I am currently working on a system (home projects - finally got the time yay!) and i am wondering whether it would be possible to program an arduino from a pic32? the system currently has both and given the pic32 proc has an SD card attached, i figured i could use the platform potentially to program all the other systems if there was new firmware deployed onto the SD card..
just wondered if it was possible? there doesnt seem to be anything online but maybe im googling the wrong thing? i suppose the pic32 would be acting as an ISP?
Thanks in advance..
Chris
sure, why not, it is just spi. I think just out of convenience (of something with spi on it or trivial to bit bang) I use another microcontroller to program my avr (an msp430 or mbed which program easily over usb). avrs docs are pretty good on the protocol. you can use the serial bootloader as well, but that gets into a larger number of combinations of which arduino, what speed the uart is, exactly how and you have to tickle the dtr (reset), seemed like when I was still messing with that each arduino board type was different. Where with the isp interface excluding xmega, there are chip to chip differences as far as the identification number, etc but easier come up with something more generic. And the nice thing about that spi interface is the processor is in reset so you are not relying on there being a bootloader, what version of the bootloader, or a chip with a flash that is for some reason causing a hang, etc. you should generally get the same programming experience independent as to what was programmed before.
Related
I got a Data Logger Shield like this for my Arduino. It works like intended most of the time, but I recognized that it is incompatible with many other devices for an Arduino. For example the small 0.96 inch I2C OLED displays like these or an analog hygrometer module (a sensor for measuring soil moisture) like this. All libraries are updated.
The displays are simply not showing anything and the Arduino does not get any input from the sensor with the shield on, without both devices work just fine.
Maybe my Arduino or the Data Logger Shield is faulty, I can't rule that out, but I know from a friend that encountered similar problems.
It also could be, that the shield just blocks certain data channels or similar, that I just know nothing about.
I would be grateful for a solution, as this stops my latest project from continuing as planned.
Have you tried decupling the realtimeclock via hardware sepparation? This could solve problems with the I²C Interface.
Try using one Interface at the time, In the past I had problems using SPI(SD-Card) and I²C(RTC) at the same time. Either use only one, or alternate between usages.
The problem seems to originate from the limited timers of the Arduino, when comunicating presice timing is needed for both Interfaces, and the two Interfaces in Paralell use too much resources for the little Arduino to handle.
I am using 2 esp8266 wireless modules to establish bidirectional wireless communication between 2 arduino boards (one mega and one uno) without the use of any earth based technologies (i.e. radio frequencies, wifi which relies on earth sattelites, etc.). My solution was to use the esp8266 to establish a private area network with both esp's acting as a station and an access point (AT+CIPMODE=3). Unfortunately, this solution has proven to be more of a hassle than it was worth.
To start, I have the esp's each wired according to this diagram
When I first started out, the red LED was on and the blue LED was off. During this time, I was able to send AT commands, establish the server, and achieve the communication I required by entering commands directly to the serial monitor. After this, I started writing a library using the SoftwareSerial library to allow me to issue commands directly through the program to set up the esp as needed upon start up of my script. Before doing this, I changed the baudrate to make sure it was running at 9600, and entered the AT commands in the serial monitor to make sure everything was working properly and it still worked.
After I began writing the library, before uploading the code with a test of the library I noticed the blue LED was lit solid now. Noticing this, I reuploaded the barebones script (I haven't uploaded the library code to the arduino yet) and the esp was no longer receiving the AT commands.
Does this indicate an issue with the board which I can fix or does this mean the board is done?
With my deadlines approaching fast in about 3 weeks it is crucial I get this wireless communication working so if this is an issue with the board, I'm going to have to scrap the esp's and use a different way of communicating. So my second question is, if this is the case, what are other viable options for establishing this communication? I have used xbee's before and while that would be ideal, they fall out of the budget I have been alotted so I need to keep it under $50 for this. If bidirectional communication is not possible for that price I can live with one way because I just need to get this system working. Basically I just need to transmit a single byte of data.
