WIDCOMM 1.4 is almost here

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8 posts

Wannabe Geek

#618 11-Jul-2003 00:02

Dell has released 1.4.1 for its own line of Bluetooth products. It works ONLY with Dell devices (uses hardware key).

Some other brands will release version 1.4.x in the next weeks, but due to the new hardware key authentification system, there won't be any inf file tweak (as with 1.3.2.7) to install in other brand's devices.

Some issues with HID implementation and hardware-key has delayed the release, scheduled for June.

pearl62

14 posts

Geek

#623 11-Jul-2003 03:00

The problem is that there are lots of vendors selling cheap dongles with little or no support (my Windigo adapter is an example). If there is no hardware lock, then it is quite easy to use hack the drivers to work with other vendors dongles. Now, if you spent considerable effort testing and releasing the latest drivers to keep your customers happy, wouldn't you be a little pissed if other's were taking advantage of it? This is not hte same as Nvidia drivers, as they do not use a standard silicon solution, but provide their own. It would be different if it was CSR themselves who were providing the driver, stack and profiles, but Widcomm is a third party that has to remain in business somehow...

Cheers!

freitasm

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#627 11-Jul-2003 08:56

I agree pearl62, and I know about the amount of testing and customisation put into some products (TDK, Belkin, Bluetake). And I think it wouldn't be fair to other to appropriate all this work.

But CSR and Widcomm should place conditions when giving the manufacturer the reference design. It's only giving Bluetooth a bad name, with all these bad companies placing products in the market without support.

pearl62

14 posts

Geek

#634 11-Jul-2003 15:48

I'm not sure what I did in the process of getting everything to work, but... everything now works great! 1.41 b6 has my PC automatically connecting with my phone, mouse and keyboard via Bluetooth everytime the PC starts. I almost have to scratch my head and wonder how long it's taken for Bluetooth to get this far! I've been at this Bluetooth game for 4 years, and finally it all works!

Cheers!

P.S. Now I better not touch anything or else...

jotek

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

#636 11-Jul-2003 18:40

Hey pearl62, any chance you could post email so.... actually, screw that, I will just post mine. jotek@fastmail.fm I can't figure out how to send a sinlge message here, and I would kind of like to talk to you about what you did to get it all work, and to ask you a couple of things if you dont mind. I have been beating my head against the wall for over 7 months trying different things, and after 6 or 7 OS's and reformats (although with norton ghost, its not THAT bad :) ) it's EXTREMELY gratifying to know SOMEONE has got it working with the damn microsoft set!
Jotek

pearl62

14 posts

Geek

#644 12-Jul-2003 05:52

Hi Jotek,

My results were achieved with teh D-Link USB dongle, hardware revision B3, and Widcomm version 1.41 b6. Basically, I just ensured I uninstalled all the Widcomm stack and microsoft intellipoint and intellitype software, including manually deleting the 4 microsoft drivers in the Windows\System32\drivers folder (BthEnum.sys, bthmodem.sys, bthport.sys and BTHUSB.SYS). I then rebooted, then installed the Widcomm 1.41 b6 drivers. During the install, it will ask for the file bth_oobc.dll, just insert the microsoft intellipoint/intellitype CD and browse to mouse\setup. The installation will then proceed, and may seem to hang up discovering and setting up the Bluetooth devices. You can always just skip this step and reboot and then set everything up after it reboots. You'll want to pair the keyboard and any other things like a phone. You can just connect to the mouse.

I hope this helps.

Cheers,
Stephen

pearl62

14 posts

Geek

#645 12-Jul-2003 05:55

Sorry the path to the file bth_oobc.dll on the microsoft intellipoint/intellitype CD is mouse\setup\files.

Cheers!

Wise

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waclark

19 posts

Geek

#646 12-Jul-2003 06:43

Pearl,

I respectfully disagree with you regarding the drivers. First while I don't know this for sure I suspect that all the devices that use Widcomm drivers use the same underlying hardware. Widcomm makes their money by licensing these drivers to companies like Belkin, TDK etc.. No one is making any money off of driver updates and I doubt that you could take Widcomm drivers and use them on different hardware much like you can't use Nvidia drivers on Radeon based video cards.

