Cómo se conectan las extensiones de Scratch de Pishi.ai a Arduino, robots y otros dispositivos

🧩 How Pishi.ai Scratch Extensions Connect to Arduino, Robots, and Other Hardware #

Pishi.ai makes it easy to connect Scratch projects to real-world hardware including Arduino boards, robots, and custom controllers.

Different hardware connects to Scratch in different ways depending on the type of communication interface they support. Pishi.ai extensions are designed to help you choose the best available method for your device.

There are two types of hardware that Pishi.ai Scratch can connect to:

• Hardware such as Micro:bit, Go Direct Force & Acceleration, Lego extensions (EV3, BOOST and WeDo) that are supported directly by Scratch itself.
• Hardware that has a special extension designed by the Pishi.ai team, which supports four connection methods (shown through an additional icon that lets you select the connection mode).
  These include Arduino boards, as well as robots and controllers like Pbot and Prb, manufactured by third parties for which Pishi.ai provides custom extensions.

🔌 Connection Methods #

Pishi.ai supports four main connection modes for communicating with hardware.

Type and Icon	Description	Supported Platforms
USB via Browser	Connects through a USB cable directly from your browser. No other app needed.	Chrome, Edge, Opera, and other Chromium browsers on desktop
BLE via Browser	Connects directly through the browser’s built-in Bluetooth Low Energy support. No other app needed.	Chrome, Edge (desktop), and Chrome on Android
BLE via Pishi.ai’s ScratchLink	For BLE devices not fully compatible with browser APIs or when the browser doesn’t support BLE. Uses Pishi.ai ScratchLink helper app.	Pishi.ai ScratchLink: Available on Windows Pishi.ai Scratch: Edge browser
Classic Bluetooth via Pishi.ai’s ScratchLink	For devices that only have Classic Bluetooth. Uses Pishi.ai ScratchLink helper app.	Pishi.ai ScratchLink: Available on Windows Pishi.ai Scratch: Edge browser

 

💡 Which Devices Use Which Mode #

🔧 How to Connect #

When you open an extension that supports hardware (like Arduino), Pishi.ai Scratch automatically tries to reconnect using the last successful connection method.
You can continue with that or cancel it to choose a different connection mode.

Each hardware extension has:
an orange icon when it is not connected,
and a green icon when it is connected to the hardware.
This icon is located in the extension header.
Clicking this icon always opens the connection window.

1. USB via Browser (for Arduino and compatible boards) #

When your board (such as Arduino) supports a direct USB connection, you can use the USB via Browser method.
It works directly from Chrome, Edge, or other Chromium-based browsers — no extra app needed.

1. Connect your Arduino to the computer using a USB cable.
2. In the extension header, click the USB via Browser icon.
3. The browser shows a dialog titled:
   “pishi.ai wants to connect to a serial port”.
   Select your device (for example, USB Serial (COM9)).
4. Click Connect to start the communication.
   The connection panel will then show a Connected message with the Arduino infinity logo.
5. Once the device is connected, the green check mark appears beside your extension name.
   You can now use your Arduino blocks directly in the Scratch editor.

Note: USB via Browser mode works only in Chromium-based browsers such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Opera, or Brave on desktop.
It is not supported in Firefox, Safari, or iOS browsers.

2. BLE via Browser (for BLE-capable boards) #

1. Make sure your board or robot supports BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) and that it is powered on.
2. Click the BLE via Browser icon in the extension header.
3. The browser will list available BLE devices. Select your device and click Pair.
4. When connected, the green icon appears, and your blocks will become active.

3. BLE via Pishi.ai’s ScratchLink (for BLE devices not supported directly by the browser) #

This method is used for BLE devices that aren’t compatible with the browser’s Browser directly.

1. Open the Pishi.ai ScratchLink app on your computer.
2. Make sure Bluetooth is turned on in your system.
3. In the extension, click the BLE + ScratchLink icon.
4. Select your device from the list and pair it.
5. Wait until the connection panel shows a green check mark.

You can download the Pishi.ai ScratchLink software from:
http://pishi.ai/download/software/pishi.ai-scratch-link-1.3.86.0-installer.exe

Important: The Pishi.ai ScratchLink app must stay running in the background while connected.
If you close ScratchLink, the BLE or Bluetooth connection will automatically stop.

4. Classic Bluetooth via Pishi.ai’s ScratchLink (for devices that only support Classic Bluetooth) #

This method is used for modules that use classic Bluetooth instead of BLE.

1. Launch Pishi.ai ScratchLink on your computer.
2. Make sure your computer’s Bluetooth is enabled.
3. In Pishi.ai Scratch, click the Classic Bluetooth + ScratchLink icon.
4. Wait for your device to appear in the pairing list (for example Pbot2025).
5. Select it and click Pair.
6. Once connected, the green icon appears next to the extension, and your blocks become active.

You can download the Pishi.ai ScratchLink software from:
http://pishi.ai/download/software/pishi.ai-scratch-link-1.3.86.0-installer.exe

Important: The Pishi.ai ScratchLink app must stay running in the background while connected.
If you close ScratchLink, the BLE or Bluetooth connection will automatically stop.

📚 Note about Scratch Link Compatibility #

Pishi.ai-ScratchLink is designed specifically for Pishi.ai hardware extensions such as Arduino, Pbot, and similar devices.
This helper app does not support LEGO or micro:bit extensions.

If you want to use LEGO or micro:bit with Scratch or Pishi.ai Scratch, please install the official ScratchLink from:
🔗 https://scratch.mit.edu/download/scratch-link

Compatible extensions with the official ScratchLink include:

• micro:bit
• LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3
• LEGO Education WeDo 2.0
• LEGO BOOST
• Go Direct Force & Acceleration

⚠️ Troubleshooting #

• No compatible devices found:
Ensure your board is powered and correct connection method is selected.
As for the Arduino, make sure your board has the correct firmware uploaded before connecting:
– Use StandardFirmata for USB connections.
– Use StandardFirmataBLE for BLE-enabled boards such as Arduino Nano 33 BLE, MKR WiFi 1010, or Uno WiFi Rev2.

• Connection fails or times out:
Disconnect any other apps using the same COM port or Bluetooth connection.

• ScratchLink not detected:
Make sure the Pishi.ai ScratchLink app is running, and your operating system allows Bluetooth access.