Discovering Printers

The SDK also offers API to discover Brother printers from your application. We recommend you to use these sample code outside the main thread.

Sample Codes

Wi-Fi Printer

You can discover Wi-Fi Printer connected to the same network with the mobile device and tablets.

iOS - Objective-C:

- (BRLMPrinterSearchResult *)startSearchWiFiPrinter {
    BRLMNetworkSearchOption *option = [[BRLMNetworkSearchOption alloc] init];
    option.searchDuration = 15;
    optoin.printerList = [NSArray arrayWithObjects:@"Brother YourModel", @"Brother YourModel", nil];
    BRLMPrinterSearchResult * result;
    result = [BRLMPrinterSearcher startNetworkSearch:option callback:^(BRLMChannel *channel){
            NSString *modelName_ = [channel.extraInfo objectForKey:BRLMChannelExtraInfoKeyModelName];
            NSString *ipaddress = channel.channelInfo;
             NSLog(@"Model: %@, IP Address: %@", modelName, ipaddress);
        }];
    return result;
}

iOS - Swift:

fun startSearchWiFiPrinter() -> BRLMPrinterSearchResult {  
    let option = BRLMNetworkSearchOption()
    option.searchDuration = 15
    optoin.printerList = ["Brother YourModel", "Brother YourModel"]
    let result = BRLMPrinterSearcher.startNetworkSearch(option) { channel in
        let modelName = channel.extraInfo?.value(forKey: BRLMChannelExtraInfoKeyModelName) as? String ?? ""
        let ipaddress = channel.channelInfo
        print("Model : \(modelName), IP Address: \(ipaddress)")
    }
    return result
}

Android - Java:

PrinterSearchResult startSearchWiFiPrinter()
{
    NetworkSearchOption option = new NetworkSearchOption(15, false);
    PrinterSearchResult result = PrinterSearcher.startNetworkSearch(context, option, new Consumer<Channel>() {
        @Override
        public void accept(Channel channel) {
            String modelName = channel.getExtraInfo().get(Channel.ExtraInfoKey.ModelName);
            String ipaddress = channel.getChannelInfo();
            Log.d("TAG", "Model : $modelName, IP Address: $ipaddress")
        }
    });
    return result
}

Android - Kotlin:

fun startSearchWiFiPrinter(): PrinterSearchResult
{
    val option = NetworkSearchOption(15, false)
    val result = PrinterSearcher.startNetworkSearch(context, option){ channel ->
        val modelName = channel.extraInfo[Channel.ExtraInfoKey.ModelName] ?: ""
        val ipaddress = channel.channelInfo
        Log.d("TAG", "Model : $modelName, IP Address: $ipaddress")
    }
    return result
}

Bluetooth Printer

You can discover bluetooth printers which are already paired with the mobile device and tablets.

iOS - Objective-C:

- (NSArray<BRLMChannel *> *)startSearchBluetoothPrinter {
    return [BRLMPrinterSearcher startBluetoothSearch].channels;
}

iOS - Swift:

func startSearchBluetoothPrinter() -> [BRLMChannel] {
    return BRLMPrinterSearcher.startBluetoothSearch().channels
}

Android - Java:

ArrayList<Channel> startSearchBluetoothPrinter()
{
    return PrinterSearcher.startBluetoothSearch(context).getChannels();
}

Android - Kotlin:

fun startSearchBluetoothPrinter(): ArrayList<Channel!>!
{
    return PrinterSearcher.startBluetoothSearch(context).channels
}

Bluetooth Low Energy Printer

You can discover nearby Bluetooth Low Energy Printer.

iOS - Objective-C:

- (void)startSearchBLEPrinter {
    BRLMBLESearchOption *option = [[BRLMBLESearchOption alloc] init];
    option.searchDuration = 15;
    BRLMPrinterSearchResult * result = [BRLMPrinterSearcher startBLESearch:option callback:^(BRLMChannel *channel){
        NSString *modelName_ = [channel.extraInfo objectForKey:BRLMChannelExtraInfoKeyModelName];
        NSString *advertiseLocalName = channel.channelInfo;
        NSLog(@"Model: %@, AdvertiseLocalName: %@", modelName, advertiseLocalName);
        }];
    return result;
}

iOS - Swift:

func startSearchBLEPrinter() -> BRLMPrinterSearchResult {
    let option = BRLMBLESearchOption()
    option.searchDuration = 15
    let result = BRLMPrinterSearcher.startBLESearch(option) { channel in
        let modelName = channel.extraInfo?.value(forKey: BRLMChannelExtraInfoKeyModelName) as? String ?? ""
        let advertiseLocalName = channel.channelInfo
        print("Model : \(modelName), AdvertiseLocalName: \(advertiseLocalName)")
    }
    return result
}

Android - Java:

PrinterSearchResult startSearchBLEPrinter()
{
    NetworkSearchOption option = new BLESearchOption(15);
    PrinterSearchResult result = PrinterSearcher.startBLESearch(context, option, new Consumer<Channel>() {
        @Override
        public void accept(Channel channel) {
            String modelName = channel.getExtraInfo().get(Channel.ExtraInfoKey.ModelName);
            String localName = channel.getChannelInfo();
            Log.d("TAG", "Model : $modelName, Local Name: $localName")
        }
    });
    return result
}

Android - Kotlin:

fun startSearchBLEPrinter(): PrinterSearchResult
{
    val option = BLESearchOption(15)
    val result = PrinterSearcher.startBLESearch(context, option){ channel ->
        val modelName = channel.extraInfo[Channel.ExtraInfoKey.ModelName] ?: ""
        val localName = channel.channelInfo
        Log.d("TAG", "Model : $modelName, Local Name: $localName")
    }
    return result
}

USB Printer

You can discover a printer connected via USB.

Android - Java:

ArrayList<Channel> startSearchUSBPrinter()
{
    return PrinterSearcher.startUSBSearch(context).getChannels();
}

Android - Kotlin:

fun startSearchUSBPrinter(): ArrayList<Channel!>!
{
    return PrinterSearcher.startUSBSearch(context).channels
}

Notes

You don't have to use these APIs if you can get the following identifier of the printer beforehand.

OS	USB	Wi-Fi	Bluetooth	Bluetooth Low Energy
iOS	N/A	IP address	Serial Number	Local Name
Android	No ID (*1)	IP address or MAC address	Bluetooth device address	Local Name

• (*1) The connected Brother printer is automatically specified