Trick to enable Bluetooth in SteamVR?

Chumet · April 1, 2021, 9:40pm

Trick to enable Bluetooth in SteamVR ???

I want to ask a question since I can’t prove it.
I’m giving it a lot of thought to be able to enable bluetooth in SteamVR to be able to update one of my Valve 2.0 base stations from the FW 3002 to the 3008 since the “standy” mode is much better than the previous “sleep” mode. I know that it is impossible unless you have connected an HMD of HTC VIVE with the linkbox or an Index that has the integrated bluetooth. I even bought a linkbox 2.0 to be able to have bluetooth enabled, but SteamVR still refuses to do it, since it does not detect a connected Vive PRO. So if that’s the reason, I have found a Vive PRO and Valve Index HMD emulator and it makes the system believe that your Pimax or other connected HMD is a Vive or Index. Now when I do a system report from SteamVR I get this:

Device 1 - Viewer LHR-5DCF267B Headset Index Valve Valve Corporation 750023602425
Camera Firmware: Version not available.
VSync to Photons: 0.0111112
Display Frequency: 89.9996
User IPD (m): 0.065
Current Universe ID: 30
Previous Universe ID: 30
Device Path: / devices / aapvr / 750023602425
Best Aliases: / user / head

So SteamVR is happy to have its HW connected, but the problem is that I no longer have the LinkBok 2.0, I returned it to Amazon.

I’m trying to install a USB bluetooth but the chip is not a Broadcom BCM20703, which is the one that SteamVR is looking for.

Can anyone with a linkbox handy or a Bluetooth supported by SteamVR try this out?

Here’s the trick for a VIVE: https://github.com/schellingb/PseudoVive
And in this they modified it to emulate the INDEX: https://github.com/schellingb/PseudoVive/files/5339671/Valve.Index.zip

Do you think it could work? Or even if you emulate a SteamVR Index, will it know ?, since I think it is intended for third-party applications that request a VIVE to function.

Heliosurge · April 1, 2021, 10:20pm

I have been curious if you could do a similar trick that was used on Wii Motes that generally used a Toshiba Bluetooth.

Iirc it involved copying your Bluetooth driver info. Installing partly the Toshiba Bluetooth driver/software and editing a setup file so it thinks your BT is a Toshiba.

So if the Bluetooth is defined in A steamvr setup file you might be able to force it to use a different BT driver.

I wonder if Compatible with Vive Mode would work in pitool?

Chumet · April 1, 2021, 11:19pm

Regarding forcing SteamVR to recognize another bluetooth than yours, I think it is complicated for me. I would not mind if I have to buy a bluetooth USB with the BCM70203 chip, but first I would like to know if someone who already has it or with a linkbox can try the “PseudoVive” and activate bluetooth. Although I can buy one, try it and if not return it.

What if this “PseudoVive” works in Pitool, I suppose you mean that, I see no problems:

Heliosurge · April 1, 2021, 11:57pm

There is a Vive compatible mode in pitool that makes reports pimax hmd as a Vive for some games that look for Vive.

With the spoofing steam would require to see if steam identifies the Bluetooth drvr. If it does it might be possible to have steam use the defined BT.

Chumet · April 2, 2021, 1:13am

I did not know that the “compatible with Live Only Game” mode already supplanted the identity of the Pimax by a VIVE. So I think that what I have announced and this mode do the same, it hurts that I did not test the linkbox together with the VIVE mode of Pitool if I activated the bluetooth. I will try to make my current bluetooth the Broatcom BCM70203, but I don’t know if I will succeed.

Now I just deactivated the “PseudoVive” and activated the Pitool VIVE mode and in the system report it appears as a viewer: Device 1 - Vive MV HTC 750023602425 Viewer. I understand that they do the same.

Chumet · April 4, 2021, 1:18am

I have managed to install the SteamVR bluetooth drivers to my bluetooth usb, changing the VID and PID that the SteamVR drivers are looking for for my bluetooth VID and PID, you have to install them in “unsigned drivers” mode since I have modified the .inf of the drivers. Now in the device manager I already have the bluetooth “BCM20703 Bluetooth 4.1 USB device” with the SteamVR drives. But of course, they do not work since they are not actually compatible with my device, but SteamVR should complain about the bluetooth installation, however it keeps saying that bluetooth is not available. I think that what it looks for in the installed devices is its VID and PID of its Hardware, that is: “BCM20703 Bluetooth 4.1 USB Device (VID: 0BB4 PID: 0306)”, but it will not find it. I have even changed the VID and PID in Regedit but the HW identifier is impossible to change using SW modifying files. It is recorded in the eepom of the device. I have read a little about the possibility of reprogramming the bluetooth, I even have a suitable programmer that I use for the 3D printer. But my bluetooth usb or most of them are so small that you cannot disassemble them to solder the suitable pins and read or write in the memory of the chipset. And even if I could solder it and connect it, not if it would ever change the proper VID and PID. Or it would be useless.

If anyone has an idea how to trick SteamVR into using another VID and PID from the bluetooth installed with their drivers, maybe they could turn the functionality on.

This is crazy and just for updating one of my 2 base stations to firmware 3008 and getting it into standby mode. Then from the mobile I control its on and off, but of course one if it enters standby mode (fw3008) and the other only wants sleep mode (fw3002). And I see that the standby mode is much faster and only deactivates the laser, the motor keeps turning. I think it is more suitable than doing many engine starts since they say it wears more.

Butosai · April 6, 2021, 1:12pm

I have a crazy idea. What if you took the lighthouses and plugged it in to your computer to update it?

Heliosurge · April 6, 2021, 9:52pm

That works with v1. Valve advises against it in v2; a user here I believe tried the old method which is imho safer as there is less chance of an interrupted/corrupted flash. Not sure why Valve would make it require a Valve/HTC headset. Save to in part cripple 3rdparty steamVR tracking compatible headsets.

Chumet · April 6, 2021, 9:38pm

The procedure to update via USB is only for the V1 as @Heliosurgo says, which is weighed, there is no way to update if it is not by bluetooth and only when there is an HMD of your brand connected. Please note that the firmware is available on SteamVR
(X: \ Steam \ steamapps \ common \ SteamVR \ tools \ lighthouse \ firmware \ lighthouse_tx_vader \ archive \ 428 (lighthouse_tx_vader_radio_full_dfu.v2_9_2004771.zip) but it has more capacity than the storage device that appears when connected via USB in update mode (CRP DISABLD). And it cannot be put in. Also try to put the file inside the lighthouse with firmware 3008 (firmware.bin) to the other lighthouse with firmware 3002, but in reality it does nothing and breaks the bluetooth communication, luckily It is reversible. I am sure there is some procedure that only Valve knows for the recovery when the brick has been converted, but there will already be a ticket with the valve support, and after 3 weeks of questions and answers, they simply told me that it is not possible via USB. If I had problems, they would send me another lighthouse and later return the problem. But the very “bastards” sent it to me with the 3002 firmware, no matter how much I insisted that it be updated. They don’t look at that anymore. At least I have a new one without wear.