RealDashCAN + Bluetooth (Adafruit Feather M0 BLE)

Connectivity RealDash CAN
1

The Adafruit Feather is capable of BLE UART (Serial Bluetooth) that is compatible with iOS devices. I double checked and confirmed this by using a very simple example sketch and a bluetooth serial terminal app to send serial messages back and forth.

I then used the RealDashCAN example from GitHub, and added the simple Bluetooth Serial part, and obviously the Serial.write commands are now replaced with ble.write (ble in this case is the bluetooth uart)

The problem is, RealDash can not find the bluetooth device. When scanning, it would appear to probe the device (The blue activity led on the feather lights comes on to show connection) it appears to send some random serial characters, then disconnects. I’m guessing it’s checking for something specific? is it?

I purchased a VIM3 Pro based on others suggestion on this forum BUT - the VIM3 can not do GPS which is a HUGE flaw given the intended purpose, so that’s to be returned. I’ve repurposed an old iPhone 5C using Apple’s HDMI cable, but given the iOS eco-system, no “usb serial” device will work, so needs to be a bluetooth device.

Any thoughts or ideas why it’s not connecting or not even seeing the device?

Note: it’s not an iPhone Bluetooth issue because Bluetooth Serial / UART apps can connect and talk to it perfectly fine.

2

Probably that device is using BLE service/characteristic IDs that RealDash does not recognize. Out of interest, I will order the same device and test. Will take some time until I get it though.

3

Yes, I did wonder if it would be something like that. BLE OBD readers for example are quite a “new” thing for iOS devices.

That aside, I was being really dumb concentrating so hard on making a Bluetooth one, (I tried ESP32 before adafruit ble) then realised I should just use WiFi on the ESP32 to make an access point and use WiFi connection instead. That worked :slight_smile: