BuWizz - High Performance LEGO Power Functions Controller and Battery

[JamesJT]

Anybody doing the buwizz fast car competition?

I've had a lot of fun making my entry. Only 550g and with a buggy motor;  It is very fast and jumps really well with absolutely nothing falling off.

BuWizz Fast Car Comp 1 by James Tillson, on Flickr

[jrx]

Very cool car! If I find some time I will attend in the competition too.

[Void_S]

Just got a new e-mail from Kickstarter. Well, what can I say? Finally...

Quote

Customizable profiles in BuWizz app are here! Posted by BuWizz (Creator)

We know you have been waiting for this and now the BuWizz app with customizable profiles is here. We started testing the customizable profiles three weeks ago. Android version: you can become a beta tester immediately iOS version: beta version will be released by end of this week In order to become a beta tester, send an email to info_at_buwizz_dot_com  For Android, please provide your Google account; for iOS, please provide your Apple ID (in both cases only if different than email you are sending from). The controls you can add & place freely on the screen in the beta version are: - Big joystick - Small joystick - Horizontal & Vertical sliders - Train slider -ON/OFF button Screenshot of the customizable control screen BuWizz - customizable control screen We already found some room for improvement. We will post a list of future improvements here: https://buwizz.com/customizable-profiles-are-here/ We would appreciate your feedback & suggestions. More coming soon! Your BuWizz Team

3

 

[cedricb]

...just wondering if the battery from the BuWizz 1/2 is reliable after few months? 

Otherwise are the WeDo 1.0 sensors supported if they are plugged to the BuWizz?  maybe not from their mobile app but directly from bluetooth?  It looks like the BLE protocol has been reverse-engineered by @imurvai

 

[Didumos69]

I have taken my 4WD RC Buggy outside quite some times now and I'm experiencing the following problem. I use 2 BuWizzes, 1 for the front wheels (2 L-motors) + steering (servo) and 1 for the rear wheels (2 L-motors)  After driving around for a few minutes, sometimes even after a few seconds, one of the BuWizzes disconnects. It doesn't matter if I'm in normal, fast or ludicrous mode, it doesn't matter whether I'm close to or at 20 meters from the model and it doesn't matter on what surface I'm driving, tarmac or cobblestones. I have two devices that I use as remote, an IPad Mini 1 and a modern Android One phone (Xiaomi Mi A1). The IPad connects (start engine) easily, but disconnects one of the BuWizzes within one to two minutes. The phone connects to both BuWizzes only once in 5 to 10 attempts, but connections last much longer. But after a 3 to 5 minutes also one of the BuWizzes disconnects. I'm beginning to think I should buy a new IPad or something, to get these connections to last, but that would actually be quite ridiculous imo.

My model is 1250gr and the drivetrain is very smooth (there's only one u-joint or one pair of 12t gears involved in connecting a motor to a wheel). I don't feel like I'm doing anything the BuWizzes shouldn't be able to handle. Is there anyone who has a similar experience with connecting to 2 BuWizzes simultaneously? Or anyone who has experience with connecting to 2 BuWizzes at all?

Edited April 23, 2018 by Didumos69

[kbalage]

@Didumos69 I've been using several models with 2 BuWizz units (both 1.0 and 2.0) and didn't experience similar disconnects for one of the units. With the official app it's sometimes difficult to connect to 2 units and it disconnects easily when they get out of range but not something like you described. I'd suggest to test with the Brickcontroller app and see if you have the same issue. Based on my experience it has a higher success rate at connecting and it can reconnect by itself if the connection is lost due to distance.

[Didumos69]

12 hours ago, kbalage said:

@Didumos69 I've been using several models with 2 BuWizz units (both 1.0 and 2.0) and didn't experience similar disconnects for one of the units. With the official app it's sometimes difficult to connect to 2 units and it disconnects easily when they get out of range but not something like you described. I'd suggest to test with the Brickcontroller app and see if you have the same issue. Based on my experience it has a higher success rate at connecting and it can reconnect by itself if the connection is lost due to distance.

Thanks! I don't have an Android game controller. Given that there is so much difference between my phone and my IPad, I will first try with yet another remote.

I'm also a little afraid the battery protection circuit is activated. I can imagine that in sharp turns the rear motors rotate much slower than the front motors, which might trouble the rear motors. So, I will also try with the left-rear motor and right-front motor connected to one BuWizz and with the right-rear motor and left-front motor connected to the other BuWizz. Still, the strange thing is that when one BuWizz disconnects, the other is powerfull enough to drive the car slowly while it is actually also driving the two halting motors connected to the stopped BuWizz.

