Raspberry Pi projects

granitetiger16 said:Look, I’d rather just grab dedicated stepper driver modules. It takes the load off the Microcontroller and frees up pins when you're running a bunch of motors. I mentioned A4988 and this I2C module with the TB6612FNG—they're like a buck instead of two. I love I2C; I can hook up a whole pile of cheap peripherals using just two Microcontroller pins. Even on a Microcontroller that doesn't even have hardware I2C.
I get that you're all about building stuff from scratch; it's better for learning the fundamentals. You'll probably switch over to ready-made modules later on.

Personally, I stick to the manufacturer's native dev environment because I want total control. I stay far away from RTOS and Arduino (never actually messed with Arduino), but for you, the Arduino IDE would probably be the easiest way to jump in. You'll likely find a pre-made solution for whatever you're working on anyway.

That's the thing—I know the theory. I taught myself everything from Windows 95 all the way to Windows 10 (I'm an analog electronics guy; built over 100 audio amps and dozens of other random projects; used to work professionally repairing books of computers.) What trips me up is the weird American translations of technical terms. The funniest part is the basic steps for getting started with Arduino, like this Merlin system:
1. Download the Arduino development environment
2. Plug the Arduino into the computer via USB and install the drivers
3. Fire up the Arduino app and open the “Blink” example
4. Pick your board (UNO, Mega...) and the serial port it's plugged into
5. Upload your first sketch
For everyone else, it's obvious: what even is an "Arduino development environment"???
So then I stall out trying to translate it into English, then I'm stuck Googling everything. Those are my actual problems, not the processor or the peripherals—I get that part.
As for the XY plotter and 3D stuff, doing this with Arduino = UNO would basically be my schooling.
Thanks for the help

Chris Hall3 said:That’s exactly my theory. I taught myself everything from Windows 95 all the way to Windows 10 (I'm an analog electronics guy at heart—built over 100 audio amps and dozens of other projects—and used to work professionally repairing accounting computers). What trips me up are these weird American translations of technical terms. It’s almost funny; even basic steps for getting started with Arduino are a mess. For example, the Merlin system:
1. Download the Arduino development environment
2. Connect the Arduino to your computer via USB and install the drivers
3. Launch the Arduino app and open the "Blink" example
4. Select your board (UNO, Mega, etc.) and the serial port it's connected to
5. Upload your first sketch
Everyone else seems to get it: what exactly *is* an Arduino development environment?
So I end up stalling, trying to translate things back into English using Google and stuff. That’s my struggle, not the processor or the peripherals—I get those fine.
Regarding the XY plotter and 3D stuff, learning this via Arduino = UNO would be great.
Thanks for the help

Heh, this is peak hair-splitting. Total overkill. There's actually a great old saying for this kind of nonsense: "Like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic."

Look, this is the IT subforum. If you want to argue about semantics, head up to the linguistic subforum and go nuts there. Just please don't do it here.

English is the lingua franca of IT. My advice? Stick to it instead of using these clunky Americanized butchered versions. If you don't know it, just learn it.

You've got awesome hardware, and instead of testing it or playing around, you're stressing over the word "Upload"?! 👎

ontopic:

Building a weather station 😬
https://www.instructables.com/id/IoT...-With-ESP8266/

The goal is to feed all this data into a big-data platform for analysis.

@Chris Hall3/">@@Chris Hall3: if you're running into any language barriers, you might find these helpful:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...RR9407HhTZcsPn
http://forum.elektricar024.com/viewforum.php?f=56

@nimblegull23/">@@nimblegull23: my plan was to take my current home setup outdoors and upgrade it by adding a lightning sensor, a rain gauge, a precipitation meter, and a soil moisture sensor to handle automatic irrigation.
I've already picked up some parts, though I just haven't found the window of time to actually test everything out yet:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...rt=nc&LH_BIN=1
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...AS3935&_sop=12
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...Sensor&_sop=12

granitetiger16 said:—and my plan was to set up my current home setup outside and upgrade it with a lightning sensor

WTF is a "lightning sensor"? What does that even mean? If a thing like that actually exists, I absolutely need to get one... What does the device even look like, and what is it actually measuring? Sound? Electrostatic charge? Or what—exactly??

Tyler Richardson72 said:Wait, what on earth is a lightning sensor? What does that even mean? If something like that actually exists, I definitely need to pick one up... What does the device look like, and what exactly is it measuring? Is it sound, electrostatic charge, or something else entirely?

