Red Bear Lab BLE Shield isn't connecting to my iPhone - ios

Question

I've recently purchased this: http://redbearlab.com/bleshield/
I've connected it to my Arduino and I'm trying to run the very first test program that they tell me to run which is the BLE Controller sketch. I've connected it and resolved some original compile errors that I initially got, and now it will upload. When I upload it, my iPhone is unresponsive to the shield. I'm trying to figure out if the problem is in the code or if it's a problem with the shield itself. If it's the code, how could I fix the code? I'm relatively new to Arduino and completely new to making it work with Bluetooth. Here's the entire sketch that the guide told me to download from Github.
BLEControllerSketch.ino
/*
Copyright (c) 2012, 2013 RedBearLab
Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
*/
#include <Servo.h>
#include <SPI.h>
#include <EEPROM.h>
#include <boards.h>
#include <RBL_nRF8001.h>
#include "Boards.h"
#define PROTOCOL_MAJOR_VERSION 0 //
#define PROTOCOL_MINOR_VERSION 0 //
#define PROTOCOL_BUGFIX_VERSION 2 // bugfix
#define PIN_CAPABILITY_NONE 0x00
#define PIN_CAPABILITY_DIGITAL 0x01
#define PIN_CAPABILITY_ANALOG 0x02
#define PIN_CAPABILITY_PWM 0x04
#define PIN_CAPABILITY_SERVO 0x08
#define PIN_CAPABILITY_I2C 0x10
// pin modes
//#define INPUT 0x00 // defined in wiring.h
//#define OUTPUT 0x01 // defined in wiring.h
#define ANALOG 0x02 // analog pin in analogInput mode
#define PWM 0x03 // digital pin in PWM output mode
#define SERVO 0x04 // digital pin in Servo output mode
byte pin_mode[TOTAL_PINS];
byte pin_state[TOTAL_PINS];
byte pin_pwm[TOTAL_PINS];
byte pin_servo[TOTAL_PINS];
Servo servos[MAX_SERVOS];
void setup()
{
Serial.begin(57600);
Serial.println("BLE Arduino Slave");
/* Default all to digital input */
for (int pin = 0; pin < TOTAL_PINS; pin++)
{
// Set pin to input with internal pull up
pinMode(pin, INPUT);
digitalWrite(pin, HIGH);
// Save pin mode and state
pin_mode[pin] = INPUT;
pin_state[pin] = LOW;
}
// Default pins set to 9 and 8 for REQN and RDYN
// Set your REQN and RDYN here before ble_begin() if you need
//ble_set_pins(3, 2);
// Set your BLE Shield name here, max. length 10
//ble_set_name("My Name");
// Init. and start BLE library.
ble_begin();
}
static byte buf_len = 0;
void ble_write_string(byte *bytes, uint8_t len)
{
if (buf_len + len > 20)
{
for (int j = 0; j < 15000; j++)
ble_do_events();
buf_len = 0;
}
for (int j = 0; j < len; j++)
{
ble_write(bytes[j]);
buf_len++;
}
if (buf_len == 20)
{
for (int j = 0; j < 15000; j++)
ble_do_events();
buf_len = 0;
}
}
byte reportDigitalInput()
{
if (!ble_connected())
return 0;
static byte pin = 0;
byte report = 0;
if (!IS_PIN_DIGITAL(pin))
{
pin++;
if (pin >= TOTAL_PINS)
pin = 0;
return 0;
}
if (pin_mode[pin] == INPUT)
{
byte current_state = digitalRead(pin);
if (pin_state[pin] != current_state)
{
pin_state[pin] = current_state;
byte buf[] = {'G', pin, INPUT, current_state};
ble_write_string(buf, 4);
report = 1;
}
}
pin++;
if (pin >= TOTAL_PINS)
pin = 0;
return report;
}
void reportPinCapability(byte pin)
{
byte buf[] = {'P', pin, 0x00};
byte pin_cap = 0;
if (IS_PIN_DIGITAL(pin))
pin_cap |= PIN_CAPABILITY_DIGITAL;
if (IS_PIN_ANALOG(pin))
pin_cap |= PIN_CAPABILITY_ANALOG;
if (IS_PIN_PWM(pin))
pin_cap |= PIN_CAPABILITY_PWM;
if (IS_PIN_SERVO(pin))
pin_cap |= PIN_CAPABILITY_SERVO;
buf[2] = pin_cap;
ble_write_string(buf, 3);
}
void reportPinServoData(byte pin)
{
// if (IS_PIN_SERVO(pin))
