Now that the Raspberry Pi 3 comes with Bluetooth and WiFi built-in, people (including me) were excited at the increased flexibility this offers. I was already thinking about using the Pi 3 in my Raspberry PiStation build so that I could do away with the extra dongles. Setting up the WiFi was straight forward – it was the same process when using USB WiFi adapters, but getting the Bluetooth module to work properly was a little more complex and I found it a little frustrating. Hopefully my guide will help you fix Raspberry Pi 3 Bluetooth issues!
Fix Raspberry Pi 3 Bluetooth Issues
There are many guides on how to get Bluetooth working on Raspberry Pi 3 already, but again I found that some crucial steps were missing in order for mine to work properly, so I have combined everything into one post here.
On the latest version of Raspbian Jessie (2016-02-26 at the time of writing), there were some additional modules that needed installing to fix Bluetooth on Raspberry Pi 3. If you are on an earlier version of Jessie, then you will more than likely need to run:
You may then need to update the firmware used in the Bluetooth module, which is done by running the following:
The problems include failing to pair, audio hiccups, and recurring dropped connections. The situation usually involves a few Bluetooth devices—say, a phone, a smartwatch, and a car stereo. Now that the Raspberry Pi 3 comes with Bluetooth and WiFi built-in, people (including me) were excited at the increased flexibility this offers. I was already thinking about using the Pi 3 in my Raspberry PiStation build so that I could do away with the extra dongles.
May 06, 2018 However, something has changed in the 1803 update with the Bluetooth Serial Port Profile (SPP) component. In programmatic terms,assuming COM16 is the rlevant port as determined through device manager, in C#: when we issue a new System.IO.Ports.SerialPort('COM16').Open command it fails as it is unable to open serial communications over COM16. Yeah, I am having bluetooth problems with an M5-481PT laptop. I can get it to work, but it's klugey. I also have Qualcomm Atheros (nearly 3 years old) and I suspect the Qualcomm Atheros since bluetooth speaker connection was always wonky in windows 8.1 as well. Acer promised to mkae the following link live on launch date.
And then to install the user interface, which is very handy if you are running your Raspberry Pi 3 in desktop mode: Best mac os x 10.3.9 emulator.
Now at this point, many guides I read stated that a quick reboot and then Bluetooth would be working and accessible through Bluetooth Manager in Menu -> Preferences -> Bluetooth Manager, but I found that whilst this was an option, selecting Bluetooth Manager did absolutely nothing.
After an hour or so of frustrated searches online, I stumbled across a page that stated “this happens because when Raspbian installs Blueman and the other Bluetooth software, it does not automatically add ordinary users to the “bluetooth” group. This group gives users permissions to access D-Bus, which Bluetooth uses for communication in Raspbian. This causes a “Permission Denied” error whenever a Bluetooth process initiated by the unprivileged user attempts to access Blueman.”
So to fix Raspberry Pi 3 Bluetooth issues, you need to run the following code in your terminal:
And to check this has worked, type:
If this has worked, you should now see the following:
If you run “cat /etc/group | grep bluetooth” in your terminal, you should see this…
Then after a quick reboot:
How to install classic mode on mac os x. You should now be greeted with the Bluetooth Manager icon on your taskbar, which means everything has worked!
If Bluetooth Manager has loaded, you should now see it on your taskbar!
And there we go – hopefully you can now access Bluetooth Manager and pair with your devices and get cracking!
Step-by-Step Setup Guide
Tested with SkySafari Plus 4.0.7 on ASUS tablet TF701T with Android 4.4.2 (KitKat)
The following telescope mounts has been tested and confirmed working:
Celestron NexStar SLT mount with NexStar+ hand controller (serial port based only)
Meade LX-90 mount with #497 Autostar hand controller (serial port based only)
Celestron AV-X mount with NexStar+ hand controller (serial port based only)
The Setup
The setup is fairly simple and looks as shown below. The serial Bluetooth adapter is connected to the hand control via a RJ11 to DB9 female cable. The hand control (serial port based only) is then connected to the telescope mount.
A look at the parts you need
![Serial Serial](https://kr.mathworks.com/help/supportpkg/arduinoio/ug/comportselect.png)
Below is a list of parts we use for this setup; some are required, some are highly recommended and some are optional.
Required | |
Serial Bluetooth adapter part UCBT232B Standard adapter | Serial Bluetooth adapter with external antenna part UCBT232EXA If you want a stronger signal. |
Required (included with adapter) Male / male gender changer part CN05B | This male/male connector is included with the UCBT232B and UCBT232EXA adapters. You will need this to be able to connect the Serial Bluetooth adapter to the RS232 end of the RS232 / RJ11 cable which is connected to the hand control. |
Required RS232 / RJ11 Cable part 93920 Available from www.celestron.com | This cable is used for connecting the serial Bluetooth adapter to the hand control. |
Optional USB to RS232 adapter part XS882 | This part is optional in most cases and only needed if you need to change the serial Bluetooth adapter's settings. In most cases this is not needed since most telescopes has 9600bps as default. Alternatively the Bluetooth adapter's baud rate can be changed over Bluetooth however this can be a challenge if you are not familiar with this process; using this USB to RS232 adapter is much easier. |
Optional Rechargable USB Battery part 206647 | This rechargeable lithium USB battery pack is optional but very useful if you have no other power source for the serial Bluetooth adapter. |
Preparing the Serial Bluetooth adapter
If your serial Bluetooth adapter's serial number is 14090200 or higher then the default baud rate is 9600bps which is also the default baud rate for most telescope mounts and you can continue with paring the adapter with your computer as described below. If your serial Bluetooth adapter's serial number is 14090200 or lower the default baud rate is 19200bps and you will need to first change it to 9600 before you proceed (please see the adapter's setup guide for how to change the baud rate).
