RN42-XV - can't seem to make Bluetooth SPP connection?

Wireless & IoT
1

I purchased one of the Roving Network [RN42-XV Bluetooth modems in XBee footprint as well as one of the [USB Bluetooth dongles. I’ve been fighting with them for multiple hours trying to get them to pair properly - first few times they paired and the RN42-XV showed up as a Bluetooth keyboard (!!!). I plugged it into an [XBee Regulated Explorer (assuming it should work since it has the same footprint as an XBee) and attempted to use the Arduino serial monitor at 115200 baud to switch it from the HID stack to SPP stack:

  • - The $$$ command seemed to work OK and put it into config mode, as the light on the RN42-XV blinked faster once I entered $$$ with “No line ending”
  • - I executed commands S~,0 and R,1 which seemed to reset the modem and the blinking slowed again - although i did not see any response in the terminal window of “AOK” as I was expecting
  • - I removed and re-paired the RN42-XV with the PC a second time, and this time it instealled as a Standard Serial over Bluetooth link (COM9 and COM10)

    • Alll that said, I still can’t seem to get any serial communications to go either direction… and when I try to send anything over COM9 or COM10 from the Arduino serial monitor, the whole IDE basically hangs and I have to kill it with the Task Manager. Actually, when I try COM9 the Arduino IDE initially lets me select it, but when I try to open it the serial manager throws an error saying the port doesn’t exist. When I try COM10 is when the IDE hangs on me.

    I must be doing something trivial wrong - I have tried 2 different dongles and 2 different RN42-XVs, so I know it must be user error - could anyone point me to a step-by-step tutorial on how to get the basics for these things working (if such a thing exists!!?!?) I am not new to hobby electronics and have created sophisticated embedded solutions with XBees, but these Bluetooth units are frustrating me! I

    Many thanks in advance for any guidance / insight you can provide…

    -Garrett

    http://brewznet.wordpress.com](https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11812)](Bluetooth USB Module Mini - WRL-09434 - SparkFun Electronics)](RN42-XV Bluetooth Module - PCB Antenna - WRL-11601 - SparkFun Electronics)

    2

    Apparently this morning was my morning - I was able to successfully get them paired, connect via Tera Term, and do an echo test (DOUT wired to DIN).

    3

    Please don’t share what you did to make it work as it would help other members.

    4

    If it was me, I’d put the answer to the conundrum behind a paywall.