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Asked — Edited
Resolved Resolved by Antron007!

The Mobile App Freezes Up In A Please Wait Screen After An Apparent Bluetooth Co

I am using the app for the first time. I have a V3 board on my robot. No other Bluetooth devices are active.

My phone sees EZ-Robot Bluetooth and successfully pairs with it.

When I download my project from the cloud, tap the Connect window, select EZ-Robot Bluetooth on the WiFi/Bluetooth screen that appears, and tap the Connect button on that screen, the red LED on the V3 board stops blinking, indicating successful connection. But the phone screen freezes up on a "Please Wait" screen. If I try to get back to my project screen I get a message saying "EZ-Builder isn't responding. Do you want to close it?" The only choices are Wait and OK.

Any suggestions?


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#23  
I personally think its the devices low quality. It must be loaded up slowing the performance of ARC.
#24  
@robot-doc

If you go back to the original post, the issue is that ARC for Android is locking up when he connects to his EZ-B v3, thus the discussion of BT pairing.

Alan
#25  
The simple project and my full robot project run OK on my son's Galaxy S3.
I investigated storage and available RAM for each of the two projects loaded up. My phone seems to have plenty available. So I continue to be at a loss explaining why the Mobile app will not run on my phone.
#26  
This is the one real problem with Android vs iPhone. If you develop for iOS, you have just a few OS versions, and a very limited number of hardware models you need to develop for. With Android, you have hundreds of hardware combinations, modifications of the OS by the various carriers, custom roms from independent developers, rooted devices that may have users modifying core components, etc...

Any developer can test with the emulator, and however many devices they can afford, but there will likely be some that have a quirk that makes the software not work.

Given your symptoms, I would say it is probably something in the Bluetooth implementation, but whether it is software, and finding a custom rom for your device might fix it, or hardware is hard to say.

I don't know how involved DJ would want to get in troubleshooting for a $50 Chinese phone, but he could probably give you a debug version that captures more logging that he could analyse. Given how busy he is with Revolution release, I suspect you would need to wait a while.

Alternatively, If you are interested, I have an HTC Rezound I am not using. I'll test to make sure it works with ARC first, but if so, I could let it go for a very reasonable price. It is a Verizon LTE device, but it accepts GSM Sims and is SIM unlocked (might still be rooted too. Been a while since I powered it up), so you should be able to activate on any carrier, or you could just use it on WiFi/Bluetooth as a robot controller. Let me know if you are interested. Email address is alan at thetechguru dot net.

Alan
#27  
Alan has a good idea there. If you just want to use a phone for your ez projects you don't even need it to be activated. I have an old Droid 1 that I used to take advantage of the http server to move a project I had. I have every intention of keeping my current phone just for ez projects after my next upgrade. Assuming it will still be adequate.

Also, Alan is safe to deal with and a trustworthy guy. He has mailed me some things and I've yet to see him looking through my windows. (I got my eye out for you buddy:) )
#28  
Alan is a stand up guy... I bought an ez3 board from him a while back...:)
PRO
Canada
#29  
I've had the pleasure of meeting @thetechguru in person and can also say that he an upstanding guy!:D
#30  
At least when I am not falling down;)

Alan
#31  
TheTeechGuru,

Thanks for another nice response.
I will think about your phone offer,but I don't know if I want to invest in another phone.
I bought the cheap one for my wife (it does everything and more that she wants).
I just thought the Mobile app was a neat capability and so I gave it a try.
But honestly, I really don't need it.
#32  
Antron007

When you say you use the http server to move your projects around, I'm not sure I understand the full meaning of that. Would you care to elucidate?

I have used it to get my ARC project window on my iPad and operate my robot around my house using my WiFi network.
PRO
Synthiam
#33  
Dicka, if you want to send your phone to us, I can have a look to see if it's repairable in software - or determine if it indeed is incompatible.

The title is phrased "apparent Bluetooth"... Can you be clearer? Are you certain you are attempting the connection over Bluetooth or what is apparent about it? There is the ability to connect to EZ-B v4 over WiFi, which requires an ip address. I'm wondering if you specifying the WiFi and not Bluetooth - and that is why you are phrasing "apparent".

If you are unsure, let us know and we can walk you through how to use the connection page
#34  
DJ,

Thank you for the reply, but I don't think making a $50 Chinese phone work with the Mobile app is a good use of your valuable time. Frankly, I'm astounded that you would even offer!