In the troubleshooting section of the BuWizz manual, it is stated that when the battery protection circuit is activated, the BuWizz stops. What does 'stop' mean in this context: does it disconnect or does it turn off? With my problem the BuWizz only disconnects.

Edited April 24, 2018 by Didumos69

[Didumos69]

On 4/23/2018 at 9:28 PM, kbalage said:

I'd suggest to test with the Brickcontroller app and see if you have the same issue. Based on my experience it has a higher success rate at connecting and it can reconnect by itself if the connection is lost due to distance.

So I installed the app and ordered a Xiaomi Bluetooth Game Controller. Hopefully this is going to help.

On 4/24/2018 at 10:16 AM, Didumos69 said:

So, I will also try with the left-rear motor and right-front motor connected to one BuWizz and with the right-rear motor and left-front motor connected to the other BuWizz.

Sadly enough, this did not make a difference.

[suffocation]

Anyone else having lag issue? I had them for a while with both units, then one day they seemed to disappear (presumably following an update) and then, one month later, came back with a vengeance (another update?). I'm talking lag times of up to fifteen seconds, which make my BuWizz models competely unplayable.

[Didumos69]

1 hour ago, suffocation said:

Anyone else having lag issue? I had them for a while with both units, then one day they seemed to disappear (presumably following an update) and then, one month later, came back with a vengeance (another update?). I'm talking lag times of up to fifteen seconds, which make my BuWizz models competely unplayable.

Yes I experienced lag issues, but on an old phone and only very occassionaly on my new phone. The speed of your phone matters as well as how many apps are active on your phone.

[suffocation]

Always used a Samsung J3 with the bare essentials running - it gets used as an alarm clock, to take pictures and, well, to run the BuWizz app. I just ran a system clean to close/delete any junk and the lag is still atrocious.

[Jude]

On 23.4.2018 at 10:18 PM, Didumos69 said:

I have taken my 4WD RC Buggy outside quite some times now and I'm experiencing the following problem. I use 2 BuWizzes, 1 for the front wheels (2 L-motors) + steering (servo) and 1 for the rear wheels (2 L-motors)  After driving around for a few minutes, sometimes even after a few seconds, one of the BuWizzes disconnects. It doesn't matter if I'm in normal, fast or ludicrous mode, it doesn't matter whether I'm close to or at 20 meters from the model and it doesn't matter on what surface I'm driving, tarmac or cobblestones.

Hi! I have this same problem. Im using one Buwizz V2 and controlling it with Brickcontroller and wired Xbox 360 controller. My phone is Sony Xperia Z5 Compact. Have this issue with two vehicles, 42069 modded with 4 L motor and servo with Claas tires and 42077 modded with 2 XL motors and servo. Sometimes it disconnects after 10 seconds, sometimes after minute. The app doesnt crash or anything, vehicle just stops responding.

[T Lego]

Recently I finished a little rally car wich uses a single Buwizz 2.0 (you can read more about it here: https://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/161038-moc-audi-rally-car/)

My buwizz disconnects sometimes too, but only when I am using brickcontroller though. And the same here, the app doesn't crash, but the car just stops responding...

 

[Didumos69]

3 hours ago, Jude said:

Hi! I have this same problem. Im using one Buwizz V2 and controlling it with Brickcontroller and wired Xbox 360 controller. My phone is Sony Xperia Z5 Compact. Have this issue with two vehicles, 42069 modded with 4 L motor and servo with Claas tires and 42077 modded with 2 XL motors and servo. Sometimes it disconnects after 10 seconds, sometimes after minute. The app doesnt crash or anything, vehicle just stops responding.

 

3 hours ago, T Lego said:

Recently I finished a little rally car wich uses a single Buwizz 2.0 (you can read more about it here: https://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/161038-moc-audi-rally-car/)

My buwizz disconnects sometimes too, but only when I am using brickcontroller though. And the same here, the app doesn't crash, but the car just stops responding...

Good to know others are experiencing the same issue, albeit with the Brickcontroller app. I just ordered a game controller to try with the Brickcontroller app, but I don't expect much from it now. I somehow have the feeling it has to do with the remote device (phone/iPad) used.

Btw, yesterday I drove around for 15 minutes without any problems. I used my Xiao Mi A1 phone and the BuWizz app like before.

