Building a BLE Real-Time macOS Menu Bar App

This tutorial demonstrates building a real-time macOS menu bar application using a BleuIO USB BLE dongle to display environmental data. BleuIO simplifies BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) development, making it ideal for creating innovative projects. macOS menu bar apps offer a discreet way to monitor data without a dedicated window. This project uses a HibouAir air quality monitor, showcasing BleuIO's integration into real-time applications.

Project Benefits:

• Real-time Data: The app continuously updates the menu bar with fresh data from the BLE device.
• Convenient Access: Live data is readily available in the menu bar, providing at-a-glance information.
• Expandability: This serves as a foundation for more complex BLE projects.

Prerequisites:

1. BleuIO USB BLE Dongle: A user-friendly BLE dongle.
2. HibouAir Air Quality Monitor: A BLE-enabled device broadcasting temperature, pressure, VOC, light, humidity, and CO2.
3. macOS System: A macOS machine with Python 3 installed.
4. Python Libraries: rumps (for menu bar apps) and bleuio (for BleuIO interaction). Install using: pip install rumps bleuio

Real-time Data Handling:

The app connects to BleuIO, scans for HibouAir advertisements, and uses a timer to initiate scans every two minutes. Decoded data (temperature, humidity, pressure, CO2) is displayed in the menu bar.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

Step 1: Environment Setup

1. Ensure Python 3 is installed on your macOS system.
2. Install required Python libraries using pip (see Prerequisites).
3. Connect the BleuIO dongle.

Step 2: Project Overview

The application will:

1. Connect to the BleuIO dongle.
2. Set the dongle to Central Mode for BLE advertisement scanning.
3. Scan for HibouAir's real-time air quality data.
4. Decode the advertisement data.
5. Update the macOS menu bar with the decoded data.

Step 3: Code Implementation

The following Python script manages dongle initialization, data scanning, decoding, and menu updates:

<code class="language-python">import rumps
import time
import json
from datetime import datetime
from bleuio_lib.bleuio_funcs import BleuIO
boardID="220069" #Remember to change this to your HibouAir's board ID

# ... (rest of the code remains the same as in the original input) ...</code>

Remember to replace "220069" with your HibouAir device's actual boardID.

Step 4: Running the Application

1. Save the code as bleuio.py.
2. Execute using: python bleuio.py
3. The app will appear in the menu bar, displaying the current CO2 level. Click the icon for detailed data.

Application Output:

Expanding the Project:

This is a starting point. Consider these extensions:

• Support for multiple BLE devices.
• Threshold-based alerts.
• Data logging or cloud-based data storage for analysis.

This tutorial provides a practical guide to creating a real-time macOS menu bar application using BleuIO, demonstrating BLE data handling and macOS app integration. BleuIO opens many possibilities for BLE projects.

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