Wireless Bluetooth Sketch Uploading

Using Arduino Networking, Protocols, and Devices
1

Hey. I am trying to find a Bluetooth module that will allow for wireless sketch uploading. In my research I think I read that any Bluetooth module can do this if you press the reset button at the right time (right after pressing upload?). So would both of the following modules work for wireless sketch uploading and if not could anyone suggest a good module for this?

http://www.robotshop.com/ca/productinfo.aspx?pc=RB-See-179&lang=en-US

http://www.robotshop.com/ca/productinfo.aspx?pc=RB-Dfr-10&lang=en-US

And is there a different wiring configuration for this functionality or will it work wired the same way?

Thanks for the help guys

2

I got bluetooth updating to work (sometimes), but the timing is very tricky with the reset button. You need to be able to run avrdude in a command line so you can release the reset button at the same time you hit return (and even then it may not work).

You also need to be sure the bluetooth module is set to communicate at the same baud rate the boot loader uses, and that avrdude is also using that same baud rate. Down near the bottom of this web page is my success story using an ITead bluetooth module:

http://home.comcast.net/~tomhorsley/hardware/arduino/ITead.html

3

Thanks for the help!

Reading your trials was very helpful. Confirmed and expanded upon what I had researched.

I may look into a hardware solution to the problem...

4

I got my Arduino Nano to remotely program with my el-cheapo bluetooth JY-MCU module, however it does require you press the reset button at the right time OR build a circuit to reset at the right time, which is what I did.

My JY-MCU has an LED that blinks when it is not connected. When the bluetooth module tries to program, it will blink at about 10Hz....then remain solid on for 1200ms, then flash again at 10Hz for about 1000ms, then go solid on again. During this second solid on is when I press the button and it remotely programs, although it takes 5x longer than it would over a wire. I made an ATtiny85 circuit to monitor this blinking light and reset based on the pattern I described.

The other (much more documented) option is to buy a pair of Pololu Wixels. They cost $40 but they can act as a remote serial pipe up to 200k baud and they already have a sketch with a DTR pin so you can remotely program Arduinos. Plus they are their own microcontroller so you can put whatever code on them afterward.

Yet another option is to use wireless Xbee programming. Ladyada and Sparkfun have tutorials on this but it is not cheap. (probably about $50, and the XBees are not as flexible as the Wixels)