Paraola Bluetooth Connection Problems

Hey guys I am a total loss here. I'm trying to use the Parola Bluetooth control library to make a blue tooth connected sign. The libraries work great on my hardware except for when I try to use the Bluetooth sketch.

I have successfully connected and use my Bluetooth hardware using the Max matrix library so I know that my hardware is functioning properly. I'm trying to use the parola Bluetooth control sketch that's provided with the library. It loads successfully on my board but nothing else. What's interesting is when I run it configured for the Bluetooth 05 board nothing shows up on my display, but when I run it configured for the 06 board it says "setup" on my display. I tried connecting a 05 module and 06 module nothing. I've tried using different Arduino no boards nothing. I notice that my TX&RX lights do not light up on my Arduino board what I try transmitting Bluetooth.

I don't know if my problem is the software configuration or if it is in the app on my phone not configured properly. I'm using the Parola Control app.

I found another sketch online it seems to transmit to my board because my RX and TX light up.
Here it is:

// Program to demonstrate the MD_Parola library
//
// For every string defined by pc[] iterate through all combinations
// of entry and exit effects.
//
// Animation speed can be controlled using a pot on pin SPEED_IN
//
// NOTE: MD_MAX72xx library must be installed and configured for the LED
// matrix type being used. Refer documentation included in the MD_MAX72xx
// library or see this link:
// https://majicdesigns.github.io/MD_MAX72XX/page_hardware.html
//

#include <MD_Parola.h>
#include <MD_MAX72xx.h>
#include <SPI.h>

// Define the number of devices we have in the chain and the hardware interface
// NOTE: These pin numbers will probably not work with your hardware and may
// need to be adapted
#define	MAX_DEVICES	4
#define	CLK_PIN		13
#define	DATA_PIN	11
#define	CS_PIN		10
#define HARDWARE_TYPE MD_MAX72XX::ICSTATION_HW

// set to 1 if we are implementing the user interface pot
#define	USE_UI_CONTROL	0

#if USE_UI_CONTROL
#define	SPEED_IN	A5
uint8_t	frameDelay = 25;	// default frame delay value
#endif // USE_UI_CONTROL

// Hardware SPI connection
MD_Parola P = MD_Parola(CS_PIN, MAX_DEVICES);
// Arbitrary output pins
// MD_Parola P = MD_Parola(DATA_PIN, CLK_PIN, CS_PIN, MAX_DEVICES);

#define	SPEED_TIME	25
#define	PAUSE_TIME	1000

// Turn on debug statements to the serial output
#define  DEBUG  0

#if  DEBUG
#define	PRINT(s, x)	{ Serial.print(F(s)); Serial.print(x); }
#define	PRINTS(x)	Serial.print(F(x))
#define	PRINTX(x)	Serial.println(x, HEX)
#else
#define	PRINT(s, x)
#define PRINTS(x)
#define PRINTX(x)
#endif

bool firsttime = true;
char c;
void Write(char *tulisan);
String stringOne;
char charBuf[200];

// Global variables
uint8_t  curText;
char	*pc[] =
{
  ""
};

uint8_t  inFX, outFX;
textEffect_t	effect[] =
{
  PA_SCROLL_LEFT
};

#if USE_UI_CONTROL
void doUI(void)
{
  // set the speed if it has changed
  {
    int16_t	speed = map(analogRead(SPEED_IN), 0, 1023, 0, 250);

    if (speed != (int16_t)P.getSpeed())
    {
//      P.setSpeed(speed);      //UNCOMMENT these lines to use variable resistor connected to pin A5 as the scrolling speed controller (*)  
//      P.setPause(speed);      //(*)
//      frameDelay = speed;     //(*)

      int speed1 = 30;        //COMMENT these lines to use variable resistor as the scrolling speed controller (**) <- the smaller the value, the faster scrolling speed would be   
      P.setSpeed(speed1);     //(**)
      P.setPause(speed1);     //(**)
      frameDelay = speed1;    //(**)
      
      PRINT("\nChanged speed to ", P.getSpeed());
    }
  }
}
#endif // USE_UI_CONTROL





char* string2char(String command){
    if(command.length()!=0){
        char *p = const_cast<char*>(command.c_str());
        return p;
    }
}


void setup(void)
{

#if USE_UI_CONTROL
  pinMode(SPEED_IN, INPUT);
  doUI();
#endif // USE_UI_CONTROL

  P.begin();
  P.setInvert(false);
  P.displayText(pc[curText], PA_CENTER, SPEED_TIME, PAUSE_TIME, effect[inFX], effect[outFX]);

  Serial.begin(9600);
  Serial.println("Mula");

}

void loop()
{

  while (Serial.available()) 
  {
         
    if (Serial.available() > 0) 
    {
      firsttime = false;
      stringOne = Serial.readString();
      Serial.println(stringOne);
                 
      stringOne.toCharArray(charBuf, 200) ;
    }

 
    Serial.flush();  
  }
  
if (firsttime == false) Write(charBuf);
else Write("Welcome!");
      
}





void Write(char *tulisan)
{
  
#if USE_UI_CONTROL
	doUI();
#endif // USE_UI_CONTROL


char *pc[] = {tulisan};

  if (P.displayAnimate()) // animates and returns true when an animation is completed
  {
    // Set the display for the next string.
    curText = (++curText);
    P.setTextBuffer(pc[curText]);
    
    // When we have gone back to the first string, set a new exit effect
    // and when we have done all those set a new entry effect.
    if (curText == 0)
    {
      outFX = (++outFX);
      if (outFX == 0)
      {
        inFX = (++inFX);
        if (inFX == 0)
          P.setInvert(!P.getInvert());
      }

      P.setTextEffect(effect[inFX], effect[outFX]);
    }

    // Tell Parola we have a new animation
    P.displayReset();
  }
}

I can't post the original Parola sketch because I exceeded the text limit

Thanks for any help

There is nothing in the example Parola sketch that should stop the working BT interface from working.

What it does do is try to initialise the BT device which is where you may find that it is failing. In particular, none of the BT modules will initialise if they are already paired with the BT master (your computer, I assume) and that may stop the sketch from running properly. Either unpair the device from the PC to start with or stop the sketch from calling the BT_begin() function which initialises the device. In most cases, once the board is initialised once it will not need to be done again until the BT module is swapped for a new one.

Also, make sure that the BT module ins in the sketch (SoftwareSerial connections) match the actual wired connections.

Generally, HC-05 boards need to have a setup pin set for configuration, so I would not recommend them. HC-06 can do this just through software, but not when paired and HM-10 boards are sensitive to the type of board you have (as described in the comments), so they can be tricky to set up as well.