Connections to Raspberry Pi?

Computer Science Physical Computing
103

Can I ask - why are you using the web version?

It might be OK to use once the firmware is loaded but I would always use a downloaded program to do the initial firmware install

Just less things to go wrong :slight_smile:

104

Yes :wink: I've just checked and with the standalone version, 2 tries out of 3 were completed without the button press.

105

AAARGGG!!!!!

Another spanner in the works :frowning:

Just realised that the CH340 NodeMCU is a different width compared to the one that plugs into the motor shield :frowning:

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I think we might be able to get away with it but I've broken the only one I had while messing around so awaiting a new one to arrive!

This is a real 1 step forward - two steps backwards issue :slight_smile:

106

I've sussed it out :slight_smile:

My NodeMCU V3 Ch340 wasn't broken - I just didn't realise where the 5V to power the motor shield board needed to come from :slight_smile:

So, if you plug the board in with just the right hand pins in the socket then all you have to do to get things working is link from 3 pin down from the top left over to the VIn pin on the motor shield and that will power up the board :slight_smile:

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107

The WeMos D1 Ch 340 in the Uno form factor arrived this evening.

Wemos D1 Ch 340
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If we can find a moment between conference sessions tomorrow, we'll see if we can establish communications with it.

108

My Arduino Motor Shield V1 clone board arrived and it turns out to be non-trivial to get it to work with my WEMOS D1 :frowning:

The motor shield is not not just a simple H-Bridge board and it's going to take some time to transcode it's library into something simple in Microblocks.

I'm now thinking that maybe just use a plain Arduino UNO clone together with this V1 motor shield and just go back to the concept of running a simple Arduino sketch to listen for a serial speed command like I did last month

This is fun game :wink:

[edit] And, of course, I can't even upload the simple Blink sketch to my Arduino Uno clones today!!!!
I think I'll have to resign my membership of the Physical Computing Society :slight_smile:

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[edit2] Silly me - I forgot to close down Microblocks and that was hogging the port!!! :rofl:

109

So using an Arduino Uno clone, I can control a motor using the an Adafruit V1 Motor Shield (also a clone) for total cost (UK ebay prices) for <£8

#include <AFMotor.h>

int pwm;

AF_DCMotor motor(1);

int incomingByte = 0; // for incoming serial data

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);
}

void loop() {
  if (Serial.available() > 0) {
    // read the incoming byte:
    incomingByte = Serial.read();
    if (incomingByte > 127) {
      motor.run(BACKWARD);
      motor.setSpeed(int((256 - incomingByte) * 2.55));
    } else {
      motor.run(FORWARD);
      motor.setSpeed(int(incomingByte * 2.55));
    }
  }
}

AdafruitMotorShieldV1_using_ArduinoSketch_serial script pic