Brainboxes BL-830, BL-819 User Manual

Print Date: 24/05/2005

Product Manual

BL-819 / 830

RS232 Bluetooth Adapters

Version: 6.0

Brainboxes Limited, Unit 3C, Wavertree Boulevard South, Wavertree Technology Park, Liverpool, L7 9PF, UK

Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone] Web: www.brainboxes.com Email: [e-mail]

1. INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................................................4

1.1. PREAMBLE ............................................................................................................................................................................4

1.2. PRODUCTS AND FIRMWARE...................................................................................................................................................4

2. PHYSICAL PRODUCT FEATURES .....................................................................................................................................5

2.1. BL-819 / 830........................................................................................................................................................................5

2.2. COMPARISON OF BL-819 AND BL-830 FEATURES................................................................................................................5

2.3. BL- 819 / 830 POWER OPTIONS............................................................................................................................................5

3. PRODUCT CONFIGURATION .............................................................................................................................................6

3.1. CONFIGURATION FEATURES AT A GLANCE ............................................................................................................................6

3.2. INSTALLING THE CONFIGURATION APPLICATIONS ................................................................................................................6

3.3. OPENING THE CONFIGURATION APPLICATIONS.....................................................................................................................7

3.4. USING THE CONFIGURATION WIZARD...................................................................................................................................7

3.5. USING THE CONFIGURATION UTILITY .................................................................................................................................10

3.5.1. Device Info ..................................................................................................................................................................11

3.5.2. Port Settings................................................................................................................................................................11

3.5.3. Support/Links...............................................................................................................................................................11

3.6. CURRENT SETTINGS ............................................................................................................................................................ 12

3.7. ADVANCED SETTINGS ......................................................................................................................................................... 15

3.8. DEFAULT SETTINGS.............................................................................................................................................................19

3.9. UPGRADE DEVICE ...............................................................................................................................................................19

4. ALTERNATIVE PRODUCT CONFIGURATION .............................................................................................................20

4.1. ACCESSING THE CONFIGURATION MENUS AND COMMANDS.................................................................................................20

4.2. CONFIGURATION MENU. .....................................................................................................................................................21

4.2.1. Navigation...................................................................................................................................................................21

4.2.2. Main Menu ..................................................................................................................................................................22

4.2.3. Communications Parameters ......................................................................................................................................22

4.2.4. Handshaking................................................................................................................................................................23

4.2.5. Bluetooth Parameters..................................................................................................................................................23

4.2.6. Display, Restore and Update Current and Factory Settings.......................................................................................24

4.2.7. Disabling Interactive Menu.........................................................................................................................................25

4.2.8. Upgrading Firmware

3.0

...............................................................................................................................................26

4.3. COMMAND INTERFACE ........................................................................................................................................................27

5. REMOTE CONFIGURATION .............................................................................................................................................28

6. RESETTING THE PRODUCT..............................................................................................................................................28

7. UPGRADING YOUR DEVICE.............................................................................................................................................29

8. PHYSICALLY CONNECTING TO YOUR RS232 DEVICE ............................................................................................32

8.1. CONFIGURING THE COMMUNICATIONS PARAMETERS. .........................................................................................................32

8.2. PHYSICALLY CONNECTING YOUR DEVICE TO ADAPTER VIA THE RS232 CONNECTOR..........................................................32

9. CONNECTING ADAPTERS OVER BLUETOOTH..........................................................................................................33

9.1. CLIENT/SERVER PAIR: “CABLE REPLACEMENT”.................................................................................................................33

9.1.1. Configuration by Windows Application.......................................................................................................................33

9.1.2. Configuration by Menu................................................................................................................................................34

9.1.3. Configuration by Commands.......................................................................................................................................34

9.2. CLIENT: ADAPTER IS THE BLUETOOTH DEVICE WHICH INITIATES THE CONNECTION............................................................35

9.3. SERVER: CONNECTING TO ADAPTER FROM A REMOTE BLUETOO TH DEV ICE........................................................................35

9.3.1. Configure and connect the adapter............................................................................................................................. 35

9.3.2. Bluetooth Enable your PC...........................................................................................................................................35

9.3.3. Discover the device......................................................................................................................................................35

9.3.4. Secure the relationship................................................................................................................................................36

9.3.5. Connect to the Serial Port profile................................................................................................................................36

9.3.6. Connect your application to the new COM port..........................................................................................................37

10. WORKED EXAMPL ES .......................................................................................................................................................37

Manual for BL-819 / 830 © Copyright Brainboxes Limited 2005 Page 2 of 41

10.1. SCIENTIFIC EQUIPMENT DATA LOGGING: ...........................................................................................................................37

11. CUSTOM FACTORY CONFIGURATION.......................................................................................................................37

12. TROUBLESHOOTING........................................................................................................................................................38

13. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS......................................................................................................................................39

13.1. STORAGE AND OPERATING ENVIRONMENT .......................................................................................................................39

13.1.1. Storage ......................................................................................................................................................................39

13.1.2. Operational ...............................................................................................................................................................39

13.2. POWER REQUIREMENTS.....................................................................................................................................................39

13.2.1. Input Voltage Requirements......................................................................................................................................39

14. REGULATORY INFORMATION......................................................................................................................................40

14.1. EUROPE – EU DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY.................................................................................................................40

14.2. IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR USE IN FRANCE AND ITALY........................................................................................................40

14.3. REST OF WORLD ...............................................................................................................................................................40

Manual for BL-819 / 830 © Copyright Brainboxes Limited 2005 Page 3 of 41

1. Introduction

1.1. Preamble

Brainboxes’ RS232 Bluetooth adapters are fully embedded, stand-alone Bluetooth solutions, which will Bluetooth
enable any device with an RS232 port. Unlike many of Brainboxes wide range of Bluetooth products, the adapters
do not require any additional Bluetooth software.

For many applications, a Bluetooth Adapter used in combination with another Bluetooth product (e.g. Brainboxes’
USB adapter connected to a PC with Brainboxes’ Bluetooth Software Suite, or a second adapter) essentially
replaces the serial cable, freeing the device from the limits imposed by the cable specification and in many
applications removes the need for expensive cable installation and maintenance. The devices are designed to
appear transparent to a user’s applications that would otherwise be communicating via a COM port and over a
cable, therefore no specific Bluetooth programming is required. The connection uses Bluetooth security to ensure
that sensitive data is not “sniffed” by any unauthorised source, although this feature can be turned off.

The products described by this document are designed as cable replacement products. Their primary function is to
offer “point to point” Bluetooth capabilities to devices which otherwise do not have the capacity for such behaviour.
This capability is configured by a “set and forget” interface, which is not designed to cater for multiple device
connection scenarios. At the time of publication, the adapters are only capable of connecting to one other Bluetooth
device at a time.

The Adapter is user configurable to baud rates between 244 and 1.3Mbaud in steps of 244, with none, odd, or even
parity, and with 1 or 2 stop bits. Its default factory settings are 115,200 baud, no parity, 8 data bits and 1 stop

bit.

A convenient reset button can be used to restore various functions of the device including a restore of factory
settings.

We trust that if you adhere to the following procedures you will enjoy many years of useful service from your
Brainboxes Bluetooth Adapter.

1.2. Products and Firmware

This document covers Brainboxes part numbers BL-819 and BL-830. Any features that apply to a specific part code
will be clearly identified.

This document covers firmware version 4.3 with which your RS-232 Adapter is supplied. New versions of firmware
will become available in the future, along with an updated Product Manual. Both of these items will be available for
download from our website,

http://www.brainboxes.com/

Manual for BL-819 / 830 © Copyright Brainboxes Limited 2005 Page 4 of 41

2. Physical Product Features

2.1. BL-819 / 830

Reset button

See section 6 for more details on how to use
the reset button.

LED

The Green LED on the top of the device
indicates the current device status. There are
3 states that the light will indicate;

Permanently On – The device has power but
no Bluetooth Connection

Flashing – The device has power and has a
Bluetooth Connection

On when power is applied, then permanently
off – This occurs when the device is in
Upgrade mode.

