Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
CHAPTER 9
iOS Programming
Apple was an early supporter of Bluetooth 4.0 and, as a result, there is a rich set of APIs
and tools to support development of BLE devices and applications using iOS. The iOS
device in question is usually an iPhone (iPhone 4S or later), but iOS also supports BLE
on all relatively new iPads (iPad 3 or later, or any iPad mini) and the fifth generation
iPod Touch devices.
BLE is also supported on later-generation Macs—including iMac (built after late 2012),
MacBook Pro (2012 or later), MacBook Air (2011 or newer), and Mac Pro (2013 or
later)—but this chapter will focus on iOS, specifically iOS 7 and later.
The types of BLE devices and applications most relevant to iOS programming fall into
three main categories:
Peripheral devices with iOS apps
In this category, BLE peripheral devices and sensors are paired with corresponding
iOS apps—for example, a bicycling power and cadence meter that uses the iPhone
to display and record data.
iBeacon devices
The iBeacon is a broadcast-only device that uses BLE advertising (see
“Advertising
and Scanning” on page 19
) to augment navigation indoors, where GPS signals and
cell phone towers typically can't penetrate, to provide location services to iOS de‐
vices (and also Android devices).
Peripheral devices with Apple Notification Center Service
Built into iOS, the Apple Notification Center displays alerts and notifications, such
as incoming caller ID and updates from news services, on the screen of the iOS
device. Using the Apple Notification Center Service (ANCS), iOS devices can use
BLE to display notifications on an auxiliary display, such as a BLE-enabled watch.
