Electronic experts - BLUETOOTH

[Burgerman]

I ordered 4x these... To make Bluetooth adapters for the PL8.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HC-06-Blueto ... 0042.m2062

I need to tell them to be set up using AT commands: 19200 baud 8n1

Which this says is easy... https://www.instructables.com/id/AT-com ... th-module/
Not to me!!! Its all chinese. This is helpful? https://www.instructables.com/id/Succes ... th-Module/

Can anyone understand or do this?

[woodygb]

I can do them for you.

[Burgerman]

Great! I added a link above which may matter.

They wont be here till jan. Then I will post you one at least, to be going on. It was ordered a week earlier.

Thanks!

[woodygb]

I have a couple in stock and can do those for you anytime that you want.

[Burgerman]

Are they low current? The output on the pl8 is via a resistor. The fuim3 takes about 20mA and drops the 5v to 4.3. The module I chose was a low power 30mA current, and 3.3v one so I can be sure of it working with a couple of diodes in line with power. Also need a .

If so let me know and I will take a couple ASAP as I can do this in bed! It will be installed internally, hidden. So I dont need wires to charge a chair via USB.

Also need a 1N5817 schottky diode or similar very low drop one to put in the tx / rx according to https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthr ... ooth-FIXED

[Burgerman]

If it works you can mass produce a batch with a servo lead to plug in, no disassembly. Theres a bunch of pl8 owners here.

[woodygb]

These are the specs for the ones that I purchased

MODULE

JY-MCU HC-06 (SLAVE)


MODULE DIMENSIONS

42.0mm x 17.0mm x 8.5mm (including header pins)


EFFECTIVE DISTANCE

10m (open area)


SUPPLY VOLTAGE

3.3-6v (do not exceed 7v)


INTERFACE LEVEL

3.3v (Can directly connect a variety of SCM 51, AVR, PIC, ARM, MSP430, etc. A 5v microcontroller can also be directly connected without MAX232)


INPUT CURRENT

30-40mA (pairing) / 8mA (communication)


INTERFACE

VCC, GND, TX, RX (4-Pin)


BLUETOOTH PROTOCOL

8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity


DEFAULT BLUETOOTH PAIRING CODE

1234


DEFAULT BAUD RATE

9600


WIRELESS BLUETOOTH FREQUENCY

2.4GHz


LED INDICATOR

Bluetooth connection status (Flashes when disconnected, permanently on when paired and connected)


HEADER PIN SPACING

2.54mm


TEMPERATURE OPERATING RANGE

-25 °C to +75 °C


APPLICATIONS

· Bluetooth data transfer.
· Bluetooth GPS, compass, temperature sensor and other remote sensor data transfer via Bluetooth.
· Control of Arduino development board via Bluetooth.

[Burgerman]

Very similar!

[woodygb]

Any particular name or pairing code that you want?

[Burgerman]

1234 or I forget!

PL8v2 name?

[woodygb]

OK... I use my birth year for the 4 digits.

[woodygb]

Done

AT+BAUD5
AT+NAMEPL8v2
AT+PIN1234

[Burgerman]

PM to tell me how much etc.

[expresso]

If it works you can mass produce a batch with a servo lead to plug in, no disassembly. Theres a bunch of pl8 owners here.

If these can be just plugged in the rear of the PL 8 instead of the usb wire - and thats it - - no other work involved for me - i take some for sure - -- i have 3 Pl8 myself and one for quickie - so 4 for sure - and a few extra

[Scooterman]

Ooh I'd be up for at least one of them when available too.

[Burgerman]

patience!

[Fedor]

It is interesting. I did not know that the PL8 protocol is open and so simple. So, there is an opportunity not only to make such an adapter, but also to write software for controlling PL8 from anywhere – win, mac, linux, ios, android. It is strange that no one has done this yet.

On the topic - I would also gladly have purchased such an adapter, but I doubt that the cost of shipping to my country will be reasonable.

[Burgerman]

We dont know it works yet. And writing GOOD software will men a telephone book of code, 3 years bug testing and rewriting, and modification till its worth having. And it already exists for windows.

[woodygb]

The PL8's 3 pin plug seems to be under powered... thus a direct plugin may not be possible.

We will need to wait until B.M. has done some testing.

The cost of a me making a direct plugin ... this is assuming that the PL8 will supply enough volts to work the bluetooth ...would be under £20.

[Fedor]

We dont know it works yet. And writing GOOD software will men a telephone book of code, 3 years bug testing and rewriting, and modification till its worth having. And it already exists for windows.

We have this for windows, you are right. But it seems PL8 does almost everything himself, you just need to send simple commands according to the specification and accept the data. I already found a python library that does something similar: https://github.com/coryrc/battery-cycler

Of course, it will be more difficult to write a good UI, but the simplicity of the protocol is encouraging.

[Scooterman]

We will need to wait until B.M. has done some testing.

The cost of a me making a direct plugin ... this is assuming that the PL8 will supply enough volts to work the bluetooth ...would be under £20.

[Burgerman]

Also it will only let you SELECT a profile, and start / stop and graph the data. It wont allow you to edit a profile (you will need USB for this or allow firmware update) so its quite limited. The only reason it may be possible at all is that I happened to see some very low input power Bluetooth modules...

[Burgerman]

Arrived. Connected. May be short on power. Does it have an LED? nothing illuminates. And laptop sees no BlueTooth device. May need to add a solid 3.3 or 5v supply. Bugger! Not difficult. But a pain and means opening case and soldering.

Does this BT device need 3.3 or 5v supply?

[Burgerman]

Will need to get off bed, and get my trusty fluke out, set to high frequency logging and see what the supply is doing as I plug in, and as it tries to connect.

May just short out the protection resistor. If brave enough. Or add a supply as per the guy on that site linked above.

[woodygb]

I give all my Bluetooth's 5v ...
You should get a flashing red led when the Bluetooth is powered up and this goes solid red on connection.

[firehopper]

yeah I guess the bluetooth thingy uses bursts of power, but over all power is low. maybe a capacitor across the power supply wires to help keep the power there? otherwise need to find a firmer source of power for it. like the guy did with a turnigy bec

[Burgerman]

No nothing. So its going to need a supply from the inside. Bummer. Easy for me to do but no plug and pay for others. Hobby king 5v supply ordered. Will connect as per the guy on the hobby forum, either side of that cap as shown.

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthr ... ooth-FIXED

[Burgerman]

I ordered this for inside to get power. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DC-DC-Buck-S ... 0753.m4841

Many are suitable. As long as its safe at 9V to 30V in, and gives 3.3 to 5V out.
Will be fed via 4 silicone diodes to drop 4x 0.7V so 30V safe. Set output to 3.3 or 5V.

This will work with a reprogrammed board from woodygb. Or DIY.

Everything will live inside the charger. And the normal FUIM3 will work at the same time as needed for adjusting preset settings and firmware updates.

[Burgerman]

Which just just goes to show:

Dont burn your chickens until your bridges are hatched. Or something.

[Scooterman]

Which just just goes to show:

Dont burn your chickens until your bridges are hatched. Or something.

Mixing your metaphors