Bluetooth integration with MSP430

Question

I am trying to integrate bluetooth in a project with MSP430 so to be able to communicate between it and my PC. Doing a search on eBay I found the following item:

HC-05 06 Transceiver Bluetooth Module Backboard Interface Base Board Serial

There are also a lot of other bluetooth modules that appear to be a lot more expensive and their boards are populated with IC's that this one doesn't have. So I am wondering if this is what I need or it has another use.

Answer 1

This module has a simple serial interface that can be hooked directly to the MCU's UART pins, and provide seamless wireless serial communication with a paired device or computer with virtual Bluetooth serial port. If this is the intention, it would be the right choice.

Answer 2

I suspect what you really want is a complete MCU Bluetooth module, something like the one pictured below:

(via Erich Styger "Getting Bluetooth Working with JY-MCU BT_BOARD V1.06")

When I look carefully at the above complete MCU Bluetooth module, I see 2 circuit boards soldered together:

• the RF module, a green PCB with a gold meandering Bluetooth antenna on it and the RF integrated circuits (ICs), and
• the interface board, a blue PCB with convenient header pins and a handful of small parts.

In the original question, I only see the blue interface board, without a RF module or even an antenna. As far as I can tell, that interface board is useless without a RF module attached to it.

My understanding is that it is impossible for Bluetooth or any other radio communication system to work without an antenna.