ATS MINI Companion App v3.0 : Android App to control the ATS Mini via USB / Bluetooth BLE (APK + Custom Firmware)

[rodillo69]

Hi everyone! 👋

I'm excited to share ATS Mini Companion v3.0 - a major update that brings Bluetooth LE support to the companion app!

🎯 What's New

This release adds dual connection mode: you can now control your ATS Mini wirelessly via Bluetooth LE in addition to the existing USB Serial connection.

✨ Key Features

• 🔵 Bluetooth LE Connection - Control your radio wirelessly up to 10 meters
• 🔌 USB Serial Connection - Original wired connection still available
• 📡 Real-time Data Streaming - RSSI, SNR, battery voltage via BLE
• 🎨 Custom Boot Logo - Firmware includes personalized splash screen
• ⚙️ WiFi/BLE Mutual Exclusion - Automatic switching to prevent conflicts

📦 What's Included

The repository now includes:

• Android App (v3.0) with Bluetooth LE support
• Bluetooth-enabled Firmware (v1.4) for ESP32-S3
• Complete documentation (English + Spanish)
• 3 flashing methods: Web browser, ESP Flash Tool, esptool.py

🚀 Quick Start

1. Download & Install App

Get the APK: ATS-Mini-Companion-BLE.apk

Requirements: Android 7.0+, Bluetooth LE support

2. Flash Bluetooth Firmware

The easiest method is using a web browser:

1. Open: https://espressif.github.io/esptool-js/
2. Connect ATS Mini via USB
3. Click "Connect" → select serial port
4. Add firmware/ats-mini.ino.merged.bin at address 0x0
5. Click "Program" and wait

Other methods (Windows tool, esptool.py) available in the repo documentation.

3. Connect via Bluetooth

On ATS Mini:

• Go to Settings → Bluetooth
• Change from OFF to Bluefruit

On Android app:

• Select "Bluetooth LE" in CONNECT tab
• Tap "CONNECT TO ATS MINI"
• Select "ATS-Mini" from device list

That's it! The green indicator shows you're connected. 🟢

🔧 Technical Details

Firmware v1.4:

• Bluetooth LE with Nordic UART Service (NUS)
• WiFi/BLE automatic mutual exclusion
• ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N16R8 (16MB Flash + 8MB PSRAM)
• Logo embedded in firmware (no SPIFFS required)
• Size: 1.7MB (86% of available space)

App v3.0:

• React 19 + Vite 7 + Capacitor 7
• Dual connection support (Serial + BLE)
• Real-time monitoring and control
• APK size: 6.6MB

📚 Repository

Full source code, firmware, and documentation:
👉 https://github.com/rodillo69/ATS-Mini-Companion

The repo includes:

• /firmware/ - All firmware files (.bin)
• /src/ - React application source code
• Complete documentation in English and Spanish
• Flashing guides and troubleshooting

🙏 Acknowledgments

This project wouldn't be possible without the amazing ATS Mini radio receiver project. Huge thanks to EA5IYR and the entire ESP32-SI4732 community for creating such an excellent and
hackable platform!

Official ATS Mini Resources:

• 📻 Official Documentation
• 🔧 GitHub Repository

The Bluetooth implementation was developed with assistance from Claude (Anthropic).

💬 Feedback & Support

If you encounter any issues or have suggestions:

• Open an issue in my repo: https://github.com/rodillo69/ATS-Mini-Companion/issues
• Check the troubleshooting section in the README

📊 Version History

v3.0 (Current - Bluetooth Edition)

• NEW: Bluetooth LE support with Nordic UART Service
• NEW: Dual connection mode (USB Serial + Bluetooth LE)
• NEW: WiFi/BLE automatic mutual exclusion in firmware
• INCLUDED: Bluetooth-enabled firmware (v1.4)

Previous versions (v2.5 → v2.0)

• Long press controls, frequency optimization, mobile-optimized UI

---

Developed by EA5IYR - Miguel Cañadas

Hope you enjoy wireless control of your ATS Mini! 📻🔵

Feel free to test it and share your feedback!

[max-arnold]

Hey Miguel! Your account, all repositories and discussions return 404 for everyone. Apparently your post triggered some anti-spam checks and your account was shadowbanned by Github.... The same happened with your previous post. UPD: the ban seems to be lifted now!

[rodillo69]

Hello Max, nice to meet you.

Yes, unfortunately, this is the second time it has happened to me. I contacted GitHub, and they are reviewing my case. Every time I post in your repo, my account gets banned...

Try if it works for you, anything I can help with, I'll be happy to lend a hand.

I look forward to your feedback!

Best regards.

[max-arnold]

@EmEiBee Yes, I am sure. There are many complaints like this https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/150557. But it is all ok now.

@rodillo69 I'm happy that you actually went ahead with the (disabled) BLE option in the codebase and added a remote control! I wanted to implement something like this for a while using the Bluefruit Connect app (I'm on iOS so it is the only cross-platform option).

If you are willing to publish the source code of your firmware fork, I can cherry-pick some of your BLE-related changes and make a release

[rodillo69]

Hi @max-arnold.

Check the repo, I added both source codes (app + custom firmware)

Best regards!

[max-arnold]

@rodillo69 FYI the link to Android apk in this discussion is 404.

[rodillo69]

Sorry!

Now its OK!

Greetings

[Kabuse]

Flashing extra firmware for it is nonsense, if it is not compatible to Max Arnold's firmware, it is dead, sorry.

[EmEiBee]

...that's exactly why I asked whether a merger would take place here...

[brianbgarber]

Flashing extra firmware for it is nonsense, if it is not compatible to Max Arnold's firmware, it is dead, sorry.

Don't know why you'd say this... it's kinda the point of open source software. Just now learning about this project, and I'm gonna give it a shot! Stay positive my friend!

[swradiolistener]

Will there be a similar firmware with Bluetooth BLE support for the ATS Mini with 8MB Flash and 2MB PSRAM?

[anorak999]

This is seriously impressive work! Quick question: does the BLE implementation support multiple concurrent connections, or is it strictly one-to-one pairing with the Android app? Also curious if there's any plan to support iOS in future releases. Thanks for making ATS Mini even more hackable!

[rodillo69]

I have not tested the multi-device Bluetooth capability. However, I suspect it is not supported, as it appears to be a peer-to-peer (P2P) connection.

Regarding development, the application was built using React Native, which means it can be easily recompiled for iOS systems. It is also worth noting that the original project was designed to run in web browsers.

[Greece2]

Hi, just downloaded and installed the latest version of the companion software for Android ATS Mini Companion App (V3.1) as .apk. Installed fine, without any problems on the Android device(s). But on the ABT (=About) page, it still says Version 1.0.0. I wonder, is it just an oversight in the software or did I do something wrong?
Works fine with the ATS Mini, but I can't figure out how to enter a frequency directly in the RAD tab.

[rodillo69]

you cannot enter the frequency directly because the firmware does not support it... it's a shame..., and the other question you mentioned, yes, it's an error, i didn't change it. Hope you like it!

[max-arnold]

I'll add a console command to enter a frequency directly

[Greece2]

Thank you so much, for the replies, the promised addition(s) and your great work in general ! :-)