2.2. Comparison of BL-819 and BL-830 Features

The BL-819 and BL-830 adapters share almost identical features, with the only difference being the gender

of the adapter. The BL-819 is 9-pin male (DTE) with the BL-830 being female (DCE).

The main anticipated use of BL-819 is to be connected to a DCE device that would normally plug into the
back of a PC. If you wish to use BL-819 as a DCE device (e.g. to plug into the back of a PC or similar for
configuration) you should use the included “gender changer”.

The BL-830 is supplied with a DCE connector (female) and no gender changer is supplied. This device will
plug into any serial port on a PC or Laptop.

2.3. BL- 819 / 830 Power Options

The BL-819 & BL-830 also carry the ability to be powered through Pin 9 by a suitable serial port. This
negates the need for an external power source. Brainboxes offer two serial cards, which can perform this function
for the BL-830, UP-189 and UP-200. NB. The BL-819 can be powered through Pin 9, but not with the supplied

gender changer. For information of the power requirements of your RS-232 Bluetooth Adapter, please see the
Input Voltage Requirements in the Technical Specification Section.

Manual for BL-819 / 830 © Copyright Brainboxes Limited 2005 Page 5 of 41

3. Product Configuration

This device contains a comprehensive set of Bluetooth and COM port features which can be changed from an easy
to use Windows Configuration Application. This section gives full details about the changes that can be made, how
to make them, and the implications the changes will have on the manner in which your Adapter behaves.

3.1. Configuration features at a glance

Below is a quick list of the configuration options that are available from the configuration application. They will be
covered in more detail later in this section.

• View/Set local COM port settings (baud rate, parity, stop bits)

• View/Set Discoverability, Security mode and PIN number

• View/Set Pairing options (including pairing to another adapter)

• View/Set Client/Server configuration (Client connects to Server – important if “pairing” 2 adapters)

• View/Set Local Device Name and Device Class

• View all “factory” and modified settings plus local Bluetooth Address

• Disable command interface and configuration menu

• Permanently update “factory” settings

• Upgrade Device Firmware

3.2. Installing the Configuration Applications

Insert the Bluetooth Solutions CD supplied with the product. This will auto load an Interactive menu. Please
select the product that you own, and click to install the Configuration Software. If the Interactive menu does not
automatically load then the Configuration software can be installed by running the setup.exe file in the following
directory location on the CD “BL-819\BL-819_Configuration_Utility\setup.exe”

Æ

Æ

Manual for BL-819 / 830 © Copyright Brainboxes Limited 2005 Page 6 of 41

3.3. Opening the Configuration Applications

After attaching your Adapter to an available COM port on your Computer, either start the application by double
clicking the new application icon located on your desktop or go to “Start/All Programs/Brain Boxes Software/RS-232
Bluetooth Adapter Configuration Tools/RS-232 Bluetooth Adapter Configuration Utility”, as shown belo w. The
Configuration Wizard is also opened in the same manner.

3.4. Using the Configuration Wizard

The Configuration Wizard is a tool that will guide you through all the necessary configuration options for configuring
your Adapter for the first time. This section will give a brief overview of the Configuration Options on offer. Please
see section 3.5. To move to the next page of the Configuration Wizard, click ‘Next’. At any time, to re-configure
certain options, click the ‘Back’ button to return to the previous page.

Initially the Configuration Wizard will need to connect to
the Adapter to configure it.

COM Port: Select the port number of the COM port to
which you have attached your adapter. Select “Auto” if
you don’t know the number and the utility will attempt to
find the device for you.

Other Settings: Select the other parameters to match
those that have been set on the adapter. If you don’t
know them, select “auto” and the utility will attempt to
find the device for you. The default parameters for the
adapters are 115200 baud, No Parity and 1 Stop bit.

Manual for BL-819 / 830 © Copyright Brainboxes Limited 2005 Page 7 of 41

This Screen will allow you to change the RS-232 Port
settings for communication to the Adapter.

Baud Rate, Parity and Stop Bits can be changed to suit
the type of connection your applications require.

NB It is possible to select higher baud rates than a
standard RS-232 port can achieve. If this does happen
and configuration becomes impossible please perform a
long reset (See Section 6)

The Standard Bluetooth Properties of the Adapter are
presented next, along with the MAC address of the
device. This is not user changeable.

The User can change the Local Device Name,
Discoverability, Security Mode, Encryption Options and
the Class of Device.

The Handshaking Options and Proximity Mode of the
device are configurable on this screen.

There are two types of handshaking RTS/CTS and
DTR/DSR.

For more information on Proximity Modes please see
‘Connection Scheme’ on page 17

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The Low power modes can be turned on or off here.
The settings button will allow you to configure the

particular parameters that are used for both Sniff and
Park Mode.

The Last configuration options are the Bluetooth
Connection Settings.

The User is able to change the Device Mode, Pin Code,
Switch Role status, select a Partner Device and chose
the Bluetooth Profile which is used to connect

Finally the user will be able to view all the settings which
will be applied to the Adapter, and confirm whether they
wish to apply them to the device.

If ‘Cancel’ is selected here (or at any time during the
Wizard) the Wizard will exit without changing any
Settings.

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3.5. Using the Configuration Utility

The Configuration Utility will display allowing selection of the appropriate COM port settings for the Adapter device
you have attached to the port:

COM Port: Select the port number of the COM port to which you have attached
your adapter. Select “Auto” if you don’t know the number and the utility will
attempt to find the device for you.

Other Settings: Select the other parameters to match those that have been set
on the adapter. If you don’t know them, select “auto” and the utility will attempt
to find the device for you. The default parameters for the adapters are 115200
baud, No Parity and 1 Stop bit.

At the bottom of the application there are four ‘action’ icons. These can be used to restore the local RS-232
Bluetooth Adapter to its default settings, save the current settings as default settings, reload the current settings and
apply the current settings:

The feature that allows a user to change the default configuration settings on their Adapter would be useful in cases
where the Adapter was in use in an application where the physical security of the Adapter couldn’t be guaranteed. If
the application required that the settings were very different from the original factory settings then if a long reset
were performed (restoring default settings) the application would no longer work until the Adapter was reconfigured.
Updating the default settings to the required ones means that should a long reset be performed the device will
power up with the settings required by the application.

Care should be taken to make a note of the updated settings when using this feature, particularly in the case of
future use or reconfiguration of the product. Use the table below to note any settings you have changed:

Baud Rate Encryption
Parity Pin Code
Stop Bits Client/Server
Local Device Name Class of Device
Security Mode Partner Device

Other Notes:

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The application will now load. There may be a short delay
whilst the device is detected and its current configuration is
queried and the appropriate fields are populated.

As a rule, sections on the left-hand side of the application
display information about your device. Settings cannot be
changed here. Sections on the right-hand side are where
settings can be changed as well as viewed.

Useful “tips” are displayed if the cursor is “hovered” over
various fields to help explain those options.

Each section can be expanded to see or change the relevant
settings for your RS-232 Bluetooth Adapter

All the settings are described in full detail below.

3.5.1. Device Info

The Device Info section displays the Bluetooth address, name and firmware
of the product currently attached.

The local device name field displays the “friendly” name of the device that is
connected. This can be changed to any name as required as detailed further
below.

Each Bluetooth device in the world must have a unique address. Some Bluetooth devices need to know the address
of the device they are connecting to. This address is also identified on the label attached to your product.

The firmware loaded onto your connected device is also displayed here. This is provided mainly for technical
support purposes, but also allows you to check for available or suitable updates.

3.5.2. Port Settings

3.5.3. Support/Links

The Port Settings section displays the current used port settings for the
connected Adapter i.e. the port settings that were used to open and access
the device. This includes the current COM port, Baud Rate, Parity and Stop
Bits.
In this section the port that accesses your RS-232 Bluetooth Adapter can be
opened and closed.

See section 3.3 for more details on the options in this section

The Support/Links section can be used to get more help from Brainboxes
should you be experiencing any difficulties.

The Brainboxes Bluetooth Support website and support email address are
available in this section.

Manual for BL-819 / 830 © Copyright Brainboxes Limited 2005 Page 11 of 41

3.6. Current Settings

The Current Settings section is broken down into two
sections; Local Device Settings and Partner Device
Settings. Each field will be discussed further below.

