4 replies to this topic

[Hans-Werner]

I want to build a Netduino based Radio Clock. To be serious not I want to build but I shall formulate some bachelor and/or diploma thesis. So this is one of my ideas. Because we need a long time to get the parts (Public Sector - thanks to the bureaucracy) I have the choose and order the parts before a bachelor student will arrive. I need a Netduino, a AM/FM radio shield or chip, a MP3 decoder, a touch panel and a real time clock. The MP3 decoder will be used to play some wake up melodys, the Netduino will be the controller. Which parts should I use ? I've found the chips from Silicon Labs (www.silabs.com) like the SI4735 and also some shield with the chips from Curious Inventor (http://store.curious...ino-shield.html) and also from Watterott Electronics (http://www.watterott...Receiver-Shield). I've found also a 4,3" touch screen (http://www.watterott...SP-Touch-Screen) and a color 24-Bit LCD for the PSP 480x272 (http://www.sparkfun.com/products/8335). Is the Netduino able to handle this display ? I would like to use a 4,3" or 5" display. I've found also the VS1053B chip as MP3 decoder (http://www.watterott.com/de/VS1053B). There is also a shield with the VS1053B as I think. Do you think the idea is to crazy ? What about the interfaces ? Is it possible to integrate everything in one solution ? Can it be done without doing a layout and generating a board ?

[Mario Vernari]

First question: your thesis is over electronics or computer sciences? The remaining questions and considerations after the answer #1!

[Hans-Werner]

Sorry, I'm confused. What do you mean by answer #1 ? As you have read it's not my thesis. I shall conceive a challenge for a trainee and/or bachelor student. So I work on differents themes with different complexity for different durations in between 3 to 6 month. First question: your thesis is over electronics or computer sciences? Is it electronics or computer science ? I don't know. Somebody will have to build the hardware (Layout ?) and also has to do the programming.

[Stefan W.]

The question is about the background that the one building the clock has (also his supervisor), that will dramatically change the "difficulty" of this project. Also, it might be that you need to reorder parts because ... you know ... things may break when you tinker with them You'll at least need another chip to drive the display. You'll make your life a lot easier if you use "classical" buttons, to use a netduino with this touchscreen there's a few issues (you need to switch between digital output and analog input many times per second, for example).

[Mario Vernari]

Stefan pointed perfectly the problem. I see that you, Hans, have posted another thread for the DCF77 clock, for example. If you were looking for an electronic engineering project, I would suggest to *avoid* the module, and design the radio+demodulator by yourself. That is a very good task, involving a lot of section of electronics: physics, radio, math, etc. Instead, if you were looking for a software-oriented project, the first approach would be totally out. Too hard and useless. If you choose Netduino for its ability to run managed code (such C#), you should also aware about the extreme difficulty to manage some devices, such as a TFT display. Usually, those kind of "complex" devices aren't suitable to wire up directly top a Netduino, because they require a fast handshake/data exchange, which Netduino cannot afford. Stefan is right twice, about the necessity (or opportunity) to consider a second (or even a third) chip, to make the "dirty work". I have done some brief experiment connecting a Netduino with another microcontroller, and the design/development of several project is *much* simpler. Now, it's your turn to decide what's the best way to choose. Cheers