Original board vs Puck.js bluetooth?

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  • Hi,
    is there a difference between the bluetooth capabilities between the Original Espruino board(with the HC-05 bluetooth module soldered on) and Puck.js?
    I need a board that uses Bluetooth for communication and Espruino looks really neat, and I'm choosing between the original and puckjs.

    Thanks!

  • Hi!

    The main difference is that the original Espruino with the HC-05 uses 'normal' Bluetooth 2.0, and Puck.js uses Bluetooth LE.

    Basically the original will just appear as a Bluetooth serial port and can communicate over that - that's all it can do. That makes it pretty easy to interface to - the only gotcha is that iOS doesn't support Bluetooth serial.

    However Puck.js can use pretty much the full range of stuff offered by Bluetooth LE, including the ability to connect to other Bluetooth LE devices. It's a lot more flexible - but if you're planning on writing software for a PC/Mac/etc for it, you're going to have to worry about Bluetooth APIs a lot (for the original you just pair it in the OS, and then communicate like it's a normal serial port).

    Hope that helps! let me know if there are any other questions!

  • Yeah, thanks!
    So the original board can act as a master and a slave? because that's basically all I need.
    Also, I heard about the new 1.8 update on the firmware(I know, I'm 2 years late to the party ahaha), the built-in debugger and software PWM on all pins really attracted me. Are both of those functions available on the original board?

    Thanks!

  • I just answered on http://forum.espruino.com/conversations/­275631/#comment13693482, but yes, they are :) I try and keep everything on all the boards I make, unless I just can't fit it into the available flash memory.

    And yes, you can make it into a master, however it requires you to connect one extra pin (34) to put the module into 'command mode' - instructions at the bottom of http://www.espruino.com/Bluetooth

    Once it's in that mode, you send some strings to tell it to switch to master mode, and what device to connect to. This page seems to have some advice: https://arduino-info.wikispaces.com/Blue­Tooth-HC05-HC06-Modules-How-To

    It's not quite as painless as with something like Puck.js though - but if you have any questions just ask - I could do with updating the documentation on that anyway, and possibly adding a library to make it a bit easier.

    Also, if you're buying stuff - try and buy an HC-05 (not an HC-06). I have a niggling feeling the HC-06 doesn't support master mode, but I could be wrong.

  • Thanks again!
    Yes you're right, the HC-06 doesn't support master mode.

    Thank you! I'll adopt an Espruino Original and take good care of it :D

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Original board vs Puck.js bluetooth?

Posted by Avatar for BootySnorkeler @BootySnorkeler

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