When the Current Settings has been selected, an
additional section appears in the left-hand section
called Default Settings. Both sections can be
expanded at the same time to enable the user to view
the current settings and the default settings at the
same time.

As each section is opened, the previously opened
section will close to prevent information moving off the
bottom of the screen and thus requiring the user to
scroll down.

Whenever a setting is changed, the field changes
colour to indicate that a change has been made but
not applied.

Baud Rate

Click the drop down arrow at the far right of this field to display a list of popular baud rates. Due to some technical
limitations, it is not possible for the product to achieve all of these baud rates exactly, although most of them are
available to within 1%. Normal RS232 operation is not affected by such small differences in data rates unless very
long streams of continuous data are being used. The Actual baud rate achieved is displayed next to your selection.

This option is only applied when the “Apply” icon is clicked. Along with updating the device, the application will
immediately change its own communications parameters to match those new settings so it can continue to intera ct
with the device. Multiple changes to communications settings are ALL applied when the “apply” icon is selected.

NOTE: It is possible for the adapters to be configured to baud rates that are not supported by a PC’s COM port. If
your application requires such a “non-standard” baud rate, you may no longer be able to communicate to the
Adapter from your PC. If you “apply” the setting inadvertently, you can restore the default settings of the Adapter by
performing a reset as documented below.

The adapter’s normal factory set baud rate (and default baud rate) is 115200 baud.

Parity

Click the drop down arrow at the far right of this field to display the available options for Parity.
This option is only applied when the “Apply” icon is clicked. Along with updating the device, the application will
immediately change its own communications parameters to match those new settings so it can continue to intera ct
with the device. Multiple changes to communications settings are ALL applied when the “apply” icon is selected.

Stop Bits

Click the drop down arrow at the far right of this field to display the available options for Stop Bits.
This option is only applied when the “Apply” icon is clicked. Along with updating the device the application will
immediately change its own communications parameters to match those new settings so it can continue to intera ct
with the device. Multiple changes to communications settings are ALL applied when the “apply” icon is selected.

Data bits

Unfortunately this setting cannot be changed. Your RS-232 Adapter only supports the 8 data bit format. Thus there
is not a configuration menu option for this setting.

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PIN Code

The PIN (Personal Identification Number) is used to create a secure and trusted connection between 2 Bluetooth
devices during a process called pairing or bonding. The PIN can be any combination of printable characters. The
PIN is only used when the adapter is configured to be in security mode 2 or 3 (High or Medium security).

The factory set PIN is “1234”. This can be changed and you may enter your own combination up to a maximum of
16 characters. If you try to create a PIN code that is larger than this, an error message is generated and you will be
given another opportunity to enter your own PIN.

To change your device’s PIN number, click in this field and simply type the new code you want applied. This can be
any printable alphanumeric character or symbol, but you should take care to choose a PIN appropriately
remembering that some Bluetooth devices (e.g. cell phones) only have limited input mechanisms and may not have
a full range of characters available. Press the “Apply” icon to apply the new PIN code.

If your RS-232 Bluetooth Adapter is to be configured into Client mode, this is the PIN that will be used by your
Adapter to initiate pairing with the remote device before any connection is made. If your remote device is another
Brainboxes RS-232 Adapter in Server mode, you will need to ensure that “both” devices are configured to use the
same PIN number.

Client/Server

The option Client/Server changes the default behaviour of your product. This is important if you want a remote
device to connect to the product or whether you want the product to connect to a remote device. Click on the drop
down arrow on the far right of this field to see the 2 selectable options. The default configuration of your product is
set to “Server” operation. This means that the product will wait for devices to connect to it (just like a network or web
server). Changing this setting to “Client” will put the product into a state where it will attempt to connect to remote
devices contained in its internal database.

The “remote” or “partner” device feature is explained below. It is this option that requires attention if you wish to
configure 2x Brainboxes RS-232 Adapters to communicate to each other to create a “true” cable replacement
scenario.

Due to the nature of this feature (it connects to a remote device and therefore renders the configuration utility
unavailable) we recommend that this setting is changed after all other configura t ion changes have been made and
applied.

Partner Device

This feature serves 2 purposes:
In Server mode it shows the address of the last device to successfully bond and connect.

In Client mode, it shows the device to which the product will attempt to pair/connect.
A remote device address must first be entered into the “partner device” field before the product, configured in Client

mode, will be able to initiate any connections to that remote device. Adding a partner device using this feature will
stop remote devices bonding with the device in Server Mode if one of those remote devices is not the partner
device.

Click on the field to enter the Bluetooth Address (BD_ADDR) of the remote device you wish to connect to. This
should be in the same format as indicated on the products label (NAP-UAP-LAP, for those of you who kno w). The
option to remove this newly entered device exists at this point should you have made a mistake. You should be
sure to check that the PIN number entered above exactly matches the PIN code requirement of the remote device
to which you are trying to connect.

Once the RS-232 Bluetooth Adapter has successfully added a partner device the menu will update to give the user
the option to remove the partner. All settings must be applied using the “Apply” icon before they are set.

Manual for BL-819 / 830 © Copyright Brainboxes Limited 2005 Page 13 of 41

Connect Using

Clicking the arrow on the far right of this field shows a drop down list of the available service options. It should be
noted that this feature does not actually query the remote device for its supported services, so you must be sure
that your remote device actually supports your selection.

This feature can be used to connect to remote devices that support DUN, LAN or FAX services i.e. some Bluetooth
phones will only let devices that are Dial Up Networking clients to connect to them. Although Brainboxes Bluetooth
Adapters do not actually include all the software necessary for it to support DUN, LAN and FAX fully, these are all
based on SPP, which the Brainboxes devices do support. The additional software can come from the Operating
System such as XP.

For example, a Bluetooth phone can be used by an RS-232 Bluetooth Adapter to dial out to the internet on a PC if
the Connect Using feature is set to DUN, partner address is the phone’s Bluetooth address and the Adapter is in
Client mode. When the phone confirms that a Bluetooth connection is present, a modem can be installed on the
PC, which would use the COM port that the Adapter is connected to. Some Bluetooth phone’s such as Nokia and
Sony Ericsson have a special Bluetooth modem driver that you can download from their website. Once installed
you can then use the Create a New Connection wizard from Control Panel/Network Connections to dial ou t using
the new modem. You will require an ISP with username and password for this.

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3.7. Advanced Settings

Device Address

The Advanced Settings section contains a more
detailed range of settings that are least likely to
require modification for any particular scenario
to work. Each field will be discussed further
below.

When the Advanced Settings has been
selected, an additional section appears in the
left-hand section called Default Settings. Both
sections can be expanded at the same time to
enable the user to view the current settings and
the default settings at the same time.

As each section is opened, the previously
opened section will close to prevent information
moving off the bottom of the screen and thus
requiring the user to scroll down.

Whenever a setting is changed, the field
changes colour to indicate that a change has
been made but not applied. After making a
selection select the “Apply” icon to apply the
setting.

This field shows the Bluetooth Address (BD_ADDR) of the local device. As each Bluetooth device must have its
own unique address, this field cannot be edited or modified in any way.

Device Name

In scenario’s where more than 1 Adapter is to be used in the same geographical location (i.e. they are all in range of
each other/the controlling device), it may be wise to change the name of each device so that human users can more
easily identify each individual.

This field does not have a drop down list of options. You must select the field and edit the name to your
requirements.

Memory constraints on the Adapter mean that you must ensure that your desired name is less than 30 characters.
The Factory setting for the local device name is “Brainboxes RS232 Adapter ”.

Discoverability

Discoverability is a feature that allows any other Bluetooth device to find (or not find) your Bluetooth device. Just
because a Bluetooth device is non-discoverable it doesn’t mean it’s not also connectable. Because a Bluetooth
connection is made using only the device’s address, if an application already knows the address of a non­discoverable remote device, and it has already bonded (if appropriate) or knows the correct PIN number, then it can
connect to that device. You may wish to set this option to help avoid confusion when many RS-232 Bluetooth
Adapters exist in close proximity to each other.

This field has 2 options selected from the drop down list.

1) “On” is the default setting for the adapters. This setting will make the Adapter “viewable” by any other Bluetooth
device.

