UPDATE: An updated version of this article is found here. Update your bookmarks.
Bluetooth is a great way to enhance your experiences with NXT programming. You can program your robot, transfer files and sounds, all without requiring a physical connection to your robot with a USB cable. To use Bluetooth, all you need is a proper Bluetooth dongle that plugs into a USB port on your computer. You can find some technical details on the MINDSTORMS website.
It turns out that many Bluetooth dongles work well, including several very small and cheap ones. Sometimes, however, it is hard to get a certain dongle work well because of issues with drivers or operating systems.
For new users, it can be difficult to find the right Bluetooth dongle for their NXT system because there are so many dongles available. To make the selection process a little easier for these people, I’d like to compile a list of dongles that YOU confirm to work well.
Please post your Bluetooth experience in the comments, and I’ll update this blog post with new items. Feel free to link to this post from your blog or website, using < this link >. Doing so will get the post higher in the search ranks, and more people will quickly find a solution.
To get started, fill in the following list and post them as a comment, or if it’s easier for you, send it to this email address.
1. Brand/Name of Dongle:
2. Price:
3. Where to get (web link, or store name etc):
4. Confirmed compatible operating systems:
5. Notes (if applicable):
Please only post dongles that you’ve confirmed to work well. If someone has already posted about your Bluetooth dongle, but if you want to confirm or add anything, please do.
Please take 5 minutes to fill in this form. Thanks!
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List of NXT compatible Bluetooth dongles
Here's a list of compatible Bluetooth dongles, in no particular order, submitted through the comments or email. Last update: 23 January 2011
As time passes, certain items may run out of stock on the links provided. Also, the shops referenced below may or may not ship to your country. When so, just search for the dongle name on the internet (Google, Amazon, Ebay etc).
Also, only confirmed operating systems are shown below. It -could- also work just fine on other systems.
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1. Brand/Name of Dongle:ABE Bluetooth Dongle
2. Price:
$40 (US) - 32 Euro (Europe)
3. Where to get:
http://shop.lego.com/Product/Default.aspx?p=9847
4. Confirmed compatible operating systems:
Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 (32 and 64 bit)
5. Notes:
This dongle is officially supported by LEGO, but quite expensive.
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1. Brand/Name of Dongle:MSI BToes 2.0 (3X Faster)
2. Price:
Approx £15 (In Europe)
3. Where to get (web link, or store name etc):
http://www.amazon.co.uk/MSI-BToes-2-0-Faster-Bluetooth/dp/B000BURHK0
4. Confirmed compatible operating systems:
Windows XP, Windows Vista
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1. Brand/Name of Dongle:Cellink BTA-3100
2. Price:
10 euros
3. Where to get:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cellink-Bluetooth-Computer-Laptop-Dongle/dp/B000ORXUYM
4. Confirmed compatible operating systems:
Windows XP, 7
5. Notes:
Uses Microsoft BT stack, works well
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1. Brand/Name of Dongle:D-Link DBT-122
2. Price:
$20
3. Where to get:
http://www.dlink.ca/DBT-122
4. Confirmed compatible operating systems:
Windows Vista Home Premium
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1. Brand/Name of Dongle:Not specified
2. Price:
$15
3. Where to get:
http://store.pchome.com.tw/imrobotics/M00579741.htm
4. Confirmed compatible operating systems:
Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows XP
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1. Brand/Name of Dongle:Esense D600
2. Price:
430 NTD
3. Where to get:
http://store.pchome.com.tw/dalin/M05785135.htm
4. Confirmed compatible operating systems:
Ubuntu
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1. Brand/Name of Dongle:Anycom Mini USB-500
2. Price:
Approx £15 (In Europe)
3. Where to get:
http://www.amazon.de/Anycom-Mini-USB-Bluetooth-USB-Adapter/dp/B00194XJMC
4. Confirmed compatible operating systems:
Windows XP, Windows Vista,Windows 7, Linux
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1. Brand/Name of Dongle:Super Mini Bluetooth 2.0 Adapter Dongle
2. Price:
$1.80
3. Where to get:
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/super-mini-bluetooth-2-0-adapter-dongle-vista-compatible-11866
4. Confirmed compatible operating systems:
Windows 7
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Internal Bluetooth
1. Brand/Name of Dongle:
Dell Inspiron 1545 built-in BT module 365
2. Price:
n/a
3. Where to get:
Dell.com
4. Confirmed compatible operating systems:
Win XP, 7, Ubuntu
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1. Brand/Name of Dongle:
Dell Wireless 370 Bluetooth Mini Card (integrated)
2. Price:
35 €
3. Where to get:
Dell.com
4. Confirmed compatible operating systems:
Windows XP, Vista, 7
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1. Brand/Name of Dongle:
HP Integrated Module with Bluetooth 2.0 Wireless Technology
2. Price:
N/A
3. Where to get:
In a HP laptop
4. Confirmed compatible operating systems:
Win XP
5. Notes:
Only tested with BricxCC
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1. Brand/Name of Dongle:
Integrated MacBook Pro
2. Price:
N/A
3. Where to get:
Apple
4. Confirmed compatible operating systems:
Ubuntu and Mac OSX Snow Leopard
5. Notes:
Only tested with nbc/nxc.
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