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BAM for the iRobot
BAM
Owner’s Manual
®
Create
™
Element Direct
www.elementdirect.com
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Customer Support
If you have questions or comments about your BAM, please contact Element
Direct by visiting our web site at www.elementdirect.com. A user support
forum, additional documentation, and other tips are available there.
90-Day Limited Warranty
Element Direct warranties its products against defects in materials and workmanship for a period of
90 days. If you discover a defect, Element Direct will, at its option, repair the product, replace the
product, or refund the purchase price. Please contact the retailer you purchased the product from to
start a warranty claim.
Disclaimer
The warranty does not apply if the product has been altered, modied, or damaged. Element
Direct makes no other warranty of any kind, expressed or implied, including any warranty of
merchantability, tness of the product for any particular purpose even if that purpose is known to
Element Direct, or any warranty relating to patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual
property. Element Direct shall not be liable for any injury, loss, damage, or loss of prots resulting
from the handling or use of the product shipped.
FCC Notice
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any
interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
Changes or modications to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance
could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.
Caution: Exposure to Radio Frequency Radiation
The radiated output power of this device is below the FCC radio frequency exposure limits based on
human proximity to the antenna shall not be less than 1.8cm (3/4 inch) during normal operation.
Specifications
Power Supply 5.0 Vdc / 100mA (max)
Operating Temperature 0 to 50° C
Storage Temperature -20 to 60° C
Humidity 0 to 80% RH
Internal Antenna Multilayer Chip, Peak Gain 0.5dBi
Dimensions 55x55x16 mm
IROBOT is a registered trademark and CREATE is a trademark of iRobot Corp. All Rights
Reserved.
Element Direct is the sales and marketing division for Element Products, Inc.
©2007 Element Products, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
BAM Owners Manual, 21JUN2007 - Rev D
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Introduction
The Element Direct BAM (short for Bluetooth Adapter Module) enables
wireless control of the iRobot® Create™ robot from a Windows, Macintosh, or
Linux PC. The BAM connects to the Create’s cargo bay port – without any extra
wires or cables. The BAM provides a virtual serial port connection between
a Bluetooth host and Create. A PC can communicate with Create in the same
way it would as if it were attached with a serial cable. The BAM gives a user
complete wireless control of Create. It also exposes Create’s programmable IO,
making it easy to connect additional hardware.
Bluetooth is a communications system intended to replace the cables connecting
electronic devices. Unlike WiFi and other wireless systems, Bluetooth is both
a low-power and a low-cost option, making it ideal for use with iRobot Create.
Bluetooth operates in the unlicensed ISM band at 2.4 GHz and employs a
frequency hopping radio to combat interference from other RF sources.
About BAM
The BAM is a Class 1 (high power) Bluetooth device. It is capable of
communicating with a Bluetooth-enabled host, such as a desktop PC, laptop,
or PDA. There are two basic types of Bluetooth hardware: Bluetooth hosts and
Bluetooth devices. A laptop PC is an example of a Bluetooth host. A wireless
mouse, wireless printer, and the BAM are all examples of Bluetooth devices.
In order to connect to the BAM, you must have a computer which can act as
a Bluetooth host. Please consult your computer’s documentation to determine
whether it is a Bluetooth-enabled host.
Windows desktop PCs generally require an external USB Bluetooth radio. ●
Laptops may have an internal radio or require an add-on USB Bluetooth ●
radio.
Apple Macintoshes often have Bluetooth built-in. ●
PDAs may be a Bluetooth host already, or they may require an ●
add-on card.
Bluetooth USB radios are readily available from computer and ofce
supply stores from a variety of manufacturers. Using a USB radio
is often the simplest way to add Bluetooth support to a computer.
The operational range of the radios varies widely by device and
manufacturer. Class 1 USB radios with external
antennas tend to have the best
range. Element Direct has a highperformance radio available for
purchase on our web site and
from our distributors (Element
Direct P/N 10566).
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In addition to being a Bluetooth host, the adapter’s software driver must also
LD1
LD0
DO2
DO1
DO0
DI3
DI2
DI1
DI0
Ain
PT
Gnd
+5V
LD2
Vsw
Vpw
BAM
IO Connector
Indicator LED
DB-25
Connector
support SPP (Serial Port Prole), which is one of the many Bluetooth proles
specied by the Bluetooth standard. Almost all Bluetooth USB adapters support
SPP, but users should check the radio’s specications prior to purchase.
