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233 points bahaaador | 1 comments | | HN request time: 0s | source

Hi HN! I built Bluetooth USB Peripheral Relay, a tool that lets Bluetooth devices (like keyboards and mice) connect to USB-only hosts using a Raspberry Pi Zero W.

Why? My friend needed a way to use his Bluetooth mouse and keyboard on a PC with Bluetooth disabled due to policy restrictions. This tool acts as a bridge, relaying Bluetooth input over USB. It also lets you use Bluetooth peripherals with older devices that only support USB input.

Tech: Written in Go, optimized for Raspberry Pi Zero W.

I love HN’s community and often lurk here—I’m hoping this project is useful or at least sparks some interesting discussions. Feedback and contributions are welcome!

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jwr ◴[] No.42126100[source]
This is a wonderful hack!

But — using a Raspberry Pi and Linux is overkill for this. It introduces huge unnecessary complexity. A simpler approach would be to go with Zephyr and a small microcontroller (ARM Cortex M4).

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bahaaador ◴[] No.42126220[source]
Thank you!

I think that's a fair point about potentially wasted resources, something like Pico would have been and a leaner choice if this was going to be mass-produced. But for me, part of the decision was my comfort level with system programming and what I desired to tinker with and learn along the way and still, it's a very affordable option (around 20 CAD I believe)

Perhaps I'll look into porting it to Pico in future as new challenge and learning experience. Thank you for your sharing your thoughts.

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1. imhoguy ◴[] No.42126324[source]
I had same worries like yours but worry not, check MicroPython/CircuitPython when you get a chance. You load it up onto Pico and play with REPL in IDE. It is easier than debugging Go on large-RPi.