12 15:15

Topics

Topics
Add BT Support in Ubuntu
Test discovery and functionality
Installing Addons in openHAB
Managing BT Devices
A Thing in openHAB

During another problem/trouble shooting I ran:

sudo systemctl stop openhab2
sudo openhab-cli clean-cache
sudo systemctl start openhab2

That seems to remove the BT Bindings... but a reinstall fixed it (and no Things was lost)

As my openHAB installation is on a Laptop with Ubuntu 18-04 (Server, no UI) i knew that Bluetooth (BT) was somewhat avaliable.

The main purpose of playing with BT is "whos home" and "when has a devices been seen last time" - do look at this link, as we will use this excellent binding.

An interesting part to notice there is:
Success

The easiest and most effective way to detect presence is to use so called "Bluetooth beacon" devices.

Normally, most of Bluetooth devices broadcast messages, however there are some devices that try to hide themselves from receivers providing privacy for their owners. Many of modern mobile phones (iPhone and Android) every so often (roughly every 10 minutes) randomly generate a new Bluetooth address and abandon old one making it impossible to track them by its address.

The latter part being a problem I think. Do read these links: Bluetooth Technology Protecting Your Privacy and MAC address randomization joins Apples heap of iOS 8.....
SuccessTheres a excellent community thread at https://community.openhab.org/t/3rd-party-bluetooth-binding-beta-testers-needed for this Binding

Add BT Support in Ubuntu

First discovery was that the Ubuntu OS had no BT installed, so we need to do this:

sudo apt-get install bluez
sudo systemctl status bluetooth
? bluetooth.service - Bluetooth service
  Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/bluetooth.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
  Active: active (running) since Wed 2019-01-23 18:27:43 UTC; 2 days ago
    Docs: man:bluetoothd(8)
Main PID: 14880 (bluetoothd)
  Status: "Running"
   Tasks: 1 (limit: 3930)
  CGroup: /system.slice/bluetooth.service
          ??14880 /usr/lib/bluetooth/bluetoothd

Jan 23 18:27:43 robin systemd[1]: Starting Bluetooth service...
Jan 23 18:27:43 robin bluetoothd[14880]: Bluetooth daemon 5.48
Jan 23 18:27:43 robin bluetoothd[14880]: Starting SDP server
Jan 23 18:27:43 robin systemd[1]: Started Bluetooth service.
Jan 23 18:27:43 robin bluetoothd[14880]: Bluetooth management interface 1.14 initialized

Ok, so BT was up and running, and to make sure openHAB could use it:

sudo usermod -a -G bluetooth openhab
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl restart bluetooth

Test discovery and functionality

A little testing of discovery etc:

sudo bluetoothctl
[NEW] Controller F0:03:8C:61:7E:2E Bluetooth robin [default]
[NEW] Device 08:6D:41:E7:FF:7B 08-6D-41-E7-FF-7B
[NEW] Device 53:EA:0B:88:DC:13 53-EA-0B-88-DC-13
Agent registered
[CHG] Device 08:6D:41:E7:FF:7B RSSI: -79
[bluetooth]# list
Controller F0:03:8C:61:7E:2E Bluetooth robin [default]
[bluetooth]#
[bluetooth]# show
Controller F0:03:8C:61:7E:2E (public)
Name: robin
Alias: Bluetooth robin
Class: 0x0000010c
Powered: yes
Discoverable: no
Pairable: yes
UUID: Generic Attribute Profile (00001801-0000-1000-8000-00805f9b34fb)
UUID: A/V Remote Control        (0000110e-0000-1000-8000-00805f9b34fb)
UUID: PnP Information           (00001200-0000-1000-8000-00805f9b34fb)
UUID: A/V Remote Control Target (0000110c-0000-1000-8000-00805f9b34fb)
UUID: Generic Access Profile    (00001800-0000-1000-8000-00805f9b34fb)
Modalias: usb:v1D6Bp0246d0530
Discovering: yes
[bluetooth]#

