Method to Get Sixaxis BT Address and Link Key?

Technical discussion on the newly released and hard to find PS3.

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BTBefuddled
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri May 08, 2009 2:41 am
Location: Santa Cruz, CA

Method to Get Sixaxis BT Address and Link Key?

Post by BTBefuddled »

I work for a company that makes Bluetooth headsets. One of our products causes the Sixaxis controller to lock up - the controller doesn't respond to any buttons or joystick movement. We have a Bluetooth protocol analyzer I can use to troubleshoot, but I need the BT address of the Sixaxis and the link key between the controller and the console. Since the controller and console are paired over the USB cable I can't get that information in the normal manner over the air. I can get the console's BT address and the link key between the console and the headset by extracting that information from the headset. Is there a similar method for extracting the controller BT address and link key from the Sixaxis or alternately from the console? Thanks in advance.
jimparis
Posts: 1145
Joined: Fri Jun 10, 2005 4:21 am
Location: Boston

Post by jimparis »

For the Sixaxis MAC address, just scan it with "hcitool scan" or similar. You might need to use the sixpair utility to pair it with your host MAC first.

There is no authentication or encryption, so there's no link key.
Brandon
Posts: 17
Joined: Tue Dec 11, 2007 8:34 pm

Post by Brandon »

if you don't have linux on a ps3 use sixpair to register the mac address of your computer in the sixaxis, then use hcidump while pressing the ps button, then you should see the mac address
BTBefuddled
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri May 08, 2009 2:41 am
Location: Santa Cruz, CA

Post by BTBefuddled »

Thanks, both.

The key was that the Bluetooth link is unencrypted. I just assumed the link would be encrypted and that I would need the link key. I can get the BT address of the console from our headset. I just type the console BT address into the BT analyzer and set analyzer to sniff for "any" master - bingo! I can now trace the BT interaction between the console and the controller and between the console and the headset.

Both of you mentioned the MAC address of the controller. I assume that the MAC address would be the same as the BT address. Getting the contoller BT address would still be useful if I couldn't get the console BT address from the headset.

Thanks again.
Brandon
Posts: 17
Joined: Tue Dec 11, 2007 8:34 pm

Post by Brandon »

yeah you can get the ps3 bd address from the sixaxis too using sixpair
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