Society of Robots - Robot Forum
Electronics => Electronics => Topic started by: lazycat on January 17, 2008, 09:30:17 AM
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Hello everybody,
I want to implement a blue tooth wireless capability on my robot. My microcontroller has a Usb as UART . I am quite confused between USB bluetooth wireless adaptor and USB dongle. I don't know how to differentiate between the 2 of them. Can I buy a USb bluetooth adaptor and plug into my USB uart interface on my MCU? Then wats the difference with a bluetooth module?
The one I am looking is as the datashhet below. I think this is a adaptor but i not sure is it a dongle.
Buccaneer USB Bluetooth Adaptor
http://docs-asia.electrocomponents.com/webdocs/07ba/0900766b807ba161.pdf
Thanks for any help!!
Regards,
LAzycat
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I think a dongle and an adapter are the same thing, just two different words for it.
Most microcontrollers with inbuilt USB can only function as a USB device, not a host. Since a USB dongle/adapter is a device also, they can't communicate through USB.
So unless your MCU supports USB host, i think you will have to go with another option.
Check these products out for ideas - http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/categories.php?cPath=16_115 (http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/categories.php?cPath=16_115)
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Hi hazzer,
So i should buy a Blluetooth module coz it can act as a host. (If my Mcu does not support) ? rite?
Thanks alot!
Regards,
Lazycat
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what i've seen done is take a bluetooth to serial adapter and then connect from the serial port to the MCU.
Meaning connect via bluetooth to a bluetooth to serial adapter, and then do UART
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I agree, there's actually no difference b/n the term dongle and adapter.
One should note that for Bluetooth to work properly a Bluetooth stack will need to be implemented. Most "commercial" USB Bluetooth devices/dongles implement the stack in the host software! This means you need to connect it to a Mac or PC and install the necessary drivers for it to work correctly!
Having a USB doesn't imply you'll be able to talk properly with the USB device. As hazzer123 pointed out, you have to consider if your MCU has host capabilities. Also you have to consider if you have a USB stack that is implementable for your MCU. Maybe your "USB as UART" setup would work, but I have no experience on that.
What one will want is a Bluetooth device/dongle/module that internally implements a Bluetooth stack in firmware (in the device itself) and provides us with a simple interface (UART is good, simple and very easy). Important is Serial Port Profile (SPP). This profile emulates a serial port over the Bluetooth connection. hazzer123's device suggestions seems to fit the bill properly.
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Here a bluetooth to serial adapter looks like this (http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:Sl-NA841uNawrM:http://lh3.google.com/_JqmdYUUx_oQ/RtUdLjKzmII/AAAAAAAAAdM/PCOqtygtjsM/s800/CIMG0283.jpg)
You set up that bluetooth adapter as a virtual serial port on your PC and then just control it as if it was a regular serial port.
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ThaNKS everyone,
i think my concept of USB is weak. But i now i know it need a host controller. But my mcu has only a USB slave
interface. Is there anyway to communicate with a blue tooth module via the USB slave module?
In the meanwhile i think i will look into the "SPP"
ThankS everyone!
Regards,
LazyCAt
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This should help you . . .
http://www.societyofrobots.com/microcontroller_uart.shtml
http://www.societyofrobots.com/microcontroller_uart_50_robot.shtml
http://www.societyofrobots.com/electronics_bluetooth_robot.shtml