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Our customers use Windows 10-based tablets as marine navigation systems. They are paired to NMEA-based GPS and rate of turn sensors via Bluetooth (classic, not LE) Serial Port Profile which creates virtual COM ports on the machine that our navigation application connects to. We are using the built-in Microsoft Bluetooth stack rather than say Toshiba Bluetooth or BlueSoleil.
After each Windows 10 Feature Update (e.g. Creators Update 1703, Fall Creators Update 1709, and April 2018 update 1803) the Bluetooth devices which were formerly paired disappear from Settings > Devices > Bluetooth & other devices.
This generates a swarm of technical support calls every time Microsoft releases a feature update. Is there any way to prevent the SPP device pairings from being deleted? The Bluetooth mouse and keyboard pairings are not (usually) deleted, but any devices which use SPP to create a Virtual COM port disappear. Is there any way to prevent this?
Jason
Posted 2018-06-21T17:34:59.257
Reputation: 11
The possible problem is that device is turned off when windows reboots after update. Keep device turned ON or add vCOM creating into your application (together with repairing) or into watchdog service. So when your application starts you check if the device is still paired and available. If not - repair and re-create vCOM. – Mike Petrichenko – 2018-06-21T17:43:52.143
Thanks for the idea! We will test this with the device powered on during the update. For the second suggestion, we are looking at making the application Bluetooth-aware using 32feet.
– Jason – 2018-06-21T20:53:03.163That is much better to avoid vCOMs when work with Bluetooth and stay with direct Bluetooth connection then. 32feet is good enough for that. – Mike Petrichenko – 2018-06-21T21:09:06.203