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Bluetooth Guidance? — Parallax Forums

Bluetooth Guidance?

TymkrsTymkrs Posts: 539
in Propeller 1
Hi all,

Just wondering if anyone's had any experience setting up Bluetooth iBeacons with Propellers? I've only seen some work (if it can be called that) of bluetooth on the Prop 1, but I either haven't seen thorough documentation...or don't understand it! So I just wanted to see what sorts of resources are out there that you guys either have used/written.

~Addie

Comments

  • JonnyMacJonnyMac Posts: 9,104
    edited 2017-10-04 03:37
    I've done lots of stuff (because it's easy) with standard Bluetooth using SPP. An upcoming project will force me into BLE so I went looking. I found a module called the HM-10 that handles BLE features and has a serial AT interface. I just got it and am starting to play (i.e., I got the Propeller to talk to to it and change parameters). If you try it, too, do share your successes!
  • JonMJonM Posts: 318
    If you get a TI CC2541 base HM-10, there are a couple of examples on another site that show how to turn the device into an iBeacon.
    instructables.com/id/Turn-your-CC2541-based-HM-10-Bluetooth-Smart-Modul/

    instructables.com/id/make-iBeacon/

    I've used other TI BLE devices such as the CC2650 (LaunchPad and SensorTag) which I believe do support iBeacon as well as a RedBear Labs BLE Mini. You can use a software serial connection to the device once they are configured.

    Also, you can use BlueZ on a Linux box (Raspberry PI or BeagleBone Black will work) to run command line connection and commands to the BLE device which then can be retrieved by a Parallax device to control a motor and such or even to report temp data from a sensor. I've used BlueZ to hack BLE LEDs and other BLE devices.
  • dbpagedbpage Posts: 217
    My boss designed in a TI CC2640 BLE, which is part of the CC26xx family. I am just beginning to learn how to configure and use the device.

    As JonM pointed out, "you can use a software serial connection to the device once they are configured." Well, it's a little more complicated than that.

    You can use the CC26xx Serial Bootloader Interface to configure the device. The Serial Bootloader defines specific pins to program a flash image into the device over either UART or SPI. The flash image (firmware) is a C program for the internal ARM processor to implement desired BLE services, including iBeacons. Google swra466a for the pdf.

    You can use the TI Serial Port Service (SPS) to program the device firmware to permit the Propeller (or other MPU) to send/receive ASCII data to/from a host computer over BLE. Google tidua63 for the pdf.

    How to implement these services is beyond my abilities right now, but this is a goal of my current project.

    JohnnyMac's HM-10 is based on the CC2640 with firmware already flashed into the device. The HM-10 defines specific UART pins, is configured using AT commands, and implements BLE services, including iBeacons and a serial port service to send/receive ASCII data between the Propeller (or other MCU) and a host computer.

    I will be happy to learn from others and will share what I learn about the CC2640.
  • TymkrsTymkrs Posts: 539
    Hmm. Thanks for the leads all! I'll see what I can do with them, and will share my successes, if any :p
  • JonMJonM Posts: 318
    dbpage wrote: »

    As JonM pointed out, "you can use a software serial connection to the device once they are configured." Well, it's a little more complicated than that.

    As I mentioned, once the device is configured a serial connection between the BLE devices and Board can be used to communicate between the boards. I have done this many a times.

    dbpage wrote: »
    JohnnyMac's HM-10 is based on the CC2640 with firmware already flashed into the device.

    Not always. There are CC2451 versions as well as I mentioned in my post.

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