Connection fails on Windows: TGC stuck on "Scanning" (COM ports detected but no connection)

[abdelrahman-almassri]

Hi,

I’m trying to use pymindwave2 on Windows 10 with a MindWave Mobile headset.
Bluetooth pairing works and Windows detects the COM ports:

COM8 (Incoming)

COM9 (Outgoing)

ThinkGear Connector shows both ports in the dropdown, but it never connects, it stays on “Scanning…” forever.

Screenshot:

When I run the sample Python code:

mw = MindWaveMobile2()
mw.start()

I always get:

Failed to connect. Maximum number of retries reached.

Log details:

UnicodeDecodeError ... {"status":"scanning"}
Connection timed out. Retrying...
Failed to connect to MindWaveMobile2 device!

Python environment:

Windows 10

Python 3.11

pymindwave2 latest from GitHub

Questions:

Does ThinkGear Connector still support MindWave Mobile on Windows 10/11?

Does pymindwave2 require TGC to successfully connect to the headset?

Is there a way to bypass TGC and connect directly to the COM port?

Thanks!

[PrinceEGY]

Hi @abdelrahman-almassri,
The package relies completely on the ThinkGear Connector as the main source of communication between the headset and the computer via Bluetooth. It connects to the headset on a virtual serial port and streams the data to a predefined port.

The connection problem appears to be entirely between the ThinkGear Connector and the headset module. As a lot of users have complained about similar issues, unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a way to manually intervene in or control this connection, which is one of the most frustrating limitations of this headset.

As for the Python and Windows versions, I’ve tested this on both Windows 10 and 11, and across Python versions 3.9 to 3.12—all without issues. So I don’t believe those versions are a factor here.

I would recommend the following steps:

• Monitor the ThinkGear Connector window when running the Python script. Make sure the connection status updates to values like scanning, idle, etc.
• Set a higher timeout in the start method (ex. 60sec)
• Battery type/quality is a critical factor. In my experience, using a new, high-quality alkaline battery (rather than carbon zinc) made a significant difference.
• Try removing the battery for a couple of minutes to reset the module, then reinsert it.

I’ve experienced a lot of connection instability myself, which has been really frustrating (only on initiating the connection, after it has connected, it works fine afterward)