Author Topic: Bluetooth wireless  (Read 3110 times)

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Offline lazycatTopic starter

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Bluetooth wireless
« on: January 17, 2008, 09:30:17 AM »
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

Offline hazzer123

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Re: Bluetooth wireless
« Reply #1 on: January 17, 2008, 10:17:15 AM »
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
« Last Edit: January 17, 2008, 10:18:43 AM by hazzer123 »
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Offline lazycatTopic starter

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Re: Bluetooth wireless
« Reply #2 on: January 17, 2008, 10:53:14 AM »
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

Offline airman00

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Re: Bluetooth wireless
« Reply #3 on: January 17, 2008, 11:01:31 AM »
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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Offline rgcustodio

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Re: Bluetooth wireless
« Reply #4 on: January 17, 2008, 11:09:39 AM »
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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Offline airman00

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Re: Bluetooth wireless
« Reply #5 on: January 17, 2008, 11:19:28 AM »
Here a bluetooth to serial adapter looks like this

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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Offline lazycatTopic starter

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Re: Bluetooth wireless
« Reply #6 on: January 17, 2008, 12:47:05 PM »
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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