So you wanna hack something with Plantronics support?

Are you looking to add Plantronics device support to your hack project?

Well, here are some tips and reasons to choose a Plantronics device as your audio endpoint:

• Plantronics headsets deliver high quality audio (for instance 3 microphones in Legend UC, 2 for noise cancelling DSP algorithm)
• Ideal audio endpoint for UC unified comms applications, telephony / video conferencing applications and any application requiring an audio end point, e.g. dictation, 2-way radio, voice memos, etc
• As well as providing basic call control (call answer/end/switch/mute sync) Plantronics headsets also offer unique contextual intelligence features:
  • Wearing sensor
  • Proximity sensor (3 ranges, near, far, out of range/disconnected)
  • Mobile caller id and mobile call status
  • Multi-softphone calling status information
  • Multi-line support (Savi 7xx)
• Plantronics offers an industry first: a public SDK to integrate support for Plantronics headsets into your app:
  • http://developer.plantronics.com/community/devzone/
  • Supported platforms:
    • Windows 8 (Note: Spokes installer will install .NET Framework 3.5), Windows 7, Vista SP2, XP SP3 (x86 only) (Basic, Professional and Enterprise Editions)
  • Support languages/APIs:
    • C++ – Spokes “COM Service API” (see chapter 8 of reference document)
    • C# – Spokes “.NET Interop for COM Service API” (see comprehensive sample)
    • JavaScript – choice of:
      • Spokes “REST API” (see chapter 5 of reference document)
        • NOTE: limited features when compared to “COM Service API”, e.g., lacks headset serial, register for proximity, mobile caller id
        • Use WebSockets to connect to a C# middleware as we did with WebRTC demo, which in turn uses “.NET Interop for COM Service API”
      • Java – choice of:
        • Spokes “REST API” (limitations as above)
        • Proof of concept Java Socket Wrapper– also introduces a C# middleware which the Java Wrapper talks to via normal TCP/IP Socket, and the C# uses “.NET Interop for COM Service API”
      • Other languages:
        • Spokes “REST API”
        • Or use middleware approach as above.
          
          
  • Mac support:
    • No SDK currently available
    • Spokes is available but only providing call control for Skype and IBM Sametime
      
  • Mobile support:
    • Android: Standard Bluetooth HFP, but we also use XEvent that can provide an app with 1-way (headset To Android) Plantronics device status events (Cary’s blog post)
    • iOS: Standard Bluetooth HFP plus battery level indicator integrated into iOS platform

• Getting started:
  • Hit the DevZone: http://developer.plantronics.com/community/devzone/
  • Also for C# try the 5-minute quickstart: http://developer.plantronics.com/people/lcollins/blog/2013/02/20/spokes-sdk-5-minute-quick-start-blog

NOTE: You don’t need to install Spokes SDK!!!

• All the sample codes on PDC will compile and run against the normal “full Spokes”. Get installer from http://www.plantronics.com/software
• In fact it’s better not to use SDK because with full Spokes you gain:
  • Develop with multi-softphone calling events from Spokes!
  • Plantronics Control Panel, Battery Status Monitor and Plantronics Update Manager
• The SDK kit product on the other hand:
  • Does contain a couple of alternative distributions of Spokes that you might want to deploy with your solution.
  • However, be warned: it contains a couple of out-of-date (deprecated) "iPlugin" sample codes plus the Device Emulator with which we have had some reports of instances of it not working exactly the same as the real hardware.

All in all I tend to advise people to develop against "full Spokes" and users of your solution to download Spokes from Plantronics, after which your solution talks to Spokes via one of the above 3 SDKs.

Good luck with your hack project and let us know if you build something cool!

Lewis