2) Selecting “Off” immediately renders the adapter “non-discoverable”. No other Bluetooth devices will be able to
see the Adapter when they perform a device discovery. However, in this mode, your adapter is still “connectable”.

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Security Mode

The factory set security mode is 3 (Highest). This field has 3 available settings from the drop down list:

1) Selecting option “1” will immediately place your adapter into security mode 1. This is the lowest security mode
that the Adapter can be configured to. Connections, including service discovery, can take place without the need for
“pairing” or “bonding”. In mode 1, the Adapter automatically accepts all access requests without initiating
authentication, encryption, or authorization procedures. Any attempt by a remote application to perform
authentication or encryption procedures will be rejected.

2) Selecting option “2” will immediately place your Adapter into security mode 2. This mode allows remote Bluetooth
devices to search for and retrieve the services on your Adapter without pairing, but will not allow them to connect
unless the 2 devices are paired.

3) Selecting option “3” will immediately place your Adapter into security mode 3 (default). This is the highest security
mode available. Connections of any kind (other than a device discovery) from a remote Bluetooth device are only
allowed after a successful “pairing” has been performed. No services will be shown to other Bluetooth devices
unless the 2 devices are successfully paired.

The tables below show some more information with regards to the application of the security settings…

Security modes for Adapter as Client (initiates Connections):
Security:

High
(Mode 3)

Who can Pair? Who can it connect to? Possible use:

BL-819 / 830 will only pair
with device entered in the
‘Set Partner’ menu. Other
device must have identical

Only device entered in
the ‘Set Partner’ Menu,
after pairing.

Secure connection between the BL-819 /
830 and a preset device (Link level
enforced security – can see device but not
services unless paired)

PIN number

Medium
(Mode 2)

BL-819 / 830 will only pair
with device entered in the
‘Set Partner’ menu. Other
device must have correct

Only device entered in
the ‘Set Partner’ Menu,
after pairing.

Secure connection between the BL-819 /
830 and a preset device (Service level
security – can see services but not connect
unless paired)

link key

Low
(Mode 1)

N/A Only device entered in

the ‘Set Partner’ Menu.

When users who do not want to spend time
pairing and do not require a secure
connection

Security mode for Adapter as Server (receives connections):
Security:

High
(Mode 3)

Who can Pair? Who can Connect? Possible Use:

Any Device with
correct PIN.

Any device Secure connection between the BL-819 / 830 and a

preset device (Link level enforced security – can see
device but not services unless paired)

Medium
(Mode 2)

Any Device with
correct PIN.

Any device Secure connection between the BL-819 / 830 and a

preset device (Service level security – can see services
but not connect unless paired)

Low
(Mode 1)

N/A Any device When users who do not want to spend time pairing and

do not require a secure connection

Encryption

Encryption is a method of ensuring that the communications between 2 devices cannot be “bugged ” or “listened” to
by any unauthorised source. This encryption is performed in lower layers of the protocol stack as defined by the
Bluetooth Specification.

The factory set Encryption mode is “Disabled”. This field has a drop down list from which the configuration can be
changed to enable “Point to Point” or “Point to Point & Broadcast”.

Manual for BL-819 / 830 © Copyright Brainboxes Limited 2005 Page 16 of 41

Switch Role

This Function will allow an RS-232 Bluetooth Adapter to connect to another device as a Client, then when the
connection has been made, to switch the role to Server. This option is required if you wish to connect two or more
adaptors to a control device, with the adaptors initiating the connection. NB, the adaptors are only capable of being
connected to one other device at time.

Class of Device

Some remote device applications will only communicate to devices of a certain type. This option allows you to
reconfigure your RS-232 Bluetooth Adapter to appear as a number of different device types. The Factory setting for
the Class of device is “Peripheral”. The available options are: Peripheral, Desktop, Laptop, Imaging, Phone/Mode m
and LAN.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Changing this Class of Device setting does not alter the published functionality of the product.
It will continue to offer ONLY One Serial port profile connection.

Handshaking

This setting allows the user to select the handshaking scheme used for the device. By default the setting is no
handshaking. Handshaking options are RTS/CTS, DTR/DSR, RTS/CTS & DTR/DSR or none. When changing
between handshaking options, a power cycle is required before the configuration utility can be re-accessed.

RTS/CTS handshaking is used between the Adapter and the port to which it is connected (hardware handshaking).
DTR/DSR handshaking is used over the Bluetooth connection between the adapter and the device to which it is
connected via Bluetooth (over-the-air handshaking).

As shipped from the factory, this product is configured NOT to require the use of RTS/CTS handshaking. Its
implementation is such that these control signals are NOT transferred over the Bluetooth link, but instead are used
to control the passage of data between the adapter and the physically connected RS232 device (PC, modem etc). It
is therefore not possible to use this product in an application that uses the RTS and/or CTS handshake lines for
purposes other than simply to control the flow of data.

Whilst the Adapter is configured NOT to require RTS/CTS handshaking, some devices to which it may be
connected will require this flow control. If this is the case, unless the following procedures are undertaken the
Adapter will not send any data and the communications between the 2 devices will appear corrupt or broke n.

Whilst the product ships without handshaking to make initial configuration easier, Brainboxes do not re commend
that you leave RTS/CTS handshaking disabled unless you are connecting the Adapter to a device that specifically
does not use any itself. This handshaking exists to ensure that no data is lost between the 2 devices. In applications
where there is a significant amount of data flowing between devices, there is an increased risk of data being lost.
Disabling handshaking unnecessarily may cause your application to fail intermittently due to this lost data.

No provision has been made in the current design for the implementation of the DCD and RI lines.

Connect Scheme

This allows the selection of a connection scheme called Proximity. This connection scheme tells the adapter to go
out, find the first Bluetooth device in range and connect to that device. If there are any problems connecting or
pairing, then the adapter will give up and go out to search again.

There are two different proximity schemes, 1 and 2. Scheme 1 finds a device to connect to and then saves that
device’s address as it’s partner device, so that the next time the adapter is powered up, it will always connect to that
partner device. Scheme 2 finds a device to connect to and doesn’t save that device’s address, so that next time the
adapter is powered up, it will go out and find a new device to connect to again. It may be the same device as last
time (if it is still in range) or it may be a new device.

The closest device to the adapter is not necessarily going to be the device that responds to the inquiry first. The
adapter needs to be in Client mode for Proximity to work and as soon as a partner address is populated in the
partner address field, the adapter behaves just as though it is in Client mode with a partner device to connect to.

Manual for BL-819 / 830 © Copyright Brainboxes Limited 2005 Page 17 of 41

Low Power Mode

This setting allows the selection of either Park or Sniff low power modes. These can be used to reduce the power
consumption of the adapter when an active Bluetooth connection exists. These settings only reduce power
consumption when a Bluetooth connection is present. They do not affect the power consumption of the adapter
while it is inquiring, waiting for a connection or trying to make a connection. The setting requires the connecting
device to also support the selected low power mode.

A server device in park or sniff mode periodically wakes up to listen to transmissions from the master. The client
device only transmits at these same times periodically. Also, in Park mode, a server device can have as many as
255-parked clients, as oppose to the usual limit of 7 clients. However, only 7 of the parked clients can be brought
from park mode to be active at the same time. For further information on low power modes and their operation
please see the Bluetooth website

www.bluetooth.org

The settings used for the low power modes can be changed to suit whatever
the application is that the devices are being used for. Increasing interval
times will reduce the power usage, but will also increase the response time of
the adapter’s as they are “out of action” for much longer.

Max Interval: This is used to specify in milliseconds the maximum possible
time that should exist between server/client communication ‘slots’

Min Interval: This is used to specify in milliseconds the minimum possible time
that should exist between server/client communication ‘slots’

Attempt & Timeout: These are used to specify the number of attempts that the
client device will listen at the specified interval, if there is no data there the
first time it starts to listen.

Interactive Menu

Some RS232 devices (GPS devices for example) emit a continuous stream of data regardless of whether a cable is
connected. When there is no Bluetooth connection, this data (from the RS232 device) will be interpreted by the
Adapter as commands to (or interaction with) the menu and ultimately change settings (such as baud rate) that
render the Adapter inoperable. Selecting “off” for this setting will stop the Adapter being unwontedly re-configured in
this manner. Unfortunately, this will also disable all the functionality required for this configuration application to
interact with this product.

