Exploring Blue Heron: Elixir's BLE Implementation for Embedded Systems

The episode features Connor Rigby, who talks about Blue Heron, a pure Elixir implementation of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) that avoids reliance on C ports or NIFs. Blue Heron's design allows it to work seamlessly within Nerves-based embedded projects as well as potential desktop applications in the future. The discussion touches on the differences between Nerves development and conventional Phoenix apps, while also addressing the challenges of hardware compatibility and BLE device profiles. Connor emphasizes the importance of understanding the official BLE specifications, suggesting that developers utilize resources like Nerves LiveBook for practical implementation on devices such as Raspberry Pi. Key topics include pure Elixir implementation, binary pattern matching for BLE packet parsing, and security management profiles for device connections.