Bluetooth 4.0 (low energy) API for windows desktop C# application

Question

I am looking for a way to interface with an Adafruit bluefruit LE (nRF8001 chipset) board, using c# in a windows desktop app (From what I've seen, I cannot use the Windows.Devices namespace without hacking it in.)

The device is properly paired to my tablet and seems to have no problems there, I'm just looking for a way to receive data from it in my program.

There has to be a way to do this, I cant think that Microsoft would limit using bluetooth to metro apps only, I just cant find it.

Answer 1

So, for posterity:

1. Everywhere on the net says to put the below in your csproj file:

   <PropertyGroup> <TargetPlatformVersion>8.0</TargetPlatformVersion> </PropertyGroup>

This is actually incorrect if you are running windows 8.1, you have to put 8.1 there instead of 8.0. This change will allow you to reference the "Windows" assembly in the windows -> core section of the references dialog. Putting 8.0 there gets you a bunch of other things there that you don't want.

2. you also have to reference this dll:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Reference Assemblies\Microsoft\Framework.NETCore\v4.5.1\System.Runtime.WindowsRuntime.dll

Which contains extension methods that allow you to use regular await calls on Windows.Foundation.IAsyncOperation instances. This is required because those instances don't contain the GetAwaiter method that the await keyword looks for.

After that you should be able to use the WinRT API in your desktop application.