bahaaador

Any SbC with OTG support should work, so both Zero W and Zero 2 W should be compatible (I tested it with RPi Zero 2 W—I will update the docs).

https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/raspberry-pi-zero-2-w/ https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/raspberry-pi-zero-w/

I can't find definitive information for RPi 4 though, I see some references to using it online but the spec here does not seem to mention USB host or OTG

https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/raspberry-pi-4-model-b/...

Actually, I meant to say Pi Zero 2 W as well. But basically, any device that supports USB OTG

Not at the moment, I might look into it as I've received the request a few times now. So stay tuned! :)

My pleasure, @reeddavid! I’m excited that you might find a use for it. Just a quick note: you may need an external power source for the RPi if you’re switching between devices frequently.

One popular request I’ve received is for certain RPi models (those with multiple USB ports as host) to act as a KVM, allowing them to serve as a USB host for multiple PCs simultaneously with easy switching—perhaps through shortcuts or physical buttons on the RPi. I’ll need to give it more thought, but it seems feasible with minimal changes. I already have some ideas for better state management for the devices!

Thank you so much!

Oh interesting, I can see how something like that would be useful for myself as well. I think you just gave me some good ideas for future projects as I have a few ideas around using Bluetooth in React Native apps and potentially amalgamating them with Single-board computers. Thank you!

I know, it seemed to me like a pretty arbitrary policy as well, but what can you do other than turning limitations into opportunities? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I would be interested to know too, be sure to let me know how it goes!

Thank you for sharing your thoughts, I had thought about this as well but came to the conclusion that from the company's perspective, this is no different than connecting a random keyboard bought from Amazon, what do you think?

Another thought around this is that I don't even think there's anything intrinsically insecure about BT as an attack vector but most likely some old policy based on security issues that existed in the early days of Bluetooth. Or at least I don't know of any, but I'm no expert in this so I would love to hear other people's insights here.

Not quite, if your PC has a policy that disables Bluetooth, a BT dongle would not work either.

That’s where this relay comes in—it bridges Bluetooth to USB, so you can still use your devices.

Oops, I hope you can still return it!

I'm glad you might find this useful, be sure to create an issue on GH in case you run into any and I'll try my best to help :)

<3

Thank you, I'm glad you're finding this inspiring. I've been thinking about some similar ideas that excite me. Would be happy to help as well if you ran into any blockers.

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.

Thank you!

Great question. I can see this being fairly easily extendable to other HID devices and even modifying their behaviour slightly (e.g. remapping a key) but audio stack sounds like (no pun intended) a different beast altogether. A buddy of mine had a similar question around connecting his BT gamepad and headset to play PS games on PC so I'll be looking into this more.

Thank you for the kind words, I'm glad you're finding it interesting! ^^

Location: Toronto, ON, Canada

Remote: Yes, also open to hybrid in or near Toronto

Willing to relocate: Open to discussion

Technologies: Experienced with React, React Native, Node.js, Go, GraphQL and Kubernetes

Résumé/CV: Available upon request. GitHub: https://github.com/bahaaador LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/baiz

Email: [email protected]

Hi HN! I’m a full-stack engineer with 12+ years of experience building web and mobile apps.

Recently, I’ve:

• Led development for multi-platform apps (web and mobile) • Built a Bluetooth-to-USB HID relay using a Raspberry Pi Zero and Go to help a friend (and because it was fun :) ) • experimented with ways to incorporate AI-driven solutions into product workflows.

I bring experience across early-stage startups and mid-sized companies, with a strong focus on accessibility, security, and privacy. I’m dedicated to writing clean, maintainable code and crafting great UX, with a constant drive to learn and tackle challenging projects.

If you’re working on something exciting and need a versatile, experienced engineer, let’s chat!