bill.french's Content

#3080 Netduino Plus Unable to connect to from MFDeploy or Visual Studio after loadi...

Posted by bill.french on 28 September 2010 - 02:35 AM in Netduino Plus 2 (and Netduino Plus 1)

I followed those instructions, then loaded the new firmware on the unit and I am back up and running.

What new firmware did you install? I thought the firmware that came with the netduino plus was the latest available?

I am having the exact same problem.

#3083 Netduino Plus Unable to connect to from MFDeploy or Visual Studio after loadi...

Posted by bill.french on 28 September 2010 - 03:04 AM in Netduino Plus 2 (and Netduino Plus 1)

Let me start off by saying that I had never heard of arduino or netduino or maker faire until about noon yesterday when I read the engadget article on the netduino plus, and I nearly fell out of my chair. Ethernet? C#? $60??? So I packed my three little kids in the car and headed to Queens. I was so excited about the netduino plus, that I completely forgot to check out the 3d printer corral. Anyway, I'm having trouble!! I'm getting stuck on "preparing to deploy". I did just as the OP did, once I sent the button/led demo, I was unable to further deploy using VS. I've used two totally different computers now, both running fully patched x86 XP. I am able to erase using mfdeploy by holding the button and plugging it in, but obviously it's a bummer dealing with VS crashing and going in circles to deploy very simple programs. The demo and other code does work once I have loaded it. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

#3090 Netduino Plus Unable to connect to from MFDeploy or Visual Studio after loadi...

Posted by bill.french on 28 September 2010 - 03:43 AM in Netduino Plus 2 (and Netduino Plus 1)

To reproduce it, I followed the "pushing the button" demo exactly. Deploy the project, and it works: the led turns on when I press the button. Then, I change led.Write(!buttonstate) to led.Write(buttonstate) -- removing the !, just to get it so the light turns off when you press the button, and I go to redeploy and is gets stuck on "preparing...". It's done it every time. The circles I'm referring to is: once I'm stuck, I have to kill visual studio, erase the app using MFDeploy, going back into visual studio, loading the project (hopefully I've saved it before trying to deploy!) and trying to deploy again. I believe once I'm stuck I can also unplug the netduino, wait a little while, and visual studio will eventually say the deployment failed, and at least I can save my work. Now I try and save before I deploy, which is probably not a bad practice, anyway.

#3096 Netduino Plus Unable to connect to from MFDeploy or Visual Studio after loadi...

Posted by bill.french on 28 September 2010 - 04:13 AM in Netduino Plus 2 (and Netduino Plus 1)

I am able to deploy the below code multiple times. Thanks for you help with this. --Bill

namespace NetduinoApplication1
{
    public class Program
    {
        public static void Main()
        {
            // write your code here
            OutputPort led = new OutputPort(Pins.ONBOARD_LED, false);
            bool b = false;
            while (true)
            {
                b = !b;
                led.Write(B);
                Thread.Sleep(50);
            }

        }

    }
}

#3146 POE?

Posted by bill.french on 29 September 2010 - 01:00 AM in Netduino Plus 2 (and Netduino Plus 1)

linksys 5v poe

This injector puts in 48v but spits out 5v.

#3147 Netduino Plus Unable to connect to from MFDeploy or Visual Studio after loadi...

Posted by bill.french on 29 September 2010 - 01:07 AM in Netduino Plus 2 (and Netduino Plus 1)

Yes, I have the same issue with the button app. I can deploy it once. Then I cannot deploy it again without erasing.

I've also tried the below code, which uses D0 for the button, instead, so I could still have access to the reset. Reset has no effect on how visual studio acts, however. I can see that the board resets (the net leds and the blue led cycle and then my code resumes) but visual studio is uneffected.

Once VS is stuck, i can only unstick it by unplugging the netduino, plugging it back it, waiting for it to boot, then unplugging it again. My code never stops running except during netduino boot up.

I've tried every combo i can think of involving resetting, power cycling, and deploying to get it to work without erasing. No luck.

using System;
using System.Threading;
using Microsoft.SPOT;
using Microsoft.SPOT.Hardware;
using SecretLabs.NETMF.Hardware;
using SecretLabs.NETMF.Hardware.Netduino;

namespace NetduinoApplication1
{
    public class Program
    {
        public static void Main()
        {
            // write your code here
            OutputPort led = new OutputPort(Pins.ONBOARD_LED, false);
            InputPort button = new InputPort(Pins.GPIO_PIN_D0, false, ResistorModes.PullUp);

            while (true)
            {
                led.Write(!button.Read());
            }

        }

    }
}

#3150 Netduino Plus Unable to connect to from MFDeploy or Visual Studio after loadi...

