MakerBLE — A Tiny nRF52840 Bluetooth Arduino Board

The MakerBLE is introduced as a miniature breakout board variation of the nRF52840 Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Arduino board, which is capable of communicating with smartphnoes and carrying out many of the capabilities of other wirelessly-enabled microcontrollers. The MakerBLE is also compatible with our iOS app, BLExAR, and allows users to collect data, send commands, and control pins remotely from a smartphone. In this tutorial, the MakerBLE will be introduced and its capabilities will be explored from the perspective of the Arduino. This will also be the first in a series of entries geared toward low-power, BLE-enabled, tiny microcontroller projects; whether they involve remote control, data collection from sensors (I2C, SPI, UART), message transfers, BLE peripheral/central communication, or general electronics testing.

TinyBlueX - A Low Power Bluetooth Arduino Board

The TinyBlueX is a Bluetooth Low Energy-enabled microcontroller module that combines an ATtiny85 microcontroller and CC254x Bluetooth Low Energy chip. The TinyBlueX is compatible with the Arduino platform (IDE) and the BLExAR iOS Arduino app. The TinyBlueX is very low power and has a low profile, which makes it great for very low power internet of things (IoT) applications with analog and digital sensors. The TinyBlueX can read sensors and transmit the data back to an iOS device, while also being able to read iOS commands and control LEDs, indicators, and motors. Pins 2,3,7 are available on the ATtiny85 aboard the TinyBlueX, allowing users to control/read up to 3 different devices or sensors. In this tutorial series, the TinyBlueX will be explored by instructing users on how to upload code to the module, how to control LEDs, and how to send data back to an iOS device using the BLExAR app.

PCB Design and Fabrication with NextPCB

The printed circuit board (PCB) is at the center of nearly all electronics products in the 20th century. PCBs originally consisted of wires placed along paths connecting a series of components on a rigid board — these were deemed printed wiring boards. Eventually, the printed wiring board morphed into the circuit boards with conducting strips etched into multi-layer boards that we see on PCBs today. The PCB industry is associated with nearly $1 trillion in sales of electronics each year [read more at: "Printed circuit board industry"]. Thus, it is important for engineers to know at least the basics of PCB design, even if the manufacturing is outsourced to companies. In this tutorial, we will introduce the design of a simple PCB and the process required to get the PCB manufactured by a company called NextPCB. Their process is simple and easy, and even allows the engineer to view their design on their online gerber file viewer.

BLE Nano Arduino Board - Bluetooth Control with an iPhone (BLExAR App)

The BLE Nano is introduced as a hybrid between an Arduino Nano and a CC2540 Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) module. The Arduino Nano has an ATmega328P as its main microprocessor, which communicates over the serial port to send and receive Bluetooth packets from the CC2540 BLE chip. This creates a Bluetooth-enabled Arduino device - encased in a Nano-sized circuit board! Using the BLExAR iOS app, the BLE-Nano will be controlled using an iPhone. BLExAR allows users to control the pins on the Nano, which will be demonstrated by switching an RGB LED on and off.

ATtiny85 Internet of Things Bluetooth Arduino Board

In this tutorial, the ATtiny85 is reintroduced, this time as a Bluetooth-enabled device. First, some of the basics of burning the bootloader to the ATtiny85 and using the Arduino board as an in-system programmer (ISP) are explored. Then, a CC2541 Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) module is used to communicate with an iOS device using the BLExAR app. Lastly, temperature and humidity data is read by the ATtiny85 and transmitted via Bluetooth to the smartphone.

Bluetooth Module with Arduino (AT-09, MLT-BT05, HM-10)

In this tutorial, I will dive into the variations of CC2541 BLE board such as the AT-09, MLT-BT05, HM-10, JDY-08, etc. I will use either the specific module name or a blanketed “CC2541-based module” reference to refer to the BLE modules. The general process for interfacing with each module is nearly the same, however, some particularities define how each responds and functions depending on the given firmware. I will also be using the BLExAR app for iOS to communicate with the CC2541 modules.

