Is there a tutorial somewhere that shows how to connect the bluesmirf to a BB2?
What I want to do is control the robot with a serial code program from powerpod (new version for BA pro 28) without the need of a serial cable.
I know that this can be accomplished by connecting a serial cable between the PC and the BB2 and using the supplied “Serial_CP_H3” program that comes with powerpod.
Is there anyway to omit the the serial cable and use the bluesmirf for the communication ?
Any help on how I would go about doing this would be great.
Here are the tutorials for connecting the bluesmirf to the SSC-32. It should be easy to connect it to the Bot Board. You will need to change the program from using the db9 serial port connector to using two I/O pins for TTL level coms. That will be the most challenging part.
lynxmotion.com/images/html/build125.htm
lynxmotion.com/images/html/build117.htm
Yes, I have seen those tutorials. I thought maybe there was something else that I was missing.
What if I made a TTL to serial converter using the MAX232. Would that work?
Maybe, but the easiest way would be to change the serial commands from using s_in and s_out to P6 and P7. You may need to use the inverted data mode, I’m not sure.
I have a question in this case… doesn’t the bot board have a serial port – so to make it wireless, can’t we simply use a bluetooth module that comes with a serial port connector?
More to the point, the chip that plugs into the Bot Board has a serial port. It might help to explain why you want to connect the Atom to the PC via serial port.
I have been sort-of wondering about how well one of these:
sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=8495
would work. I tried an earlier spark fun BT module that had the built-in TTL to RS232 converter built in, but never had any luck with it. My guess is still though even if you hooked up two of these to each other that you could program the Atom or Pro over this link.
Kurt
yes, sort of, with limitations. the db-9 serial port on the bot board doesn’t go to the hardware supported serial port on the module, but rather a half-duplex software bit-banged port. also the hardware handshake line for the rs-232 signal DTR connects to the reset line of the atom module so you need to handle that a little carefully. you can use the port to spit output easily enough (provided you don’t connect the dtr signal) but to use it for input requires the atom be sitting there actively polling the input pin and nothing else.
If you can get past the perceived difficulty of hooking up the hardware serial port on P14/P15 of the bot board and using either a TTL bluetooth module or TTL-to-RS232 converter with the rs232 bluetooth module, then it is considerably more simple in software to deal with. The hardware serial port has an input buffer assigned and can issue interrupts so you don’t spend all your time waiting on it.