Fixing the BME688 Dev Kit Issue

Hello, In this article I’m diving into a particularly tricky issue I encountered while working with the BME688 Dev Kit. The BME688 sensor is a cool little tool from Bosch that can do a lot. This sensor is great because it can tell you about different gases in the air, how hot or cold it is, and how humid it is. And the best thing is you can train models using this sensor.

Where I bought the sensor,

BME688 Sensor Module( Buy BME688 sensor, HUZZAH32, MicroSD, CR1220)

When I added the ‘.bmeconfig’ file to the SD card and tried to record, it didn’t. I had to update the firmware in the BME sensor to solve the issue. For that, I followed the following steps.

Generate the .bmeconfig file

• Follow the following link to generate the .config

Downloading the Dev-kit Software

• First things first, grab the dev-kit software from Bosch Sensortec. Head over to (https://www.bosch-sensortec.com/software-tools/software/BME688-software/) and download the necessary files.

• Add the .config file to SD card and plug the sd card to the sensor module.
• Insert the microSD card and a CR1220 coin cell into the dev-kit board.

Setting Up the Software Environment

Navigate to Your Downloaded Folder Directory

• Open the Terminal and use the ‘cd’ command to go to your BME dev-kit software folder directory.

cd path/to/your/project

Create a Virtual Environment

python3 -m venv env

Activate the Virtual Environment

source env/bin/activate

Install Necessary Libraries

pip install esptool pyserial

Use the navigation, make a virtual environment and activation according to the OS. I have used macOS.

For windows here I will give some tips,

Install python and pip,

For installing pip refer — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJKdIf11GcI

Then create a virtual env

Connect the BME688 Dev-kit

• Connect the Dev-kit with pc.
• Find the port that is connected to the PC. In my case the port was,

“tty.usbserial-022F29AC”

How to find which device is attached to a USB-serial port in Linux using C?

• Replace your serial port no(port) in the following,

For Mac

python3 esptool.py \
--chip esp32 \
--port /dev/tty.usbserial-022F29AC \
--baud 921600 \
--before default_reset \
--after hard_reset write_flash \
-z \
--flash_mode dio \
--flash_freq 80m \
--flash_size detect \
0xe000 esp32/2.0.3/tools/partitions/boot_app0.bin \
0x1000  esp32/2.0.3/tools/sdk/esp32/bin/bootloader_dio_80m.bin \
0x10000 bme68x_demo_sample.ino.bin \
0x8000 bme68x_demo_sample.ino.partitions.bin

For Windows

python esptool.py ^
--chip esp32 ^
--port COM4 ^
--baud 921600 ^
--before default_reset ^
--after hard_reset write_flash ^
-z ^
--flash_mode dio ^
--flash_freq 80m ^
--flash_size detect ^
0xe000 esp32/2.0.3/tools/partitions/boot_app0.bin ^
0x1000 esp32/2.0.3/tools/sdk/esp32/bin/bootloader_dio_80m.bin ^
0x10000 bme68x_demo_sample.ino.bin ^
0x8000 bme68x_demo_sample.ino.partitions.bin

“COM4” is the port that you have connected to the BME sensor with PC.

• Run the edited command on the terminal. Then the new firmware is updated.
• Now you will see the red LED blink every 2 seconds.
• Now you are ready to record data. You can follow the BME official videos for the remaining work. Here are the videos for your reference.

Train- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmvnZYcPDhY

Importing data- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JS46gXtL3e0

Collect and label specimen- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Qi7dAUjmgw

Train Algorithm- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tII6G90_fUA

Deploy algorithm- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8ZVhIh2Jd0

Test with mob app(Live testing)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Crps14LExmI

I have trained a model for bacteria detection using the module. I will attach the project here for your use. Happy to help you.

Bacteria detection - Google Drive

Contact us to train your custom model or for any more consultation regarding the issue

Protonest for more details.

Protonest specializes in transforming IoT ideas into reality. We offer prototyping services from concept to completion. Our commitment ensures that your visionary IoT concepts become tangible, innovative, and advanced prototypes.

Our Website: https://www.protonest.co/

Email: kumarasenau@gmail.com

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References

Issue reference- https://community.bosch-sensortec.com/t5/MEMS-sensors-forum/BME688-Dev-kit-not-working/td-p/77776