Scan for devices:

[bluetooth]# scan on
Discovery started
[CHG] Device 08:6D:41:E7:FF:7B RSSI: -79
[CHG] Device 08:6D:41:E7:FF:7B RSSI: -78
[CHG] Device 53:EA:0B:88:DC:13 RSSI: -75
[CHG] Device 53:EA:0B:88:DC:13 ManufacturerData Key: 0x004c
[CHG] Device 53:EA:0B:88:DC:13 ManufacturerData Value:
0c 0e 08 f4 f0 09 f7 7f b0 f5 01 69 dd 37 b6 eb ...........i.7..
[CHG] Device 53:EA:0B:88:DC:13 RSSI: -75
[CHG] Device 53:EA:0B:88:DC:13 ManufacturerData Key: 0x004c
[CHG] Device 53:EA:0B:88:DC:13 ManufacturerData Value:
0c 0e 08 f5 f0 21 56 5b 46 b4 8c 0a 54 79 16 02 .....!V[F...Ty..
[CHG] Device 08:6D:41:E7:FF:7B RSSI: -78
[CHG] Device 53:EA:0B:88:DC:13 RSSI: -76
[CHG] Device 08:6D:41:E7:FF:7B RSSI: -81
[bluetooth]#
[CHG] Device 53:EA:0B:88:DC:13 RSSI: -78

Installing Addons in openHAB

OK - so we are ready for openHAB - the short story is to follow https://github.com/sputnikdev/eclipse-smarthome-bluetooth-binding - (remember to press "Save" in the Configuration → System → Market dialog emoticon_smile ) You need to use a 3rd party BT binding that s not pr. default available in openHAB.

Follow the installation, and You should be running - this should be quite clear in the inbox, it should be populated with discovered devices..:

Screenshot 2019-01-26 at 12.03.19.png

Managing BT Devices

This is actually where it gets tricky and I am partly stucked, as I am having a hard time pairing a lot (Yes, You have a lot of BT devices in Your home and the tip in the top Tip Box may play a part here ) and their MAC adresses to real physical devices.

BT Devices has a MAC address like a Network Interface, and there are several ways to discover devices and addresses:

batman:~ bnp$ system_profiler SPBluetoothDataType
Bluetooth:

