Vorpal Factory Paired Bluetooth Modules

Introduction

The Vorpal Factory Paired Bluetooth Modules product is available from Amazon.com. It provides you with two inexpensive Bluetooth modules that are factory configured so that they auto-pair when power is applied. There is no easier way to get a fast, reliable transparent serial connection for projects involving Arduino, Rasberry Pi, and other microcontroller products.

What's in the package

The package contains:

• One HC05 Bluetooth module, configured as master. (The HC05 is the module with 6 pins). The module is labeled with a name such as VORPAL1234. This indentifies which slave it is configured to pair with.
• One HC06 Bluetooth module, which is a Bluetooth slave which auto-pairs with the provided HC05 on boot. The HC06 has 4 pins. It is labeled the same as its matching HC05 master.
• Four female-female Dupont cables, color coded, 10cm (2.5") long. These can be conveniently used to make connections for power and data to your microcontroller.

How are the modules configured?

NOTE: You don't need to fully understand this section in order to use the modules, this is provided for more advanced users.

The modules are both configured at a speed of 38,400 baud, no parity, 8 bits. The HC06 has a name which is identical to the label you will find on it, for example VORPAL1234. This name will show up if you have a device such as an Android smartphone which can detect Bluetooth devices.

The MAC address of the HC06 is preconfigured in the HC05 such that they auto-pair and connect when power is applied to both modules.

When unpaired, both modules will have a blinking red light. After pairing, the HC06 (4 pins) will have a steady light. Pairing normally only takes 5 to 10 seconds after both modules are powered on.

How do you connect the modules to Arduino or Similar Devices?

The HC06 has four pins:

• VCC: You should connect a RED dupont jumper cable to this and connect it to a regulated +5v power supply that can provide at least 50 to 60 milliamps of power. Do not connect this to unregulated battery power. Connecting this lead to a power supply greater than +6.0 volts will immediately destroy the module.
• GND: Use a BLACK cable and connect this to the ground side of a power supply.
• TXD: "Transmit Data". Use a YELLOW cable and connect this to a digital IO pin on your controller. For the Arduino examples used in this wiki page, connect it to digital pin 3, although any digital pin can typically be used.
• RXD: "Receive Data". Use the GREEN cable and connect this to another digital IO pin. For the Arduino examples used in this wiki page, connect it to digital pin 2. Again, any digital IO pin should work.

The HC05 has six pins, but you're not going to use two of them.

• EN: (May be different labels on some units). You're not going to use this, leave it disconnected.
• VCC: You should connect a RED dupont jumper cable to this and connect it to a regulated +5v power supply that can provide at least 50 to 60 milliamps of power. Do not connect this to unregulated battery power. Connecting this lead to a power supply greater than +6.0 volts will immediately destroy the module.
• GND: Use a BLACK cable and connect this to the ground side of a power supply.
• TXD: "Transmit Data". Use a YELLOW cable and connect this to a digital IO pin on your controller. For the Arduino examples used in this wiki page, connect it to digital pin 3 (of course, not the same Arduino as you used for the HC06, the whole point of this is to let two different Arduinos communicate!). Again, any digital pin can typically be used.
• RXD: "Receive Data". Use the GREEN cable and connect this to another digital IO pin. For the Arduino examples used in this wiki page, connect it to digital pin 2. Again, any digital IO pin should work.
• STATE: (May be different lable on some units.) Leave this disconnected, you don't need it for basic communications.