Troubleshooting (Bluetooth LE)

What follows is a quick list of potential problems and solutions for Bluetooth connection issues. For more general problems, please look at the main Troubleshooting page

Have you got a Bangle.js? There's also a specific Bangle.js Troubleshooting page

If your problem isn't covered, please post in the Forum.

Getting Connected

Web Bluetooth doesn't appear in my Web IDE connection options

  • Try following these instructions
  • Do you have an up to date version of Chrome? (Help -> About Google Chrome) - it should be at least version 51
  • You need a Bluetooth LE-capable adaptor (at least Bluetooth 4.0). If your PC doesn't have one, you can buy one for well under $10
  • Android needs to be at least version 6 (or version 5 with recent builds of Chromium)
  • Windows Web Bluetooth isn't currently supported by Chrome. Check out the Quick Start Guide for more information.
  • Linux needs Bluez 5.41 or above - see here for instructions on how to install it
  • MacOS needs OS X Yosemite or later. Older hardware will need an external USB dongle though - check that Low Energy supported in About this Mac -> System Report/Bluetooth
  • Chrome OS should work fine as long as it is up to date

I clicked COMx in Windows and it's connecting but I get no response

Bluetooth LE Serial devices (Nordic UART Service) like Espruino are not treated as serial port devices by Windows. If the IDE's connection menu shows devices beginning with the word COM (eg. COM5), they are not your device and connecting to them won't work.

Check out the Quick Start Guide for more information.

I can't see my device in the IDE in Windows

  • Are you sure some other device isn't connected to it? See the next item.
  • Are you sure you're using the native Espruino IDE as opposed to the IDE Website or Chrome App?
  • On Windows 10, have your paired your Puck using the built-in Windows Bluetooth menu? You need that before the IDE can see it. If you can't pair then your PC may not support Bluetooth LE (even if it supports normal Bluetooth) and you may need an exernal Bluetooth dongle.
  • On Windows 7 you'll need a supported Bluetooth dongle that may need setting up with Zadig

I can't see my device any more

Espruino BLE devices can only accept one incoming connection at a time. When a device is connected to it, it stops advertising and so cannot be connected to until the first device disconnects.

As a result, if you can't see your device advertising then it is probably because some other device that is connected. It may even be an application on the same device.

Some BLE apps on phones automatically reconnect, as do most devices if you've configured Espruino as a BLE HID device).

I can no longer connect to my device from Android

Have you been running one of the Nordic/nRF applications? If so, make sure it is closed (Click the square icon to get to the application chooser, and swipe the application to the left or right)

I can't see any Bluetooth devices from Web Bluetooth on Mac OS

Mac OS's Security & Privacy settings may be blocking Chrome.

Try: System Preferences —> Security & Privacy —> Bluetooth -> Add Google Chrome

I can't reconnect to my device on Mac OS

This often happens if you've turned your Espriuno into a HID device and paired it with your Mac.

  • Close the Web Browser window that had the Web IDE in it
  • Hold the option key down while clicking on the Bluetooth icon in the top right menu bar.
  • You should see something like Puck.js abcd in bold on the drop-down list
  • Click on it, and you'll see menu options for Disconnect and Remove
  • Click Remove
  • Open up the Web IDE in Chrome and try connecting again

I can't connect to my device with Chrome on Linux

First, make sure you have an up to date version of Bluez installed - see the Web Bluetooth on Linux page

Web Bluetooth on Chrome for Linux isn't officially supported by Google, so it can be a bit unstable.

  • If you can connect but can't receive any data, disconnect, then run sudo /etc/init.d/bluetooth restart and try and reconnect.
  • If you can't find any devices via Web Bluetooth click on the Bluetooth notification icon in Linux so that a window pops up showing devices within range. This is often enough to Web Bluetooth to find your devices.

I can see the device, but can't connect to it.

Update your device's firmware to the most recent version - the very first firmware versions for Puck.js especially could have issues with some computers.

Note: Non-Puck.js devices ship with much later firmware (1v90 and later) so are less likely to have these problems. It's always an idea to use the latest firmware though.

Also see below:

I used to be able to connect, but now I can't

Device-specific

How do I update the firmware?

Check out the specific instuctions on your device's page:

I can't get the battery out

If using a device like Puck.js or Pixl.js with a CR2032 battery, poke it with something nonconductive from behind, like a matchstick.

If you just want to reset your Puck.js you can also lift the battery away from the PCB slightly with a fingernail (although this doesn't work on Pixl.js).

