Issue with Circuit Playground Bluefruit - Bluetooth Moderators: adafruit_support_bill, adafruit

[rgopalan]

Hello, I bought this item. ( Invoice No. 2666031) on 9/26/21 and trying to follow instruction to install the firmware (....uf2) and eventually use with an MPRLS pressure to report data through UART to serial monitor.
although i was able to CPLAYBOOT -> CIRCUITPY once but after connecting the MPRLS sensor per pinouts I have previously got to work on a Feather nrF board, now I am not able to get data or the Circuit be detected by the Bluefruit Playground App on an iPhone.
When I tried resetting and rebooting with the ......uf2, now CPLAYBOOT disappers but CIRCUITPY does NOT appear in its place.
Please advise if anything i can do, or if the board is defective, needs repair replacement.
thanks

[adafruit_support_carter]

When I tried resetting and rebooting with the ......uf2, now CPLAYBOOT disappers but CIRCUITPY does NOT appear in its place.

It sounds like maybe something has happened with the CircuitPython setup. You are able to get the CPLAYBOOT folder to show up OK? What is the full name of the .uf2 file you are dragging to the CPLAYBOOT folder?

[rgopalan]

cplay_ble_v5.ino.uf2

[adafruit_support_carter]

That doesn't look like the CircuitPython firmware. Try downloading the UF2 from here:
https://circuitpython.org/board/circuit ... bluefruit/
It'll have a name like:
adafruit-circuitpython-circuitplayground_bluefruit-en_US-7.0.0.uf2

Try dragging that UF2 file to the CPLAYBOOT folder.

[rgopalan]

ok, that was exactly the same link i used before but now it works CPLAYBOOT -> CIRCUITPY
thanks

[rgopalan]

Actually, my Circuit Playground Bluefruit board is being detected by the
Bluefruit Connect app on my iPhone
but *NOT* the
Bluefruit Play app
which keeps looking for Adafruit devices but unable to find any. i have updated the firmware, hit Reset several times.
my code.py is as :

Code: Select all | TOGGLE FULL SIZE

from adafruit_ble import BLERadio
from adafruit_ble.advertising.standard import ProvideServicesAdvertisement
from adafruit_ble.services.nordic import UARTService

ble = BLERadio()
uart = UARTService()
advertisement = ProvideServicesAdvertisement(uart)

ble.start_advertising(advertisement)
while True:
   pass

[rgopalan]

This board appears to be defective - I have not gotten it to work despite *exactly following* the instructions on the site:
https://learn.adafruit.com/bluefruit-playground-app
- when I try to upload the latest firmware : cplay_ble_v5.ino.uf2
i get a CLICKing sound from the board, and CPLAYBOOT disappears from my Mac Finder with no CIRCUITPY appearing until I disconnect and reconnect the USB.
when I continue with guide to install the Circuit Python : adafruit-circuitpython-circuitplayground_bluefruit-en_US-7.0.0.uf2
i am left with the board merely flashing Red Neopixels - No functionality.

[adafruit_support_carter]

The guide has been updated to hopefully help with the general confusion between the two possible approaches for programming the board. See top of page here:
https://learn.adafruit.com/bluefruit-pl ... p/firmware
I think the way it was previously written, it was not clear that you needed to only do *one* of the possible approaches.

If you use the cplay_ble_v5.ino.uf2, you will *not* see the CIRCUITPY folder show up. You should get the behavior described here:
https://learn.adafruit.com/bluefruit-pl ... 3049391-10
and you're then ready to try and connect using the App.

If you use the adafruit-circuitpython-circuitplayground_bluefruit-en_US-7.0.0.uf2 file, you should see the CIRCUITPY folder show up. However, there will still be more work to do in order to use the BLE App. That is covered here:
https://learn.adafruit.com/bluefruit-pl ... cuitpython

[rgopalan]

thank you that clarification worked - I am now able to recognize the Cirkit in Bluefruit play using only the cplay_ble_v5.ino.uf2 firmware
however
if the CIRCUITPY does not appear in File/disk finder, then how am I to follow on the next steps:
- How to install the libaries and code.py if the disk has disappeared? (or how to eject the disk, since my Mac calls 'Disk Not Ejected Properly')
(sorry if stupid question) but thanks for any additional tips.

[adafruit_support_carter]

That would only be required if you actually want to use the second approach - which is more hands on. The first step in that approach would be to install CircuitPython by copying the adafruit-circuitpython-circuitplayground_bluefruit-en_US-7.0.0.uf2 file to the CPLAYBOOT folder. If you do not get the CIRCUITPY folder showing up after doing that, then we should troubleshoot why.

