BLE-Beetle-Pixels

Code for several Neopixel (WS2812B addressable LED) projects, run by a DFRobot BLE Beetle controller

Overview

The DFRobot BLE Beetle controller is an Arduino-compatible variant which includes a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) transceiver based on the TI CC2540 chip. The Beetle is quite compact, 28.8mm X 33.1mm (1.13" x 1.30") and has the bonus of two sets of power terminals (V+ and GND) which are connected to the V+ and 0V pins in its micro-USB connector, so LEDs can be easily connected to power, bypassing the voltage regulator for the controller chip. (Getting to those voltages can be fussy on other small Arduino variants). It is part of their Bluno family of controllers. There are several mobile apps available for both iOS and Android devices, which means it fairly simple to build a wearable NeoPixel project remote controlled by your mobile device.

There is even a Play Bluno app available which includes an RGB color picker, but I found that it constantly barrages the BLE Beetle with messages irrelevant to controlling a simple illuminated wearable. I had much better luck (on iOS) with the BLE Terminal HM-10 App, which lets you preprogram up to 25 buttons with text(ASCII) or HEX commands, as well as including a simple ASCII/HEX type-and-send terminal.

There are 3 different programs in this repository:

• BLE_Simple_NEO is set up to control a few (default 5) addressable LEDs simultaneously, with all set to one color.

  Color: you can set their color via input of RGB values, or by selecting one of 7 preprogrammed color values. A rainbow mode will cycle the LEDs through a color wheel of 255 hues

  General brightness can be set (although it may affect hue)

  It also offers the option of steady on, or a fade-up and down pulse effect. Finally, a Sleep option turns off all the LEDS, but leaves the processor up and looking for new commands.

• BLEetleBelt_v6 controls a long strip (120 pixels default) designed to be mounted in a belt. (Why v6? It took six versions before I was happy with it)

  It offers the same color options as BLE_Simple_NEO but has a widely different assortment of lighting effects: Single color effects: (which may be rotated through the color wheel via the rainbow option)

  • pulse (fade-up/fade-down)

  • "Larson scanner" (like a Cylon eye) with multiple "eyes"

  • meteor or raindrop effect

  • split meteor effect either towards or away from center of the strip

  • double meteor effect (criss-crossing the length of the strip)

  • theater chase effect, either single color or with a progressive rainbow fade along the length

  • progressive rainbow fade of the entire length

  There are also several blue-and-white animations, an artifact of when I was assisting with the Helsinki bid to host the World Science Fiction Convention:

  • white, then blue, meteor effect
  • white, then blue, cylon effect
  • white and blue simultaneous meteors

  The code also offers some debug and timing command options to tweak the number of eyes and speed of the other effects, and to tweak the timing in the BLE command parser in the event of interference.

• BLEetleCollar offers the same options as the belt, but is optimized for a shorter (default 20) LED strip, so a belt and collar can be worn together and put in complementary modes.

All of these programs uses the Adafruit_NeoPixel library, as well as the EEPROM library (to store the last running state) Animations are based on those in the Adafruit_NeoPixel library examples

Installation

Please consult the wiki for for more detailed information about installation.

Hardware

• This software is designed to run on the BLE Beetle controller, controlling a series of WS2812 family addressable LEDs (e.g., NeoPixels from Adafruit.com). The controller should be wired as illustrated in the wiki to control the pixels via pin D5

Software

• Download the software from the repository, and open the program you wish to use in the Arduino IDE.
• You will need to have the Adafruit_Neopixel library installed, as well as the EEPROM library.
• Set the IDE for an Arduino Uno board, and select the serial port that corresponds to your Beetle when it is connected to the USB on your workstation.
• Compile and upload the software to your board.
• If you haven't already, connect the board to your pixels and then to power. If it is working, the default light and color mode will fire up.

Use

• Select and install an appropriate BLE terminal app on your mobile device
• open the app, and look for your Beetle listed in available devices (BLUNO unless you have renamed it as described in the wiki)
• connect to the Beetle, and try the different commands for colors and modes. Experiment to find what you like best (and, if available, program the shortcut buttons in your app to make it easy to get to them)

Don your Beetle-powered wear and go light up the night!