mBot: how does it *really* work?

#1

Hi

I’ve bought a mBot and I would like to understand how exactly it works.
There are various modes of operation

  1. Program as an arduino via Arduino IDE (USB)
  2. ide.makeblock.com: Upload (USB)
  3. ide.makeblock.com: Live (USB)
  4. some Android Apps (Bluetooth)

I’ve noticed as well that if I upload a sketch via 1) then when I use 3), it wont work till I refresh the firmware.

So my guess so far is

  1. it is a normal Arduino Board which comes with a custom firmware (i.e. a preloaded program) which listens to bluetooth and serial to work with the “live” or “remote control” android applications

  2. if I upload a program via Arduino IDE, then it erases the firmware and the “live” apps do not work. I can understand this.

  3. what I cant figure out is how 2) works. by looking at errors and logs it looks like an Arduino IDE, it compiles a C program and uploads it (and it takes time). But, this must be a special “upload” which does not erase the firmware as the board keeps working in live mode. Any idea?

  4. Where can I find more information about the “firmware”? it would be interesting to be able to control the board from a custom Android app. Is there any information about it?

Thank you

#2

Hi audetto,
Based on online program/firmware, we can do live programming;
Based on default program/firmware, we can use mobile apps, and the three default modes.
Once we upload a customized program to mBot, it is neither online program nor “default program”, then it won’t do live programming nor default three modes.
We have some Arduino C program examples, you can download from github or open it in mBlock 3-Arduino 1.6.5: https://github.com/Makeblock-official/Makeblock-Libraries
Upload in mBlock software or in Arduino IDE, both will erase the original firmware.
Here is mBot default program.

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#3

I see.
I found it in the installation of mblock 5.

For previous versions, the code was on github somewhere like

But this has now been dead for a while.
Is the development / source code still available on github?

Thank you

#4

It is always available in github, we can download it.
Any question, please kindly tell us.

#5

Where exactly in github is the mblock firmware located?

This seems out of date

and a repository for mblock 5 is not available.

Thank you

#6

Sorry for the late reply. Here is download link:

#7

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