ProgrammingBlock : To control toio

What is toio

• toio is a product of Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (SIE).
  
• If you own toio, you can control toio with ProgrammingBlock.
  
• toio is a registered trademark or a trademark of Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC.

Prerequisites, Limitations

• Prerequisites
  
  • You must have a toio. (A toio set or a toio single unit)
  • The Windows version of ProgrammingBlock doesn't work with toio. You have to use the android version, the iOS version or the Browser version.
    With the browser version, the browser cannot be Firefox nor Safari. Edge or Chrome works.
  • The computer (PC , Mac, Smartphone or Tablet) that you run ProgrammingBlock must support Bluetooth 4.0 or above.
  • You should know the basis of ProgrammingBlock. If not, see how to use and learn the basis of ProgrammingBlock.


• Limitation
  
  • ProgrammingBlock is no warranty. It may possible that you can't connect or control toio depending on your environment.
  • The features that can control by ProgrammingBlock are not all the features of toio. Only a part of the features of toio.
  • ProgrammingBlock can control only the toio core cube. It doesn't work with toio Ring nor toio console.
  • You can control only one toio core cube. If you have more than one toio core cubes, ProgrammingBlock will connect to the nearest one. (With the browser version, you can select which cube to connect.)
  • I have nothing to do with SIE (Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC.). Do not contact SIE or related companies regarding the issues related to ProgrammingBlock.
  
  

toio operation

• Change the mode from the Novice mode to the Normal mode.
  To use toio feature of ProgrammingBlock, you have to be in the Normal mode.
  If you haven't done so, select "to Normal mode" in the Main menu.
  If there is no "to Normal mode" and you see "Preference" in the Main menu, you are already in the Normal mode, so move to the next step.


• Enable the toio feature.
  Select "Preference" in the Main menu and in "Preference" dialog, check "use toio" and tap "OK".


• connect to toio
  In this page, I refer the toio core cube (the white small cube of toio) simply as toio from now.
  To move toio, you first need to connect toio with ProgrammingBlock.
  You don't need to do "Pairing" as most bluetooth device does.
  "Pairing" is the common connecting procedure to make the bluetooth device operational from a PC, a phone or a tablet. But with toio, you don't need "Pairing". (In Windows 10, the word "Pairing" is not used. Instead, "adding a Bluetooth device" means "Pairing".) If you have done "Pairing" already with toio and if the following steps doesn't work well, please un-pair it and try following steps again.
  
  [ connecting to toio ]
  
  • Make toio fully charged
    
  • If you have "toio Console" (It is the charger with a small screen), please turn it off.
    
  • ProgrammingBlock can work with only one toio. If you have more than one toio cubes, please turn them off except the one you are going to use.
  • Turn toio on. If it's already on, turn it off and turn it on.
    toio will make a sound like "pi-ro-ro" and the lamp of toio illuminates red and green, and continues to flash blue light on and off.
    This flashing blue means it's waiting for a connection.
    If it's not flashing blue, it's not waiting for a connection and may be connected to one of other devices. In that case, try turning off the other devices, turning toio off and on or restarting the PC, phone or tablet. toio has to be the status of flashing blue light to connect ProgrammingBlock.
  • Connect ProgrammingBlock to toio
    In the app screen of ProgrammingBlock, now you have a part with letter "toio" and a red circle and a button with "Connect". (This part appears when you check "use toio" in the Preference dialog.) Tap the "Connect" button to connect and wait.
    If the connection succeeded, toio will make a sound like "Pio-pio-pi" with a rising tone. ProgrammingBlock shows a green circle instead of a red circle.
    
    • Android OS
      You'll be asked if you allow ProgrammingBlock to access the device location information. Please select "Allow" here in order to use toio.
      ProgrammingBlock will not get your location, but to use bluetooth, it needs the permission of location. (I don't know why.)
    • iOS
      You'll be asked if you allow ProgrammingBlock to use Bluetooth. Please select "OK" to use Bluetooth.
      
    • in Browser
      When you tap "Connect", the browser shows "xxx want to pair" window and the list of toio you can connect. Select one of toio, and tap "Pair" here.
    If connected successfully, you are ready now.


• Make a program with one of toio Blocks and run the program.
  For instance, is a "toio Motor" block. It can move toio by rotating the motor of the wheels of toio.
  So just place this "toio Motor" block and run it. By the way, this block rotates the motor of toio until the program ends. So if you put only this block in the programming area and run the program, it rotates the motor just a moment, because the program ends soon.
  If you want to continue toio moving, there are a number of ways. One way is to put a Hour Glass block () on the right of "toio Motor" block.


• Disconnect from toio
  When you end ProgrammingBlock or turn toio off, the connection will end.
  There is no disconnect button.
  

toio Blocks

• Ordinary toio Blocks
  The blocks are for playing with toio on a clean surface such as a desk.
  
  
• toio Play matt Blocks
  The blocks are for playing with toio on a sheet of paper called "Play matt" which has special pattern (microscopic dots).
  ProgrammingBlock supports Play matts that comes with the following products.
  • toio Collection
  • Play with music Picotons
  • Living Craft Gezonroid
  • toio core cube (single)
  If you don't own one of the above products, you can't use toio Play matt blocks.
  
Each of the icons of toio Play matt blocks have a white rectangle on the right of letter "toio", like .
If you are going to use one of the Play matt blocks, you have to select the play matt you are going to use by "toio Settings" in the main menu.

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