- Get Console iOS Application (Instructions)
- Airconsole - General
- Airconsole - Get Console Integration
- Airconsole 2.0 - Bluetooth Support
- Airconsole - Technical Details
- Airconsole - Other Apps
- Private Server
- Remote Access (Session Sharing) feature
- Troubleshooting
- Known Issues
- General
- Airconsole - Availability and Pricing
Frequently Asked Questions > Airconsole 2.0 - Bluetooth Support
What is new in Airconsole 2.0
Airconsole 2.0 updates the USB cable hardware and firmware supplied on Airconsole adaptors to enable support for Serial over Bluetooth (Low Energy and 2.1) connectivity via iOS, Mac, PC and Android. This means Airconsole is even easier to get setup and working on smartphones, tablets, PC and Mac.
How Does Bluetooth Low Energy Work on Airconsole?
Airconsole uses a new USB-Serial-Bluetooth combination cable and runs additional software to support Serial connections over both Bluetooth Low Energy or Bluetooth 2.1. The new cable features the Bluetooth radio connected to the female USB port integrated into the cable. The new software running on Airconsole CPU handles all the bluetooth serial connectivity.
Does Airconsole 2.0 still work on WIFI?
Yes, Airconsole still supports connections over 802.11b/g/n WIFI for both Serial ports and bridging to Wired Ethernet port. No existing Airconsole 1.x features have been removed. Airconsole now works with Bluetooth in addition to WIFI.
Why is Serial over Bluetooth a "Good Thing"?
Can I use the USB-hub-Serial cable directly plugged into on my Mac or PC?
Yes - when you connect the USB-Hub-Serial cable to a USB port on your Mac or PC it will detect it as a USB-Serial cable and it can be used as a direct serial cable just as the previous USB-Serial cable could be. The drivers for direct connection are on our www.get-console.com/airconsole resources section.
Can I connect to Airconsole via Bluetooth from my Mac or PC?
Yes - The same drivers for direct USB connection also support Bluetooth operation. We publish drivers for connecting Mac to Airconsole via Bluetooth low energy. For PC (Win 7, 8) connecting to Airconsole is via Bluetooth 2.1.
Bluetooth support is only available in the latest OSX (AirconsoleOSX) and Windows (AirconsoleWIN) driver packages. These are available in the resources section of the Airconsole page.
What are the limitations of Serial over Bluetooth Low Energy?
Does Bluetooth Serial work with my Android Phone?
Yes - however on Android Airconsole will use Bluetooth 2.1 EDR rather than Bluetooth Low Energy. This is because Android support for Bluetooth Low Energy is unstable, even in the Android 4.4 and later. Also Bluetooth 2.1 offers native Serial Port Profile support which allows for higher serial baud rates without any packet loss. While Airconsole should work with Bluetooth on most Android terminal apps that support Bluetooth Serial Adaptors (i.e. Blueterm), we support full operation only with our own free terminal app “SerialBot” available in the Google Play store.
Can I Upgrade my existing Airconsole to Airconsole 2.0?
Is there a SDK to develop my own BTLE Serial Apps?
Yes. We have updated our iOS SDK to allow for other developers to make apps with Bluetooth Low Energy serial connections via Airconsole. Full details and sample code are available in the SDK.