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Home Product Categories Bluetooth WRL-10269
Bluetooth Modem - BlueSMiRF Silver
sku: WRL-10269
Description: The BlueSMiRF Silver is the latest Bluetooth wireless serial cable replacement from SparkFun Electronics! This version of the popular BlueSMiRF uses the RN-42 module which has a bit less range than the RN-41 module used in the BlueSMiRF Gold. These modems work as a serial (RX/TX) pipe. Any serial stream from 2400 to 115200bps can be passed seamlessly from your computer to your target.
The remote unit can be powered from 3.3V up to 6V for easy battery attachment. All signal pins on the remote unit are 3V-6V tolerant. No level shifting is required. Do not attach this device directly to a serial port. You will need an RS232 to TTL converter circuit if you need to attach this to a computer.
Unit comes without a connector. Please see related male and female pins below.
Specifications:
- FCC Approved Class 2 Bluetooth Radio Modem
- Extremely small radio - 0.15x0.6x1.9"
- Very robust link both in integrity and transmission distance (18m)
- Hardy frequency hopping scheme - operates in harsh RF environments like WiFi, 802.11g, and Zigbee
- Encrypted connection
- Frequency: 2.4~2.524 GHz
- Operating Voltage: 3.3V-6V
- Serial communications: 2400-115200bps
- Operating Temperature: -40 ~ +70C
- Built-in antenna
Dimensions: 45x16.6x3.9mm
- Schematic
- RN-42 AT Command Set
-
Roving Networks Bluetooth® module datasheet
- Check out our Bluetooth Tutorial
- Wiring Example
- Connecting to a SSC-32 Robot
This is a single unit only. We recommend the purchase a USB dongle to interface to a computer if you do not already have access to a computer with Bluetooth connectivity.
Pricing
images are 
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Comments 42 comments
I should share my recent experience hooking up this device. Sparkfun’s Bluetooth tutorial is out of date. The default settings are 8N1 at 115.2 kbps. To enter command mode, you need to type $$$ before the 60 second (default) power-up timer expires. Here’s what I suggest you do to get up and running quickly: 1. Jumper RTS/CTS with a solder blob. 2. Solder wires to VCC, GND, TX and RX. 3. Apply power to VCC and GND. 4. Connect to the Bluetooth device on your PC (initializes as COM40 on my PC).
5. Open Hyperterminal at the settings described above for whatever COM port your device initializes to. 6. Holding the TX wire to the RX wire, type random letters in Hyperterminal. You should see these printed on the screen (with ECHO off—i.e., the characters are sent from the PC wirelessly to the chip, down the TX wire, back up the RX wire, and then back wireless to the PC).
7. To enter command mode, disconnect from Hyperterminal. Power down your BlueSMiRF, power back up, connect to Hyperterminal, and enter $$$ before 60 seconds is up. The BlueSMiRF will respond with “CMD”. Then type D and you should see device information printed to the screen. Type —– to leave command mode and re-enter data mode.
Hope this saves you some time.
why not have the pins be compatible with the Bluetooth Mate? or the uart adapters you sell?
it has “a bit less range” than the gold but by how much?
Strike that, the range is listed on the RN-42 product page as 50-60 feet
This is significantly cheaper than the BlueSMiRF Gold. Since it’s the same breakout board design, are we likely to see a price drop on the BlueSMiRF Gold in the near future?
Question is based on the price difference between the RN-41 and RN-42 modules.
will you be brining out a Bluetooth Mate Version?
It is nice to see you have added this design to your catalog, I believe it will make a through-hole Bluetooth (BT) solution possible for more inventors with low budgets [mad props SFE].
I highly recommend this module to anyone starting out (and not requiring the 100 meter range of class 1 BT) because this baby is configurable via wireless BT link using a rich command set.
does anyone have the basic set up code for this device? I am using a Mac and have established a connection, however i cant seem to locate a simple Arduino Sketch to make a light blink. Any help on this? i have looked at the Wiring tutorial and still nothing…
Thnx!
Is there any way to get an Eagle part of this? I don’t see it in the SparkFun library. Or, should I just re-create the given schematic in my schematic?
Do we jump CTS and RTS by dropping a little solder on the back jumper? The datasheet says there’s a label J1 to do it… but I’m assuming its outdated because I don’t see that..
Yep. It’s a solder jumper so you just put a dab of solder on the pads and you’re good!
Could you tell me what is the difference between Bluetooth Modem – BlueSMiRF Silver and Bluetooth Mate Silver? what can you recommended me for to communicate with cellphones Nokia S60? Nokia uses RFCOMM protocol and SPP service profile.
Please someone can help me
It’s somewhat elusive, but to get this device working set your baud rate to 115,200 bps! Took me forever to figure this out.
