Bluetooth Setup Guide

Configuring a Sparkfun BlueSMiRF Module

Following this guide will get a BlueSMiRF Silver or BlueSMiRF Gold configured and working with the Ardusat Hardware.

1. Upload the following passthrough sketch to an Arduino

   /*
    Example Bluetooth Serial Passthrough Sketch
    by: Jim Lindblom
    SparkFun Electronics
    date: February 26, 2013
    license: Public domain
   
    This example sketch converts an RN-42 bluetooth module to
    communicate at 9600 bps (from 115200), and passes any serial
    data between Serial Monitor and bluetooth module.
   */
   #include <SoftwareSerial.h>  
   
   int bluetoothTx = 2;  // TX-O pin of bluetooth mate, Arduino D2
   int bluetoothRx = 3;  // RX-I pin of bluetooth mate, Arduino D3
   
   SoftwareSerial bluetooth(bluetoothTx, bluetoothRx);
   
   void setup() {
     Serial.begin(9600);  // Begin the serial monitor at 9600bps
   
     bluetooth.begin(115200);  // The Bluetooth Mate defaults to 115200bps
     bluetooth.print("$");     // Print three times individually
     bluetooth.print("$");
     bluetooth.print("$");     // Enter command mode
     delay(100);               // Short delay, wait for the Mate to send back CMD
     bluetooth.println("U,9600,N");  // Temporarily Change the baudrate to 9600, no parity
   
     /* have to do this all manually :( can't make it reliably work
     bluetooth.println("ST,0");        // No Configuration timer
     bluetooth.println("S~,0");        // Set to SPP
     bluetooth.println("SN,Ardusat");  // Sets name
     bluetooth.println("S-,Ardusat");  // Sets friendly name
     bluetooth.println("SA,2");        // Set no pincode
     bluetooth.println("SU,96");       // Change baudrate to 9600
     bluetooth.println("---");         // Turn off command mode
     */
   
     bluetooth.begin(9600);  // Start bluetooth serial at 9600
   }
   
   void loop() {
     if(bluetooth.available()) {
       Serial.print((char)bluetooth.read());  
     }
     if(Serial.available()) {
       bluetooth.print((char)Serial.read());
     }
   }
   

2. Connect the TX and RX pins of the bluetooth module to the Arduino, as well as ground and power by following this guide.

3. Issue the following series of AT Commands through the serial monitor:

   Command	Description
   $$$	(without a newline) Enter command mode
   SF,1	Factory Reset
   R,1	Reboot

   Wait for module to reset. Close Serial monitor and reopen it.

   Command	Description
   $$$	(without a newline) Enter command mode
   ST,0	No Configuration timer
   S~,0	Set to SPP
   SN,Ardusat	Sets name
   S-,Ardusat	Sets friendly name
   SA,2	Set no pincode
   SU,96	Change baudrate to 9600
   ---	Leave command mode

Notes

• The BlueSMiRF seems to work more consistently when using 5v instead of just 3.3v.
• Sometimes, if it starts acting quirky, just turning it off and back on again fixes any problems.
• It is unlikely you will have this problem, but you must allow the bluetooth module to restart between uploading sketches to the Arduino multiple times with different baud rates. If you change the baud rate and upload the sketch, then change the baud rate again and upload the new sketch, only the first baud rate will take affect. You must turn the bluetooth module off in between changing the baud rate more than once.