Internet of Things WiFi and Bluetooth Mesh Network with Particle Argon and Xenon Boards

In the tutorial, the simplest integrated IoT mesh network is explored, where Argon (WiFi + BLE) and Xenon (BLE) Particle boards are used to create an ultrasonic range detector (HC-SR04) that notifies an LED whether a threshold value has been crossed in front of the sensor. When the threshold is reached, a ‘trip’ is communicated to the mesh network and notifies the system via Bluetooth and WiFi.

iPhone Datalogger with Arduino Using The iOS Bluetooth App BLExAR

The BLExAR app will be used in conjunction with a CC2541 (HM-10, JDY-08, AT-09, SH-M08) Bluetooth module and an Arduino (ATmega328) board to create a simple data acquisition system. A DHT22 sensor will provide temperature and humidity data to the Arduino which will be recorded by an iOS device via the BLExAR app. This experiment is a real-world example of an Arduino application demonstrating data acquisition from a real sensor. This tutorial will allow users to solve their own engineering problems using the modern Arduino platform and wireless communication through the BLExAr app, which will ultimately expand the reach and compatibility of technology in the classical sciences through exploration and experimentation.

iOS and Arduino Bluetooth Communication Using The BLExAR App and CC2541 Module

An app called “BLExAR” allows Arduino users to communicate to an iOS device (iPhone or iPad) using a Bluetooth CC2541 module (different versions are called: HM-10, SH-M08, AT-09, or JDY-08). The app permits control of an Arduino board, wireless serial communication, and data acquisition. Click on the app logo shown here to download the app, as it will be used as the iOS communication software. On the Arduino side, we need to wire the CC2541 Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) module to an Arduino board and upload the appropriate software via the Arduino IDE. In this tutorial, we will demonstrate how to verify communication between an Arduino and CC2541 Bluetooth module, and then use Bluetooth communication to send strings between an iOS device and the Arduino ATmega328p board.

Comparing iPhone GPS Against NEO-6M (GY-GPS6M) GPS Module with Arduino

Arduino, Bluetooth, Electronics, GISJoshua HriskoMay 12, 2018GPS, NEO-6M, Arduino Uno, Location, HM-10, Wiring, TinyGPS, New York City, iPhone, BLE Comments

Arduino Internet of Things Part 5: Raspberry Pi as a Smart Hub for Sending Data to Google Sheets

Arduino, Bluetooth, Electronics, Programming, Raspberry Pi, PythonJoshua HriskoApril 18, 2018Arduino, gspread, Raspberry Pi, Python, Google Drive, Google Sheets, Arduino Internet of Things, API, Bluetooth, BLE, JSON, Oauth2Client, Oauth2, BME280, Bluepy, Arduino IDE Comments

Arduino Internet of Things Part 2: Lowering The Power Consumption Of The ATmega328P Breadboard Arduino And The HM-10 Bluetooth Module

Bluetooth, Arduino, Programming, Editor's PicksJoshua HriskoMarch 21, 2018Internet of Things, Arduino, ATmega328, Breadboard, ATmega, Amazon, Bluetooth, Web, Chip, code, DHT22, DIY, Adafruit, GitHub, humidity, Sketch, loop, Open-Source, IoT, parse, Quartz Crystal, Multimeter, temperature, Upload, Wiring, Crystal Oscillator, Arduino Internet of Things, BLE, Arduino BLE Comment

Using Raspberry Pi, HM-10, and Bluepy To Develop An iBeacon Mesh Network (Part 2)

Using Raspberry Pi, HM-10, and Bluepy To Develop An iBeacon Mesh Network (Part 1)

Bluetooth Home Automation Light Bulb Switch Using An HC-05, A Relay, and Arduino

Bluetooth, Electronics, Programming, Arduino, Editor's PicksJoshua HriskoNovember 15, 2017 Comments

Disassembling a Pair of Bluetooth Headphones

Bluetooth, EngineeringJoshua HriskoNovember 4, 2017 Comments

Introduction To Capacitive MEMS Accelerometers and A Case Study On An Elevator

Arduino - Sending A String Over Bluetooth Using The HM-10

As an introduction to Bluetooth with Arduino or Raspberry Pi, I recommend using a component called the HM-10 [datasheet here]. The HM-10 is a Bluetooth low energy module that employ Bluetooth 4.0, which is currently the most widely used protocol for wireless devices (along with Wifi, but I will discuss this later). All of the current iPhones, Androids, and Google phones use Bluetooth 4.0, and it will likely be around for quite a while. The module is powered at 3.3V and consumes around 50mA (peak), 8.5mA (nominal), and can sleep with a current between 400uA - 1.5mA. It claims to have an open-space transmission range of 100m, and boasts transfer rates at 2 kilobytes per second. The underlying chip is a Texas Instruments CC-2540/2541 [see here]. The HM-10 is particularly germane because it cooperates nicely with the Arduino software with a mere four lines of code in the IDE.