My use of "apparent" means that I see Bluetooth connection achieved because the blinking red LED on the Bluetooth module goes to steady red, but the phone does not register the connection and actually just freezes up on the "Please Wait" screen.

I have no problem making other Bluetooth connections with the phone. It connects to my car Bluetooth and functions as a hands-off car phone. I also downloaded an app ("Android Meets Robots - Voice) that lets me use phone Bluetooth to voice control an Arduino Uno with the EZ-Robot Bluetooth module interfaced to the Uno. (A neat capability that works very well! Your HTTP Server Control and Mobile app are also great capabilities! )

Sooner or later I will get a good Android phone or tablet for my own use and then be able to have fun playing with your Mobile app.
PRO
Synthiam
#35  
Okay:) I offer to help everyone. I live by the rule of: when you know nothing, you know everything. Because the power of knowledge is knowing there is always something more to learn. Who knows, maybe your $50 phone exposed an issue with the connection control. Or, it's just a $50 phone:) I never decline the opportunity to learn
#36  
Thanks again DJ, but my wife doesn't want to give up her new phone (she hated the old one).
#37  
My email from EZ-Robot keeps insisting I choose one name that resolved my problem, even though the forum instructions say not to choose if problem not resolved, which it is not.

So I selected Antron007 for his nice suggestions, but I am grateful to all for your replies. Thanks for sharing.
#38  
I meant that I would log into the http server via wifii and use the modified servo Movement Panel web page provided by the host. (i think there's a couple camera views, a view desktop page and modified Movement Panel that are available links once you'ved logged into the web server.) based on what you said you've done that on your i-pad so it's the same thing just usingnthe android browser on your phone or tablet... sorry for the delayed response. Oh, and thanks for the credit.
#39  
Antron,

I tried going the WiFi route without success. In the following I have tried to define where I stand now. Please understand that this network business is all new to me, but i have been googling to gain understanding. Please correct any misunderstandings you see and feel free to make suggestions.

Presently, I need to have my ARC project window running on my computer monitor to have its HTTP server available for remote WiFi contact. Then, when I am within range of my home WiFi network, I easily pull up that screen on my iPad browser by entering my computer's local network IP address (the first one listed in the on-screen HTTP control window). However, the EZB V3 board on my robot has to have Bluetooth connection to my computer, and this means that I can't generally take my robot very far from the computer. So remote operation with my iPad is very limited.

If I had the V4 board on my robot it could connect to my computer on my WiFi network and range would improve, although my network range isn't all that good. But I could also go to a remote location WiFi with my robot and control it with my iPad. But if I wanted to use V3 Bluetooth robot connection I would have to use the Mobile app that integrates Bluetooth capability and doesn't even require ARC running on my computer prior to use.

However, at this point I'm confused about how to get computer control on WiFi with my iPad. I have tried the second IP address given in the HTTP control window with no success, using my WiFi network. I thought that address was the external IP address of my computer and would work. I tried port forwarding to open a port in my firewall for EZ-Robot, but despite carefully following instructions on setuprouter.com I can't get a port to open.
#40  
your 2nd paragraph is correct, even if you connect to the software via wifii, your bot will still need to be connected to the pc via blu tooth.

as for paragraph 3, i dont have my v4 yet but it is to my understanding that the server is on the board itself so you can take it anywhere and connect to it with whatever device you'd like.

paragraph 4, hmm, if your ipad and pc are on the same network, you shouldn't need the external ip address. it should just be 192.168.x.x where the first x is usually 1 or 0 and the 2nd will be any number between 2-254. im at work now so nothings in front of me but if you still have problems i'll see if I can walk you through it. it really was a super simple process for me so im not sure where the problem is.
#41  
In the last paragraph of my previous post I was trying to test remote WiFi operation using my home WiFi. I already knew that I could operate on my home WiFi by using my computer's address on that network (the first address in the HTTP server window. I thought that I could use the second address to demonstrate remote WiFi capability.
#42  
To use it remotly you'll need to open a port on your router to access your PC or put it into the DMZ. I have yet to test remote opperation because I have a router connected to another router connected to my ISP. The modem/router my cable company provided had poor, at best, wifi range so I had to add my old router to it so I'd get siganl on most of my property. I'm asuming you already know the ip you have from your ISP.