questions about bluetooth
questions about bluetooth
by aguiloco
Thu Dec 21, 2006 7:23 pm
Hi, I´m thinking about to get a bluetooth module to my RN-1, but have any questions:
Will I can download .bas programs to the controller without serial cable using bluetooth?
What is the best module for the RN-1?
How about installation? Is hard to install? I will need something more than the bluetooth module?
That module can be user for more than emulate the standart IR controller?
Will I can download .bas programs to the controller without serial cable using bluetooth?
What is the best module for the RN-1?
How about installation? Is hard to install? I will need something more than the bluetooth module?
That module can be user for more than emulate the standart IR controller?
by Bullit
Fri Dec 22, 2006 5:02 am
auiloco, bluetooth is a nice addition to the RN-1. I have bluetooth in mine and use my cell phone to control it rather than the ir controller. I use a bluegiga module that requires 3.3 volts so I changed the 5 volt regulator on th mr-c3024 to a 3.3 volt one to support the bluegiga module and an accelerometer. A simpler alternative is to use the 5 volt sparkfun bluesmirf module Unfortunately it does not take the place of the cable for reprogramming and catch and play with robobasic. Its pretty easy to install you'll find lots of details here in other posts if you search. Only some basic wiring is required for the bluesmirf module and it fits under the rear cover nicely with all the wires. Some of the hardest parts are to reprogram the module not to spit out connection information on startup. Commands received from the bluetooth module / serial port are much more reliable then the ir commands. I found that with the ir controller occasionally my rn-1 wouldn't respond when I pressed a button or performed the wrong sequence. This doesn't happen with the bluetooth connection. The bluetooth connection is also helpful in that your robot can send information back to your pc or phone in my case to help debug things or just get robot status such as tilt from an accelerometer.
Another alternative is the zigbee modules. Dan Albert and some others here have experimented with them and I believe Dan Albert created some PS-2 zigbee controllers for rn-1's for robogames this year.
There is good news on being able to reprogram the rn-1 via bluetooth (or zigbee) thanks to i-bot and Dan Albert the rn-1 is now an open book and we can change the core operating program to use just a single serial port at one baud rate. This wouldn't work with the current robobasic PC interface but we can write our own to replace its functionality.
Another alternative is the zigbee modules. Dan Albert and some others here have experimented with them and I believe Dan Albert created some PS-2 zigbee controllers for rn-1's for robogames this year.
There is good news on being able to reprogram the rn-1 via bluetooth (or zigbee) thanks to i-bot and Dan Albert the rn-1 is now an open book and we can change the core operating program to use just a single serial port at one baud rate. This wouldn't work with the current robobasic PC interface but we can write our own to replace its functionality.
by Humanoido
Fri Dec 22, 2006 7:22 am
A simpler alternative is to use the 5 volt sparkfun bluesmirf module Unfortunately it does not take the place of the cable for reprogramming and catch and play with robobasic.
With all of this technology, why can't it replace a serial cable, pin for pin?
I mean, we've landed a man on the Moon, c'mon.
Humanoido
"Some men see things as they are and say why - I dream things that never were and say why not." --- Robert Kennedy quoting George Bernard Shaw
by hivemind
Fri Dec 22, 2006 3:01 pm
Humanoido wrote:why can't it replace a serial cable, pin for pin?
The issue with this is the change in baud rate. Unless the bootloader is changed and robobasic is changed this cannot work. Both could be hacked to use a single baud rate. It would definitely make things easier using bluetooth for all that communication. Just like the Robotis CM-boards... But as of right now this is unfortunetly a no go.
-Hive
by i-Bot
Fri Dec 22, 2006 3:14 pm
I did replace the serial cable with bluetooth earlier this year. There were problems and the result was not good.
For the physical interface I added a couple of N MOSFETS to invert the Tx and RX signals to the jack socket and used the Sparkfun board.
Since the download changes the speed from the normal 9600 to 115K, then I built a new C3024 code image that keeps the speed at 115K all the time. It does not matter that the PC changes speed, so long as the remote bluetooth stays at 115K. I used a USB bluetooth stick in the PC.
Two problems, first the setup seems erratic to start up, I think this is maybe due to the initial string sent by the blue tooth module.
More important is was very very slow. Serial protocol PC to C3024 is a char by char protocol, waiting at each end for char received before sending, This did not appear to work well with the bluetooth setup.
Since I wanted to retain the Roboasic, then I could not change the protocol. Change to the protocol is not simple, due to the way the C3024 code spends long periods (mS) in the interrupt routines.
I played around with the bluetooth configuration, but did not resolve these two problems. I finally configured the Sparkfun, so I couldn't configure it any more ! I anyone wants to try further, then I will post the 115K code.
For the physical interface I added a couple of N MOSFETS to invert the Tx and RX signals to the jack socket and used the Sparkfun board.
Since the download changes the speed from the normal 9600 to 115K, then I built a new C3024 code image that keeps the speed at 115K all the time. It does not matter that the PC changes speed, so long as the remote bluetooth stays at 115K. I used a USB bluetooth stick in the PC.
Two problems, first the setup seems erratic to start up, I think this is maybe due to the initial string sent by the blue tooth module.
More important is was very very slow. Serial protocol PC to C3024 is a char by char protocol, waiting at each end for char received before sending, This did not appear to work well with the bluetooth setup.
Since I wanted to retain the Roboasic, then I could not change the protocol. Change to the protocol is not simple, due to the way the C3024 code spends long periods (mS) in the interrupt routines.
I played around with the bluetooth configuration, but did not resolve these two problems. I finally configured the Sparkfun, so I couldn't configure it any more ! I anyone wants to try further, then I will post the 115K code.
by zenguy
Fri Dec 29, 2006 11:30 am
LOL, don't tell me that old myth is still being debated?
Ric wrote:Humanoido wrote:
With all of this technology, why can't it replace a serial cable, pin for pin?
I mean, we've landed a man on the Moon, c'mon.
Humanoido
That's open to debate Human, though not here I might add
Ric
by Humanoido
Sun Dec 31, 2006 10:03 am
Pev, that does help, thank you. I got the IBM ThinkPad for Christmas! The wireless had problems and kept disconnecting. Once the wireless drivers were downloaded and reinstalled, the problem disappeared. Now it seems to have a reception problem. The received signal is reported by the software as weak. Maybe the antenna is internally disconnected. I'll need to investigate. My goal is still a pin-for-pin compatible serial RS-232 cable replacement using wireless bluetooth.
Humanoido
Humanoido
by aguiloco
Thu Sep 20, 2007 7:33 pm
hi again! before a few months inmerse in other kind of projects I start "playing" again with my RN1!
Now I´m triying to get continous movements like run and turn without stops using the standart IR, but I cant program it to work... maybe my poor programing level is the fault....
When RN1 reads the IR signals allways kill the motion for a moment...
If I use a BlueSmirf could be posible to get continous movements?
Now I´m triying to get continous movements like run and turn without stops using the standart IR, but I cant program it to work... maybe my poor programing level is the fault....
When RN1 reads the IR signals allways kill the motion for a moment...
If I use a BlueSmirf could be posible to get continous movements?