UHK80 BT connection issues

[mhantsch]

TL;DR:
I can pair multiple BT devices, but I can't switch to them once I have more than 1 device paired.

UHK80 on firmware with "max-style" bluetooth slots handling.

 Right keyboard half firmware: UltimateHackingKeyboard/firmware: 16.1.0 #5bc2b9b
 Left keyboard half firmware: UltimateHackingKeyboard/firmware: 16.1.0 #5bc2b9b
 Key cluster firmware: rightaditya/uhkfirmware: 11.2.0 #highres-2024-10-15
 Touchpad is detected, and its firmware is implemented by the right keyboard half.

I've reset my Windows 11 Laptop, I've deleted all Connections on the UHK, and I have deleted device pairings. I also removed UHK80 pairings on Windows and my Pixel 9a Android phone, and I have turned bluetooth off and on again.

UHK80 is plugged into the Laptop via USB, and Agent is running. In addition, I also rebooted the UHK in preparation for this.

This should be a "clean slate".

In Windows, I add a new BT device:

I get asked for the pairing code, and I enter it on the UHK.

The OLED shows Bluetooth device, slot 2.

Agent shows A new Bluetooth device has been paired to this UHK. Add it to connections so that you can switch to it.

In Windows, I see multiple devices (why? should it not show only "UHK 80"?):

In Agent, I rename the connection to "F Laptop" and Save to keyboard:

The OLED now also shows "F Laptop", and I can switch between USB and BT connections on the UHK. All good so far.

Next, I want to pair my Pixel phone. But on the Pixel I only see "UHK 80 Right NUS". That's not what I want to pair with.
So I execute a macro that runs bluetooth toggle advertise. But no change. How to get new HID advertisment?

I modify the UHK macros to run:

set bluetooth.enabled true
set bluetooth.alwaysAdvertiseHid true
bluetooth advertise

Still nothing different after I run this.

I end up running set bluetooth.enabled false, wait a few seconds, then run the enabling macro (the one above) again. I guess because turning BT off on the UHK made the existing BT connection to the "F Laptop" drop, so that's why now I could quickly find it on the Pixel phone and pair it. Pairing worked, and Agent shows the "add to the connections" prompt, which I did.

The OLED now shows "USB connection", and "next Connection" and "previous Connection" actions are not switching anything. It's just stuck at "USB connection".

Trying a dedicated switching button to switch to "1:F Laptop" or "2:Pixel 9a Max" show the "USB connection -> F Laptop" or "USB connection -> Pixel 9a Max" on the OLED for a few seconds, then revert back to "USB connection".

So how to switch over to the BT connections?

Modifying the macro to:

set bluetooth.enabled true
// set bluetooth.alwaysAdvertiseHid true
bluetooth advertise

Doesn't help either. bluetooth toggle advertise doesn't change anything either. I have no way of actually using these two newly added BT connections.

[mhantsch]

I am quite confused by the different advertise and alwaysAdvertiseHid options, and the whole process of pairing / binding / switching. How is a regular user supposed to use this in its simplest way? If I don't understand how all these options are supposed to be used, how would a normal (non developer) user manage to get their BT devices paired and working?

[kareltucek]

But no change. How to get new HID advertisment?

Either disconnect the hid that is connected, or enter bluetooth pair mode.

The OLED now shows "USB connection", and "next Connection" and "previous Connection" actions are not switching anything. It's just stuck at "USB connection".

next and previous switch only over devices that are currently connected.

Trying a dedicated switching button to switch to "1:F Laptop" or "2:Pixel 9a Max" show the "USB connection -> F Laptop" or "USB connection -> Pixel 9a Max" on the OLED for a few seconds, then revert back to "USB connection".

This should work, except those devices probably fight furiously for the connection :-(.

I am quite confused by the different advertise and alwaysAdvertiseHid options

bluetooth advertise instructs it to switch a mode.
set bluetooth.alwaysAdvertiseHid true instructs whether to advertise hid always when no hid is connected, or only after a bluetooth advertise/pair command.

[mhantsch]

I turned BT off and on on my Windows Laptop and on the Pixel phone. Now Agent showed me that new devices have been paired and added them to the Connections. However, these are the same BT-MAC of the existing and already named connections. Now they are duplicated. Wtf?? I hadn't cleared any pairing info. This is all wrong. I didn't even change any settings, did not update any configs.

[mhantsch]

And of course I cannot switch to any of the new connections. It always remain on "USB connection –> ..." for a few seconds, then switches back to "USB connection".

[kareltucek]

Thanks for all the feedback!

Turns out that the BT_HCI_ERR_LOCALHOST_TERM_CONN wrought much greater havoc than I anticipated possible.

Please move to #1439

[mhantsch]

BT_HCI_ERR_LOCALHOST_TERM_CONN

I don't know what that is, but I will move on... when the build is ready...

[mhantsch]

OK, I'm on 16.1.0 #76139bf now, but still cannot switch to any of the already paired connections. Shall I delete all of them an re-pair?

[kareltucek]

Hold on, I am about to do my own round of testing.

[mhantsch]

Well, good news. After deleting all old pairings from UHK and all devices, and re-pairing everything, I am able to pair all devices and switch between them.

The only thing that is now misbehaving is the 'switch to previous' and 'switch to next' actions. They just seem to switch between the last and current connection; they never cycle through the other slots. What's the intended behaviour?

[mhantsch]

Oh, and this time, I also used the bluetooth pair command to set the UHK into pairing mode each time I paired the next device. Not sure if that made any difference. I might play with it more next week; have to leave it for now.

[kareltucek]

The only thing that is now misbehaving is the 'switch to previous' and 'switch to next' actions. They just seem to switch between the last and current connection; they never cycle through the other slots. What's the intended behaviour?

To cycle between currently connected connections. I.e., through all blue dongles, one connected ble hid and usb.

[kareltucek]

Oh, and this time, I also used the bluetooth pair command to set the UHK into pairing mode each time I paired the next device. Not sure if that made any difference.

Shouldn't make any.

[mhantsch]

To cycle between currently connected connections

Oh, I thought it would cycle through all slots, not just the connected ones. I guess the connected ones would make more sense it UHK could hold more than 1 simultaneous BT connection. 🤔

[mhantsch]

Weirdly enough, I can switch to the BT connections, but only mouse is working. Can't type anything. Also switching to the Windows laptop does not work consistently. Sometimes it switches, sometimes it just falls back to USB.

[pcooke9]

However, these are the same BT-MAC of the existing and already named connections. Now they are duplicated.

This happened to one of my dongles a few days ago with FW v16.0.0 #2d89c74, or maybe official v16.0.0. I think it happened right after I imported your config. Deleting them from the connections list and re-pairing the dongle fixed it for me as well. I never did figure out how to reproduce it though. I thought I was just crazy, but apparently not 😅.