Bluetooth Connectivity

bobclevenger · Post by **bobclevenger** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 6:57 am

OK folks. I am just about to give up on this project.
I can communicate via BT on the proper com port (com6 at this point) but the mjfj configurator software won't play nice.
I see the BT connecting to the mjfj board with a terminal program (Putty). Again, on com6.
Something isn't playing according to the rules.

I guess I will just have to live with a big laptop and a serial cable.

[insert bad language here]

Alex B · Post by **Alex B** » Fri Jan 10, 2014 7:33 pm

That is a PITA to read. What version of MJ do you have, one you had to assemble yourself or one that was ready built like Jestes' board? Maybe there is a difference. I got my (unexpectedly) ready built MJ and the BT unit delivered today, so I will give it a go shortly. Will update about any successes or failures.

Alex

bobclevenger · Post by **bobclevenger** » Fri Jan 10, 2014 8:25 pm

My MJLJ board was assembled by Autosport Labs.
It is ver. 4, I believe.

I suspect the levels are not correct where I connected my BT board (I may have been connecting TTL inputs on the BT board that I bought to RS-232 levels on the MJLJ board -- that may have damaged the BT board). I should get another BT module today or tomorrow and I can then continue testing. The new BT module won't fit inside the mjlj case, but I know that it is compatible with RS-232 levels.

bobclevenger · Post by **bobclevenger** » Sat Jan 11, 2014 1:32 am

OK --- Until I get some sort of info from someone else I am going to shelve this project.

I connected up the new BT module and it connected to my computer and paired just fine.
I started up the mjlj configurator software (set to com8 for the new module) and got the same shutdown and error messages as I did before (5 posts before this one).

Bluetooth is supposed to be transparent. Just like connecting a cable.
Something is wrong here.

Awaiting (but not expecting) some help here.

Alex B · Post by **Alex B** » Sat Jan 25, 2014 2:16 pm

Did you try swapping position of the signal cables?

I thought to get started yesterday and then when I didn't get any contact and looked better I realized that I had only bought a connector print without tranceiver

. Ordered a complete one straight away, hope the mailman will hurry a bit.

Alex

bobclevenger · Post by **bobclevenger** » Sun Jan 26, 2014 2:54 am

I'm not sure what you mean by "...swapping position of the signal cables" unless you mean swapping the RXD and TXD lines, and yes, I have done that several times. both at the location shown on the photo you posted here earlier and on the RJ-11 jack.

I had the devil's own time getting a usb-to-serial adapter to work also. Most of them failed. This makes me suspicious of the communication protocol that is used.

BTW, I just re-read my previous post. I didn't mean to imply that folks here aren't helpful, but that there is probably not much known about this situation. Sorry if I offended anyone. It DID read a little snarky. Mea Culpa!

Alex B · Post by **Alex B** » Sun Jan 26, 2014 8:36 pm

Yes I meant the RXD and TXD lines, I just had forgotten what they were called. It is bloody weird that it isn't working with you, while Jestes has had no problems. I have now two types of MJ, an E with the same board as Jestes has and a Light with a green board which was DIY assembly. The processors used for external communication are different, so it will be interesting to see how they behave.

It is about time that this matter is seen to, the cometition is getting ahead. I have seen a Megasquirt distributor in Finland that sells kits for BT'ing Megasquirt communication and Nodiz is BT only.

Alex

bobclevenger · Post by **bobclevenger** » Mon Jan 27, 2014 2:11 am

I agree that it is very weird. I suspect the culprit is whatever makes the MJLJ so picky about which serial-to-USB adapters work. I could never get one to work other than the one I bought from Autosports Labs.

My unit is a green board, it was bought fully-assembled from Autosports Labs, and it says "MegaJolt Lite Jr, V4 Rev D" on it. I added the hard rev limiter to it at the time I bought it. It has always worked well except for not wanting to communicate with anything else that doesn't speak with its own accent (so to speak).

bobclevenger · Post by **bobclevenger** » Mon Jan 27, 2014 8:59 am

OK --- I have just tried again. I failed again. And somehow I have managed to damage my MJLJ unit.

It no longer connects via the RJ-11 to RS-232 cable on COM1. I don't know if it still controls my car's ignition, that test will have to wait until tomorrow at the earliest. I am not in a good mood. I know this can be done, as others have done it. Apparently I can't.

[Insert vile words here.]

bobclevenger · Post by **bobclevenger** » Mon Jan 27, 2014 8:16 pm

Please disregard most of the previous post. It seems the MJLJ is so sturdy that even I have not yet been able to break it.

I fired up the Jensen today a few minutes ago and everything is working.

Apparently I forgot one of the old things that "everybody" in the computer world knew --- you can't hot-swap serial ports! I forgot to reboot after connecting the serial cable.

I'll give my brain a few hours of R&R and then I may try this BT thing again.

Feeling better now.

Alex B · Post by **Alex B** » Fri Feb 07, 2014 7:52 pm

Had my first try, unfortunately with just as much luck

. Tried on 3 computers, two see the BT board but can't connect any further, one could connect but only towards the MJ. Resultet in Could-not-open-port message. I am trying on a finished board with red print, the same type Jetses had succes with. The road is long......

Alex

bobclevenger · Post by **bobclevenger** » Sat Feb 08, 2014 7:57 am

Thanks for the update. I am wondering if we need to set the BT board to some different baud rate than the one
that comes as default -- and also just HOW do we do that? For a totally "transparent" technology this is really murky.

Alex B · Post by **Alex B** » Sat Feb 08, 2014 3:07 pm

I got the BT unit noticed on the bit less old laptop, coming in at COM40; MJ doesn't get further than 20

. Is there a way to let the unit come in on a COM lower than 20 or is it possible to add a COM40 to the options in the MJ-software?

Alex

bobclevenger · Post by **bobclevenger** » Sat Feb 08, 2014 6:13 pm

Oh wow! What OS are you using Alex? I have had to do this myself. It is OS specific, and usually not very user-friendly.

Alex B · Post by **Alex B** » Sat Feb 08, 2014 8:38 pm

The COM40 comes up on Windows XP with SP2 (due to a language issue I haven't been able to upgrade to SP3 yet) run on a Dell Latitude D630. Inbuilt Toshiba BT unit running with Toshiba programware. The other laptop is a Dell Latitude D610 with Windows XP with SP3 installed. BT connection is through a USB dongle with Blue Soleil software. Here it runs on COM7. Here it shows two COM7 ports, one Toshiba and one other (don't remember the name).

Alex