How to use Claude to reverse-engineer RV Bluetooth
An RV owner supplied a BMPro APK to Claude Opus, obtained a reverse-engineered Bluetooth protocol and built alternative control interfaces. They also patched the original app, retaining it as a fallback while replacement bugs remained.
news.ycombinator.com
Suggested prompt
Suggested prompt written by Agents In Use, not the source author. Replace bracketed inputs and review tool permissions first.
Analyze [device APK] to document its Bluetooth protocol for [equipment I control]. Use the findings to build [preferred control interface]. Track unresolved behavior and propose patches for [specific original-app bugs], keeping a usable fallback.
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Sourced account- Source poster / publisher
- AshleyGrant
- Original account
- Read the source ↗
- Published
- Source link checked
- Reported result
- The author can control the RV through custom interfaces instead of relying on the original app. They report fewer bugs than the vendor app, but unresolved issues remain.
- Human involvement
- The author reports using and comparing the applications, acknowledges remaining bugs and retains the patched original app as a fallback.
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How the agent did it
- Supply the original BMPro Android APK to Claude Opus.
- Reverse-engineer the application's undocumented Bluetooth protocol.
- Build alternative Android, web and Home Assistant control interfaces using AI.
An RV owner used Claude Opus to reverse-engineer the undocumented Bluetooth protocol behind their BMPro Smart RV system. The system controls lights, air conditioning, generator starting, leveling, slideouts and other functions. After using the vendor's app for two years, the author supplied its APK to Claude earlier in the year.
The author reports that Claude reverse-engineered the protocol, enabling alternatives to the original app. They can now use a custom Android application, a website hosted on GitHub Pages or a Home Assistant app built with AI. The post does not provide protocol details or describe the implementation of these interfaces.
The replacements remain imperfect. The author says they contain bugs, although they consider them less buggy than the vendor's application. Work commitments had prevented them from resolving the remaining issues at the time of the post.
The author also used Opus to patch the original APK, addressing several bugs and interface choices they disliked. They still prefer their own application but retain the patched vendor app as a fallback.
Who it's for: Technically capable device owners exploring alternative interfaces for equipment they control, with time to test behavior and maintain unfinished software.
Prompt
Suggested prompt (written by Agents In Use, not the author's)
Source: Hacker News · AshleyGrant
Frequently asked questions
What input did the author give Claude?
The author says they supplied the BMPro Android APK to Claude Opus, which reverse-engineered the system's undocumented Bluetooth protocol.
Were the replacement applications finished and bug-free?
No. The author explicitly reports remaining bugs and says work commitments had delayed fixes. They kept a patched version of the original app as a fallback.
More details
Remaining steps
- Use Opus to patch bugs and interface choices in the original APK.
- Keep the patched original app as a fallback to the preferred custom app.
About this account
Claude analyzed the APK and helped create alternative controls and patches; the author chose the interfaces and retained responsibility for unresolved bugs.
Platform: Hacker News. Attribution: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49599100. Prompt: Suggested (written by Agents In Use, not the author's). Sourced by the Agents In Use pipeline.
Credit: AshleyGrant on Hacker News
Source published
Added to Agents In Use
Source checked
Tools and topics
Claude Opus · BMPro APK · GitHub Pages · Home Assistant · Android
Bluetooth · RV automation · Home Assistant · Reverse engineering
Editorial completeness: 100/100. Measures documented fields, not agent performance or verified outcomes.