Control Sphero BB-8 from Linux.

bb8.py

#!/usr/bin/env python

# BB-8 Python driver by Alistair Buxton <a.j.buxton@gmail.com>

from bluepy import btle

import time

class BB8(btle.DefaultDelegate):
    def __init__(self, deviceAddress):
        btle.DefaultDelegate.__init__(self)

        # Address type must be "random" or it won't connect.
        self.peripheral = btle.Peripheral(deviceAddress, btle.ADDR_TYPE_RANDOM)
        self.peripheral.setDelegate(self)

        self.seq = 0

        # Attribute UUIDs are identical to Ollie.
        self.antidos = self.getSpheroCharacteristic('2bbd')
        self.wakecpu = self.getSpheroCharacteristic('2bbf')
        self.txpower = self.getSpheroCharacteristic('2bb2')
        self.roll = self.getSpheroCharacteristic('2ba1')
        self.notify = self.getSpheroCharacteristic('2ba6')

        # This startup sequence is also identical to the one for Ollie.
        # It even uses the same unlock code.
        print 'Sending antidos'
        self.antidos.write('011i3', withResponse=True)
        print 'Sending txpower'
        self.txpower.write('\x0007', withResponse=True)
        print 'Sending wakecpu'
        self.wakecpu.write('\x01', withResponse=True)

    def getSpheroCharacteristic(self, fragment):
        return self.peripheral.getCharacteristics(uuid='22bb746f'+fragment+'75542d6f726568705327')[0]

    def dumpCharacteristics(self):
        for s in self.peripheral.getServices():
            print s
            for c in s.getCharacteristics():
                print c, hex(c.handle)

    def cmd(self, did, cid, data=[], answer=True, resetTimeout=True):
        # Commands are as specified in Sphero API 1.50 PDF.
        # https://github.com/orbotix/DeveloperResources/
        seq = (self.seq&255)
        self.seq += 1
        sop2 = 0xfc
        sop2 |= 1 if answer else 0
        sop2 |= 2 if resetTimeout else 0
        dlen = len(data)+1
        chk = (sum(data)+did+cid+seq+dlen)&255
        chk ^= 255

        msg = [0xff, sop2, did, cid, seq, dlen] + data + [chk]
        print 'cmd:', ' '.join([chr(c).encode('hex') for c in msg])
        # Note: withResponse is very important. Most commands won't work without it.
        self.roll.write(''.join([chr(c) for c in msg]), withResponse=True)

    def handleNotification(self, cHandle, data):
        print 'Notification:', cHandle, data.encode('hex')

    def waitForNotifications(self, time):
        self.peripheral.waitForNotifications(time)

    def disconnect(self):
        self.peripheral.disconnect()


if __name__ == '__main__':

    # Connect by address. Use "sudo hcitool lescan" to find address.
    bb = BB8('EE:D7:9A:A7:79:77')

    # Dump all GATT stuff.
    #bb.dumpCharacteristics()

    # Request some sensor stream.
    bb.cmd(0x02, 0x11, [0, 80, 0, 1, 0x80, 0, 0, 0,   0])

    for i in range(255):
        # Set RGB LED colour.
        bb.cmd(0x02, 0x20, [254, i, 2, 0])
        # Wait for streamed data.
        bb.waitForNotifications(1.0)

    # Must manually disconnect or you won't be able to reconnect.
    bb.disconnect()

Hi all, unfortunately I am having the same issue as others where the BB8 will not allow a phone connection after connecting with the python driver. Advice please as allowing it to 'sleep' didn't do the trick here.

Hello, did you try to press the small reset button on the base when bb8 is charging ? I did not yet test the python driver, but with this reset button i was able to pair/unpair different phones/tablets on my bb8. Hope this helps.

NickLeBoeuf - thanks! I had completely forgotten about that button which did the trick. Any idea what is causing the issue with switching back to other apps?

Hello Ali! Thanks for your code!!!
Does it work for ollie too?

good evening,

Congratulations on the code, I need to get information from the BB8 as the data of your sensors, IMU, accelerometer, gyroscope, can you do something like this?

Hello,
Thank you so much for the code!
I have an issue whenever I run the BB8test.py. Here is the output that comes up on my terminal. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

"File "BB8test.py", line 8, in <module>
    bb8.connect()
  File "/home/pi/Projects/SpheroBB8-python/BB8_driver.py", line 259, in connect
    self.bt = BTInterface(self.deviceAddress)
  File "/home/pi/Projects/SpheroBB8-python/BB8_driver.py", line 138, in __init__
    self.peripheral = btle.Peripheral(deviceAddress, btle.ADDR_TYPE_RANDOM)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/bluepy/btle.py", line 391, in __init__
    self._connect(deviceAddr, addrType, iface)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/bluepy/btle.py", line 439, in _connect
    raise BTLEDisconnectError("Failed to connect to peripheral %s, addr type: %s" % (addr, addrType), rsp)
bluepy.btle.BTLEDisconnectError: Failed to connect to peripheral D7:74:05:73:09:55, addr type: random