Raspberry Pi Gets Added Bluetooth Capabilities

Urian B., Tech Times 15 June 2023, 09:06 pm

As more hacksmiths extend the capabilities of what one can d with a Raspberry Pi, users are now getting an added feature that could prove extremely useful, especially regarding connectivity. Users can now check out the added Bluetooth support with the help of the new SDK 1.5.1.

Raspberry Pi Now Enables Bluetooth Support to SDK 1.5.1

According to the story by Hackaday, the reason why this is possible is that there was actually always hidden compatibility regarding the Bluetooth connection. This was done because it initially had the CYW43439 radio chipset, which was used on the Pi Pico wireless version.

Fans can check out more about SDK 1.5.1 and its enabling of additional Bluetooth support on its official Github posting. It was specifically phrased as the Raspberry Pi Pico W got the "addition of Bluetooth support to SDK 1.5.1."

Despite the Pi Pico always having the radio chipset that would have enabled connectivity via Bluetooth, it was noted that this feature wasn't officially accessible in the past. Users weren't able to gain access to this feature from the C or MicroPython environments until just recently.

Explanation for Why There was a Delay in the Feature

A new blog post by Eben Upton explains why there was a delay for the connectivity option. As detailed, this was reportedly because although the Pi Pico already had WiFi and Bluetooth, the main challenge was to have the two work simultaneously.

It was noted that this was because they initially struggled to work simultaneously over the "?three-pin SPI bus" that is used to link both of the chips to the board. This posed an initial problem for users who wanted to use both connectivities.

One thing that really stood out was the use of the BTStack by BlueKitchen to give both Bluetooth Classic and Low Energy profiles. It was also noted that the library was released under a new and modified version of the previous BSD 3-Clause license.

The Commercial Restrictions Around the Use of the Technology

It was noted that the license "specifically forbids commercial use," which would then pose a problem for those trying to sell a gadget that uses the Pico W. This means that users should be cautious when thinking of commercial uses for the device.

Fans can learn more about the commercial restrictions through its Github listing, which highlights the copyrights regarding its usage. As seen on Github, it was a posting in 2009 by BlueKitchen GmbH, and it started by detailing how it permitted redistribution and use in source and binary form but under certain conditions.

However, Raspberry Pi Ltd was able to negotiate for a "special dispensation" for users to still use it commercially. The report by Hackaday highlights how Bluetooth support remained in the beta state so users might want to wait until the feature gets its final version.