pfod™ (Protocol For Operations Discovery)
Control Arduino and other microprocessor devices from your Andriod^TM mobile via Bluetooth.
NO Android Programming required.

Unleash the power of your Arduino or other micro project with pfodApp. Show people that you are not just playing with circuits but building useful devices, like a garage door remotes, dimmable room lighting, etc, that they can control from their Android mobile. This single pfodApp can control multiple devices each with different functions.

Using pfodApp on an Andriod mobile, your users can read text prompts, send navigation commands, traverse menu hierarchies, choose from single and multi-selection lists, input numbers and text and view data sent by your micro.

The pfodApp does all of the Android stuff for you and remembers the menu hierarchy. You only need to code your micro to be a pfodDevice which responds to simple requests over Bluetooth and sends back simple micro-pages in response. The text and user choices displayed on the Android mobile by the pfodApp are completely controlled by what you code in your micro. No Android coding is required. The pfodApp handles it all.

pfodApp ^TM

To download pfodApp^TM V1.2 visit GooglePlay or SlideMe
If GooglePlay says “This app is incompatible with your Mobile” try the SlideMe market which caters to a wider range of mobiles.

This one application controls all the pfodDevices below and any others you create.
For instructions see the pfodAppForAndroidGettingStarted.pdf For J2ME mobiles there is an application here.

See below for how to turn your micro processor project into a pfodDevice that can be controlled by this pfodApp. You can also just connect to your PC via bluetooth to test out how your micro-pages will be displayed on the pfodApp and what message will be returned when the users makes selections. See Serial Bluetooth Connections from your Mobile Phone to you PC for details on making bluetooth connections from you mobile to Window, Mac and Linux.

pfodDevices^TM

To convert you micro processor project to be pfodDevice, check out these links. None of these require Android programming:-

Android controlled KnightRider Lights – This shows to results of converting an RF controlled KnightRider Lights to be a pfodDevice with much improved options and control. (YouTube link updated 10^th Mar 2013 for Ver 7 multi-coloured)

Android controlled Led Driver – This project lets you control the led brightness from your Andriod phone. It is also an introduction to pfodDevices and pfodApps.
A later version will include a simple Adventure game just for fun.

Android controlled Garage Door Remote (Arduino) – This is a simple project that converts an Arduino Uno into a remote garage door open controlled from your Android phone. No Soldering required. Uses a simple command parser.

Android controlled LCD/LED display (Arduino) – This project lets you enter text on your Android phone and have it displayed on a LCD/LED Matrix display. No Soldering required. Includes a complete pfod message parser.

Android controlled Lights and Power (Arduino) – This project lets you switch your lights and power points on and off from your mobile.

Arduino libraries that will parse the pfod messages sent by pfodApp are available.

Help my Arduino program stopped working!!

What fails when you add more strings to your Arduino program (and how to fix it)
Help my Arduino IDE is running very slowly
How to turn off compiler optimizations in the Arduino IDE (and why you might need to)
How to see the Assembler instructions your Arduino Code is producing.
How to write Timings and Delays in Arduino (Why your program might fail after 50 days).

pfod^TM Message Parsers

Parses for the pfod messages sent by the pfodApp are currently available for Arduino here.

What is pfod?

The Protocol For Operation Discovery (pfod) is simple request/response protocol for use with micro-controllers. Think HTML replacement, but with a much simpler format and much shorter messages designed for ease of coding in a micro processor. The pfodApp functions as micro-browser and the pfodDevice is the micro-server.

pfod Specification V1.2 – For the complete pfod specification download the pfodSpecificationV1.2.pfd. (includes sample screen shots of how the various messages are displayed by pfodApp V1.2 for Android)

NON-English Versions of pfodApp^TM and pfodDevices^TM

The pfod specification also supports non-English languages. However the current version of pfodApp is English only. If you would like a non-English version or would like to assist in reviewing the translations send an email via the Contact link.

How to connect your Mobile to your PC or Mac via Bluetooth

You can just connect to your PC via bluetooth to test out how your micro-pages will be displayed on the pfodApp and what message will be returned when the users makes selections. See Serial Bluetooth Connections from your Mobile Phone to you PC for details on making bluetooth connections from you mobile to Window, Mac and Linux.

How to setup RN-42XV Bluetooth and RN-XV Wifi XBee format modules on SparkFun's FioV3 Arduino board. – This page shows you how to configure the RN bluetooth and wifi modules on SparkFun's FioV3 Arduino board.

Proposal for Secure Challenge and Response protection of an internet connected pfodDevice. – This details how to implement Challenge and Response access protection for an internet connected pfodDevice.

Android^TM is a trademark of Google Inc, For use of the Arduino name see http://arduino.cc/en/Main/FAQ

pfodDevice™ and pfodApp™ are trade marks of Forward Computing and Control Pty. Ltd.

by Matthew Ford - 11^th May 2013 (original 21^st July 2012)
© Forward Computing and Control Pty. Ltd. NSW Australia
All rights reserved.
Update Note 13^th April 2013 – Added SlideMe Market. If you want to be notified of updates to this site, send me an email via the Contact link above.

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