Hi Everyone, I am a first time poster here. i am working on a project that requires proximity detection by use of bluetooth. I am using the Heltec wireless stick v3 as a base board. I an wondering whether if i can use the BLE to detect the BT classic presence and record the MAC addresses of any devices. Is it possible to do or I have to put an additional BT module to do the detection of nearby devices, such as phones? Thank you in advance
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Hey Song.
Good to have you with us.
I’ve been thinking about this too for different purposes.
The answer is yes but how to achieve it depends on each device.
For example, I’ve learned that on Android there are 6 networking permissions that are required to obtain read access to the list of Bluetooth “suppliers” and there relative strength. But on ios it’s just one and that permission expires and requires constant re-approval by the users unless there in development mode. I haven’t check Mac OS.
Linux is easiest… but then again if you can run usermod enough times you can practically turn your machine into a space heater for the winter.
Windows is a lawless land third party devices bluetooth hardward, each with it’s own driver.
In conclusion.
If the phones you want to get proximity on are known devices with users who trust your device and give you the relevant permissions and have paired with you ahead of time then it may be possible.
It’s a lot of hoops, but the good news is that the infrastructure to pull this off is available. By Adjusting you’re project you may be able to shrink the variables in your design space and make it happen. 
If you do, I’d love to hear more about it.
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I am hoping to have my device sniff the various broadcasted BT or wifi signals from phones, head units, radio etc… that are nearby. so if anyone is driving past a gate or garage it can notify me. if i don’t have to have a normal BT module it is another saving i appreciate.do you have to do anything special to scan for BT classic signals from using the BLE? i have attached the example of what i can see from my iPhone BLE scanning app. There abit of info
I think your “Heltec wireless stick v3” device is using and ESP32…
I am yet to play with Bluetooth. From my reading I think the classic and le are different enough that you need different things for each. That said, something like the ESP32 claims to support both at the same time. So, in theory you should be able to run a scanner for both at the same time. I assume the only thing you really need to see is the mac address (i.e. part of any packet its sending).
from memory on the ESP32 you cant have bluetooth and Wifi on at the same time, so there may be some coding to switch between wifi and bt/e which may be fast enough (needs testing) as the wifi is just in sniff mode, and not an actual connection to anything.
I want to stress the above is what I think you should be able to do based on reading and datasheets
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have a look at this github
Thanks guys, now i am even more confused LOL… Pixmusix… i am hoping you have a way of doing it. My programmer said i need a standard BT module in order to scan for BT signals. I just need the Mac and may be the proximity reading to trigger an action of some sort.
I would have thought varying between the different bands of the 2.4GHz signal would allow you to “see” what the other devices are; and that is controlled within the programming of the sweep signal?
