Author Topic: anybody use Arduino?  (Read 10073 times)

Offline kev

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anybody use Arduino?
« on: January 07, 2016, 07:57:33 PM »
would love some advice, torn between a clone with all the bells and whistles starter pack or for a little more an original board only.

Might seem an odd subject but thinking of using one as an engine controller for timing and speed control with pulse width and frequency control of timing and dwell.

Offline Firebird

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Re: anybody use Arduino?
« Reply #1 on: January 07, 2016, 09:18:34 PM »
Hi Kev

I can't help you much with the details but see my topic bluetooth DRO

http://www.modelenginemaker.com/index.php/topic,2865.0.html

An arduino was used but built by my good mate julian.

Have a look here, it may be useful

http://www.yuriystoys.com/p/android-dro.html

Cheers

Rich

Offline Admiral_dk

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Re: anybody use Arduino?
« Reply #2 on: January 07, 2016, 09:31:22 PM »
I bought a few Arduino Nano's - or more correctly - some Chinese copies for a few Euro's. This was partly a waste - not because they didn't work, but because the Chinese decided to upgrade the USB chip => No driver available for the USB interface, unless I write it myself (this is not going to happen - will not spend that much time) ....

I personally has another problem with Arduino's - but that's me ..... I do not program in C (almost exclusively in assembler) ....

Offline zeeprogrammer

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Re: anybody use Arduino?
« Reply #3 on: January 07, 2016, 10:55:04 PM »
I've played with the Mega on a 3D printer.

But I'm not sure what you're asking.

Tools (compilers, etc.) are free. It's fairly easy (but I don't know your own experience).
I can't say I cared for the tools but that's mainly because I'm used to full featured commercial tools.
By your question I have to assume you know 'C' and the development process (write, configure, compile, load, debug, etc.)

For me, the Arduino is like any other evaluation board for development. But the system does provide a number of interesting shields.

I am sure this was of no help to you.  ;D
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Offline kev

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Re: anybody use Arduino?
« Reply #4 on: January 07, 2016, 11:13:23 PM »
Thanks guys, my main worry was the clone compatability (Im fine with C+) but I bit the bullet and bought the full clone kit this evening. If its a problem then no great loss as the bits are worth the money for my lads to play with and if need be I will buy a genuine italian board for what I want to do.

Offline zeeprogrammer

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Re: anybody use Arduino?
« Reply #5 on: January 07, 2016, 11:28:46 PM »
I think you'll be fine.
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Offline gerritv

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Re: anybody use Arduino?
« Reply #6 on: January 08, 2016, 12:51:17 AM »
If you don't like the usual compiler used for Arduino, Visual Studio 2015 Community edition is free and supports coding for Arduino's.
Don't confuse activity with progress

Offline PStechPaul

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Re: anybody use Arduino?
« Reply #7 on: January 08, 2016, 01:36:45 AM »
I have an Arduino UNO and several Pro-Mini that are the "brain" of a 10-15 kW charger for EV battery packs. I still prefer the Microchip product line, but the Arduino (and the Atmel chips) are decent microcontrollers. You can also use assembler but the C compiler makes things easier and more portable.
 
There are some threads on the DIY Electric Car forum that show the "sketches" for this device, and links to other documentation.
http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php/10kw-60a-diy-charger-open-source-59210p290.html
http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php/analyzing-troubleshooting-fixing-emw-10kw-diy-158057.html
 
A demonstration of the graphics and text capabilities of the Arduino with a 1.8" TFT display:
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A8L1Q07kmU" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A8L1Q07kmU</a>
 
There is a very strong community of Arduino enthusiasts and many forums where you can get answers to questions. But there are also similar ones for the Microchip PIC.

