I can duplicate supra's issue. It occurs on the open port call below. And just for grins, after updating all the appropriate firmware, I was able to blink an LED on the shield base. Didn't do any testing beyond that after hitting the exception. Also, the exception occurs regardless if anything is wired to the pins on the shield base.

Here's my code:

NetduinoGo.ShieldBase shieldBase = new NetduinoGo.ShieldBase(GoSockets.Socket5);
      // open serial port
      SerialPort serial = new SerialPort(shieldBase.SerialPorts.COM2, 9600, Parity.None, 8, StopBits.One);
      serial.Open();

Matt -

I did a little googling on PWM signal distance limitations. Check out this thread. To quote "Rule of thumb for a typical logic signal is 12-18 inches..." I'm no expert on transmission line theory, but I'm 99% sure you won't be able to run long wires "through the ceiling", or anywhere else over two feet away, for a PWM signal. Your desktop lights are going to have to be smart

Thanks for the info ransoMhall, that goes a long way to helping out!

I definitely have to use several shorter LED strips, the strips are to be mounted into the blocks and the blocks placed next to each person's desk. Having one long continuous strip won't work here sadly! I'll go for the 5V variant, I think, however powerign them separately isn't a bad idea. How would I go about achieving this?

The IO60P16 Module actually doesn't look like too much of a bad option. It's overkill, sure, but not too expensive and probably does what I need it to. I can see there's an arrangement of PWM outputs on this module in sets of three: are each of these individually controllable (i.e. can I control 16 different RGB LED strips with this board, or just five)? Can I use more than one module per Netduino Go?

Again, thanks for your help, this is easily the biggest project I've done on either an Arduino or a Netduino, the advise is much appreciated!

Matt

I may be confused. Is each block going to have its own controller (Go or other)? If not, you would have an awful lot of wiring going from a single micro to blocks on many desks. There are distance limitations for low power signals like those used to power LED strips, not to mention it would probably be impractical to run wires all over the place.

On power, you can power the micro and strip separately as long as they share ground.

Gadgeteer modules will not yet run on a Go. There is an adapter in the works, but it is not released yet (November maybe?). See other posts on this forum for details. I'm not sure if you could use more than one IO60P16 on a Go adapter. In theory, as long as there is more than on I2C socket type on the adapter, the answer is yes, but that is a lot of "theory" that needs to be tested.

You should be able to control 16 PWM signals from the IO60P16 module.

Start by picking the LED strip you are going to use, THEN design your project around it. It will help immensely to have a datasheet in front of you when pondering your design and asking Qs here.

Matt -

Sounds like a fun project! I've been playing with LEDS on Arduino and NETMF boards for several years and never get tired of the fun.

So... what kind of LED strips are you planning to use? The answer to this will drive the answers to most of your questions.

On LED voltages - strips generally come in two flavors: 5V an 12V. While you *can* power the 5V version directly from a microcontroller, you will quickly use up all the current the board has to offer with anything over a couple of meters. Again, this depends on the strip specs. The best (and safest) bet is to design your circuit assuming the LEDs are separately powered.

It sounds like you are assuming the strips will be in parallel, with one PWM channel per strip. There are not eight PWM channels on any of the boards you mention. The Netduino has 4, so you would need two. You would have to find an external chip or board that has enough PWMs (like this which is overkill IMO).

Take a look at the strips that use LDP8806 or WS2801 controller ICs. These are pricier, but let you control each LED individually, so you could have all eight office monitors in series from *one* SPI channel (hence controlled from one micro). These strips also can be cut at intervals, so you can space out your blocks. This assumes you don't mind having all eight wired together in series.

There are various controller boards out there specifically designed to drive LED strips. You may be able to find one that suits your needs which itself can be controlled via UART, SPI, or I2C. The one I use is made for one long strip, however, and not many short strips. It handles the power nicely and can be controlled via plain old serial COM.

I suggest going with one long strip with embedded ICs where you can control each LED. This will keep the design simpler. If you want to stick with the parallel block arrangement, look for a PWM controller board that can itself be controlled from a Netduino or other micro. The final design will ultimately depend on how these blocks will be physically arranged.

Have fun and don't be shy asking lots of questions here.

Fabien - thanks for the video. I used the STM32ReflashApp to update the ShieldBase recently without issue, but am glad to know about the Go firmware corruption problem. I like your "direct" method better.

For those of you looking for a single row breadboard breakout for the Go socket, I sell them for $5 assembled (and $3.50 for just the PCB) here, if you can stand the Gadgeteer logo The pinout is the same. They are also OSHW with Eagle design files available on the linked page, if you want to have some fabbed (oshpark is high quality and very reasonable).

For the Shield Base ?, i would like to opt in on that, very much indeed.

- Ulrik

Ulrik - We're discussing the beta for the gadgeteer adapter.

Hi ransomhall,


Thank you for your enthusiasm

The first production units should arrive next month. I'll be sure to post an update when they arrive.

Would you like me to ping you when the performance beta begins?

Chris

I'm still getting getting used to your retail supply chain, so does "arrive next month" mean they will be for sale at Amazon et al then? Sure thing on the beta heads up.

Welcome to the Netduino community Eric and Ian!

I was excited to see both of your names when I checked the latest posts this morning. I know how active you both are in the .NetMF community and have read many of your posts on the TinyCLR forums. Your ingenuity and dedication are greatly valued and I hope to see many fantastic projects from both of you showcasing the power of .NetMF and the versatility of the Gobus platform using the Gadgeteer modules. The possibilities are endless! I would also, quite selfishly I might add, love to tap into the knowledge and experience you both bring to the community. So please drop by often, and feel free to share your projects here.

Cheers,
Steve

Thanks for the humbling welcome Steve! Do you go by this alias on tinyclr or something else? I'm happy to help cross pollinate between these two platforms. I agree on the endless possibilities. We've really just scratched the surface of what these micros can do. Now just to find some endless time

Now that I have a Go (with a ShieldBase), what are the chances I can get a hold of a Gadgeteer adapter? I would be happy to help test it. I've got a bunch of Gadgeteer modules just waiting to get some Go juice

Got my Go and ShieldBase today I was able to update both to the latest firmware posted with minimal effort. My question - from the documentation it sounds like there should now be a VS project template for the Go. I'm not seeing it. Did I miss something? Or do I just create a blank NETMF project and start adding assemblies?

Diehard Gadgeteer geek here. So the adapter news finally got me to pull the trigger on a GO. I've got a bunch of gadgeteer modules and have even made a few of my own available over on tinyclr.com. My initial question is this - I'm guessing existing Gadgeteer drivers will have to be ported to Go style to work with this adapter, correct? I would like to get a general sense from Chris or others what you think the development effort will be to make gadgeteer modules behave on a Go. While I wait for the board to arrive, I'll dig into the GO specs to see if I can come up with my own answer, as well. Thanks! Eric

For any of you who might need a 10 pin socket to 0.1" header breakout for prototype module development, take a look at my MakeBread module . The data pins are obviously not labelled the same, but the important ones (3.3V, 5V, and GND) are. If there is enough interest, I would be happy to get a batch made with an updated silkscreen.

In regards to the previous posts on this thread about a prototype module dev kit of some sort, I would love to see a breadboard friendly one.