// servos[PIN_TO_SERVO(pin)].write(value);
// pin_servo[pin] = value;
byte value = pin_servo[pin];
byte mode = pin_mode[pin];
byte buf[] = {'G', pin, mode, value};
ble_write_string(buf, 4);
}
byte reportPinAnalogData()
{
if (!ble_connected())
return 0;
static byte pin = 0;
byte report = 0;
if (!IS_PIN_DIGITAL(pin))
{
pin++;
if (pin >= TOTAL_PINS)
pin = 0;
return 0;
}
if (pin_mode[pin] == ANALOG)
{
uint16_t value = analogRead(pin);
byte value_lo = value;
byte value_hi = value>>8;
byte mode = pin_mode[pin];
mode = (value_hi << 4) | mode;
byte buf[] = {'G', pin, mode, value_lo};
ble_write_string(buf, 4);
}
pin++;
if (pin >= TOTAL_PINS)
pin = 0;
return report;
}
void reportPinDigitalData(byte pin)
{
byte state = digitalRead(pin);
byte mode = pin_mode[pin];
byte buf[] = {'G', pin, mode, state};
ble_write_string(buf, 4);
}
void reportPinPWMData(byte pin)
{
byte value = pin_pwm[pin];
byte mode = pin_mode[pin];
byte buf[] = {'G', pin, mode, value};
ble_write_string(buf, 4);
}
void sendCustomData(uint8_t *buf, uint8_t len)
{
uint8_t data[20] = "Z";
memcpy(&data[1], buf, len);
ble_write_string(data, len+1);
}
byte queryDone = false;
void loop()
{
while(ble_available())
{
byte cmd;
cmd = ble_read();
Serial.write(cmd);
// Parse data here
switch (cmd)
{
case 'V': // query protocol version
{
byte buf[] = {'V', 0x00, 0x00, 0x01};
ble_write_string(buf, 4);
}
break;
case 'C': // query board total pin count
{
byte buf[2];
buf[0] = 'C';
buf[1] = TOTAL_PINS;
ble_write_string(buf, 2);
}
break;
case 'M': // query pin mode
{
byte pin = ble_read();
byte buf[] = {'M', pin, pin_mode[pin]}; // report pin mode
ble_write_string(buf, 3);
}
break;
case 'S': // set pin mode
{
byte pin = ble_read();
byte mode = ble_read();
if (IS_PIN_SERVO(pin) && mode != SERVO && servos[PIN_TO_SERVO(pin)].attached())
servos[PIN_TO_SERVO(pin)].detach();
/* ToDo: check the mode is in its capability or not */
/* assume always ok */
if (mode != pin_mode[pin])
{
pinMode(pin, mode);
pin_mode[pin] = mode;
if (mode == OUTPUT)
{
digitalWrite(pin, LOW);
pin_state[pin] = LOW;
}
else if (mode == INPUT)
{
digitalWrite(pin, HIGH);
pin_state[pin] = HIGH;
}
else if (mode == ANALOG)
{
if (IS_PIN_ANALOG(pin)) {
if (IS_PIN_DIGITAL(pin)) {
pinMode(PIN_TO_DIGITAL(pin), LOW);
}
}
}
else if (mode == PWM)
{
if (IS_PIN_PWM(pin))
{
pinMode(PIN_TO_PWM(pin), OUTPUT);
analogWrite(PIN_TO_PWM(pin), 0);
pin_pwm[pin] = 0;
pin_mode[pin] = PWM;
}
}
else if (mode == SERVO)
{
if (IS_PIN_SERVO(pin))
{
pin_servo[pin] = 0;
pin_mode[pin] = SERVO;
if (!servos[PIN_TO_SERVO(pin)].attached())
servos[PIN_TO_SERVO(pin)].attach(PIN_TO_DIGITAL(pin));
}
}
}
// if (mode == ANALOG)
// reportPinAnalogData(pin);
if ( (mode == INPUT) || (mode == OUTPUT) )
reportPinDigitalData(pin);
else if (mode == PWM)
reportPinPWMData(pin);
else if (mode == SERVO)
reportPinServoData(pin);
}
break;
case 'G': // query pin data
{
byte pin = ble_read();
reportPinDigitalData(pin);
}
break;
case 'T': // set pin digital state
{
byte pin = ble_read();
byte state = ble_read();
digitalWrite(pin, state);
reportPinDigitalData(pin);
}
break;
case 'N': // set PWM
{
byte pin = ble_read();
byte value = ble_read();
analogWrite(PIN_TO_PWM(pin), value);
pin_pwm[pin] = value;
reportPinPWMData(pin);
}
break;
case 'O': // set Servo
{
byte pin = ble_read();
byte value = ble_read();
if (IS_PIN_SERVO(pin))
servos[PIN_TO_SERVO(pin)].write(value);
pin_servo[pin] = value;
reportPinServoData(pin);
}
break;
case 'A': // query all pin status
for (int pin = 0; pin < TOTAL_PINS; pin++)