It is this sensor. When lightning strikes, an induction voltage is created within the coil, which the AS3935 then analyzes and transmits the estimated distance via both SPI and I2C buses. It has a range of up to 25 miles.
Specs:
https://www.mouser.com/ds/2/588/ams_...v5-1214568.pdf
https://www.embeddedadventures.com/d...heet_EN_v2.pdf

You could always just call yourself a hobbyist "Storm chaser!" 😁

@granitetiger16/">@@granitetiger16 I checked out those links you sent, but honestly, Adafruit and those e-workshops are pretty pricey compared to what you're finding. Thanks anyway!

Man, IOTE is such a headache... 😎

Any experience with LoRa?

nimblegull23 said:Have you ever worked with LoRa before?

Right now, I just have a single module sitting on my desk, nothing else at all. 🙂
It's just waiting for its turn to be used.

The folks nearby have some pretty interesting LoRa gear, and they're constantly hitting me up with ads:

nimblegull23 said:Heh, this is peak hair-splitting. Seriously, total overkill on the pedantry. It's like someone trying to count grains of sand just to feel important.

English is the universal language of IT, so my advice? Stick to it and stop butchering the terminology with weird local slang. If you don't know it, learn it.

Look, you've got killer hardware sitting right there, and instead of actually testing it or having some fun, you're wasting your breath arguing over the word Upload?! 👎

Hardware hasn't impressed me for ages. I was playing around with stuff like this back when you guys were still in diapers.
The only reason people are tripping is because you're all too rushed and sloppy to actually read what's written before you start getting offended.
I’m dying to see how you'll react when Chinese becomes the dominant language of tech (which looks like it's happening fast).
Will you still be clinging to English then? Or maybe some "broken" American slang or... what?
Some outdated math formula?

@granitetiger16/">@@granitetiger16 you ever mess around with the VMA320 thermistor?

I can't get the damn thing to play nice with my Huzzah.

Not really, you could just swap out that module for a potentiometer to test things out, though you'd definitely need to dig up plenty of examples if you want to get the hang of reading those analog values.

Hey everyone, I’m going to try posting here first instead of starting an entirely new thread. To be honest, programming isn't exactly my bread and butter—I'm much more of a hardware guy—so I'm hoping to tap into the expertise of some folks here who actually know what they're doing.
I'm looking to install a speed limiter on my scooter to cap it at 31 miles because it's currently running too fast, which is giving me nothing but headaches during registration. The original speed sensor pulls data from the front wheel, but I can't use that for the inspection; when they put it on the rollers, only the rear wheel spins while the front stays stationary. So, I'm planning to mount an additional rotation sensor on the rear wheel, which should be easy enough. My idea is to handle the logic using an Arduino. Basically, I'd measure the signal period from the rotation sensor; if the interval is above a certain threshold (meaning it's within the max speed), the output remains inactive. However, if the timing drops below that threshold, it triggers a kill switch on the ignition coil to prevent acceleration until the speed drops back down. I really need some help conceptualizing the code for this. Does anyone have any suggestions, or perhaps someone has already tackled a project like this? Cheers!

I realize this doesn't directly answer the question, but if you're more comfortable on the hardware side, wouldn't it be easier to just tackle this with an NE555? Alternatively, you could simply move the sensor from the front wheel to the rear one.
If you're looking for a semi-ready solution, a PLC might actually work, though if you really want a budget-friendly microcontroller route, I'd personally go with something from the ATmega series. Just grab a basic microcontroller programming kit on eBay; it should stay well under $17.

granitetiger16 said:I realize this doesn't directly answer your question, but if hardware is more your speed, wouldn't using an NE555 be a simpler fix? Or maybe just swap the sensor from the front wheel to the rear one?
If you're hunting for a semi-ready-made solution, a PLC might actually get the job done, though if you're dead set on a (budget) microcontroller route, I’d personally grab something from the ATmega series. Just order a basic microcontroller starter kit off eBay; it should stay well under $17.

I honestly think it's much easier to just go with the Raspberry Pi since I've already got one sitting right here, and moving a sensor from the front to the back wheel isn't exactly a walk in the park. You can pick up a Raspberry Pi Nano for just $2 or $3, so at that price point, there's really no reason not to use it.