5 replies to this topic

[perkunas]

I'm new to this so bare with me I want to automatically deploy a program to the netuino via USB MFDeploy as far as I can make out, is for managing the bootloader. It my have an app deployment feature in there someplace I cant figure it out. But that creates a whole new level of steps, and defeats the purpose of auto-deployment. Is there something I'm missing here. Any examples I can follow?. I know about the converters from serial to USB but that's not exactly what I'm trying to do just deploy my program that's all. still lost tnx

[Chris Walker]

Hi perkunas, To deploy your Netduino app, simply press the "run" button in Visual Studio. It looks like the Play button from a DVD player. If you want to copy your app to multiple devices, you can use MFDeploy to create an "application deployment" HEX file...and then flash that HEX file to multiple Netduinos. Does that help? Chris

[perkunas]

"To deploy your Netduino app, simply press the "run" button in Visual Studio." Maybe I need to explain more, I created a program that alter's the variables graphically, now all i want to do is deploy the new program. This would mean Id have to save the file, open visual Studio, then deploy it. Not a very user friendlily way of doing things.

[JerseyTechGuy]

So If I understand correctly, I think we've said in previous posts with you, this is not really a good approach. Making a program to modify a program, then compile and deploy that program simply doesn't make sense. If you are using a Netduino Plus, simply store the variables (settings) on an SD card and either change the SD card, or have your program itself communicate with windows over COM and change settings on the SD card. Settings or configuration files for storage of changing variables has been used since the dawn of time in programming. If you are dead set on trying to make it work the way you want to your going to need to figure out how to: 1) Compile the Application (Maybe via automated command line) 2) Transform the Executable through the Meta Data Processor 3) Deploy the .pe Files to the Hardware or simply copy them to an SD card and boot ND with the new card (Google deploying to Netduino from MAC) You may also want to pick up a copy of "Expert .NET Micro Framework" and "Getting Started with Netduino" to help better understand NETMF and ND.

[perkunas]

what I'm doing is copping a graphical program from an arduino setup. With an arduino you are only dealing with one file, making the whole thing easier. An SD card wont work for me, the Netduino is berried in a computer case, also the design is all wrong. All the plugins are located front and SD on the side. How do you access it in a enclosure. It would have to be located in a corner if you have one. Serial com. might be the only answer, but I'm trying to avoid a setup where I have a computer connected to it, when I'm only changing the settings once a month.That adds extra wires or converters ie USB - serial Id go back to arduino it worked fine, but I need the multitasking multi-threading that only netduino provides. Maybe blue tooth, would work IDK but then again how do I upload the program, you cant back to serial. Seems like the only way to do this is with a serial com. with a USB - serial coverter.

[JerseyTechGuy]

what I'm doing is copping a graphical program from an arduino setup.
With an arduino you are only dealing with one file, making the whole thing easier.
An SD card wont work for me, the Netduino is berried in a computer case, also the design is all wrong.
All the plugins are located front and SD on the side. How do you access it in a enclosure. It would have to be located in a corner if you have one. Serial com. might be the only answer, but I'm trying to avoid a setup where I have a computer connected to it, when I'm only changing the settings once a month.That adds extra wires or converters ie USB - serial
Id go back to arduino it worked fine, but I need the multitasking multi-threading that only netduino provides.
Maybe blue tooth, would work IDK but then again how do I upload the program, you cant back to serial.
Seems like the only way to do this is with a serial com. with a USB - serial coverter.

Even if you had an easy deploy method, you would still need to have a computer attached at the time of the deploy. Not sure why Serial COM connection is any different. You can either get an FTDI cable and have it permanently wired to the ND and just plug into a USB port when needed, or by an FTDI card and have the Micro USB socket exposed that you can connect a Micro USB cable when needed.

The other option is to stick with a Standard ND not the Plus, and buy an SD Card module that you can leave the socket exposed. You can probably even do this with the Netduino Plus, although I've never tried two SD Cards.