Supporting "Just Works" adverts

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cross mob
Anonymous
Not applicable

I have a requirement that says my device must only support the "Just Works" association model which is easily support by the Android and iOS stacks but the Microsoft Windows requires the use of their "inbox experience", can the Broadcom stack support "Just Works" or does it follow the MS model of discovery and pairing via the Windows "inbox experience"?

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Broadcom provides only profile pack on Windows 7.  Pairing experience is from Microsoft.  I think you are a bit confused by terminology.  Just works is a method of pairing which is used by headless devices (no input/no output).  Obviously PC has both input and output.  Meanwhile Microsoft supports pairing with headless devices and just works pairing is used, and it works quite well.  What you are probably looking for is the way for an application or a peer device to initiate pairing.  This is indeed not supported by Microsoft OS.  This was a conscious decision to have all technologies to go through the same experience.  And there is no way out of it.  Well, at least until Windows.Next.

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asridharan
Employee
Employee
10 comments on KBA 5 comments on KBA First comment on KBA

Just works is the default pairing method supported by 2073x devices.

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Anonymous
Not applicable

That may be true in the firmware but not in the Windows stack/Broadcom API unless of course there has been an update that I don't know about??

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> but not in the Windows stack/Broadcom API

I can't speak for the Windows 8 stack, but I am quite sure the Broadcom stack (that runs on Windows 7 and below) supports just works.

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Anonymous
Not applicable

Which Broadcom stack API call do you think supports Just Works without first having to pair the device?

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Sorry if I wasn't being clear, but just works is a pairing algorithm. See BT spec volume 3, part H, section 2.3 (2.3.5 for pairing algorithms, 2.3.5.2 for just works).

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Anonymous
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i am familiar with that section of the spec but unfortunately Just Works from what I can see has yet to be implemented in either the Broadcom or Microsoft stacks, works great in iOS and Android though...

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Broadcom provides only profile pack on Windows 7.  Pairing experience is from Microsoft.  I think you are a bit confused by terminology.  Just works is a method of pairing which is used by headless devices (no input/no output).  Obviously PC has both input and output.  Meanwhile Microsoft supports pairing with headless devices and just works pairing is used, and it works quite well.  What you are probably looking for is the way for an application or a peer device to initiate pairing.  This is indeed not supported by Microsoft OS.  This was a conscious decision to have all technologies to go through the same experience.  And there is no way out of it.  Well, at least until Windows.Next.

Anonymous
Not applicable

Getting the words correct when talking association models always seems confusing for some reason. There should be an API in Windows that supports live scanning so that BLE servers Just Works adverts can be dealt with without having to use the classic pairing model. From what I have seen with both the MS and BC stacks depend upon a bunch of registry entries that are created when the classing pairing model is used and the BLE registry hive is populated with appropriate settings to support subsequent connections. From my understanding of reading the spec, Just Works requires the server to be the master and the host to be the slave in order to function correctly which I guess would require a role switch by the host when it 1st responds to the Just Works advert. I have yet to see the BC stack respond to a Just Works advert...

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It is a big stack and it might be a bit confusing.  There are no Just Works adverts, and there is no role switch in LE and it does not matter who initiates pairing.  Just Works pairing is used based on the capabilities of pair of devices.  But the bottom line is that although you think that it "should be an API on Windows" there is no API on Windows to do pairing.  The only way to add a device is through Add Device experience.

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