Now you need to pair the serial Bluetooth adapter with your tablet.
Now you need to pair the serial Bluetooth adapter with your tablet.
Pairing the Bluetooth Adapter with your Android device
Depending on which tablet or phone you are using you may first need to manually turn on Bluetooth.
Some tablets/phones will automatically start searching for Bluetooth devices once you turn on Bluetooth, on others you will need to manually tab the “Search for devices” button.
Click the “Serial Adapter” to pair it once your tablet/phone has found it.
Some tablets/phones will automatically start searching for Bluetooth devices once you turn on Bluetooth, on others you will need to manually tab the “Search for devices” button.
Click the “Serial Adapter” to pair it once your tablet/phone has found it.
***
Please see the section called “Connection problems – Known issues” later in this guide if you are having problems with finding or paring the serial Bluetooth adapter with your Android device.
***
Enter the paring code “1234” to pair the adapter with your tablet/phone:
Click the “Serial Adapter” again once its paired. If it says “Unpair” the adapter is now successfully paired with the tablet/phone.
Connecting with SkySafari
Align your telescope using the hand control.
Connect the serial Bluetooth adapter to the hand control using the DB9/RJ11 cable and the male/male gender changer as shown below. NOTICE: The DCE/DTE switch on the side of the adapter must now be in position DTE.
Connect the serial Bluetooth adapter to the hand control using the DB9/RJ11 cable and the male/male gender changer as shown below. NOTICE: The DCE/DTE switch on the side of the adapter must now be in position DTE.
Install and open SkySafari on your Android device.
Tab the Settings menu and select telescope and mount type under the Telescope menu. Select “Connect via Bluetooth” under Communication Settings.
Tab the Settings menu and select telescope and mount type under the Telescope menu. Select “Connect via Bluetooth” under Communication Settings.
Go back to the main menu and tab the Scope menu, then tab 'Scope' and tab 'Connect':
Once SkySafari has created the connection to the serial Bluetooth adapter the blue LED light on the adapter should be solid ON.
You are now able to select any star on the screen and tab “GoTo” and the telescope will slew to the selected star:
You are now able to select any star on the screen and tab “GoTo” and the telescope will slew to the selected star:
Connection problems – Known issues
Problem: Android “Can’t communicate with Serial Adapter” error.
It is well known that the current version of Android (KitKat 4.4.2) has Bluetooth communication problems; however the severity of this problem depends on which Android device you are using.
It is well known that the current version of Android (KitKat 4.4.2) has Bluetooth communication problems; however the severity of this problem depends on which Android device you are using.
If you are getting a “Can’t communicate with Serial Adapter” error from Android, try the following:
- Make sure your Android can find only one adapter. If two adapters are listed, remove one adapter by turning off Bluetooth, turn it on again and search for Bluetooth devices.
- Unpair the adapter, turn off Bluetooth, turn on Bluetooth and search for Bluetooth devices.
- Unpair the adapter, turn off Bluetooth, reset the serial Bluetooth adapter (you will need to set the baud rate to 9600bps again), turn on Bluetooth and search for Bluetooth devices.
Unfortunately there is currently no known way of completely solving this problem, except hoping that Google will fix this problem in the next Android update.
Problem: SkySafari “Connection Failure” error.
This problem is related to the problem mentioned above.
If you continue getting the 'Connection Faliure' error window in Skysafari, even Android says the Bluetooth adapter is paired with your tablet, try and unpair the adapter, turn it off, turn off the Bluetooth in your tablet under the Settings page, turn the adapter and the Bluetooth back on after a few seconds, and search for Bluetooth devices and pair it again.
This problem is related to the problem mentioned above.
If you continue getting the 'Connection Faliure' error window in Skysafari, even Android says the Bluetooth adapter is paired with your tablet, try and unpair the adapter, turn it off, turn off the Bluetooth in your tablet under the Settings page, turn the adapter and the Bluetooth back on after a few seconds, and search for Bluetooth devices and pair it again.
Bluetooth Serial App
Another reason you are getting the SkySafari “Connection Failure” error might be because you need to disable the ECHO and PROMPT commands in the serial Bluetooth adapter.
Some customers have reported that the PROMPT and ECHO parameters in the adapter must be disabled to be able to communicate with SkySafari, however we have not been able to confirm this. With the Android devices we have tested this was not required.
You can disable these by sending the following commands to the serial Bluetooth adapter through the serial port:
ECHO=N
PROMPT=N
Some customers have reported that the PROMPT and ECHO parameters in the adapter must be disabled to be able to communicate with SkySafari, however we have not been able to confirm this. With the Android devices we have tested this was not required.
You can disable these by sending the following commands to the serial Bluetooth adapter through the serial port:
ECHO=N
PROMPT=N