The Bluetooth Framework is the Software Developer Kit (SDK) that provides easy access
to the Bluetooth features on Windows platforms. The library supports both Bluetooth Classic
and Bluetooth Low Energy technologies. The Bluetooth Framework is a part of the
Wireless Communication Library but can be used as a standalone library.
Unlike standard solutions, such as Bluetooth classes in Delphi or the Windows WinRT API, the Bluetooth Framework
provides much better control over the Bluetooth functionality in your applications. Additionally, the Bluetooth Framework can
work with non-standard devices, such as the BLED112 USB Bluetooth dongle. Support for Bluetooth drivers
from BlueSoleil and Toshiba, in addition to the standard Microsoft Bluetooth drivers, makes your application
using the Bluetooth Framework versatile and allows users not to worry about choosing a correct Bluetooth driver.
Working on the Bluetooth Framework, our team has found a large number of solutions for functionality that is not provided by the
standard Windows Bluetooth API. By continuously testing all new Windows and other Bluetooth drivers updates, we promptly fix potential
incompatibilities and new bugs in the Bluetooth drivers. This is especially true for new versions of Windows 11, which are notorious
for their instability.
The Bluetooth Framework includes numerous demonstration applications that will help you quickly start developing your application
for communication with Bluetooth devices. Additionally, on our website you can find detailed articles to assist you in working with the
Bluetooth Framework. In particular, the article about the Bluetooth Low Energy GATT protocol, based on
the GattClient example, will help you start developing an application for working with BLE devices in just a few
minutes. And the article about the Bluetooth Classic RFCOMM-based devices will easily introduce you to the
realm of classic Bluetooth devices.
In addition to the Bluetooth functionality, the Bluetooth Framework includes an implementation of the OBEX
client and server. This allows your applications to utilize features such as working with the phonebook, SMS,
file transfer, and more. Beyond data transfer, the Bluetooth Framework enables you to work with
audio devices: discover all audio devices, determine which ones are operating over Bluetooth, and connect or
disconnect not only to the entire audio device but also to its individual services. For example, you can easily connect to the A2DP
profile of your headphones without connecting to the Hands-Free profile. For a general explanation of what each profile does, see
the Bluetooth Classic profiles overview.
The library is fully compatible with Unity and completely supports both the Mono
and IL2CPP scripting backends. This means it can be integrated into Unity
projects and used across supported Editor and player build
configurations without needing separate implementations or workarounds for either backend.
Using the Bluetooth Framework instead of native APIs from Microsoft or other Bluetooth driver
manufacturers will drastically reduce your development time, resulting in significant cost savings for your project.