Offline Pete49

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Re: anybody use Arduino?
« Reply #8 on: January 08, 2016, 03:59:26 AM »
I am using a Raspberry Pi 2B+ 1G Ram) which also can link and/or program the Arduino and is similar to it but more powerful with 540M Ram (costs about $US5) so plenty options open to you
Pete
I used to have a friend.....but the rope broke and he ran away :(....Good news everybody I have another friend...I used chain this time :)

Offline kev

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Re: anybody use Arduino?
« Reply #9 on: January 08, 2016, 08:36:23 AM »
Thanks for all the feedback guys, whilst im new to all this my very outdated background involves C+ and a host of others including asembler back in the heady days of 8 bit processors like the 1802 and the intel 80 family so will be a case or the old dog relearning old tricks  :killcomputer:

Offline mikemill

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Re: anybody use Arduino?
« Reply #10 on: January 08, 2016, 09:56:41 AM »
Along with many other M.E.’s I am naturally inquisitive, so when Rasberrry Pi came out followed by Arduino, also wanted to learn how to program. Bought the Arduino and the book but I just don’t’ understand programming It makes no sense to my way of thinking, which is intensely annoying.
I have tried to find courses but they all seem to assume you have basic knowledge.
Anyone got some advice on how to get started where there is some explanation of why the language is constructed.( UK)

Mike

Offline PStechPaul

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Re: anybody use Arduino?
« Reply #11 on: January 08, 2016, 11:12:24 AM »
Here is some history of the "C" language, which was based on a previous "B" language, and I assume the "A" was for assembler.
http://www.codingunit.com/the-history-of-the-c-language
 
I am amazed that "C" was developed after I had left Johns Hopkins where I studied computer science and EE from 1966-1970. We learned assembler and Fortran and used punch cards for the IBM 7094 which took up much of the basement of the library. We also learned a form of BASIC, called AFBIC, which was an alphabetization of "All Fortran BASIC Interpretive Compiler". Note the acronym "Fortran" which stood for Formula Translation, and the alphabetization BASIC, for Beginners All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code.
 
I studied the design of computers as they were in the 1960s, with simple logic gates and their combinations to produce adders and arithmetic logic units (ALUs). Most memory at that time was in the form of arrays of toroidal magnetic cores which represented binary zero and one by the polarization of the cores.
 
There are some microcontrollers that use BASIC, which may be slightly easier to learn than C, but you can probably just as easily learn C, which is ubiquitous among programmable devices as well as Windows GUI programming. I actually learned Pascal in a structured programming class in 1987, and then switched to Borland Turbo C. But I didn't like C++, and now I am using Borland Delphi, which is a form of Object-oriented Pascal, for Windows programming.
 
I know, too much information! You may do well to take a class in programming, but there are also some excellent on-line tutorials. Just jump in and have fun!

Offline mikemill

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Re: anybody use Arduino?
« Reply #12 on: January 08, 2016, 11:34:52 AM »
Paul

Could you recomend some on line tutorials!

Mike

Offline zeeprogrammer

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Re: anybody use Arduino?
« Reply #13 on: January 08, 2016, 11:44:14 AM »
Mike - there is a book referred to as "K&R" that is essentially 'the' reference to C. K&R is Kernighan and Ritchie. Ritchie is the creator of C. I don't recall if it includes the history of the language. Worth searching on them and the book if you want some history.

For learning, I wouldn't necessarily start with that though. It's more a reference than a teaching tool.

There is a slew of books that teach 'C'. Many of them using titles like 'C made easy' or 'teach yourself C in x days'. They are all the same. Sorry I can't recommend one. I learned 'C' well before the books became popular.

The language itself is fairly simple in the sense of having 'few' keywords. The fun is putting them together to accomplish something.  ;D

You can pick up a lot from the internet. There are forums like 'stackoverflow' and 'codeguru'. It can be confusing though. Some people use C and C++ interchangeably but they are not the same. Sometimes you'll also get hits on C# which is even more different.

Ah...good old Hollerith cards. So much fun lugging a box of them around campus. Such disaster if you dropped them.
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Offline zeeprogrammer

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Re: anybody use Arduino?
« Reply #14 on: January 08, 2016, 11:45:56 AM »
I don't have a specific recommendation. Perhaps Paul does. In the meantime you can search on 'C tutorial' and get a flavor.
Carl (aka Zee) Will sometimes respond to 'hey' but never 'hey you'.
"To work. To work."
Zee-Another Thread Trasher.

 

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