To follow this guide you'll need the following parts:
- Circuit Playground
- Flora Bluefruit LE or Bluefruit LE UART Friend
- I recommend using the Flora Bluefruit LE module with Circuit Playground because it has big pads that are easy to connect with alligator clips--no soldering necessary! You could however use a Bluefruit LE UART friend module but you'll need to solder headers or wires to it and Circuit Playground. Be aware only Bluefruit LE modules with a serial connection (like Flora Bluefruit LE or Bluefruit LE UART Friend) will work with Circuit Playground!
- Alligator Clip Test Leads
- To reduce noise on the serial connection try to use short cables (less than 12" or so). Longer cables should still work but you might notice small glitches or errors from time to time.
- Android or iOS device with Bluetooth Low Energy support
- You'll need to run the Bluefruit LE Connect application from Adafruit which is available on both Android and iOS platforms. Make sure your device has Bluetooth Low Energy support (not just Bluetooth 'Classic' support, LE is different!). Most phones and tablets sold in the last ~5 years should have Bluetooth LE support.
If you're using the Flora Bluefruit LE module this project is very easy to put together and requires no soldering--just connect components with alligator clip wires as shown on the next page!