Get esp32 ble client information on server side

Official Hardware Nano Family Nano 33 BLE Sense
1

Hi, arduino TEAM,
i'm working on project where multiple devices need to connect to server, & for my use, Server need to know exactly which devices got disconnect by any reason (power down or whatever) ,
i tried to get mac address of connected client but couldn't get it

#include <BLEDevice.h>
#include <BLEServer.h>
#include <BLEUtils.h>
#include <BLE2902.h>

BLEServer* pServer = NULL;
BLECharacteristic* pCharacteristic = NULL;
bool deviceConnected = false;
bool oldDeviceConnected = false;
uint32_t value = 0;

// See the following for generating UUIDs:
// https://www.uuidgenerator.net/

#define SERVICE_UUID        "4fafc201-1fb5-459e-8fcc-c5c9c331914b"
#define CHARACTERISTIC_UUID "beb5483e-36e1-4688-b7f5-ea07361b26a8"


class MyServerCallbacks: public BLEServerCallbacks {
    void onConnect(BLEServer* pServer) {
      deviceConnected = true;
      BLEDevice::startAdvertising();
    };

    void onDisconnect(BLEServer* pServer) {
      deviceConnected = false;
    }
};



void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);

  // Create the BLE Device
  BLEDevice::init("ESP32");

  // Create the BLE Server
  pServer = BLEDevice::createServer();
  pServer->setCallbacks(new MyServerCallbacks());

  // Create the BLE Service
  BLEService *pService = pServer->createService(SERVICE_UUID);

  // Create a BLE Characteristic
  pCharacteristic = pService->createCharacteristic(
                      CHARACTERISTIC_UUID,
                      BLECharacteristic::PROPERTY_READ   |
                      BLECharacteristic::PROPERTY_WRITE  |
                      BLECharacteristic::PROPERTY_NOTIFY |
                      BLECharacteristic::PROPERTY_INDICATE
                    );

  // https://www.bluetooth.com/specifications/gatt/viewer?attributeXmlFile=org.bluetooth.descriptor.gatt.client_characteristic_configuration.xml
  // Create a BLE Descriptor
  pCharacteristic->addDescriptor(new BLE2902());

  // Start the service
  pService->start();

  // Start advertising
  BLEAdvertising *pAdvertising = BLEDevice::getAdvertising();
  pAdvertising->addServiceUUID(SERVICE_UUID);
  pAdvertising->setScanResponse(false);
  pAdvertising->setMinPreferred(0x0);  // set value to 0x00 to not advertise this parameter
  BLEDevice::startAdvertising();
  Serial.println("Waiting a client connection to notify...");
}

void loop() {
    // notify changed value
    if (deviceConnected) {
        pCharacteristic->setValue((uint8_t*)&value, 4);
        pCharacteristic->notify();
        value++;
        delay(10); // bluetooth stack will go into congestion, if too many packets are sent, in 6 hours test i was able to go as low as 3ms
    }
    // disconnecting
    if (!deviceConnected && oldDeviceConnected) {
        delay(500); // give the bluetooth stack the chance to get things ready
        pServer->startAdvertising(); // restart advertising
        Serial.println("start advertising");
        oldDeviceConnected = deviceConnected;
    }
    // connecting
    if (deviceConnected && !oldDeviceConnected) {
        // do stuff here on connecting
        oldDeviceConnected = deviceConnected;
    }
}
3

I have not worked with the ESP32 for a while. The ArduinoBLE library is a lot easier to use. I would recommend you look trough the header files included in your code and look for some function that can give you the address.

Having said that, please note this will only be useful for clients that you create. For clients like smart phones and tablets this will only be useful for a short amount of time. What you are trying to do could be used to track people. Therefore manufacturer of smartphones implemented proprietary, non-deterministic algorithms that randomize the BLE MAC address. That will prevent you from identifying clients for a longer time.

4

Ok I'm okay with only recognizing similar esp32-based or NRF-based BLE clients only as per my purpose, I don't need to identify smartphone BLE address,
& sir I tried to look for the disconnect function & other callbacks, but as I'm not much expert hence not able to get the required function in the library.
I'll try once more .
Thanks