ArduinoBT blocking the com port!?

Using Arduino Project Guidance
#1

Hi there,

I recently started a project in which I would like connect unity3d with arduino and read in sensor data via bluetooth. I bought a ArduinoBT as usage sounded relativly simple. Now I have to discover that this board can be a kind of a beast! I was able to connect the board with my pc and could load up a sketch. After example-sketch "Blink" worked fine, I uploaded the "Button" sketch to check the sending of data in the serial port. That as well worked fine at the beginning, but then the problems started.

I couldn`t upload another sketch, even with the special reset-then-directly-upload-timing I was unsuccessful. I was told by the console that that the com port was busy.
I even could not open the serial monitor and have a look at the sent data!
I have the assumption that the board is now sending data over the com port all the time and so is somehow blocking the port.

As I cannot upload anything anymore the possible solution might be to overright the atmel with an external avr-isp-programmer and then only write sketches that do not send data all the time but only if requested to!? Is this correct? Are there any other solutions?

I am still quite a noob in this area and I hope I can find somebody here who knows the board better than me and might share his experience.

Thanks a lot!
Tim

#2

The serial port has separate wires to Transmit and Receive, so "blocking" is not expected to be caused by the Arduino transmitting. You did not tell us if you powered down everything and started fresh. For my system with Arduino Due board, there are serial comm problems that are overcome by re-booting the computer and the Arduino from the unpowered state.

#3

Hi,
yes, I did a fresh start, but nothing! Another interesting fact: When I break up the bluetooth link under windows , i am unable to reconnect until I hit the reset button on the board. I still have the impression that something with the uploaded sketch (the button example) prohibits the "normal" communication of the board!?

#4