node-red-contrib-ble-scanner 0.0.1

Generic Node-RED BLE reader for raw notification messages.

npm install node-red-contrib-ble-scanner

node-red-contrib-ble-scanner

Strict TypeScript Node.js library, CLI, and Node-RED nodes for collecting raw Bluetooth LE notification messages.

The package supports two BLE backend implementations:

• auto: uses BlueZ on Linux when available, otherwise noble
• bluez: uses Linux BlueZ over D-Bus
• noble: uses @abandonware/noble

Library

The package exports a typed ESM API from dist/index.js:

• discoverDevices(options) returns matching BLE devices
• readDevices(options) discovers, connects, subscribes, and collects raw notifications
• readDevice(device, options) reads one discovered device
• connectReaders(options) discovers and connects once, then returns persistent readers with read() and disconnect()
• shutdownBluetooth() stops active BLE sessions

Each reading contains device metadata, a timestamp, the subscribed notification characteristic UUID, and a messages array. Every raw message includes the original Buffer as data plus hex, base64, bytes, length, and timestamp.

import { connectReaders } from 'node-red-contrib-ble-scanner';

const readers = await connectReaders({
  deviceName: 'My BLE Device',
  scanServiceUuid: 'fff0',
  matchServiceUuid: 'fff0',
  notifyUuid: 'fff1',
  listenMs: 5000
});

try {
  const reading = await readers[0].read();
  console.log(reading.messages.map((message) => message.hex));
} finally {
  await Promise.all(readers.map((reader) => reader.disconnect()));
}

Nodes

• ble-reader-device: config node for BLE discovery, device selection, and notification UUID
• ble-reader-read: input node that collects raw notifications

Use the config node's search button to discover devices from the Node-RED editor. Select one exact advertised device name, or keep "All discovered devices".

The output is placed in msg.payload as an array with zero, one, or multiple readings.

Incoming msg.payload may contain { deviceName, listenMs, serviceUuid, notifyUuid } to override the configured values for one read.

CLI

npm install
npm run build
npm run discover
npm run read

Useful options:

node ./bin/ble-reader.js discover
node ./bin/ble-reader.js discover --name-prefix SK
node ./bin/ble-reader.js discover --service-uuid fff0
node ./bin/ble-reader.js read "My BLE Device" --notify-uuid fff1 --listen-ms 5000
node ./bin/ble-reader.js read --bluetooth bluez --debug
node ./bin/ble-reader.js read "My BLE Device" --interval 5

read --interval 5 keeps the BLE session open and collects notifications every five seconds until stopped.

Development

npm run build
npm run lint
npm test
npm run check