I realize this response is a little belated, and I hope you got it sorted: I've started working with the ESP8266 myself in the last few weeks, and hence why I was looking around for tutorials on direct communication between 2 units, when I found your post.
From what I've been able to ascertain, the AT commands are a part of the 'firmware' which ships with some modules. The Arduino code however starts loading onto the chips at memory address 0x0000, which is the same address that the firmware update tools use.
In other words, I believe that with the Arduino-coded program running on there, you lose the AT command functionality.
If you find a firmware update tool for the ESP8266 (plenty online) you'll get back the AT commands.
I suppose though the real question is why would you want to? It seems that the AT commands are just a way to treat the ESP as a dumb WiFi antenna. With the Arduino code, you're actually treating it as a micro-controller in its own right.
I have an Arduino Uno with a 3g shield and am using a Software Serial port on pin 6, 7 and the usb port for debug. After doing well for days, now my program seems to start over and over again (I see that thanks to a println in the setup function) - I added some code, to be honest.
Any suggestion about possible reasons?
Because you are using pin 6 and 7 with SoftwareSerial, the autoreset on serial connection start does not apply.
It would if you use the "standard" 0 and 1 pin which are connected on the USB.
This kind of bug happens in many cases, normally is HW related (attached hardware use too much current, are you using an external charger or power by usb?) or because you are out of ram. Check if you have enough Available Memory
What code did you add? You say you are experienced in C#, so did you remember to clean your garbage? C/C++ does not have a garbage collector that does that for you.
The Arduino has much less memory then you are probably used to, so if are recursively calling a function intentionally or indirectly you could run out of memory.
If you are using a lot of strings it could also use all of your memory.
Can you divide and conquer to determine specifically what routine is causing the reset?
I would start by commenting out half of the main loop and see if it still resets?
An Arduino will reset when the usb port is reinitialized (read: usb cable replugged), and that could be due to the host computer sleeping, rebooting, or something else such as the whole usb controller restarting because another usb device was plugged in.
Use watchdog timer Solve above issue.And while Debug using Serial monitor keep in mind whenever you start the controller get reinitialize
I had the same problem, and my issue was have 10 sensors on arduino 5v output. I changed 5 of them to a separeted power with a 5v regulator and all works great.
Power regulator might be overheating and it's turning off. Putting a small piece of metal on top of it as a heatsink might fix the problem.
When I had this problem I found out that it had something to do with the Sony software for my phone. Turning the software On my computer solved it, and my Arduino has been happy ever since.
The solution was found here
The culprit in my case was Sony Ericsson software trying to identify if the USB device was a mobile phone. Disabling this cured the problem. The moral of the story is don’t run any software which uses the USB whilst you are doing Arduino development. You can disable the reset function after you’ve finished developing if you want.
I have a project which the information from the microcontroller (drop rate changes of dextrose like sending notification "nearly empty" or "Sudden change of drop rate. Drop rate of 15 automatically return to 14") would display in an application in a computer. I am thinking of using ZigBee and it would be responsible for transferring the information but I am new with the technology.
Does anyone could help me how to program the ZigBee module? I have seen some articles saying that it could be programmed in eclipse CDT. I am bit confused how to get start.
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
Use USB Explorer device (or similar) to enter a serial terminal session on the receiving XBee.
Type ATMY to get the receiving XBee's address. Write it down.
Put the sender in the USB Explorer and type ATDL plus the receiver's address, like "ATDL798A728"
Type ATWR to save this setting.
Attach sender XBee's UART (TX and RX pins) to microcontroller.
Plug receiving XBee into USB Explorer attached to computer.
Run Processing sketch or similar to read from the serial port.
The two XBees will run by default in 'transparent mode,' which pipes data coming into one UART out of the other UART, exactly like a wire. So when your microcontroller writes data into the sender XBee, it will come out of the receiving XBee and be read (and displayed or whatever you need) by your software.