Edited April 28, 2018 by Didumos69

[imurvai]

9 hours ago, Jude said:

Hi! I have this same problem. Im using one Buwizz V2 and controlling it with Brickcontroller and wired Xbox 360 controller. My phone is Sony Xperia Z5 Compact. Have this issue with two vehicles, 42069 modded with 4 L motor and servo with Claas tires and 42077 modded with 2 XL motors and servo. Sometimes it disconnects after 10 seconds, sometimes after minute. The app doesnt crash or anything, vehicle just stops responding.

Hi,

I managed to reproduce the issue and started working on the fix...

[Didumos69]

8 hours ago, imurvai said:

Hi,

I managed to reproduce the issue and started working on the fix...

So there is hope !

[Jude]

@imurvai Good! And very much thank You for making this app, call me old school but I prefer physical buttons/joysticks over digital touch interface. One suggestion: Would it be possible that the next version of Brickcontroller could display percentage next to channel's max level slider?

@Didumos69 In earlier post You said that battery protection (overcurrent) circuit could have been activated. I have a doubt about this; when I had Buwizz V1 and used it with same mods as in now in my 42069 it never disconnected, not with the official app nor with Brickcontroller. And V2 should give more current. 

Also note that with Buwizz V1 I used Brickcontroller v0.22 and with BW V2 Brickconroller v.032. Both with wired X360 controller with OTG adapter.

@T Lego That Audi is very sweet looking! More pictures and videos, please!

[Didumos69]

32 minutes ago, Jude said:

@Didumos69 In earlier post You said that battery protection (overcurrent) circuit could have been activated. I have a doubt about this; when I had Buwizz V1 and used it with same mods as in now in my 42069 it never disconnected, not with the official app nor with Brickcontroller. And V2 should give more current. 

I doubt that too, it was more that I feared battery protection was activated unnecessarily. I have the problem of disconnecting BuWizz also in the slowest mode without pulling the speed slider to the max, so overcurrent would really be unlikely. I somehow still fear there is something wrong with BuWizz 2 that cannot be resolved in any App.

[Jude]

36 minutes ago, Didumos69 said:

 I somehow still fear there is something wrong with BuWizz 2 that cannot be resolved in any App.

Yes this is indeed what I belive too. I had my V1 replaced by the Buwizz company to V2, because it gave power to channel 3 whenever i just powered it on. Check this video https://drive.google.com/file/d/15_-u4fjpQU4gDlLmytWiGk5Zb3oz9p_t/view?usp=sharing. Also the V2 unit they sent me was expanded sligthly from one side... I guess they sent me one of their prototypes as replacement. I hope it doesn't blow up...

I try to do some more R&D in next days, gotta test every speed setting with both software.

Edited April 29, 2018 by Jude
Adding text.

[suffocation]

The lag issue remains unsolved and now another one has popped up. When using two BuWizz units, they're both recognised as HMSoft, so when I use the mobile crane profile it keeps telling me that I need to connect both devices to start, even though they're both switched on and recognised.

Interestingly, the same problems occur even using other smartphones, so I guess I landed two dud units.

[Didumos69]

3 hours ago, suffocation said:

The lag issue remains unsolved and now another one has popped up. When using two BuWizz units, they're both recognised as HMSoft, so when I use the mobile crane profile it keeps telling me that I need to connect both devices to start, even though they're both switched on and recognised.

Interestingly, the same problems occur even using other smartphones, so I guess I landed two dud units.

I think @BusterHaus experienced similar issues. I don't know if he resolved his issues.

 

Edited May 6, 2018 by Didumos69

[BusterHaus]

@suffocation The two Android phones I tried both recognized the BuWizz units as HMSoft, and could connect to only one unit using the Crane profile. The BuWizz units got recognized as BuWizz + identifying number on an iPad (unique identifying number for each one), so my guess is that the Android app uses the generic device type to identify the units.  It's a bummer, as the first versions of the app identified each BuWizz unit by its unique number. I'm still running tests, so I'll update you on the results. 

[suffocation]

Thanks Didumos69 & BusterHaus!

I'm high-tech-illiterate so I wouldn't know what to fiddle around with on my smartphone. Fingers crossed

[Strzalka]

Hello guys,
I registered here because I bought BuWizz few days ago and have some range problem with BuWizz 2.0.

I have ridiculous short range of BuWizz, max 5m and get disconnected. Someone got same situation? 
Another thing it's while using buwizz in bigger MOC I get often been disconnected. Even when I tried use it on 41999 got same situation, weird because on Lego Lipo pack + v2 works like a charm.
Could you support me in that case?

Tested on iPhone 6S and BuWizz v.1.3.1

[jrx]

Same for me with iPhone 7. Small range and very often disconnects.