Unable to Get RSSI from Flic 2 Using fliclib-linux-hci on Raspberry Pi
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I’m working with a Flic 2 button and a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W, using the fliclib-linux-hci Git SDK.
I successfully built my own Debian package from the SDK and installed it on the Pi:
Package:
flicd_1.0-1_arm64.debThe daemon installs and runs correctly. Below is the systemd service I’m using:
cat /etc/systemd/system/flicd.service
[Unit]
Description=Flic Button Daemon
After=bluetooth.target
Requires=bluetooth.target[Service]
Type=simple
ExecStart=/usr/bin/flicd -f /var/lib/flicd/flic.sqlite3
Restart=always
RestartSec=3
User=root[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.targetPairing and button events work fine, so communication with the button is confirmed.
Issue
I’m trying to read RSSI (signal strength) from the Flic 2 button, or otherwise estimate distance between the Pi and the button.
I’ve tried multiple code variants (both modifying the SDK and external BLE approaches), but I’m unable to retrieve:
RSSI values
Any distance-related data
It seems like RSSI is either not exposed through the SDK, or not available during normal operation.
Questions
Is RSSI data available at all from Flic 2 via fliclib-linux-hci?
If not, is there an alternative supported way to estimate proximity or distance?
Does the Flic firmware intentionally block RSSI access for power or privacy reasons?
Has anyone successfully retrieved RSSI from a Flic 2 on Linux/Raspberry Pi?
Any guidance, confirmation, or examples would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance! -
If you want to get the RSSI value on a connected button, we must send a HCI command to the Bluetooth controller and ask to get the latest value. Do you have a suggestion for how such an API should look like from the client side?
