java - Android: Sending data >20 bytes by BLE

Question

I am able to send data upto 20 bytes by connecting to an external BLE device. How do I send data greater than 20 bytes. I have read that we have to either fragment the data or split characteristic to required parts. If I assume my data is 32 bytes, could you tell me changes I need to make in my code to get this working? Following are the required snippets from my code:

public boolean send(byte[] data) {
    if (mBluetoothGatt == null || mBluetoothGattService == null) {
        Log.w(TAG, "BluetoothGatt not initialized");
        return false;
    }

    BluetoothGattCharacteristic characteristic =
            mBluetoothGattService.getCharacteristic(UUID_SEND);

    if (characteristic == null) {
        Log.w(TAG, "Send characteristic not found");
        return false;
    }

    characteristic.setValue(data);
    characteristic.setWriteType(BluetoothGattCharacteristic.WRITE_TYPE_NO_RESPONSE);
    return mBluetoothGatt.writeCharacteristic(characteristic);
}

This is the code I used for sending the data. The "send" function is used in the following onclick event.

sendValueButton = (Button) findViewById(R.id.sendValue);
    sendValueButton.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
        @Override
        public void onClick(View v) {
            String text = dataEdit.getText().toString();                           
            yableeService.send(text.getBytes());
        }
    });

When the String text is greater than 20 bytes then only the first 20 bytes are received. How to rectify this?

To test sending multiple characteristics I tried this:

sendValueButton = (Button) findViewById(R.id.sendValue);
sendValueButton.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
    @Override
    public void onClick(View v) {
        String text = "Test1";                           
        yableeService.send(text.getBytes());

        text = "Test2";                           
        yableeService.send(text.getBytes());

        text = "Test3";                           
        yableeService.send(text.getBytes());
    }
});

But I only received "Test3" i.e. the last characteristic. What mistake did I commit? I am new to BLE so please ignore any naiveness

Edit:

After accepting answer for anyone who views this later.

There are two ways to accomplish this. 1. Split up your data and write in a loop as the selected answer does. 2. Split up your data and write using callback i.e. onCharacterisitcWrite(). This will save you from errors if there were any during writing.

But most important between the writes use a Thread.sleep(200) if you are only writing and not waiting for a response from the firmware. This will ensure that all of your data reaches. Without the sleep I was always getting the last packet. If you notice the accepted answer he has also used sleep in between.

Answer 1

BLE allows you transfer maximum of 20 bytes.

If you want to send more than 20 bytes, you should define array byte[] to contain how many packets you want.

Following example worked fine if you want to send less than 160 characters (160 bytes).

p/s : Let edit following as you want. Do not follow me exactly.

Actually, when we are using BLE, mobile side and firmware side need to set up the Key (ex. 0x03 ...) to define the connection gate among both sides.

The idea is :

• When we continue to transfer packets, not is the last one. The gate is byte[1] = 0x01.

• If we send the last one, The gate is byte[1] = 0x00.

The data contruction (20 bytes):

1 - Byte 1 - Define the Gate ID : ex. Message gate ID byte[0] = 0x03.

2 - Byte 2 - Define the recognization : Is the last packet 0x00 or continue sending packets 0x01.

3 - Byte 3 (Should be 18 bytes after eliminating Byte 1 & Byte 2) - Attach the message content in here.

please understand my logic before reading the code below.

Below is an example of sending a Message with many packets, each packet is an array of size 20 bytes.

private void sendMessage(BluetoothGattCharacteristic characteristic, String CHARACTERS){
        byte[] initial_packet = new byte[3];
        /**
         * Indicate byte
         */
        initial_packet[0] = BLE.INITIAL_MESSAGE_PACKET;
        if (Long.valueOf(
                String.valueOf(CHARACTERS.length() + initial_packet.length))
                > BLE.DEFAULT_BYTES_VIA_BLE) {
            sendingContinuePacket(characteristic, initial_packet, CHARACTERS);
        } else {
            sendingLastPacket(characteristic, initial_packet, CHARACTERS);
        }
    }

private void sendingContinuePacket(BluetoothGattCharacteristic characteristic,
            byte[] initial_packet, String CHARACTERS){
        /**
         * TODO If data length > Default data can sent via BLE : 20 bytes
         */
        // Check the data length is large how many times with Default Data (BLE)
        int times = Byte.valueOf(String.valueOf(
                CHARACTERS.length() / BLE.DEFAULT_BYTES_IN_CONTINUE_PACKET));

        Log.i(TAG, "CHARACTERS.length() " + CHARACTERS.length());
        Log.i(TAG, "times " + times);