If you inadvertently select “off” for this setting, the menu/command interface (and thus the operation of the
configuration application on this device) will only be re-enabled by a long reset as documented below.

WARNING: Use with care: Selecting the “off” option of this feature will render further configuration impossible if set

as a default setting.

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3.8. Default settings

3.9. Upgrade Device

The “Default Settings” section is simply a display page
showing all the configuration options either as they were
set in the factory (default or custom) or as the user has
chosen to update them from this application or menu.

These are the settings that will be restored if the
“Restore Default” icon is selected at the bottom of the
page.

When the Default Settings section is opened (on the
right-hand side of the application), a new section
appears in the left-hand side called Current Settings,
which can also be expanded so that the current and
default settings can be viewed at the same time.

The “Upgrade” section is a new feature that allows the
user to upgrade the adapter firmware using a simple
upgrade wizard.
Updated firmware will be available from the Brainboxes
support website so please check the site regularly:

http://www.brainboxes.com

Manual for BL-819 / 830 © Copyright Brainboxes Limited 2005 Page 19 of 41

4. Alternative Product Configuration

4.1. Accessing the configuration menus and commands.

The adapter’s configuration menu is available at any time that there is no Bluetooth radio connection established
with another device (unless of course you have selected the option to disable the menu). As soon as a Bluetooth
connection is made, the data sent to the Adapter will be sent over the radio link to the remote device. A short time
after the Bluetooth connection is broken, the configuration menu’s become available agai n.

Sending a single “Carriage Return” character to the Adapter whilst no Bluetooth connection exists will activate the
initial main menu, or typing the command required will initiate the appropriate response. Both the menu and
command list are documented further below.

The example given below to connect to the configuration menus is performed in Windows XP using HyperTerminal,
a terminal application that ships with Windows. If you are using a different operating system, you will need a similar
“terminal” or “tty” type application (e.g. minicom), which talks directly to a serial port in that operating system. If you
are using a different version of Windows the specific steps to invoke and use the HyperTerminal application may be
slightly different – please refer to your operating system documentation if you need further help in this respect.

First, connect the adapter, along with the supplied gender changer, to an available serial po rt on your computer. In
this example, the COM1 port on the PC has been used.

Ensure the power adapter is connected and switched on (the leftmost green LED on the Adapter should light.
Start HyperTerminal by clicking “Start\All Programs\Accessories\Communications\HyperTerminal”.

If you are running HyperTerminal for the first time you will be prompted
for information about your location. This section must be filled in, but is
not used for our purposes, so you are free to add anything here.

The next screen (left) is just to name this instance of the connection.
You are free to name this as anything except an existing device name
(e.g. COM1).

Click OK

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Select the Port that you have connected the adapter to. All other fields
will then be “greyed out” then Click OK.

Select the communications parameters that your device is configured
to. In this example we have used the factory defaults normally applied.
If you have previously reconfigured these values, then you will need to
make sure the settings here match those you have configured to
device to be.

Click OK

HyperTerminal should now be running.
Now hit the “Enter” key once. This should activate the main

configuration menu as shown in

Main Menu below. You should be able

to now interact with the menus as described in the following sections.

4.2. Configuration Menu.

4.2.1. Navigation

As a general principle, from any menu screen hitting the “Enter” key refreshes the current menu and hitting the
“Esc” or “Escape” key returns the user to the previous menu or skips a particular option.

Menu selection is performed by pressing the number on your keyboard that corresponds to the number listed on the
menu item you wish to view/configure.

Reminder: The configuration menu is not available whilst a radio (Bluetooth) connection is established.

Manual for BL-819 / 830 © Copyright Brainboxes Limited 2005 Page 21 of 41

4.2.2. Main Menu

4.2.3. Communications Parameters

Sending the “Enter” character to the adapter
accesses its main menu. This is also sometimes
referred to as “Carriage Return”.

All basic configuration options for adapter are
accessed via this menu. Advanced features are not
available from the menu interface.

Users wishing to alter “advanced” settings can do so
by either using the Windows Configuration
application documented above, or by using the
commands documented below.

Selecting option 1 from the “Main Menu” menu
displays the Communications settings menu.

It is from this menu that all available serial port
settings can be changed. The available options
are detailed below.

The factory set communications parameters for
your adapter are as follows…
Baud Rate: 115,200
Data Bits: 8 (non-configurable)
Parity: None
Stop Bits: 1

You can alter these settings by using the
configuration menu options shown below.

The user is first prompted to change the Baud
Rate. The current setting is shown. To change the
baud rate, just type the rate you want to use and
press <enter>. The Adapter will accept any
number you type, but will set the baud rate to the
one that’s closest to what it can actually achieve.

Press “Esc” to skip this setting – the current
setting will remain unchanged

Manual for BL-819 / 830 © Copyright Brainboxes Limited 2005 Page 22 of 41

Next the user is prompted to set the adapter’s
Parity. Options here are None, Odd or Even.

“Esc” skips this selection leaving the current
setting unchanged.

Then the user is prompted to change Stop bits.
Options here are 1 or 2.

Pressing “Esc” skips this selection leaving the
current setting unchanged.

The user is then asked if they wish to Apply the
new settings immediately. If settings are not
immediately applied, the changes will only take
effect after the Adapter has had it’s power cycled.

This is to minimise the disruption to the device
configuration by having to reconfigure the terminal
application after changing each setting.

If you have changed any communications
parameters, and wish to continue to access the
configuration menu, you will need to update your
terminal applications settings. The easiest method
of performing this in HyperTerminal is to close and
re-start the application, setting the new
parameters during the initial application
configuration.

4.2.4. Handshaking

Handshaking is discussed in more detail in the section below, as it is not an option directly available from the menu.

4.2.5. Bluetooth Parameters

Selecting option 2 from the “Main Menu” menu
displays the Bluetooth settings menu shown below
left.

The factory set Bluetooth Parameters are:
Partner device: None

Role (Client/Server): Server
PIN: 1234
Local device name: adapter BB RS232 Adapter

It is from this menu that all available Bluetooth
settings can be changed. The available options are
detailed below.

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The Currently configured partner device is shown (if
any). The user is then prompted to enter a new
partner device address.

To keep the same partner, or skip this option, press
the “Esc” key

Next the user is prompted to choose a role for the
device (the current one is identified). “s” chooses
Server, “c” chooses Client or “Esc” skips this section
leaving the current setting unchanged.

The user is then prompted for a new PIN to be
entered. You can enter any characters you wish
here up to a maximum of 16 characters. You should
bear in mind that some devices have limited input
mechanisms and may not be able to use a full
character set.

Lastly, the user is offered to change the adapters
friendly name. Typing your chosen name followed
by “enter” will immediately alter the published name,
hitting the “Esc” key will skip this setting leaving the
current name unchanged.

4.2.6. Display, Restore and Update Current and Factory Settings

Selecting option 3 from the “Main Menu” menu
displays the Current Settings menu and allows the
user to display, change or restore the default
settings.

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The first screen that displays shows the current
state of the adapter’s settings.

If any settings have been modified by the user
following the instructions above, then this list will
differ from the default (factory) settings

Selecting option 2 from this menu shows the original
factory settings for the product (if viewing for the first
time). The one item that will be different for each
individual product will be the local device setting.
This setting is unique for each individual Bluetooth
device in existence and cannot be changed.

Selecting option 3 from this “Settings” menu allows
the current user settings to be used to update the
“factory” settings, providing some level of protection
from losing application configuration settings during
a device reset when the reset button is activated.

A warning message will appear to ask the user to be
sure that the default settings should be changed.
This is not something you really want to do unless
you’re sure you have the settings as you want them
and are sure you can remember them, as there is
no way back from here…

Selecting option 4 from the “Settings” menu above allows the user to restore the device to its default settings. Be
sure to take a note of, or print these settings, as you will need to ensure that the next time you attempt to
communicate with your Adapter you use these new settings. Remember that the original factory settings may have
been updated using the previous menu.