BAM Features
The BAM appears to the host computer or PDA as a Bluetooth Serial Port. It
provides a virtual serial cable connection between the host and Create. From the
host’s prospective, Create is connected to a wired serial port, and the host can
communicate and control Create through the iRobot Open Interface as if Create
were attached to the host with it’s included RS-232 serial cable.
The BAM has
an IO Connector
which enables
users to add their
own hardware to
Create.
The DB-25
connector on the
bottom edge of
the BAM plugs
directly into the
Create’s Cargo
Bay Connector.
Indicator LED
A red indicator LED displays the BAM’s current state. It provides a simple
method to determine whether the BAM is connected or disconnected to the host.
When Create and BAM are rst powered on, the LED will ash 26 times ●
quickly.
When the BAM is connected to a Bluetooth host, the LED will ash once ●
per second.
When the BAM is disconnected from a host, the LED ashes once every 3 ●
seconds.
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Cargo Bay
Connector
Create Installation
To install the BAM in your Create, follow these simple directions:
Turn Create’s power off.1.
Plug the BAM into the Cargo Bay Connector.2.
Turn Create’s power back on.3.
The indicator LED on the BAM will ash 26 times on power-up, indicating that
it has been successfully installed. If the LED does not ash when you turn on
Create, check that the battery pack is rmly seated and that the battery is fresh.
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Bluetooth Serial Port Setup
The Bluetooth host must be set up for use with a Bluetooth Serial Port. Generic
host set-up instructions are given below. Consult the documentation which came
with your Bluetooth radio for specic set-up instructions. In addition, Element
Direct’s web site (www.elementdirect.com) offers several tutorials for popular
Bluetooth software packages.
Host Set-up
Search for a new Bluetooth device by starting 1. Device Discovery in the host
software.
The BAM will appear in the software with the name Element Serial.2.
Choose 3. Pair Device using the passcode of 0000.
Select 4. Refresh Services to display the services which the BAM offers.
An option of connecting the BAM as a Bluetooth Serial Port or SPP should 5.
now be available. Select it and make a note of the communications port to which
the BAM is mapped. You will need the COM Port name to congure the serial
port on your computer (see below).
Bluetooth Host Settings
Device Name: Element Serial
Bluetooth PIN Code / Passcode: 0000
Services Supported: SPP (Serial Port Prole)
Serial Communications
After the host software maps the BAM connection to a COM Port on the host
computer, the port can be opened with a terminal program or your own custom
software. The settings for opening the port are shown below.
Serial Port Settings
Baud: 57,600 bps
Parity: None
Data Bits: 8
Stop Bits: 1
Hardware Flow Control: None
Software Flow Control: None
With the BAM installed and the port open, it is possible to communicate with
the Create as if it were directly connected to the host with a serial cable.
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BAM IO Connector
23
Low Side Driver 1
LD1
LD2
Low Side Driver 2
24
22
Low Side Driver 0
LD0
Vsw
Switched Battery
Voltage
10, 11 &
12
20
Digital Output 2
DO2
7
Digital Output 1
DO1
Vpw
Battery Voltage
9
19
Digital Output 0
DO0
+5V
Switched 5V
8
6
Digital Input 3
DI3
18
Digital Input 2
DI2
Gnd
Ground
14, 16, 21
& 25
5
Digital Input 1
DI1
17
Digital Input 0
DI0
4
Analog Input
AINPTPower Toggle
3
The BAM’s IO Connector exposes the power and user-programmable IO pins
from Create’s Cargo Bay connector. The connector offers users a convenient
way to add hardware such as sensors and actuators to Create.
IO Connector Pinning
The table below shows the pin out for the IO Connector. The CB column
indicates the pin on Create’s Cargo Bay Connector which corresponds to the
BAM’s connector pin.
CB Function BAM BAM Function CB
IO Connector Interfacing
The IO Connector is an industry-standard 2x10 female pin header with 0.1”
(2.54mm) centers. The connector will accept a 22-gauge solid copper wire for
easy connection to a bread board or a male pin header.
The iRobot Create Open Interface Specication gives the complete technical
details for interfacing to the Cargo Bay Connector’s IO and control signals. The
specication can be downloaded from the iRobot web site at www.irobot.com.
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Element Direct offers a complete
BAM
Bluetooth connection for the Create.
Create Robot
Windows, Macintosh
or Linux Computer
Element Direct
Bluetooth Adapter Module
Element P/N 10542B
USB Radio
Element P/N 10566
www.elementdirect.com
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