BLESession: Support multiple connections

When one pyscrlink uses tries to connect multiple devices at the same
time, the user can connect to the first device without problem. However,
the device scan for the second device causes connection loss for the
first connected device. As discussed in its GitHub issue #357 [1], it is
the limitation of bluepy as of today. This limitation is critical for
pyscrlink to bridge toio[2] and its own scratch[3], because the toio
scratch allows to connect two toio devices to single scratch project.

[1] https://github.com/IanHarvey/bluepy/issues/357
[2] https://www.sony.com/en/SonyInfo/design/stories/toio/
[3] https://github.com/toio/toio-visual-programming/

To bridge multiple devices by pyscrlink, keep references to multiple
devices at the first device scan. Assuming that the user prepares all of
the target devices ready at the device scan, pyscrlink can find the all
devices and keep references to them. When the user requests scan for the
second device, pyscrlink does not invoke the device scan. Instead, it
returns the references to the device it keeps. With this approach, the
disconnection by device scan can be avoided.

In detail, add BLESession.found_devices to keep the found devices and
share across multiple BLESessions. Add BLESession.nr_connected to count
connected sessions. While connected sessions exist, do not scan and
refer the list to return the found device list. Also refactor out device
scan part to a private function _scan_devices().

Note that the user must prepare all devices ready before the first scan.
The devices prepared after the first can not be found since pyscrlink
does not invoke scan. User must disconnect all devices to have pyscrlink
scan devices again.

Signed-off-by: Shin'ichiro Kawasaki <kawasaki@juno.dti.ne.jp>

pyscrlink/scratch_link.py

@@ -343,6 +343,11 @@ class BLESession(Session):
 
     MAX_SCANNER_IF = 3
 
+    found_devices = []
+    nr_connected = 0
+    scan_lock = threading.RLock()
+    scan_started = False
+
     class BLEThread(threading.Thread):
         """
         Separated thread to control notifications to Scratch.
@@ -358,7 +363,7 @@ class BLESession(Session):
                 logger.debug("loop in BLE thread")
                 if self.session.status == self.session.DISCOVERY:
                     logger.debug("send out found devices")
-                    devices = self.session.found_devices
+                    devices = BLESession.found_devices
                     for d in devices:
                         params = { 'rssi': d.rssi }
                         params['peripheralId'] = devices.index(d)
@@ -418,7 +423,6 @@ class BLESession(Session):
     def __init__(self, websocket, loop):
         super().__init__(websocket, loop)
         self.status = self.INITIAL
-        self.found_devices = []
         self.device = None
         self.deviceName = None
         self.perip = None
@@ -426,6 +430,13 @@ class BLESession(Session):
         self.characteristics_cache = []
 
     def close(self):
+        if self.status == self.CONNECTED:
+            BLESession.nr_connected -= 1
+            logger.info(f"BLE session disconnected")
+            logger.debug(f"BLE session connected={BLESession.nr_connected}")
+            if BLESession.nr_connected == 0:
+                logger.info("all BLE sessions disconnected")
+                BLESession.scan_started = False
         self.status = self.DONE
         if self.perip:
             logger.info("disconnect from the BLE peripheral: "
@@ -480,6 +491,29 @@ class BLESession(Session):
                 # ref: https://github.com/LLK/scratch-link/blob/develop/Documentation/BluetoothLE.md
         return False
 
+    def _scan_devices(self, params):
+        if BLESession.nr_connected > 0:
+            return len(BLESession.found_devices) > 0
+        found = False
+        with BLESession.scan_lock:
+            if not BLESession.scan_started:
+                BLESession.scan_started = True
+                BLESession.found_devices.clear()
+                for i in range(self.MAX_SCANNER_IF):
+                    scanner = Scanner(iface=i)
+                    try:
+                        devices = scanner.scan(10.0)
+                        for dev in devices:
+                            if self.matches(dev, params['filters']):
+                                BLESession.found_devices.append(dev)
+                                found = True
+                                logger.debug(f"BLE device found with iface #{i}");
+                    except BTLEManagementError as e:
+                        logger.debug(f"BLE iface #{i}: {e}");
+            else:
+                found = len(BLESession.found_devices) > 0
+        return found
+
     def _get_service(self, service_id):
         with self.lock:
             service = self.perip.getServiceByUUID(UUID(service_id))
@@ -532,26 +566,17 @@ class BLESession(Session):
                 logger.error("e.g. $ bluepy_helper_cap")
                 logger.error("e.g. $ sudo bluepy_helper_cap.py")
                 sys.exit(1)
-            found_ifaces = 0
-            for i in range(self.MAX_SCANNER_IF):
-                scanner = Scanner(iface=i)
-                try:
-                    devices = scanner.scan(10.0)
-                    for dev in devices:
-                        if self.matches(dev, params['filters']):
-                            self.found_devices.append(dev)
-                    found_ifaces += 1
-                    logger.debug(f"BLE device found with iface #{i}");
-                except BTLEManagementError as e:
-                    logger.debug(f"BLE iface #{i}: {e}");
-
-            if found_ifaces == 0:
-                err_msg = "Can not scan BLE devices. Check BLE controller."
+            found = self._scan_devices(params)
+            if not found:
+                if BLESession.nr_connected > 0:
+                    err_msg = "Can not scan BLE devices. Disconnect other sessions."
+                elif len(BLESession.found_devices) == 0:
+                    err_msg = "Can not scan BLE devices. Check BLE controller."
                 logger.error(err_msg);
                 res["error"] = { "message": err_msg }
                 self.status = self.DONE
 
-            if len(self.found_devices) == 0 and not err_msg:
+            if len(BLESession.found_devices) == 0 and not err_msg:
                 err_msg = (f"No BLE device found: {params['filters']}. "
                            "Check BLE device.")
                 res["error"] = { "message": err_msg }
@@ -565,11 +590,12 @@ class BLESession(Session):
 
         elif self.status == self.DISCOVERY and method == 'connect':
             logger.debug("connecting to the BLE device")
-            self.device = self.found_devices[params['peripheralId']]
+            self.device = BLESession.found_devices[params['peripheralId']]
             self.deviceName = self.device.getValueText(0x9) or self.device.getValueText(0x8)
             try:
                 self.perip = Peripheral(self.device)
                 logger.info(f"connected to the BLE peripheral: {self.deviceName}")
+                BLESession.found_devices.remove(self.device)
             except BTLEDisconnectError as e:
                 logger.error(f"failed to connect to the BLE device \"{self.deviceName}\": {e}")
                 self.status = self.DONE
@@ -577,6 +603,8 @@ class BLESession(Session):
             if self.perip:
                 res["result"] = None
                 self.status = self.CONNECTED
+                BLESession.nr_connected += 1
+                logger.debug(f"BLE session connected={BLESession.nr_connected}")
                 self.delegate = self.BLEDelegate(self)
                 self.perip.withDelegate(self.delegate)
                 self._cache_characteristics()