A CircuitPython BLE Remote Control On/Off Switch

Make a remote control on/off switch for a computer with CircuitPython and BLE

by rdagger

published October 16, 2019, last edited January 22, 2025

posted in Sensors/ Light CircuitPython Internet of Things - IOT/ Bluefruit / BLE

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Intermediate

Project guide

Server Code

The server code requires the following libraries from the CircuitPython Bundle:

adafruit_ble
adafruit_bluefruit_connect

The code for this project needs extensive revision due to changes in CircuitPython. Sorry!

The latest version can be obtained from the Adafruit CircuitPython BLE repo.

Plug in one Feather nRF52840 to your computer via a known good USB data + power cable. The board should show up as a disk drive named CIRCUITPY. Use this guide to update CircuitPython - you will want the latest version 5.0 or above.

Download and copy the two aforementioned libraries to the lib folder on the Feather.

Here's the server code for the BLE peripheral. Click the download link and save to your computer. Then copy the server.py file to code.py on the Feather.

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# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2019 Anne Barela for Adafruit Industries
#
# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT

from time import sleep
from adafruit_ble import BLERadio
from adafruit_ble.advertising.standard import ProvideServicesAdvertisement
from adafruit_ble.services.nordic import UARTService
from adafruit_bluefruit_connect.packet import Packet
from adafruit_bluefruit_connect.button_packet import ButtonPacket
from adafruit_bluefruit_connect.color_packet import ColorPacket
from board import A0, D13
from analogio import AnalogIn
from digitalio import DigitalInOut, Direction

led = AnalogIn(A0)  # Initialize blue LED light detector

solenoid = DigitalInOut(D13)  # Initialize solenoid
solenoid.direction = Direction.OUTPUT
solenoid.value = False

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

while True:
    ble.start_advertising(advertisement)  # Advertise when not connected.
    while not ble.connected:
        pass

    while ble.connected:  # Connected
        if uart_server.in_waiting:  # Check BLE commands
            packet = Packet.from_stream(uart_server)
            if isinstance(packet, ButtonPacket):
                if packet.button == '1' and packet.pressed:
                    solenoid.value = True  # Activate solenoid for 1 second
                    sleep(1)
                    solenoid.value = False

        led_intensity = led.value  # Check blue LED detector intensity
        led_on = led_intensity > 1000
        # Color: red = off, green = on
        color_packet = ColorPacket((255 * int(not led_on), 255 * led_on, 0))
        try:
            uart_server.write(color_packet.to_bytes())  # Transmit state color
        except OSError:
            pass

        sleep(.2)

# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2019 Anne Barela for Adafruit Industries
#
# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT

from time import sleep
from adafruit_ble import BLERadio
from adafruit_ble.advertising.standard import ProvideServicesAdvertisement
from adafruit_ble.services.nordic import UARTService
from adafruit_bluefruit_connect.packet import Packet
from adafruit_bluefruit_connect.button_packet import ButtonPacket
from adafruit_bluefruit_connect.color_packet import ColorPacket
from board import A0, D13
from analogio import AnalogIn
from digitalio import DigitalInOut, Direction

led = AnalogIn(A0)  # Initialize blue LED light detector

solenoid = DigitalInOut(D13)  # Initialize solenoid
solenoid.direction = Direction.OUTPUT
solenoid.value = False

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

while True:
    ble.start_advertising(advertisement)  # Advertise when not connected.
    while not ble.connected:
        pass

    while ble.connected:  # Connected
        if uart_server.in_waiting:  # Check BLE commands
            packet = Packet.from_stream(uart_server)
            if isinstance(packet, ButtonPacket):
                if packet.button == '1' and packet.pressed:
                    solenoid.value = True  # Activate solenoid for 1 second
                    sleep(1)
                    solenoid.value = False

        led_intensity = led.value  # Check blue LED detector intensity
        led_on = led_intensity > 1000
        # Color: red = off, green = on
        color_packet = ColorPacket((255 * int(not led_on), 255 * led_on, 0))
        try:
            uart_server.write(color_packet.to_bytes())  # Transmit state color
        except OSError:
            pass

        sleep(.2)

Page last edited January 22, 2025