[SOLVED] Communicating with the USB device plugged into Android Phone (for instance, an external camera)

Communicating with the USB device plugged into Android Phone (for instance, an external camera)

I would like to know if there is some kind of an API in android studio that enables communication between a device and the android phone through a USB. For example, external camera.

I have used SetupAPI and WINUSB before to accomplish such a task. So something similar to those two would be appreciated.

The company that created the device does not provide an SDK, driver or any extra information.

Thank you very much.

Solution

It depends on what you want to do BUT short answer is yes. To detect an external camera you may try this:

public String getExternalCamera(){

        CameraManager cameraManager = (CameraManager) getSystemService(CAMERA_SERVICE);

        String exCamId = null;

        for (String cameraId : cameraManager.getCameraIdList()) {
                    CameraCharacteristics characteristics = cameraManager.getCameraCharacteristics(cameraId);
                    Integer facing = characteristics.get(CameraCharacteristics.LENS_FACING);

                    //LENS_FACING_EXTERNAL will return Value: 2
                    if (facing != null && facing.equals(CameraCharacteristics.LENS_FACING_EXTERNAL)) {
                        exCamId = cameraId;
                    }
                }

                return exCamId;

        }

LENS_FACING_EXTERNAL

added in API level 23

public static final int LENS_FACING_EXTERNAL The camera device is an external camera and has no fixed facing relative to the device's screen.

You can also use:

INFO_SUPPORTED_HARDWARE_LEVEL_EXTERNAL

added in API level 28

public static final int INFO_SUPPORTED_HARDWARE_LEVEL_EXTERNAL

This camera device is backed by an external camera connected to this Android device.

The device has capability identical to a LIMITED level device, with some exceptions.

For more info see Android documentation here!