It really depends on how much configuration your installation can handle. Is this a one off installation, or a "system" of products you want to make that have to be able to work together in whatever configuration they're bought?
As already explained, xbee modules that have the whole radio + stack already setup and working for serial data are simple to use for the trivial case of you sending out a few pre-paired setups form the lab, or even site installation by an expert.
If your embedded devices have to find each other automatically, then you'd need a way to get the embedded microcontroller to get the modules discover each other, make a connection, and then have the application code in the embedded microcontrollers talk to each other and identify what they need to do with each other.
In this case, you probably would be better off with the (upfront much more complex and likely expensive) design where the zigbee stack is inside the embedded controller, so your application code can use it properly to control connectivity.
The TI zigbee pro evaluation kit is very comprehensive, and seems great to me so far. It sounds like you're at the point where you need to spend some money and get some experience with real modules, just to get a feel for the technology. Though be warned, you may need IAR embedded workbench to work with these long term, and that's pretty expensive software!
Alternatively, Atmel have a pretty interesting looking zigbee implementation with their "bitcloud" software platform (free zigbee pro stack!! woo! and they have a free ARM toolchain!) but I've found the getting started info around the bitcloud stuff is really lacking, and while I can get the code setup and compiling, I'm not confident to buy enough of their evaluation gear for a zigbee pro mesh network to test it in real life yet.
PS: if you're getting started with short range wireless, i can't recommend this book highly enough. http://www.amazon.com/Essentials-Short-Range-Wireless-Cambridge-Series/dp/0521760690/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1336091059&sr=8-2
It contains very good introduction to the different technologies available, and the strengths and weaknesses of all of them (and wireless in general) Plus it will leave you in a good position to start understanding the features you really need for the system you're designing.
some of the zigbee/xbee modules simply behave as wireless serial, no programming required just turn them on. Others require programming. It depends on what your needs really are. the ones that behave like wireless serial have an AT command set if I remember right so you can adjust some things, like for example if you want more than two (more than one wireless point to point connection) you can specify which two talk to each other...
What is the difference between a Relay Controller and a Microcontroller?
I'm looking into Arduino boards and am just getting into electronics, so I wanted to know the difference.
I know this is not a programming question, but I am developing in PHP and would like to know what the difference is before I start to code to make sure I'm going down the right path.
Those two devices are very different. Depending on exactly what you're trying to do, you may be able to use either, however. You'll have to tell more about your goal.
If you're switching high-current or high-voltage loads on and off, you'll need some sort of relay (or perhaps a large FET). If your current and voltage requirements are sufficiently low (5V, 40ma), you may be able to drive your load directly with the Arduino's output pins.
The Arduino is a microcontroller. That means it's an entire computer, just simplified. It has RAM, registers, an ALU, etc. Microcontrollers are generally specialized such that instead of interfacing to peripherals using some kind of bus like in a desktop computer processor, they have I/O capabilities built in, often simply in the form of outputs that can be set high (the input voltage, usually 5V) or low (0V) programmatically. The Arduino probably uses its own programming langauge, although there may be more than one language available for it (I've never used one). I doubt PHP is one of those langauges.
The relay controller is exactly what the name implies -- a simple circuit that controls some relays. Relays are electrically actuated switches. There's no intelligence in the relay controller. It can't be programmed; it must be controlled externally via USB. If you're attempting to interface with it from PHP on a desktop/server computer, this is probably your best choice. You're right that it's expensive. You could probably build your own for a fraction of the cost, especially if you're willing to use the parallel port on your computer (googling for how should give simple instructions). It's worth noting that that relay controller, and presumably most others, likely contain some kind of microcontroller with the I/O pins connected to circuitry that increases the current and/or voltage to the point where it can drive the relay, which in turn switches the load.
Hmm... only very vaguely programming related :) I think we may need another StackOverflow for electronics. Maybe SparkOverflow?