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Home | Product Categories | Arduino | WRL-10393

Bluetooth Mate Silver

sku: WRL-10393 RoHS Compliant In Fritzing Library

Description: The Bluetooth Mate is very similar to our BlueSMiRF modem, but it is designed specifically to be used with our Arduino Pros and LilyPad Arduinos. These modems work as a serial (RX/TX) pipe, and are a great wireless replacement for serial cables. Any serial stream from 2400 to 115200bps can be passed seamlessly from your computer to your target.

Bluetooth Mate has the same pin out as the FTDI Basic, and is meant to plug directly into an Arduino Pro, Pro Mini, or LilyPad Mainboard. Because we've arranged the pins to do this, you cannot directly plug the Bluetooth Mate to an FTDI Basic board (you'll have to swap TX and RX).

The RN-42 is perfect for short range, battery powered applications.  The RN-42 uses only 26uA in sleep mode while still being discoverable and connectable.  Multiple user configurable power modes allow the user to dial in the lowest power profile for a given application. If you need longer range, check out the Bluetooth Mate Gold.

The Bluetooth Mate has on-board voltage regulators, so it can be powered from any 3.3 to 6VDC power supply. We've got level shifting all set up so the RX and TX pins on the remote unit are 3-6VDC tolerant. 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; if you want to connect it to an Arduino Pro, we'd suggest the 6-pin right-angle female header.

Note: The hardware reset pin of the RN-42 module is broken out on the bottom side of the board. This pin is mislabeled as 'PIO6', it is actually PIO4. Should you need to reset the Mate, pull this pin high upon power-up, and then toggle it 3 times.

Features:

  • Designed to work directly with Arduino Pro's and LilyPad main boards
  • FCC Approved Class 2 Bluetooth® Radio Modem!
  • Low power consumption : 25mA avg
  • 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:

  • Board: 1.75x0.65"

Documents:

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Comments 23 comments

  • CBD | about a year ago 3

    The wrong datasheet is linked… it should be www.sparkfun.com/datasheets/Wireless/Bluetooth/rn-42-ds.pdf

  • Member #14513 | last year 3

    With a simple mod, this module facilitates uploading Arduino sketches via Bluetooth!
    There are two signals that you may want to consider bringing out to pads or possibly jumper options — pin 33 (remote DTR), and pin 34 (remote RTS). I also set the module into the “MDM” mode with the “S~,3” command.
    I strongly suspect that many if not most of your Roving bluetooth products have the same potential.
    thank you, Bill Welch, bvwelch 2-April-2011

    • mattismyname | about 7 months ago 1

      Bill- thanks very much for this info. Can you provide any additional info on this method? What is remote DTR and RTS? Also, why do you set MDM mode?
      thanks!
      -Matt

  • ThatChrisGuy | about 8 months ago 2

    I’m trying to connect this with a Arduino Pro Mini.
    Following this example: http://www.sparkfun.com/tutorial/BluetoothMate-Quickstart/BluetoothMate_Echo.pde
    I can successfully send data to it, get into Command mode etc, but nothing is coming back from the Bluetooth Mate Silver.
    Any help would be appreciated.
    -Chris

    • Paradoxial | about 8 months ago 1

      Contact techsupport@sparkfun.com. I had a problem with this board as well. Is the module getting warm at all?

    • fluidic | about 8 months ago * 1

      I was just looking at the pins for this and the Arduino Pro Mini 328. If the illustrations are correct, it doesn’t look like the pins actually match up.
      This: GND, CTS-I, VCC, TX-0, RX-I, RTS-0
      Mini: GND, VCC, RXI, TXO
      It would be nice to be able to use the Mini instead of the LilyPad since the result should be a bit more compact.

  • Jon Andrews | about 8 months ago 2

    Does anybody know – or had experience, in using two of these modules together in a slave/master combination with two separate microcontrollers?
    i.e – One arduino passing some serial data to another arduino.
    The above manual seems to indicate to me that this is possible, but I’m keen to know if any of you guys has had any joy doing this?
    Thanks in advance – Replies appreciated!

  • wiregr | about a year ago 1

    Because this is a Class 2 device, shouldn’t the transmission distance be shorter? According to the RN-42 product page, around 50 to 60 feet instead of the 100m mentioned in the description?

    • Utoxin | about a year ago 1

      Open-air transmission can go significantly further than the normal ‘max’, especially in good conditions, which is probably what’s going on there. I certainly wouldn’t rely on that sort of range, unless you have lots of control over the conditions it will be used under.

      • Glimcoil | about a year ago 1

        I believe this is an error in the description (copied from the Bluetooth Mate Gold which is a class 1 and has the same distance mentioned in the description).
        Would be good for someone at Sparkfun to verify (and correct) before they start getting returns…

  • Wayne | about a year ago 1

    In a future rev, perhaps you could add solder bridge-type jumper pads to support configuring the board with swapped rx/tx pins?

  • Member #27561 | about a year ago 1

    In a future rev, perhaps you could add solder bridge-type jumper pad to support configuring the regulator for external use of its EN pin, rather than tied high as it is now.

  • Sliv | about a year ago 1

    I just received this item this item, and am attempting to pair it with my computer running windows 7, at first it was only detecting it as rn-42 and connecting to com 3 with the red light blinking slowly, after which I would get an out of bounds error for the serial port. Now it detects the device, but will not let me add it to my device list. I am using an arduino uno board with the RX connected to the TX and the TX connected to the RX, powered with the 5 volt, with RTS and CTS connected to each other. It should be noted I have the servo firmata on the arduino board and am using processing to control a servo attached to the board.

  • Member #184323 | last year * 1

    Anyone know the pairing code for connection by Windows 7?
    The datasheet lists it as automatic, but when trying to connect via the COM port it keeps asking for one… The normal “0000” or “0001” do not work.
    Update: Called Techsupport and the paring code is “1234”.

  • Wire54321 | about 11 months ago 1

    I have a Arduino Pro and i am having problems uploading Arduino sketches via Bluetooth. can anyone help?
    i get to cmd menu and can read serial info from http://www.jhwarren.com/bluetooth-mate/ this code and reset the counter with this code but i had to upload it with my ftdi cable

  • riverguardian | about 9 months ago 1

    I’ve made a new tutorial based on Jonathan Warren’s post, with updates to new parts and also making it easy for Mac users. Please check it out:
    http://www.rioleo.org/setting-up-the-arduino-pro-mini-and-bluetooth-mate-on-mac.php

  • EvPlasmaMan | about 9 months ago 1

    So I have one of these guys and I am trying to hook it up to the RS-485 breakout board. However I am having trouble getting the RTS line to go high when I send any data. I can see the TX line from the module working but the RTS stays low. Bill Welch (comment below) mentioned pin 34 being a second RTS, however looking at that reveals that it is inverted to the need of the RS-485 board.
    Is there some way of making the standard RTS signal work or do i have to use an inverter along with pin 34?
    Thanks!
    Jos

    • Member #14513 | about 7 months ago 1

      If I recall correctly, pin 33 is roughly the invert of pin 34, based on some quick observations with the o'scope. Give it a try.

  • alulema | about 8 months ago 1

    Hi all. Does anyone know how to connect this to Arduino FIO? Thanks in advance

  • Edwin Roberto | about 4 months ago * 1

    it works like a charm! I’m controlling all sort of stuff with my android tablet over bluetooth (making now a bluetooth-2-xbee bidirectional bridge, to hopefully use the android tablet to control xbee things! : )

  • Member #272676 | about 3 months ago 1

    Hello,

    What data rate can I achieve with this?

    Thanks!