Blue-tooth Adapter

[Silvic]

Not exactly tractor related but know there are some folks on here that have a variety of backgrounds that can answer the question.

I have a device that has a serial connection data output. (Yes they still make those in this day and age.
It is actually a Hirose 6 pin connector on the device that can either go to a RS 232 type plug or an USB connector on the other end. (Two different cables are available)
If plugging in to a computer only the USB would be the best choice but what I want to do is put a blue tooth on the end so that it can communicate with other bluetooth equipped devices.
I have searched for RS232 equipped bluetooth devices and there are many. There are also USB bluetooth devices in many varieties but it seems they are more for giving a computer with a USB port a bluetooth capability than some device with a serial output.
My problem, from what I have found in my research, is that the output from the 6 pin serial output does not appear to have a power supply in the 6 data wires thus the blue tooth device that is RS232 capable would not be powered. I hope that I am wrong but how does one get power on the blue tooth device if that is correct. Does anyone know of a portable small RS 232 bluetooth adapter that has an internal power supply. By portable I mean small enough that it would be under 16 oz/1Lb or that has a small battery adapter that can be attached to supply the power.

This is a bit outside my normal area of knowledge thus am turning to you folks hoping that some electronic/computer whiz will know or has done this. Apparently there is a market for putting bluetooth adapters on older legacy serial devices to be able to communicate with them via wireless. That is basically what I am doing.

 

[hawkeye08]

I don't know what your budget is or application, but this might work or give you some ideas. I found this doing a search on Amazon for "bluetooth converter for rs232"

Amazon.com: RS-232 To Bluetooth Converter

 

[prichard]

BB electronics or digicorp are likely to sell those as well but that amazon price isn't bad.

 

[ericm979]

The Bluetooth adaptor won't know that it's not connected to a computer, as long as what's coming out of the cable to it is correct RS232 signals or USB protocol. I assume the USB cable is a RS232->USB adaptor and it serves as a USB hub. I'd get an RS232 bluetooth adaptor as that's one less conversion than with the USB version. And RS232 is a lot less complex than USB.

If the device isn't powering the RS232 you can do it with a power supply. One of the RS232 pins is power. I used to know which one but it's been a long time since I made RS232 cables. You can cut apart a cable or get a kit to make cables, and connect the power pin to your power supply or battery.

 

[quicksandfarmer]

USB is asymmetrical. By that I mean there are two types of USB devices, hosts and peripherals. Basically a computer is a host, things that attach to it are peripherals. The host provides the power and controls the connection. The problem is you're trying to attach two peripherals.

RS232 is symmetrical -- you connect two devices together, they both send and transmit as equals. USB is backwards compatible with RS232, with the proper adapter you can connect a RS232 device to a USB host as a USB peripheral. The bluetooth USB adapter you're looking at is a USB peripheral. What you need is something that is a USB host to attach your device to, and then some way of getting data from that host to where you want it.

I think what you should be looking at is wireles RS232 extenders.

 

[Silvic]

I don't know what your budget is or application, but this might work or give you some ideas. I found this doing a search on Amazon for "bluetooth converter for rs232"

Amazon.com: RS-232 To Bluetooth Converter

I looked at those but they wouldn't run unless pin 9 has power to it which I don't think is the case with only 6 wires out of the Hirose plug to the 9 pin.
There are ones that have built in power but they get real spendy

USB is asymmetrical. By that I mean there are two types of USB devices, hosts and peripherals. Basically a computer is a host, things that attach to it are peripherals. The host provides the power and controls the connection. The problem is you're trying to attach two peripherals.

RS232 is symmetrical -- you connect two devices together, they both send and transmit as equals. USB is backwards compatible with RS232, with the proper adapter you can connect a RS232 device to a USB host as a USB peripheral. The bluetooth USB adapter you're looking at is a USB peripheral. What you need is something that is a USB host to attach your device to, and then some way of getting data from that host to where you want it.

I think what you should be looking at is wireless RS232 extenders.

I did not know that there was a RS232 wireless adapter (extender) Will have to look at that and see if they are available with self contained power. Would guess they may burn a bit of power/battery however.