9 replies to this topic

[Stefan]

Since someone discovered one of my secret projects, I shall share it fully here now. In the past few weeks I've been working on Netduino Go!, but I never forgot about the classic Netduino line. For this line, I made a small compatibility layer so it can work with a few gadgeteer modules, called Gadgeteer Light.
It supports both the .NET Micro Framework 4.1 as well as 4.2.

I did this because there are a lot of nice modules that could make prototyping a bit faster and with drivers ready for them, it can save quite some time for quick project building.

For this I decided a pin set on th Netduino Classic, which creates up to 3 sockets;
Socket 1 with SUXY support (pins D4, D1, D0, D6, D11, D12, D13)
Socket 2 with AIX support (pins A0, A1, A2, A3, A4, A5)
Socket 3 with PUXY support (pins D7, D3, D2, D8, D5, D9, D10)

This occupies all Netduino pins, but the ones not used aren't locked by the Gadgeteer Light Framework. So if you use an P-module on socket 3, you can still use COM2 on a shield.

To connect a Gadgeteer module to your Netduino, there are a few approaches possible:
- A Netduino Go - IDC Cable Breakout Board
- A Gadgeteer Expansion and Debug Module

I used three of those Netduino Go! breakouts as you can see here:
 gadgeteerlight.jpg   253.51KB   124 downloads

Also, in the Gadgeteer Light repository is a shield design which could be of use for this:
 gadgeteerlight-shield.png   129.78KB   119 downloads

Downloads can be found at http://gadgeteerlight.codeplex.com/

[EricMeyer]

That is awesome! Is a Go Light also possible for the Plus? -Eric

[Chris Walker]

Hi Pixel,

That is awesome! Is a Go Light also possible for the Plus?

That would be really cool. We might be a bit too tight on flash to accomodate the virtual I/O stack but we can do some tests to find out a bit later in the year.

Chris

[punky]

Thanks for that. More choice in perpherals is always good. What does SUXY, AIX and PUXY mean though?

[Stefan]

Thanks for that. More choice in perpherals is always good.

What does SUXY, AIX and PUXY mean though?

Gadgeteer has sockets which can contain specific types of modules. This is classified with letters. S=SPI, U=UART, X=4 GPIOs, Y=7 GPIOs, A=ADC, I=I²C, P=PWM

[punky]

Thanks for clearing that up.

[EricMeyer]

Would it be possible to create a Gadgeteer base similar to the Shield base? One that would give us access to more Gadgeteer module types? I'm pretty certain that something like this is technically possible, not sure if anyone is motivated enough to build one though. Anyone have any thoughts on this? Also anyone have any plans to make the shield that Stefan has designed? I would buy one if I could get one assembled and ready to go if the price was reasonable. -Eric

[Stefan]

the package already contains a shield base driver in stand-alone mode. I'm going expecting a single shield for myself in a few weeks. Just to test if the schematics are 100% flawless. I'll keep you posted!

[Chris Walker]

Hi Eric,

Would it be possible to create a Gadgeteer base similar to the Shield base? One that would give us access to more Gadgeteer module types? I'm pretty certain that something like this is technically possible, not sure if anyone is motivated enough to build one though.

Yes, absolutely. Since go!bus is an IO virtualization technology, you can bridge to just about any pin assignment form factor: Arduino Shield, TinkerKit, Gadgeteer, and more are all possible.

You could plug in several adapter boards at the same time, of course. As long as you stay within the 500mA (@ 3.3V) current limit of the power supply.

Chris

[EricMeyer]

Wow I would love to see a Gadgeteer Base, making one myself is beyond my HW skill level unfortunately. The only thing holding back the Netduino Go currently is the lack of modules. (Especially Networking and Storage.) -Eric