When power is applied a LED stays lit

Usually this happens if you're holding a button at startup, and the device enters bootloader mode.

However in rare cases, your firmware may have got corrupted and so the bootloader is unable to boot into Espruino. In this case, please follow your board's instructions (above) to update the firmware, which should fix the problem.

Puck.js

My Puck.js is not working when it arrives

Puck.js is assembled with a clear plastic tab between the battery and PCB to keep it turned off.

See here for instructions on removing it.

When I insert the battery the green light comes on

This is because you're pressing the button down while putting it in. Try inserting the battery without the button pressed.

When I insert the battery the red light comes on

You're in bootloader mode. You get to this when you press the button while inserting the battery and then release it.

To get out, just take the battery out and re-insert it without pressing the button.

I disassembled my Puck.js and now the button won't click

Take it apart again, and place the area on the back with the text Puck.js against the ledge on the plastic case (the dimples in the case should align with the holes in the PCB).

My magnetometer isn't working!

Please check your battery percentage with E.getBattery() to ensure that it has over 30% charge remaining. Due to the discharge of CR2032 batteries by the time you get to this point, 90% of the power in the battery has been used.

The microcontroller is able to function on lower voltages than the magnetometer so you will still be able to run JS even when the battery is too flat to use the magnetometer.

Pixl.js

I'm no longer seeing text I print on the LCD

Anything from print or console.log is printed to the current console device (set with TheDevice.setConsole(). By default, this will be the LCD (eg. Terminal.setConsole()).

However:

  • If you're connected to Pixl.js via Bluetooth, the console will automatically move to the Bluetooth connection.
  • If a (serial port has been detected at boot)[/Pixl.js#serial-console], the console will automatically be moved to that.

To force the console back to the LCD you can use Terminal.setConsole() (eg. in the onInit function) which will keep the console on the LCD until something (like a Bluetooth connection) changes it. Otherwise you can use Terminal.setConsole(true) which will keep the console on the LCD regardless of what happens. This second method will mean that you are unable to reprogram the device until it is reset or the console is set to the device you're programming it from.

If you just want to write to the Terminal regardless of where the console is, use Terminal.println(...)

Using your device

When I disconnect the battery or reset, my code is lost. How do I save it?

It's as easy as typing save() in the left-hand side of the IDE. When power is re-applied Espruino will resume where it left off, remembering timers, watches, and even pin state. For certain things (like initialising connected hardware like displays) you'll want to run some code when Espruino starts up, in which case you can just add a function called onInit() or a listener for E.on('init', ...) - it will then be executed each time Espruino starts.

For more information, see the page on Saving.

I saved some code and my device no longer works

The easiest solution for this is to perform a Hard Reset, as firmware updates may not clear out saved code:

On most boards booting with BTN1 held down will usually boot without loading the saved code. However it won't have deleted your saved code. To do that, you'll need to log in and:

  • On 1v99 and later firmware type reset(true) to clear out any saved code
  • On old firmwares type save() after a fresh boot to save a 'fresh' state
  • You can also type require("Storage").eraseAll(), as this will clear any saved code, but will also remove any data that your code may have saved using the Storage Library

How do I find my Device's 4 character ID

Most Espruino devices advertise themselves with names like Puck.js abcd. The 4 character ID at the end is just the last 4 digits of the device's MAC Address.

You can get this with the command NRF.getAddress().substr(-5).replace(":","") - which takes the address in the form aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff, strips off the last 5 characters, and removes the colon.

How can I change my Device's name?

Check out the reference pages for NRF.setAdvertising...

You can simply call NRF.setAdvertising({},{name:"My Name"}); to change your Puck's advertised name!

My code works when I'm connected via Bluetooth but stops when I disconnect

Are you using Serial1? Perhaps to connect to a GSM/LTE, WiFi, or GPS? When disconnected from Bluetooth, Espruino's REPL/'console' (what's on the left-hand side of the Web IDE) gets moved over to Serial1 if it has been initialised. If you've got a Serial device on those pins then it will then stop working.

To fix this, right at the top of your code that runs on initialisation (eg. the onInit function or E.on('init', ...) event), add the line Bluetooth.setConsole(), which will force the console onto Bluetooth. After Bluetooth.setConsole(), the console can still automatically move back to Serial1 if there is some event that forces it (Bluetooth connect and disconnect), so you can force the console to stay on Bluetooth regardless with Bluetooth.setConsole(true) instead.

Something else is wrong!

Check out the main Troubleshooting page and also the Espruino Forums

This page is auto-generated from GitHub. If you see any mistakes or have suggestions, please let us know.