But - if things are working using the cplay_ble_v5.ino.uf2, then you do not even need to worry about this.

[rgopalan]

So, that is the problem:
when I use the first approach, and only add the cplay_ble_v5.ino.uf2 the CPLAYBOOT disappears, but with the Bluefruit Play App on my iPhone functional - i am able to turn on pixels, check the on-board sensors, play tones etc.
but, as noted before, since the CIRCUITPY disk does not appear, I am not able to load any code.py or Libraries as in the 'second approach"

But when 'Reset' button twice and I try this 2nd approach, all the NEOPIXELS keep flashing RED, and the Bluefruit App does NOT see the Circuit Playground - and this is regardless of whether I continue with the further steps of appending the (required) Libraries and basic code.py on to the CPLAYBOOT directory.

Again, the first approach communicates to the Bluefruit phone app, but does not allow uploading code.py or Libraries
the 2nd approach neither communicates to the Bluefruit app, nor responds to loading of code.py and Libraries, only keeps flashing LEDs RED.

Please advise if board is defective, or other fix.
thanks

[adafruit_support_carter]

Again, the first approach communicates to the Bluefruit phone app, but does not allow uploading code.py or Libraries

This is expected. The first approach does not require adding anything additional. No CIRCUITPY folder will show up. There is no need to worry about a code.py file.

the 2nd approach neither communicates to the Bluefruit app, nor responds to loading of code.py and Libraries, only keeps flashing LEDs RED.

This is the more hands on approach. You will need to make sure you have all the libraries, etc. installed. And that they are correct version, etc. Flashing red LEDs indicates something is not working correctly with this approach. Go back through this part of the guide:
https://learn.adafruit.com/bluefruit-pl ... cuitpython


Can you just use the first approach since it seems to be working?

[rgopalan]

I am trying to set up the Circuit Playground to report UART serial data from an Adafruit MPRLS pressure sensor connected to the SCL/SDA Power/ GND terminals
- so far as all the guides indicate this requires a code.py file on the CircuitPY, including the code to read out the MPRLS sensor data.
so
NO, I cannot just use the first approach with only booting from cplay_ble_v5.ino.uf2, and YES, I do need the more hands-on approach with the adafruit-circuitpython-circuitplayground_bluefruit-en_US-7.0.0.uf2, but when I do that I get the flashing RED LEDs, YES, when even when I follow the instructions in the guide.

Please advise I have already wasted too much time on this, the Circuit Playground is not much use to me if I cannot connect to the MPRLS sensor. Please advise if the board itself is defective and needs to be replaced, or if I am missing something not explicit in the guides.

Please dont just refer be back to the same guides over and over - I have tried them very carefully -
thanks in advance for any response that fixes or helps my issue.

[adafruit_support_carter]

We don't have a ready to go example for this specific use case. You'll need to piece together parts from other examples.

To test the basic BLE UART functionality, you can try running this example of the Circuit Playground:
https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_Ci ... ho_test.py
With this running on the Circuit Playground, you should be able to connect with the Adafruit Bluefruit Connect app, send text, and receive same text back. It's a simple echo test, but verifies all the parts are working.

Then, to verify basic functionality of the MPRLS, don't worry about BLE or using the app, and just run this example:
https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_Ci ... pletest.py
With that running on the Circuit Playground, you'll want to connect to the serial output of the Circuit Playground:
https://learn.adafruit.com/welcome-to-c ... al-console
and verify you can see the pressures from the MPRLS being shown.

Then you can move on to trying to incorporate the two together, so the pressure values are sent over BLE instead of to the serial output.

[rgopalan]

PLEASE understand my issue:
I am NOT able to run ANY example code.py since NEITHER option works:
First option: booting with cplay_ble_v5.ino.uf2, then I have no CIRCUITPY disk appear to upload a 'code.py' example.
Second option: the more hands-on approach with the adafruit-circuitpython-circuitplayground_bluefruit-en_US-7.0.0.uf2, but when I do that I get the flashing RED LEDs, YES, when even when I follow the instructions in the guide carefully.
all the previous replies suggest that I should NOT get FLASHING RED NeoPIXELS when I boot with the 2nd option, which is also the only option to upload any example code.py
I am convinced that the flashing RED means that the Board is defective - PLEASE carefully review my problem, i have been asking the same request a few times now.

thanks for any help that fixes issue on my current board. Please authorize replacement if no.