Add Bluetooth to Your Arduino Project - Arduino+HC-06

Wouldn't you love to switch on and off the lights in your house without having to raise a finger? (well, technically you would have to raise a finger or two, but you get the jist of the story). The good news is that you can. All you needs is an arduino, HC-06 bluetooth module, some relays and a little electrical know-how.

In this tutorial, however, i am going to show you how to setup the HC-06, send some data to the arduino and receive and echo and control an LED via bluetooth. At least this should get you started, before you get to control the whole grid with your HC-06...just kidding.

Step 1: Setup

Setting up the HC-06 is as easy as ABC. All you need to know is the pin configuration. The HC-06 has 6 pins: wakeup, VCC, GND, TXD, RXD and State. Right now I will only deal with 4 pins, which are VCC, GND, TXD and RXD.

Here is how you should connect the Bluetooth module to your Arduino.
HC-06>>>Arduino

VCC>>>>3.3v

GND>>>>GND

TXD>>>>RXD

RXD>>>>TXD

The HC-06 acts as a serial port through which you can send and receive data. So using a serial terminal or a Bluetooth customized application on your computer or phone, you can control and monitor your project. I used Teraterm as the serial terminal.
Before, uploading the code to the Arduino, disconnect the HC-06 module, since it shares the tx/rx pins and will interfere with the upload. Connect it back once the code has been uploaded successfully.

Step 2: Echo Code

This code enables you to send a string to the Arduino via Bluetooth and get an echo back on your serial monitor.

NB: if you are using an arduino mega change this line of code while(Serial.available()); to while(Serial.available()>0); otherwise the code will not work

Step 3: LED Code

This code allows you to switch on and off an LED using by sending a command to the Arduino via Bluetooth.

Step 4: Pairing HC-06 to the Computer

Pair the HC-06 with your computer or any other Bluetooth device you have as shown in the video

NB: In the video I say that you should connect your serial terminal program (teraterm) to the INCOMING com port. This is not right. The correct way should be connecting your serial terminal program to the OUTGOING com port.

Step 5:

Once the module is paired. Open Teraterm, or any other serial terminal program you have. Select the serial port that corresponds to the HC-06 (I have explained how to identify that port in the video).

Once you successfully connect to the HC-06 serial port you will be able to send strings to your Arduino and get an echo back. If you have uploaded the second code, you will be able to switch on and off and LED by sending “n” and “f” respectively.

Step 6: Echo Example

Step 7: LED Example

Step 8:

There are many applications of the HC-06. Learn more about it in my next post as I show you how to control an Arduino robot arm via bluetooth. For a more detailed tutorial on the HC-06 visit this link.