Of course this whole matter could be resolved if Microsoft would simply incorporate the drivers into the base OS just as they do for other hardware, Nvidia included.

pearl62

14 posts

Geek

#649 12-Jul-2003 08:33

Well, the Bluetooth chips themselves come from many, many different vendors, and I know because I work for one of them. If you looked in the inf files, you will see easily 12+ different vendors chipsets that are supported by the Widcomm stack.

Strictly speaking, the Bluetooth dongle itself is only half of the solution, with the host stack residing on the PC. There is a standard interface from the lower level stack to the upper (host) stack called HCI. All Bluetooth dongles will provide the same HCI interface. So, the hardware is different, but the interface is the same, and all of them need to have a host stack to function.

Since Microsoft has chosen to only support 3 profiles with their stack (and only very recently), and it only works with their hardware. Any OEM who wants to market their own generic product must provide their own stack and profiles. This is where Widcomm comes in. There are also several companies like Widcomm offering Bluetooth stacks, and some of these are very, very poor (Extended Systems, 3Com, IVT, etc.). What has been happening is that people who buy a cheap dongle with a poor stack can simply download the Widcomm stack from another vendor like TDK (for example) and hack the driver to make it work with their cheap dongle. Now TDK will be getting support calls for 'their' product, when they have not received any money from this customer. I have to say that I sympathize with Widcomm/TDK on this one...

To apply this scenario to a simple PS/2 mouse... Would you expect to be able to use Logitech's software with a cheap knock-off Taiwanese mouse? I don't think so, and you wouldn't expect Logitech to provide support for it if it did work.

For whatever reason, Microsoft has chosen not to provide support for a broad array of Bluetooth Profiles. They have provided the hooks so that third parties (like Widcomm) can provide adiditional profile support. I'd love to see them stay in business so I don't mind paying a little extra for a product which has licensed their software.

freitasm

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#654 12-Jul-2003 13:12

pearl62, this is good info but... I've the TDK 1.4.2 Beta. I only needed to install it over my previous TDK 1.3 software to have it working. When I paired the Microsoft Bluetooth Mouse and Keyboard the TDK software showed a dialog "Installing drivers" or something like this... And everything started working.

Of course, I don't have the Intellipoint software, but this is only for the extra keys and functionality - Bluetooth wise it worked without any tweaks.

Perhaps the DLINK software is a little different from the TDK in this matter?

pearl62

14 posts

Geek

#655 12-Jul-2003 14:28

I've been told that the D-link 1.41 b6 and TDK 1.4.2 are actually the same revision, but just a different number to differentiate the vendor.

Frietasm, it doesn't sound like you're having any problems... Are you?

freitasm

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#656 12-Jul-2003 14:35

I have one problem, and reported to the TDK already: when I use laptop to access the LAN Access on my desktop, the software asks for authorisation. I check the "Always" box, and it works ok, until I reboot the desktop. It seems it's not storing the option.

Strangely it works fine if I connect from my iPaq H3970.

Another user reported the same behavior when using the DLINK software, but with his iPAQ.

TDK replied saying they will look into this before releasing the 1.4 drivers on their site.

jorns

4 posts

Wannabe Geek

#682 16-Jul-2003 23:48

Where can i get the widcomm 1.4. I have both a msi 6967 and a Microsoft BT mouse. I want it because i want to use the Microsoft Bluetooth dongle on my Linux computer.

pearl62

14 posts

Geek

#683 17-Jul-2003 03:30

You'll have to wait for MSI to release 1.41 for their dongle, or you'll have to buy another one that has 1.41 support. I don't know of any way to circumvent the hardware lock...

jorns

4 posts

Wannabe Geek

#696 17-Jul-2003 18:30

No that's not true, you can manage to use other manufactors driver with the MSI-6967. The only thing i have to do is to complete uninstall my bluetooth software and then install the widcomm software. And when the computer ask for a driver (*.ini file) you point it to the msi ini file wich you used with the older software. I have done that before with older versions of the widcomm driver. :-) so do anyone know where i can get it?

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