Here is a preview of one of the prototypes. We are still working out the kinks with the bluetooth modules. I think we will have a last minute design change to use the Blue Giga WT12 modules but that is all in the air still. I have a distributer lined up but i'm always looking for more if there are any distributors interested =). Looks like price will be $80.00 US plus shipping. Let me know what you guys think. This is just a proto-board. Got to love my LPKF Machine =) The final unit will look a lot similar but different =) Free free to email me on here or at Mike@DomcoElectronics.com if you want to know more info.
http://web.mac.com/miked13/Arduino/Bluetooth_Shield.JPG
Hey man, not to deter you but I know in the UK there's a shield/adapter coming out which is looking to cost 1/4 of that.
I think you need to try and get your price to at least half that (take a look at the WiShield for example.
Either way, it's looking good
Bluetooth modules alone are not cheap i can get imbedded ethernet a lot cheaper such as in the WiShield or the arduino ethernet shield. Bluetooth is a very strange world of it's own. Pricing was set by the distributor not myself. If I get a large enough order to build them myself I should be able to knock 10 bucks off that price but I have to make sure i'm not going to be in violation with the distributors. The bluetooth module on the shield alone is nearly half the price of the unit.
Nice work StealthStream!
I have a suggestion if I may, It would be nice if there is a jumper header for WT12's rx and tx, so it could be directed to another I/O port, this is very useful for debugging communication between Arduino and WT12.
WT12 is a good choice! 
Could you please post the schematic you used for building this shield?
I'm interested in learning how it works, since I have a BT chip just like yours and probably I thought it was easy than it really is.
Well, I just used the 3.3v for powering up the chip and connected pins 2 and 3 in the rx and tx from bt. Than I tried a SoftSerial using those ports, but was unable to make my computer and the Arduino talk correctly: junk (mostly zeros) was being received even if I didn't send anything. Also nothing sent from the Arduino was correctly received by my computer.
p.s.: I have almost no knowledge in electronics (but graduated in cs), I'm starting with Arduino.
Thanks
THanks for the debugging tip reginr. I'm not looking at adding them because oyu could use my shield as a stand alone device just by applying 5v and gnd to the corect pins with jumper wires so you would be able to hook the tx and rx pins to what ever you wanted then.
As for the comment about posting the schematic at this time no. We are trying to get CE and UL listing on it so I don't think it will be released under the creative common licensing.
Still looking for more distributors though.
feel free to email me if you interested in purchasing them though =) I don't think i have the spare time to set up my own web store to sell them though that is why i'm looking to see if any distributor wants to purchase them in lots of 50 or 100 units. The lot price is a lot cheaper of course.
Anibal,
If you can have access to a FTDI 3.3v break out board then use it to communicate directly to WT12 (from your PC via UART/Arduino Serial Monitor/Terminal etc.). This will help you test the integrity of your WT12.
- GND of FTDI to GND of WT12
- 3.3V of FTDI to 3.3V of WT12
- TX of FTDI to RX of WT12
- RX of FTDI to TX of WT12
Once you get it connected then you can play around with it directy by sending/typing SET commands (from the bluegiga users manual)
I wish you well in making it work. I've been there and I know how frustrating it is.
Thanks for the idea reginr. Unhappily, it's not easy to me to find it because I live in Brazil and import costs are very high. Anyway I will look for a similar product here in Brazil.
Also, do you think that using ports 0 & 1 may have the same result as the FTDI? Maybe I burned it when I tryed to solder (as I said, I'm really a newbie).
And just to give a hint to whom may interested I found this same chip in ebay for US$ 20 (including freight).
[]'s
Another question: do you think that I could manage to make it working using a MAX232 ou MAX233? So far it seems to be the same. Am I correct?
Thanks
Hello Anibal,
I am not familiar with the chips you mentioned. I can advise you however to read the data sheets of the max232 concerning the voltage levels of UART, one thing should be concerned with is not to 'fry' your module by connecting the uart to a device with higher voltage signals.
By the way could you please share the link on the bluetooth module on ebay you were telling lately?
Thanks
Sorry for the long delay on answering. The item number on eBay is 230354114977.
bump*
Any news on this shield - the commercial ones don't seem to have materialized after the arduino BT appeared...
Mowcius
Guys:
Anyone working on a homebrew game here?
I was working on my car game, but I put that on hold and am working on my football game again, Im hoping to have something playable with 2 months.
What other homebrew projects going on?
Jeff.
watch movies online
I never heard back from enough people to mass produce them. I've been building them mostly for myself and students that use them. I haven't been thinking of mass producing them because I seamed to get a really negative feed back in this post.
Ok, I see what you are saying. How much was it costing you per board in the end?
I also sent you a PM.
Mowcius
I have one in the $30 range but have been way too busy to work on it recently. I also haven't gotten it to do remote downloading, though I guess even the official BT rarely works correctly for downloading.
I also haven't gotten it to do remote downloading, though I guess even the official BT rarely works correctly for downloading.
Hehe, maybe not though I have not tried it myself.
I sent you a MP mowclus
An MP? Can I have his expenses?
;D
Thanks for the PM anyways
(Mowclus?)
Mowcius
HAHA Sorry about the typo's.