Bluetooth-Controlled Matrix LED Sign using Bluefruit Connect

published January 10, 2024, last edited January 22, 2025

posted in LEDs/ LED Matrices Feather Breakout Boards/ LCDs, LEDs, & Displays Internet of Things - IOT/ Bluefruit / BLE Circuit Playground/ Bluefruit

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Beginner

Project guide

Use Arduino IDE

Arduino IDE Burn Bootloader menu option will pick the correct bootloader binary for your selected board and prevent any command typos or other common errors.

Close the Serial Monitor before you click "Burn Bootloader". Afterwards, you shouldn't close the Arduino IDE, unplug the board, launch Serial Monitor etc ... to abort the process. There is a high chance it will brick your device! Do this with care and caution.

This is an advanced method: if your existing bootloader version is 0.4.0 or later, you can use the UF2 method, which is faster and safer.

If you have not already done so, set up Arduino IDE for nRF52, using the instructions in Arduino Support Setup.

Make sure no other program is attached to the serial port on the board, such as Mu, the Serial Monitor in Arduino, or a terminal program. Then, to start, select the correct board you are using under Tools -> Board

Then select "Bootloader DFU for Bluefruit nRF52" for Tools->Programmer

Double check all of the following: Board, Programmer...

Then select Tools->Burn Bootloader to start the upgrade.

After receiving the new Bootloader over the serial connection, the old Bootloader will erase itself! The new bootloader will then be flashed. The process typically takes 30-60 seconds to complete. Make sure you see the "Device programmed" in the output log before launching Serial monitor or uploadinga new sketch.

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Upgrading target on /dev/ttyACM0 with DFU package /Adafruit_nRF52_Arduino/bootloader/feather_nrf52840_express/feather_nrf52840_express_bootloader-0.6.2_s140_6.1.1.zip. Flow control is disabled, Dual bank, Touch 1200
Touched serial port /dev/ttyACM0
Opened serial port /dev/ttyACM0
Starting DFU upgrade of type 3, SoftDevice size: 151016, bootloader size: 39000, application size: 0
Sending DFU start packet
Sending DFU init packet
Sending firmware file
########################################
########################################
########################################
########################################
########################################
########################################
########################################
########################################
########################################
############
Activating new firmware

DFU upgrade took 20.50154972076416s
Device programmed.

Upgrading target on /dev/ttyACM0 with DFU package /Adafruit_nRF52_Arduino/bootloader/feather_nrf52840_express/feather_nrf52840_express_bootloader-0.6.2_s140_6.1.1.zip. Flow control is disabled, Dual bank, Touch 1200
Touched serial port /dev/ttyACM0
Opened serial port /dev/ttyACM0
Starting DFU upgrade of type 3, SoftDevice size: 151016, bootloader size: 39000, application size: 0
Sending DFU start packet
Sending DFU init packet
Sending firmware file
########################################
########################################
########################################
########################################
########################################
########################################
########################################
########################################
########################################
############
Activating new firmware

DFU upgrade took 20.50154972076416s
Device programmed.

Drawbacks of this method are that you will need to install the Arduino IDE, and the bundled bootloader may not be the latest one. Check out the next page for a more advanced command line version.

Page last edited October 15, 2024