I have a very, very simple requirement for a bluetooth module/Arduino solution. I want to periodically scan for and report the device ID for any bluetooth devices present. Actual logic regarding further identification of devices would occur downstream. I believe that even SDP is overkill for this application.
In very simple terms, I want to use this information to inform my home automation solution whether or not certain individuals are home.
I'm quite comfortable with Arduino development and interfacing with hardware; have done extensive work with XBee and other RF devices, but have little practical experience with bluetooth development.
My question is this: is this as trivial an implementation as I'm assuming it will be? Should most bluetooth modules available be capable of supporting this requirement? Does anyone have suggestions regarding a specific module which would be a good fit? I'm looking for the lowest-cost solution possible, as most available bluetooth modules seem to be massive overkill for this problem.
Best Answer
Yes, this is as easy as you think it is!
Most integrated Bluetooth modules (modules that have a built-in stack, rather than HCI only which require you to use an external stack) will allow you to scan (inquire) for devices. I've been playing with several recently, the Bluegiga modules such as the WT12 have a particularly nice and easy to use serial interface. For those modules it's pretty much just a case of connecting to a UART, sending the inquire command down to the module and reading back the responses (a line per device found which includes the MAC address and device name).
Most of the modules I've seen have similar commands and interfacing. Expect to pay $20-40 for a module of this type.