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Lesson 1 - Get Ready

πŸ§‘β€πŸ’» Duration: 20 minutes
🎯 Target audience: individuals

Connect your HARDWARIO toys, install HARDWARIO Playground, and start measuring.

Task: Verify that you have Playground installed and that the device is connected via Bluetooth.

1. HARDWARIO Playground​

HARDWARIO Playground is a universal tool for working with the HARDWARIO kit, available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It allows visual programming and real-time monitoring of sensor states. You can find more information in the official documentation.

info

You can download Playground from the Download page. Select the version for your operating system, download the installer, and follow the installation wizard.

After successful installation and launch, the main Playground window will open. In the Devices tab you will see a list of connected devices. If everything is set up correctly, your HARDWARIO device will appear here. At the beginning, however, the list may be empty β€” in that case, check whether the device is properly connected via USB and whether all the necessary drivers are installed.

2. Radio Dongle​

Now connect the Radio Dongle (USB module) to a free USB port on your computer. HARDWARIO Playground should automatically recognize the device and display it in the Devices list. If the dongle does not appear, make sure it is inserted correctly.

3. Flashing the firmware​

This step is optional and recommended only if you are unsure who last used your Radio Dongle and how it was configured.

In the left menu, find the Firmware link, where you need to search for hardwario/twr-gateway-radio-dongle and press the β€œFlash firmware” button. This step ensures that the dongle has the latest firmware version, which may resolve potential connection issues.

4. Connect the Radio Dongle​

In the right-hand menu under the Devices section, click the Connect button to connect the Dongle. Unfortunately, at this moment no additional effects or connection indicators will be displayed.

5. Pairing the PIR Module​


To connect the PIR Module, you must first put it into Bluetooth pairing mode. This mode is activated by inserting batteries into the module.

Before inserting the batteries, go to HARDWARIO Playground and click the Start pairing button. This step will start the pairing process.


tip

If you are pairing in a classroom with multiple modules, make sure you are pairing the correct one. For example, verify that no other devices are in the pairing process at the same time.

After inserting the batteries, a sensor will appear in HARDWARIO Playground, usually identified as motion-detector:0. Once this sensor appears, it means the module is connected.

In the left menu, under the Messages section, you can monitor outputs from the PIR Module, which will show you whether the sensor detects motion.

tip

Rotate the PIR Module on its side. In the Messages section, you should see an item like node/motion-detector:0/orientation (with a number), which indicates the change in module orientation.

6. Flashing the PIR Module Firmware​

This step is optional and recommended if the Core Module was used in another project and is no longer recognized as motion-detector. It is also useful if you want to ensure that you are running the latest firmware.

  1. Find a USB cable to connect the Core Module to your computer.
  2. In the left menu of HARDWARIO Playground, go to the Firmware section.
  3. In the Device section, you will see all connected HARDWARIO devices, e.g., bc-usb-dongle and hio-core-module. Select hio-core-module.
  4. In the firmware section, select twr-radio-motion-detector (its picture will also be displayed).
  5. Click the Flash firmware button.

7. Summary​

βœ… The module is connected, the environment is ready β€” you can start measuring.