4.2.7. Disabling Interactive Menu

Some RS232 devices (GPS devices for example)
emit a continuous stream of data regardless of
whether a cable is connected. When no Bluetooth
connection exists, this data can actually appear
as commands to the menu and change settings
that render the Adapter inoperable. Disabling the
menu, stops the Adapter being unwontedly re­configured in this manner.

Selecting option 5 from the main menu displays
the following Disable Interactive menu.

Selecting ‘y’ or ‘Y’ from this menu means that no
further interaction with the menu will be possible
until the device has been completely reset to it’s
factory defaults by performing a “long” reset from
the reset button.

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4.2.8. Upgrading Firmware

3.0

This feature is only available from firmware version 3.0 onwards.

Upgrade DFU (Device Firmware Upgrade) is an
option to be taken seriously as it has the potential
to leave your product in an unusable state.

The upgrade is a 2 stage process, the menu
option must be used in conjunction with the
upgrade software supplied on the accompanying
CD ROM which requires a Microsoft Windows 95
or later operating system

Selecting option 5 from the main menu displays
the following Firmware Upgrade menu.

To activate this feature, you must type the word
“PROCEED” exactly. This command is case
sensitive.

Typing “PROCEED” correctly will cause the
product to enter its firmware upgrade mode with
immediate affect.

Failure to enter “PROCEED” correctly will cause
the menu option to abort and you will be able to
continue navigating the menu in the normal
fashion.

In some (but not all) instances you will see some
“odd” characters displayed as shown above. This
is normal behaviour and indicates the product is
ready to receive its firmware upgrade commands
from the supporting software.

At this point, you will no longer be able to interact with the menu, nor will you be able to use the product as
advertised. ONLY the supporting software can restore this setting. Neither a power reset nor any combination of
presses of the reset button will restore normal operation to the product. It is now permanently in a state to upgrade
the firmware.

IMPORTANT, in order for the upgrade application to connect to your product and perform the
upgrade, you must ensure you disconnect your terminal application from the COM port. In
HyperTerminal, this is done either by closing the application down, or Clicking the “disconnect”
toolbar Icon

Now run the “upgrade” application documented in the section below for upg rading.

Manual for BL-819 / 830 © Copyright Brainboxes Limited 2005 Page 26 of 41

4.3. Command Interface

This interface has been developed primarily to support programming access to the configuration settings b y an
application such as our own configuration application, but can also offer a powerful human ope rated (e.g. via
HyperTerminal) command driven interface in it’s own right. Additionally, the commands can be placed in a
Text/script file and sent (e.g. by HyperTerminal) in one go to the adapter. The “scr” command is strongly
recommended for use in this scenario.

The command interface protocol is quite straightforward. Each command (see table and descriptions below) must
be sent over the COM port, followed by a Carriage return <CR>. This can be done in HyperTerminal just by typing
each command and hitting the Enter key.

There are up to 3 ways each command can be used.

1. On its own. This acts as a “query” command.

e.g. cod<CR>

Returns the current device class

2. With an “=” and parameter(s). This acts as a “set” command

e.g. cset=9600,n,1<CR>

Sets the current settings to 9600 baud, No Parity and 1 Stop Bit

Not all commands support this function as they are query commands only

3. With a “?” which acts as a “help” command

e.g. svc?<CR>

Returns a description of the command syntax and allowable parameters
The command list summary is given below.

Command
Name

aset Get all settings padd Partner Address
btset
cnx Manually connect to a found device parkset
cod Class Of Device part
cset
delpair Delete the current pair pnam Partner Name
delpart Delete the current Partner
dflt
disc
enc Encryption sec Security
find Manually perf orm an inquiry sniffset
help or ? Help switchrole
hsk Handshaking svc
ladd Local device address svr
list List the manually-found devices upg Prepare for upgrading
lowpwr Low Power Mode ver F/W app version
lnam Local device name
menu

The full command list syntax and programming examples will be given in a future edition of this manual. In the
meantime, this information can be found using the help or ? command in HyperTerminal when your Adapter is
attached to an available COM port.

Description Command

Description

Name

Get current Bluetooth settings

pair Pair

Park Settings
Partner

Communication Settings

pin PIN code

prox Set the proximity mode
remcfg Remote Configuration

Default settings
Discoverability

scr Script Mode

Sniff Settings
Switch Role On / Off
Connect Using profile other than SPP
Server or Client

verb Verbose

Display Menu

Manual for BL-819 / 830 © Copyright Brainboxes Limited 2005 Page 27 of 41

5. Remote Configuration

One of the great features of Brainboxes RS-232 Bluetooth Adapters is the ability to be remotely configured. For
example, a Bluetooth connection can be created from a second device and that second device can change the
baud rate, local name or any of the settings of the adapter over the Bluetooth link.

This is achieved by the adapter presenting two services to connect to; one is the standard serial port service and
the other is a remote configuration service. The latter is connected to, to enable the second device to access the
adapter’s configuration menu using HyperTerminal and thus make any changes. Changes to port settings such as
baud rate, parity or stop bits do not affect the port settings of the second devices’ HyperTerminal settings, so the
adapter can be set to 115200, n, 1 and the HyperTerminal settings for the second device that is accessing the
adapter’s menu remotely can be set to any settings i.e. 9600, e, 2.

Currently the remote configuration feature is not accessible from the main configuration utility application and
HyperTerminal or some other suitable terminal application should be used.

Also, upgrading of the adapter cannot be achieved using remote configuration because as soon as the adapter
starts to upgrade, the Bluetooth connection is lost and there is no longer a way of communicating to the adapter
remotely.

To use remote configuration from adapter to adapter use the command line “remcfg=xxxx-xx-xxxxxx” where the x’s
stand for the remote device’s Bluetooth address.

6. Resetting the Product

The adapter has a “reset button” located on the top of the case as shown in section 2.1 above. This button performs
2 different functions.

a) Resets Paired Devices.

A short press (less than 3 seconds) of the reset button causes any paired device information to be deleted.

When the device is in low security mode, this will not have any effect on the devices operation, but whilst in

high security mode, this will mean that another device can pair with adapter, or that the original device must

expire its bond in order to reconnect.

b) Resets adapter to factory defaults.

A long press (more than 3 seconds) of the reset button causes all factory defaults to be restored. Care

should be taken here to remember that these “factory” settings can actually be updated via the interactive

menu and thus may not be the same as the device was shipped with. The user should also remember that

adapter is likely to need it’s parameters re-configuring to ensure communications can be re-establi she d with

either the local serial device, or remote Bluetooth device.

Manual for BL-819 / 830 © Copyright Brainboxes Limited 2005 Page 28 of 41

7. Upgrading your device

If you have installed the Configuration Utility already, the Upgrade application will also have installed and a shortcut
will be placed onto your desktop. Otherwise browse the CD, navigate to the “Adapter Configuration Utility”
directory, and run the “Setup.exe” application. Follow the onscreen instructions to install the application. This will
create an entry in your start menu as well as a desktop shortcut.

Run the application by selecting it from the “Start” menu.

The first screen is displayed. The version of the
application is displayed in the lower right corner of
the screen.

Click “Next”

Three options are presented to the user with the
choice or either just upgrading the firmware,
upgrading the firmware and changing the RTS/CTS
handshaking setting or just changing the RTS/CTS
handshaking setting.

To simply upgrade the firmware, select the first
option.

Manual for BL-819 / 830 © Copyright Brainboxes Limited 2005 Page 29 of 41

Select the COM port to which you have connected
your product. (Remember to close the Configuration
Utility or Hyper Terminal application if you still have
either open)

Then Click “Next”.

Point the upgrade wizard to the upgrade file you
wish to use.

These upgrade files all have the extension .dfu and
the latest version is available from the Brainboxes
website.

NB The BL-819 and the BL-830 have their own
distinctive version of firmware. Make sure that you
are choosing the correct firmware for your device

Confirm you have made the correct selections by
clicking “Next” to start the upgrade procedure.

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Assuming you have selected the correct options, the
wizard will detect the product connected to the
selected port and begin the upgrade.

This may take a few minutes, as the wizard will
automatically make a copy of the firmware currently
on the device before uploading the new version.