        // TODO
        // 100 : Success
        // 101 : Error
        byte[] sending_continue_hex = new byte[BLE.DEFAULT_BYTES_IN_CONTINUE_PACKET];
        for (int time = 0; time <= times; time++) {
            /**
             * Wait second before sending continue packet 
             */
            try {
                Thread.sleep(200);
            } catch (InterruptedException e) {
                e.printStackTrace();
            }

            if (time == times) {
                Log.i(TAG, "LAST PACKET ");

                /**
                 * If you do not have enough characters to send continue packet,
                 * This is the last packet that will be sent to the band
                 */

                /**
                 * Packet length byte :
                 */
                /**
                 * Length of last packet
                 */
                int character_length = CHARACTERS.length()
                        - BLE.DEFAULT_BYTES_IN_CONTINUE_PACKET*times;

                initial_packet[1] = Byte.valueOf(String.valueOf(character_length
                        + BLE.INITIAL_MESSAGE_PACKET_LENGTH));
                initial_packet[2] = BLE.SENDING_LAST_PACKET;

                Log.i(TAG, "character_length " + character_length);

                /**
                 * Message
                 */
                // Hex file
                byte[] sending_last_hex = new byte[character_length];

                // Hex file : Get next bytes
                for (int i = 0; i < sending_last_hex.length; i++) {
                    sending_last_hex[i] = 
                            CHARACTERS.getBytes()[sending_continue_hex.length*time + i];
                }

                // Merge byte[]
                byte[] last_packet = 
                        new byte[character_length + BLE.INITIAL_MESSAGE_PACKET_LENGTH];
                System.arraycopy(initial_packet, 0, last_packet,
                        0, initial_packet.length);
                System.arraycopy(sending_last_hex, 0, last_packet, 
                        initial_packet.length, sending_last_hex.length);

                // Set value for characteristic
                characteristic.setValue(last_packet);
            } else {
                Log.i(TAG, "CONTINUE PACKET ");
                /**
                 * If you have enough characters to send continue packet,
                 * This is the continue packet that will be sent to the band
                 */
                /**
                 * Packet length byte
                 */
                int character_length = sending_continue_hex.length;

                /**
                 * TODO Default Length : 20 Bytes
                 */
                initial_packet[1] = Byte.valueOf(String.valueOf(
                        character_length + BLE.INITIAL_MESSAGE_PACKET_LENGTH));

                /**
                 * If sent data length > 20 bytes (Default : BLE allow send 20 bytes one time)
                 * -> set 01 : continue sending next packet
                 * else or if after sent until data length < 20 bytes
                 * -> set 00 : last packet
                 */
                initial_packet[2] = BLE.SENDING_CONTINUE_PACKET;
                /**
                 * Message
                 */
                // Hex file : Get first 17 bytes
                for (int i = 0; i < sending_continue_hex.length; i++) {
                    Log.i(TAG, "Send stt : " 
                            + (sending_continue_hex.length*time + i));

                    // Get next bytes
                    sending_continue_hex[i] = 
                            CHARACTERS.getBytes()[sending_continue_hex.length*time + i];
                }

                // Merge byte[]
                byte[] sending_continue_packet = 
                        new byte[character_length + BLE.INITIAL_MESSAGE_PACKET_LENGTH];
                System.arraycopy(initial_packet, 0, sending_continue_packet, 
                        0, initial_packet.length);
                System.arraycopy(sending_continue_hex, 0, sending_continue_packet, 
                        initial_packet.length, sending_continue_hex.length);

                // Set value for characteristic
                characteristic.setValue(sending_continue_packet);
            }

            // Write characteristic via BLE
            mBluetoothGatt.writeCharacteristic(characteristic);
        }
    }

public boolean writeCharacteristic(BluetoothGattCharacteristic characteristic,
            String data) {
        if (mBluetoothAdapter == null || mBluetoothGatt == null) {
            Log.w(TAG, "BluetoothAdapter not initialized");
            return false;
        }

        if (ActivityBLEController.IS_FIRST_TIME) {
            /**
             * In the first time, 
             * should send the Title
             */
            byte[] merge_title = sendTitle(data);

            // Set value for characteristic
            characteristic.setValue(merge_title);

            // Write characteristic via BLE
            mBluetoothGatt.writeCharacteristic(characteristic);

            // Reset
            ActivityBLEController.IS_FIRST_TIME = false;

            return true;
        } else {
            /**
             * In the second time, 
             * should send the Message
             */
            if (data.length() <= BLE.LIMIT_CHARACTERS) {
                sendMessage(characteristic, data);

                // Reset
                ActivityBLEController.IS_FIRST_TIME = true; 

                return true;
            } else {
                // Typed character
                typed_character = data.length();

                return false;
            }
        }
    }