     Apple Bluetooth Software Version: 6.0.9f2
     Hardware, Features, and Settings:
         Name: batman
         Address: 08-6D-41-E7-FF-7B
         Bluetooth Low Energy Supported: Yes
         Handoff Supported: Yes
         Instant Hot Spot Supported: Yes
         Manufacturer: Broadcom
         Transport: USB
         Chipset: 20702B0
         Firmware Version: v149 c9314
         Bluetooth Power: On
         Discoverable: Off
         Connectable: Yes
         Auto Seek Pointing: On
         Remote wake: On
         Vendor ID: 0x05AC
         Product ID: 0x8289
         HCI Version: 4.0 (0x6)
         HCI Revision: 0x2462
         LMP Version: 4.0 (0x6)
         LMP Subversion: 0x4195
         Device Type (Major): Computer
         Device Type (Complete): Mac Desktop
         Composite Class Of Device: 0x380104
         Device Class (Major): 0x01
         Device Class (Minor): 0x01
         Service Class: 0x1C0
         Auto Seek Keyboard: On
     Devices (Paired, Configured, etc.):
         Normann P. Nielsen’s Mouse #2:
             Address: B8-44-D9-F1-15-59
             Major Type: Peripheral
             Minor Type: Mouse
             Services: Magic Mouse 2
             Paired: Yes
             Configured: Yes
             Connected: Yes
             Manufacturer: Broadcom (0x5, 0x240C)
             Battery Level: 67%
             Firmware Version: 0x0064
             Vendor ID: 0x004C
             Product ID: 0x0269
             Class of Device: 0x05 0x20 0x0580
             AFH: On
             AFH Map: F9FFFF7FFFFFDBFFFF7F
             RSSI: -45
             Role: Master
             Connection Mode: Sniff Mode
             Interval: 11.25 ms
             Host Connectable: Yes
             EDR Supported: Yes
             eSCO Supported: No
             SSP Supported: Yes
         Soveværelse:
             Address: D0-03-4B-E5-A3-73
             Major Type: Miscellaneous
             Minor Type: Unknown
             Services:
             Paired: No
             Configured: Yes
             Connected: No
             Class of Device: 0x00 0x00 0x0000
         Apple TV:
             Address: C8-D0-83-C5-BB-4C
             Major Type: Miscellaneous
             Minor Type: Unknown
             Services:
             Paired: No
             Configured: Yes
             Connected: No
             Class of Device: 0x00 0x00 0x0000
         Anette W. Nielsens iPhone:
             Address: 4C-7C-5F-7D-8A-4A
             Major Type: Miscellaneous
             Minor Type: Unknown
             Services:
             Paired: No
             Configured: Yes
             Connected: No
             Class of Device: 0x00 0x00 0x0000
         jarvis (2):
             Address: 78-4F-43-A0-21-3A
             Major Type: Miscellaneous
             Minor Type: Unknown
             Services:
             Paired: No
             Configured: Yes
             Connected: No
             Class of Device: 0x00 0x00 0x0000
         Normann P. Nielsen’s iPad:
             Address: 54-AE-27-10-02-87
             Major Type: Miscellaneous
             Minor Type: Unknown
             Services:
             Paired: No
             Configured: Yes
             Connected: No
             Class of Device: 0x00 0x00 0x0000
         Normann P.'s iPhone:
             Address: 90-B0-ED-99-75-28
             Major Type: Miscellaneous
             Minor Type: Unknown
             Services:
             Paired: No
             Configured: Yes
             Connected: No
             Class of Device: 0x00 0x00 0x0000
         iPhone:
             Address: 80-EA-96-16-60-B7
             Major Type: Miscellaneous
             Minor Type: Unknown
             Services:
             Paired: No
             Configured: Yes
             Connected: No
             Class of Device: 0x00 0x00 0x0000
         Normann P.'s iPhone:
             Address: 34-AB-37-EF-C3-CE
             Major Type: Miscellaneous
             Minor Type: Unknown
             Services:
             Paired: No
             Configured: Yes
             Connected: No
             Class of Device: 0x00 0x00 0x0000
     Services:
         Bluetooth File Transfer:
             Folder other devices can browse: ~/Public
             When receiving items: Accept all without warning
             State: Disabled
         Bluetooth File Exchange:
             Folder for accepted items: ~/Downloads
             When other items are accepted: Save to location
             When receiving items: Accept all without warning
             State: Disabled
         Bluetooth Internet Sharing:
             State: Disabled
     Incoming Serial Ports:
         Bluetooth-Incoming-Port:
             RFCOMM Channel: 3
             Requires Authentication: No

batman:~ bnp$

Information

What I do notice, it the the name of the devices is rarely present, and that the MAC address rarely matches the MAC addresses found in openHAB. That is currently an ongoing investigation. Any good clues here? Feel free to mail me at bnp@mos-eisley.dk or drop a comment

There are several lookup tools like https://macaddresschanger.com/bluetooth-mac-lookup that should help, but I find the reliability of them low... often my MACs are not resolved to a Vendor

A Thing in openHAB

A few samples of discovered BT Things in openHAB, its worth noticing that the capabilities can differ quite a lot - refer to Bluetooth on Wikipedia; currently the specs range from version 1 to 5:

Screenshot 2019-01-26 at 12.18.05.png

Screenshot 2019-01-26 at 12.16.19.png

Screenshot 2019-01-26 at 12.17.44.png