This is just perfect! Works with an Arduino Uno nearly “out of the box”. (Altough you can’t really programm the Arduino over Bluetooth, I think!?)
I don’t see why you wouldn’t be able to; isn’t this basically just a two wire serial communication, but without the wire? The Arduino is programmed with that same two wire serial, so you should be able to use the IDE without any changes.
I don’t actually have one of these, but that’s what it seems like it should do.
can someone give a definite answer on whether you can or can not program a Arduino with this?
The answer is “yes, with a little more work.” The Arduino needs to be reset during the upload process, which is not possible via tx/rx. There is a pin on the RN42 that can act as a reset if hooked up properly. There’s also an additional pin broken out on this board, though I don’t know if it’s the pin you need. I have yet to undertake the project myself, but it is on my to do list. I’ve done the research to know it’s possible, but I can’t help you beyond that, yet.
Hi
Does anyone know how to mount a Bluetooth server and/or bluetooth client with BlueSMiRF Silver ?
please help
I have a Bluesmirf Silver wired to an Arduino Pro Mini, I have programed the Arduino to power on Pin 12 when the board recieves an H, as in the example given. However, when I run my program (Labview) the LED does not light. Any advice? I can see that the data is being sent to the bluetooth, but after that, it gets lost somehwere. Thanks
Yeah, I have the same problem. You can generalise this a little more by showing no data is “available”, let alone the specific ‘H’ character. Also, I don’t seem to be able to enter command mode over the bluetooth connection either (no response on my terminal program). Have you had any luck with this? Cheers.
I should add that I have no trouble pairing/connecting etc as the light goes from flashy red to solid green. :)
My Planet Express Team used this Bluesmirf module this year for the Sparkfun AVC competiton.
I’ve created a demo app which shows how connect an Android phone to an Arduino with the Bluesmirf module. The demo can control an led and read a potentiometer. It should work with Android 2.0 (ecliar) and above.
Here is the demo.
https://github.com/jeffboody/bluesmirf-demo
I experienced this module with bluetooth connection to a DELL portable computer using Toshiba bluetooth stack. I found that it works good up to 19200 bauds with hyperterminal or a C program. With higher baudrates, there are random disconnections so it’s unusable. If anybody has an idea to improve that ?
Other comment is that Bluetooth virtual serial ports are not officially supported by Matlab. Take care.
Regards.
I found the problem at high baudrate. The issue was not due to the bluetooth module but to the microcontroller software sending messages too fast. Typically you should wait at least a couple of ms before sending a new string. Finally it works nice at 115kbauds.
Regards.
could a xbox 360 wireless controller be linked through this to the arduino with out using a computer?
Doing so would require some very tricky and almost impossible programming. To my knowledge, no-one has even tried.
The short answer is yes. The long answer is, you’d need to write a computer program to receive controller packets and help you reverse engineer the packet structure. That’s the hard part. Once you’ve done that, it will be relatively easy to write a program to parse those packets on the Arduino.
Hi,
Can someone explain what the difference is between this and the module itself RN-42 ? I mean what does this do that the module itself do not ? I see some more electronics on this. Is it just a board soldered with the RN-42 ?
This board adds a voltage regulator, Leds, and some Rts-Cts logic.
Maybe I’m not seeing it, but could you put a date on your product pages? Statements like “this is the latest” are meaningless if we can’t put things in order. It would also help figure out if a tutorial might be out of date wrt the product.
Is it possible for this to be connected to by a phone so it can transmit information back and forth?
what are the cts and rts pins for?
the link:
Roving Networks Bluetooth® module datasheet
is not working anymore
how can i connect two arduinos using two of these modules?? is there anyone that can help me please? please, please, please :‘(
I think the voltage regulator is MIC5205-3.3BM (KB33 on the picture). In the MIC5205 datasheet, I can read that the max input voltage is 16V. Why this module operating voltage is 3.3V – 6V? Do you think I can use it whith VCC up to 10V?
Works great but does anyone know if I can use two of these simultaneously in the same area?
Data sheet link is dead
http://www.rovingnetworks.com/products/RN_42 new link
The description regarding the TTL converter circuit confused me forever! I wish they were more specific! I was running my bluetooth module TX/RX lines through a max232 into my pic. It wasn’t until I took out the max232 that things worked correctly.
Does anyone get the wireless connection working with linux? Edit: Finally got it working. ;)
I agree, Sparkfun should make an update. Since there are no connections to RTS and CTS on the Protoboard shield to the BT module you have to jumper RTS and CTS for the BT module to work. 115200 baud is the default as the comment below. Some BT tutorials for the Arduino indicate 9600, so if you don’t change it on the BT module, make sure you set Serial.begin(115200).