A progress bar indicates how the procedure is
going.

If everything went well the final screen should show
indicating any further action that may be required.

Typically a power cycle of the device will be
necessary before the upgrade completes.

Manual for BL-819 / 830 © Copyright Brainboxes Limited 2005 Page 31 of 41

8. Physically connecting to your RS232 device

8.1. Configuring the communications parameters.

The adapters do not have the ability to auto-detect the communications parameters (e.g. baud rate) so they must be
configured to match the data rate used in the application to which they are connected.
Please refer to section 4.2.3 above, for details on how to do this.

It is possible, if a little confusing, to “pair” two adapters and have them physically connected to RS232 devices
which use totally different communications parameters.

8.2. Physically connecting your device to adapter via the RS232 connector

The adapter is supplied with a 9-pin D type connector, Male (DTE) for the BL-819 and Female (DCE) for the BL-

830. The DTE (Data Terminal Equipment) configuration of the BL-819 has been chosen to allow for easy
connection to DCE (Data Communication Equipment) RS232 devices that would normally connect directly to the
RS232 port on a computer. Included is a convenient and appropriately wired gender changer that allows the
Adapter to behave as a DCE device (e.g. if you wish to connect it to your computer for configuration or to Bluetooth
enable the same).
Connector Pin-Outs for the BL-819 DTE are as follows.

Pin Signal Pin Signal Pin Signal
1 N/C 4 DTR – N/C 7 RTS

2 RxD 5 Ground 8 CTS
3 TxD 6 DSR – N/C 9 N/C

As the RS232 standard allows for many different cable configurations,
your device may need an additional cable to work with the adapter,
such as a “cross-over” or “null-modem” cable. Please refer to your
device’s documentation for specific details.

For the BL-830 and the BL-819 fitted with the supplied gender changer, the Pin-Outs are

Pin Signal Pin Signal Pin Signal
1 N/C 4 DSR – N/C 7 CTS

2 TxD 5 Ground 8 RTS
3 RxD 6 DTR – N/C 9 Power on Pin 9*

The female connector is designed so that it can be plugged directly into
a PC’s motherboard COM port. If you are connecting it directly to a
different device you may need an additional cable, such as a “cross­over” or “null-modem” cable. Please refer to your device’s
documentation for further details. *NB The ability to use Power on Pin 9
‘out of the box’ is only available for the BL-830. For the BL-819 to use
this method of powering a different gender changer to the one supplied
will be required, which has Pin 9 connected.

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9. Connecting adapters over Bluetooth.

There are 3 scenarios in which adapter can be connected via Bluetooth. This section details all 3 methods.

a) Client/Server Pair: 2 adapters, configured to perform a “true” cable replacement.
b) Client: adapter is the Bluetooth device which initiates the connection
c) Server: Connecting TO adapter from a remote Bluetooth device (Factory Default)

Each of these 3 different scenarios can be configured in each of the 3 configuration methods previously described
and are also documented herein.

9.1. Client/Server Pair: “Cable Replacement”.

One of the strongest features of the adapter is that 2 of them can be configured to connect to each other and thus
behave almost exactly as a cable. This configuration is very straightforward, does not require any Bluetooth
software and is detailed below.

For adapter’s to connect as a pair, one of the devices needs to be configured as a client device, and one as a
server. As the factory settings for adapter are “Server” it follows then that only 1 of the pair needs any alternate
configuration from that supplied.

It is advisable that you first configure the communications settings (baud rate etc) for each adapter so that they are
suitable for the devices into which you are plugging them. When configuring a pair of adapter’s the Communication s
parameters of each Adapter do not have to match each other’s, only that of the devices into which they are
connected.

Each adapter has a unique Bluetooth Address (BD_ADDR). This is printed on a label on the base of every product,
but is also accessible from the “View Current Settings” menu detailed above. For our example here, we will use a
adapter with a BD_ADDR of 000A-4F-00082D, which we’ll call the Server, and a second, with a BD_ADDR of 000A­4F-0013BB, which we’ll call the Client. We’ll leave all other settings for this example as factory defaults. As
explained above we only need to change the settings of the Client device…

9.1.1. Configuration by Windows Application

Add the address of your remote device into the
“Partner Device Settings” Section in the “Address”
field.

Next Click the drop down arrow at the right of the
“Client/Server” field in the “Local Device Settings”
section and select the “Client” Option
Click “Apply”

Manual for BL-819 / 830 © Copyright Brainboxes Limited 2005 Page 33 of 41

9.1.2. Configuration by Menu

Select option 2 from the “Main Menu” menu to
display the Bluetooth settings menu shown below
left.

You should enter here the Bluetooth Address
(BD_ADDR) of the remote (server) device you wish
to pair (in our case this is 000A-4F-00082D)
followed by ENTER.

This should be in the same format as indicated on
the products label (NAP-UAP-LAP, for those of you
who know)

Press “Esc” to skip this section

Press C to select the client option. This setting is
stored immediately and is not discarded upon a
reboot. In fact it requires a re-boot in order to
activate it.

Press “Esc” to skip this option

Re-boot (power cycle) your adapter. When the Client adapter is switched on, it will connect to the Server device you
have entered in the menu above, assuming of course that the server device is also powered up. Remember of
course that the factory shipped configuration of the adapters is “server” so only 1 device needs any modification in
this respect

9.1.3. Configuration by Commands

Manual for BL-819 / 830 © Copyright Brainboxes Limited 2005 Page 34 of 41

Access the Adapter you wish to change to “Client” for command mode as docum ented above and send the
following commands:

padd = 000A-4F-00082D<CR>
svr = 0<CR>

Now power cycle your Adapter and it will attempt to connect to the server device.

9.2. Client: adapter is the Bluetooth device which initiates the connection

The instructions in the above section for creating a “cable replacement” connection should b e followed to place the
adapter into Client Mode in order to initiate a connection to a remote device substituting the address for that of the
other device which you are trying to connect to.

Some remote devices do not allow connection to a Serial Port Profile, but may allow connection to DUN, LAN or
FAX profiles. If this is the case, only the Windows Configuration UI or command mode can be used to chan ge the
behaviour of your Adapter in this respect. This option is documented above in the Adapter configuration section.

9.3. Server: Connecting to adapter from a remote Bluetooth device.

Connecting to your adapter will vary depending on your application, but will usually consist of 3 Steps.

1 – Configuring the adapter’s communications parameters.
2 – Physically connecting adapter to your device.
3 – Connecting to adapter from a remote device via Bluetooth and transferring data.

There are many different scenarios whereby a connection can be made to a adapter and consequently its attached
device. The application scenarios will also depend on what sort of device you have attached to the adapter.

9.3.1. Configure and connect the adapter

Configure the communications and Bluetooth parameters of the Adapter as described in the above sections and
physically connect it to your RS232 device.

9.3.2. Bluetooth Enable your PC

Any PC based Bluetooth device could be used, but for this example we have used a Brainboxes USB adapter and
Bluetooth software for Windows XP.

9.3.3. Discover the device

Open the “My Bluetooth Devices” window and click the
discovery button to discovering the Adapter using the
Brainboxes Bluetooth Windows software. This sets the
software to display all the Bluetooth devices it can find “in
range”.

This software will not operate the Adapter products if
attached to the PC although it can be used to connect by
Bluetooth to a Adapter attached to the same PC.

Assuming that your adapter is switched on, in radio range
and set to “discoverable) you should see it displayed
(perhaps alongside other Bluetooth devices in range) in the
main screen.

Manual for BL-819 / 830 © Copyright Brainboxes Limited 2005 Page 35 of 41

9.3.4. Secure the relationship

This is where you must “Bond” or “Pair” with the device. This
is a feature of Bluetooth, which allows secure
communications to take place. It is also used to stop other
devices from performing unauthorised connections.

You can start the bonding process by selecting and right
clicking on your adapter from the main screen. This brings up
a context menu from which you should select the “Bond”
option.

If you have configured your adapter from the menu to use a
low security mode (and thus not require bonding) then this
step can be skipped and you can jump straight to section

9.3.5 Connect to the Serial Port profile”.

“

9.3.5. Connect to the Serial Port profile

You will then be prompted to enter a PIN number. Enter the
Pin number (which is 1234 by default, unless you have used
the configuration menu to change it). Click OK

The Icon of your adapter in the main window should now
change to indicate a “bonded” status as shown here.