{
reportPinCapability(pin);
if ( (pin_mode[pin] == INPUT) || (pin_mode[pin] == OUTPUT) )
reportPinDigitalData(pin);
else if (pin_mode[pin] == PWM)
reportPinPWMData(pin);
else if (pin_mode[pin] == SERVO)
reportPinServoData(pin);
}
queryDone = true;
{
uint8_t str[] = "ABC";
sendCustomData(str, 3);
}
break;
case 'P': // query pin capability
{
byte pin = ble_read();
reportPinCapability(pin);
}
break;
case 'Z':
{
byte len = ble_read();
byte buf[len];
for (int i=0;i<len;i++)
buf[i] = ble_read();
Serial.println("->");
Serial.print("Received: ");
Serial.print(len);
Serial.println(" byte(s)");
Serial.print(" Hex: ");
for (int i=0;i<len;i++)
Serial.print(buf[i], HEX);
Serial.println();
}
}
// send out any outstanding data
ble_do_events();
buf_len = 0;
return; // only do this task in this loop
}
// process text data
if (Serial.available())
{
byte d = 'Z';
ble_write(d);
delay(5);
while(Serial.available())
{
d = Serial.read();
ble_write(d);
}
ble_do_events();
buf_len = 0;
return;
}
// No input data, no commands, process analog data
if (!ble_connected())
queryDone = false; // reset query state
if (queryDone) // only report data after the query state
{
byte input_data_pending = reportDigitalInput();
if (input_data_pending)
{
ble_do_events();
buf_len = 0;
return; // only do this task in this loop
}
reportPinAnalogData();
ble_do_events();
buf_len = 0;
return;
}
ble_do_events();
buf_len = 0;
}
Any and all help is greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

I've been working with these quite a bit in the last 8 months, so I'll do what I can to help. I don't have the reputation to comment and ask for clarification on specific things, so I'm just gonna try to cover everything I can.
Let's first lay out a few things:
Because your sketch uploaded I'm assuming that you have added all of the necessary libraries to Arduino. If you haven't, I don't know why it is uploading, but be sure to do that.
The problem almost certainly won't be with the Arduino code. I ran the code you provided, as well as the sketch provided by RBL (Red Bear Lab) that is on my computer. I was able to connect to my iPhone using both sketches.
I'm going to lay out everything I think could potentially be the source of the problem:
Make sure that all of your header pins (you should have a bunch of headers sticking out of the board in rows of 3 next to the digital pins) are connected correctly, as RBL shows in their instructions. If you want me to provide a picture of mine I can do that.
Make sure that the white power light is on on your shield. If it isn't, power isn't getting to the shield itself.
Be sure that you actually have bluetooth enabled on your phone.
You didn't mention that you downloaded the app. Be sure to do that (it is called "BLE Controller" by RedBear), as you cannot connect to the iPhone without the app (Apple's bluetooth menu will not show the BLE shield).
If you have downloaded the app, be sure that you have selected the correct setting from the choices using the button on the top left of the screen (3 lines on top of each other). For the sketch you provided, you should select BLE Controller.
If you have tried everything and nothing else is working, try one of the other sketches provided by RBL, such as SimpleChat. This uses the serial monitor on Arduino to communicate back and forth with the iPhone. If this doesn't work, upload a picture of your specific shield (the top of it) so I can take a look at it. Best of luck.