Custom Software for Restaurant Application

Hello, I work with a audio/visual/technology company, specifically on the audio/visual side. I've been tasked with a new project that I am using the Bangle.js 1 smart watch for.

I've built the audio system in a brand new restaurant and now the owners want me to develop a system the customers/staff can use for ordering drinks. The system they've described they wanted is as follows:

1. Customer presses a halo switch button titled "press for champagne" at their booth.
   
2. This triggers a red light on the halo switch as well as sends a notification to their servers Bangle.js 1. That notification presents as a vibration on the Bangle notifying the server which table has placed an order so they can turn the order into the bartender.
   
3. Bartender receives order from server, when completed, bartender hits button behind bar (separate buttons correspond to different booths) that turns customers halo switch green to notify them their order is on the way.
   
4. Server delivers order and presses button on the Bangle to wirelessly turn off customers halo switch light, resetting the program.
   
   

As an audio/visual technician my coding skills are few. I've looked around the App Library and it seems there are several useful ones I can utilize with little coding on my part, however, my main goal here is to wirelessly trigger a vibration on the servers Bangle using a halo switch at the customers booth.

Suggestions? :)

Hi,

This definitely sounds possible with Bangle.js...

I guess it depends what you have for the halo switch. One option is:

• Halo switch is a Puck.js. When you press the switch it lights up and changes its Bluetooth Advertising message to show champagne has been requested.
  
• The Bangle is continuously scanning for advertising messages, and it sees the Puck's message and then lights up and Buzzes
  
• Then when the Bangle is pressed, it connects to the Puck and tells it to stop advertising and go out.
  
  

This should be pretty easy to do, however you may well have an issue with signal range. Bangle.js 1's range isn't that great, so it may mean the server has to be pretty close before they see the message.

Bangle.js 2 is a lot better, or you could either have something wired and have the Puck nearer where the server hangs out, or you could set up multiple Puck.js/other Espruino devices as repeaters

Thank you for responding Gordon, much appreciated.

As I did more research the Puck.js seems to be necessary for the wireless communication between button and watch, is this true? Or, am I able to make the halo switch and watch communicate without the puck?

The halo switch will need to be a physical button, the one I have ordered for the project is pictured and the link is here

My initial idea was to have this button wired into an arduino or raspberry pi and writing some code to have the bangle triggered to buzz wirelessly when the button is pressed.

Thanks for the heads up with the signal range. If the puck.js is necessary for wireless communication, then I should probably place them centrally in each room to make sure the bangle grabs the signal. Unfortunately we may need to use the bangle.js 2 as an upgrade because the restaurant is set to open January 2022.

Or, am I able to make the halo switch and watch communicate without the puck?

You need something with bluetooth. It doesn't have to be a Puck though - could be an MDB42Q breakout if you want to use Espruino, or as you say a Raspberry Pi or (Bluetooth) Arduino

Given you're wiring it up, I guess nothing stops you having the Pi/whatever with the bluetooth signal a bit away from the table, nearer where the server is

Thanks again for all of your help. I used a pi 4 B. Just got the bangle in the mail today so I finally had all of my hardware. I got the bangle set up and running, added a few apps from the library as well. My issue currently is getting the bangle to talk to the pi via bluetooth, the video I've attached will show you what I mean.

Any tips on getting these to talk?

The ultimate goal here is to have the pi wired up to an RGB button that when pressed, turns red and makes the bangle vibrate.

You've provided a great resource on Bluetooth Advertising that I found but I have to get these two talking before I can attack what's there.

Again, thank you very much for your help.

1 Attachment

• My Movie 3.mp4

that video is only black with no sound for me

... same here - I'm afraid the video seems totally blank