In order to actually connect to the appropriate function on the
adapter you will need to discover it’s services.

Double-Click the device selected.
This will display a serial port service called “Serial 01”

Double clicking this service (or right clicking and selecting the
“connect” option), will create a COM port style connection to
the adapter.

This screen shot shows that the port in our example here is
listed as COM25, although yours will most likely be a much
lower number than this.

This “COM” port is now available for any application to use to
communicate with your device, or in our case, the
oscilloscope.

Manual for BL-819 / 830 © Copyright Brainboxes Limited 2005 Page 36 of 41

9.3.6. Connect your application to the new COM port

In our initial testing at our labs, we use the HyperTerminal application included in Windows to open the new CO M
port. See documentation above for details of using the HyperTerminal application

10. Worked Examples

10.1. Scientific equipment data logging:

In this example we have connected a Tektronix TDS220 Oscilloscope to
a adapter and plugged in the power adapter included. No additional
cables or gender changers were used in this application scenario.

In order to communicate to the oscilloscope/adapter we have connected
a Brainboxes USB adapter (Order code BL-554) to a laptop with
Brainboxes Bluetooth software suite installed. If you are connecting to
adapter with a different manufacturers Bluetooth product, please refer to
the manufacturers instructions for that product. If you are Bluetooth
enabling your laptop with another Brainboxes Adapter you should follow
the previous sections instructions.

In this scenario, adapter was configured as a Server (default) and it’s baud rate was changed to match that of the
oscilloscope (19200 baud). Connection from the USB adapter to the adapter was performed exactly as described in
the section above.

Setting HyperTerminal to save data to a file called screen.bmp, and activating the hardcopy feature of the
oscilloscope, caused all data to be sent from the scope to the file as listed. This file could then be viewed using any
picture editing software and displays an exact screen copy of the oscilloscope. Instructions for using HyperTerminal
can be found above. Of course it is also possible for you to write (as we did) your own application to read this data
from the COM port and display it very easily.

11. Custom Factory Configuration

To help ease larger application rollouts by removing the need for customer re-configuratio n of each individual unit
supplied, all the settings documented in this manual can be pre-configured to your specification at the factory.
Please speak to your account manager/distributor for more details about this service.

Manual for BL-819 / 830 © Copyright Brainboxes Limited 2005 Page 37 of 41

12. Troubleshooting

In the rare occasion that you experience difficulties using this product, please read the following su ggestions from
the table below before contacting our support team.

Symptom Description Solution
Data doesn’t seem to be

received by the product, but
seems to be sent by it (e.g. data
only travelling in one direction)

Interaction with the menu
appears slow and unresponsive,
but data does show eventually.

Cannot interact with the menu There are a number of scenarios

Firmware upgrade (DFU Wizard)
fails

This is normally the result of the
product being configured as requiring
RTS/CTS handshaking, but being
plugged into a device which does not
support it.
This is normal operation when the
product is in Client mode. The product
is using most of its processor cycles
to try and find and connect to a
remote device.

where this might happen…

1. A Bluetooth connection is made

2. The Product has failed to initialise
correctly (perhaps if the power
adapter has been attached whilst
switched on).

3. Incorrect communication
parameters selection.

4. Incorrect Wiring configuration

1. Product not connected

2. Product not configured for upgrade

Switch off the RTS/CTS handshaking
by putting the device into upgrade
mode and using the Upgrade Wizard

Reconfigure the product to Server
mode whilst attempting to configure
other options

1. No interaction with the menu is
possible when a Bluetooth connection
is present. Break the connection to
restore access to the menu.

2. Switch the power off then on again.

3. Change the communication settings
in your terminal application to match
those of the devices settings. If you
have forgotten or lost these settings,
then the device can be restored to its
factory settings by performing a long
reset. Check your devices wiring and
handshake configuration requirements

1. Connect your Adapter to a suitable
port on your PC and connect the
power.

2. Follow instructions in above sections
for preparing for upgrade

Manual for BL-819 / 830 © Copyright Brainboxes Limited 2005 Page 38 of 41

13. Technical Specifications

Qualified Output Power: > 0 dBm < +4.0 dBm @ 25 oC Receive sensitivity Single Slot = -83 dBm with

0.1% BER

13.1. Storage and Operating Environment

13.1.1. Storage

Temperature: -10
Humidity: 8% to 95% non-condensing

13.1.2. Operational

Temperature : 0
Humidity : 20% to 75% non-condensing

13.2. Power requirements

o

C to +60oC

o

C to +40oC

13.2.1. Input Voltage Requirements

The product was qualified using a fully rectified AC/DC power supply supplying 550mA @ 5V. To ensure your
product performs within the regulatory requirements, it is recommended that you use the AC/DC adapter supplied..
For your information only, the voltage range is given below. Minimum 5.0 V – Maximum 13.6 VDC NOTE: Power
supplied through Pin 9 of the RS 232 connector does go through the regulator and has the sa me input requirements
as the DC jack, +5.0 to 13.6 VDC.

Manual for BL-819 / 830 © Copyright Brainboxes Limited 2005 Page 39 of 41

14. Regulatory Information

Bluetooth product operating in 2.4GHz band for Home and Office use.

14.1. Europe – EU Declaration of Conformity

This device complies with the R&TTE Directive 1999/5/EC, and the following standards:

EN 301 489-1 EN 301 489-17

ETS 300 328-1: ETS 300 328-2:

EN 60950

Electromagnetic compatibility and radio
spectrum matters( EMR); Electromagnetic
compatibility (EMC) standard for radio
equipment and services.

Electromagnetic compatibility and radio
spectrum matters (EMR); Wideband
transmission systems; Data transmission
equipment operating in the 2.4 GHz ISM band
and using spread spectrum modulation
technique.

Safety of information Technology Equipment

14.2. Important Notice for use in France and Italy

Italy: License required for use. Your reseller will tell you the procedure to follow.

E’necessaria la concessione ministeriale anche per l’uso. Verification con Irivenditori la procedura
da seguire.

France: Low power device (1mW), there is no limitation for indoor or outdoor use.

Dispositif à faible uissance (1mW), pas de limitation pour son usage à l’intérieur ou a l’extérieur.

14.3. Rest of World

Country restrictions apply for home and office use.

Manual for BL-819 / 830 © Copyright Brainboxes Limited 2005 Page 40 of 41

Version History

Version Date Author Checked By Comments

1.0 06/01/2003 Gav Initial version

2.0 10/01/2003 Gav Added info for configuration menu options, changes i n pinouts,

and other features along with minor formatting changes.

2.1 14/01/2003 Gav Minor formatting changes

3.0 03/04/2003 Gav ETW ;SE ;DR

;MW ;OS ;NP
J ;PG

3.1 11/04/2003 Gav ETW ;SE ;DR

;MW ;OS ;NP
J ;PG

3.2 11/04/2003 Gav ETW ;SE ;DR

;MW ;OS ;NP
J ;PG

4.0 26/08/2003 Gav Re-write for firmware 3.0 additions.

4.1 04/09/2003 Gav SG;NP-J;DR; Major Formatting alterations

5.0 26/09/2003 Gav MR; MW Major Up date for new firmware version 4.0 features

5.1 10/12/2003 Gav Formatting and minor content clarification changes following

5.2

5.3

22/03/2004 Michelle Best Formatting and minor content changes following updated
20/09/2004 Michelle Best Minor content changes and additions following updated firm ware

6.0 31/09/2005 Doug Arnold BM; JK; SG Manual Adapted for BL-819 / 830 RS-232 Bluetooth Adapters

Updated to reflect changes on Rev7 Product PCB and updates
to product firmware (V2.10)

Minor mods and clarifications following review. Creation of index.
Minor changes to device menu display updated.

Section re-order, update tables.

Addition of Technical data
Various additional explanation/clarification in many areas
Addition of troubleshooting information
Additional worked examples

review
firmware release
release

Manual for BL-819 / 830 © Copyright Brainboxes Limited 2005 Page 41 of 41