Android Question [SOLVED-partly] BLE - connecting fail

[rabbitBUSH]

Maybe this is the wrong place for this since its essentially a hardware question but its a B4X Android project question too.

I've started a BLE project - basically a nightmare in short.

Before getting to work on the B4X project itself, I began to test the equipment, to get oriented to what I am trying to do -> Using Erel's example code from this posting (unaltered from original) :
b4x-ble-2-bluetooth-low-energy

Hardware is a DFROBOT BLUNO BEETLE.
Phone Device Samsung A30s.

The example, when running, shows :
BLE State : POWERED ON (so the phone's BT is actively detected.)

Pressing Scan and Connect just produces the tumbling discs - endlessly looping. Device status is "Not connected". Stepping through the code breakpoints it never connected from the start.

When configuring the BEETLE (AT+ commands) I did notice that some settings were at the default for IOS - changed those for Android). Neither configs have shown any interest in working.

The BEETLE shows no activity at all. The Pairing LED and the LINK LED are off. The BEETLE will pair with the phone and then the LINK LED lights up - but not the PAIR LED.

Using the APP from github (BlunoBasicDemo.apk) the same thing happens - pressing Scan button invokes the scanning panel but it just sits there staring blankly at me.

At this point I have read so many web pages, most of which don't address the issue of why BLE just isn't starting up on the BEETLE. That is what appears to be happening, anyway..

What I have found is some information saying that BLE and Android IS NOT SIMPLE. IOS appears to be not half as difficult. [Don't have an IOS device to test it on.]

My feeling at this stage is that this is just one of those incredibly simple dumbass things that I haven't done to get the hardware to wake up - or - these devices are just basically a waste of money bricks (not indicated by the number of applications using them "out there").

I just can't believe, given that BLE is pretty well a standard thing (versus classic bluetooth), that this is could be such an arcane thing to get right.

So, here's the question :
Has anyone used the DFROBOT BLUNO BEETLE?
If so have you managed to get it to work?
And, how?

My guess : its all to do with the hardware since there are certainly members who have used the BLE2 library (and Erel's example code) to get things to work. There are a few postings here but none deal with just stony silence from the BLE device - all show that members have gone past that stage. My alternative is to go to classic bluetooth with an HC05 but that won't give me the comms range I need.

Thanks in anticipation.

 

[wes58]

I just can't believe, given that BLE is pretty well a standard thing (versus classic bluetooth), that this is could be such an arcane thing to get right.

So, here's the question :
Has anyone used the DFROBOT BLUNO BEETLE?
If so have you managed to get it to work?
And, how?

My guess : its all to do with the hardware since there are certainly members who have used the BLE2 library (and Erel's example code) to get things to work. There are a few postings here but none deal with just stony silence from the BLE device - all show that members have gone past that stage. My alternative is to go to classic bluetooth with an HC05 but that won't give me the comms range I need.

Thanks in anticipation.

Have you tried this app https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=no.nordicsemi.android.mcp&hl=en_AU&gl=US. This is a good application to test BLE devices. Try and see if you are able to connect.

 

[thetahsk]

Have you checked the firmware of your BLUNO Board ?
For details look here : https://wiki.dfrobot.com/Bluno_SKU_DFR0267#target_5

 

[rabbitBUSH]

Have you tried this app

Nope, thanks, didn't find that - but was looking elsewhere. Will get to it - thanks for responding.

Have you checked the firmware

The firmware is 1.97 - which as far as I could find seems to be the latest. I have not had time to do an update - thinking more that I wanted to exhaust other avenues.

Oh and the model of the BEETLE is V.1.1.....

Thanks for the response.

 

[rabbitBUSH]

Have you tried this app

For details look here

Thanks again to you both for responses.

1. I loaded the App suggested and it discovered and linked to the BLUNO BEETLE device - initial success
2. I wasn't, apparently, necessary to do anything to the firmware (update) etc.

ABOUT THE SOLUTION
Well, this is the out-there part.

Unfortunately, although I now seem to be able to (fairly) consistently connect to the device, I cannot say why. After using the Nordic App and snuffling around in their listings of all the various characteristics and details of the device - I DON'T know what I did / the App did / happened - to make the device wake up (to other Apps). Something in the process of viewing what Nordic was showing me I must have written something to the BEETLE which turned "it" on. As memory goes - it was late at night - All I did was change the User Data on the Server side from some defaulted person's name to one I recognise. I don't know what else could have happened in pressing those little up/down arrows on the right side of the App.. [[At this workbench -these are things that go on the bottom left corner shelf labelled - The-Mysteries-of-Life.]]

Incidentally, what Nordic reported is stuff of the arcane - I understood most of the labels - beyond that its in the realm of Erel and his +1s what all that stuff means. .

So, I can now use at least two Apps and connect to the device - as above - fairly consistently - well, 2.5 see below.

I have now moved again to using @Erel's example BLE code to load to the phone (the test code to scan - discover and link to BLE devices).

The interesting part is that this now "sees" the device and, indeed, tries to connect to it.

But, that is the subject of a different query posting, which I have put in the Android questions section with log text and so on. A link to that question <- is there so others can link forward if they are searching.

Thanks again, your help and suggestions much appreciated.