Posted by bill.french on 29 September 2010 - 01:26 AM in Netduino Plus 2 (and Netduino Plus 1)

Yes, blinky deploys multiple times, deploying the pushbutton/led app (using either d0 or the onboard button) fails after the first deployment. I used fully patched windows XP and whatever version of VS is linked in the download section, 2010 express. I've tried it on several computers now, including a Sony vaio, a dell netbook, a dell optiplex, and vm under fusion on a macbook pro. I've even tried it with and without a usb hub involved.

#3186 Netduino Plus Unable to connect to from MFDeploy or Visual Studio after loadi...

Posted by bill.french on 29 September 2010 - 11:23 AM in Netduino Plus 2 (and Netduino Plus 1)

Could Windows 7 work better? It's also not isolated to the built on button; i wired up an external button to d0 with the same results.

#3194 Netduino Plus Unable to connect to from MFDeploy or Visual Studio after loadi...

Posted by bill.french on 29 September 2010 - 02:42 PM in Netduino Plus 2 (and Netduino Plus 1)

I assume if I upgrade the firmware to the one in that thread, I'll lose the networking components? That's fine as I continue to get warmed up to the netduino, but obviously not a long-term solution. I chuckle as I type: the networking part is kind of important to me. Still hopeful, --Bill

#3291 Can't connect via Visual Studio or MFDeploy, erase does not fix

Posted by bill.french on 30 September 2010 - 05:25 PM in Netduino Plus 2 (and Netduino Plus 1)

Any progress recreating (and fixing) the original issue?

#3347 Netduino Plus Unable to connect to from MFDeploy or Visual Studio after loadi...

Posted by bill.french on 01 October 2010 - 12:00 PM in Netduino Plus 2 (and Netduino Plus 1)

Great, thank you for the update, I have verified adding "Thread.Sleep(1);" to the demo works!

#3470 Pointless fun: Morse Code Interpreter

Posted by bill.french on 04 October 2010 - 04:29 PM in Project Showcase

if you've never seen this video, it's mildly entertaining -- Morse Code vs. Text Messaging:

#3556 Analog input fluctuations

Posted by bill.french on 06 October 2010 - 12:21 AM in General Discussion

Hello! I am trying to read a thermistor based temperature probe, but the analog input fluctuates too wildly to be useful for my application. I am using a netduino plus that I obtained from maker faire, in case that is somehow relevant.

Any suggestions?

Some notes:
1. I have vref tied to the 3.3v pin
2. I am using a 47k resistor in my voltage divider, with one end to 3.3v, one to ground, and the analog input in the middle
3. The circuit runs are as short as physically possible, with the longest wire (besides the thermistor probe's actual cable) no longer than the distance between 3.3v and vref.
4. Using an external power supply makes the problem much worse - with our without usb hooked up
5. I've tried several external power supplies including rechargeable batteries
6. I've tried also tying all the other analog inputs to ground just in case

I vaguely remember reading somewhere to do something to an analog input pin before using it as an input, but I cannot find that post and think it might be for some other microcontroller. Using a multimeter, the voltage seems much more stable than the analog input would suggest.

Any ideas would be appreciated! Thanks, --Bill

#3558 Analog input fluctuations

Posted by bill.french on 06 October 2010 - 12:56 AM in General Discussion

I'm seeing fluctuations +/- 4 'steps' if that is a sensible way to describe it. For example: if the reading should be "610" out of 1024, it is varying from 606 - 614, rapidly. On one of my computers, using only usb power, it fluctuates 1 step, which is fine - but not how I need to use the board. I'm not concerned about the accuracy, but "repeatability" is important. At first I thought it was a noisy power supply, but using a battery (with or without usb) has the same results. If for some reason it might be relevant, I do not have anything plugged into the network jack.

#3560 Analog input fluctuations

Posted by bill.french on 06 October 2010 - 02:16 AM in General Discussion

Trimpot is a good idea, I will try it. I first tested the analog inputs using one, but was not looking for stability, just movement up and down. I just packed up for the night so it will have to wait until tomorrow. I've tried a variety of consumer wall wart 12v power supplies, an 11.1V li-po that was running at about 11.9v, and the last thing I tried before I packed up was a duracell 9V, with the same results.

#3589 Analog input fluctuations

Posted by bill.french on 06 October 2010 - 11:18 PM in General Discussion

I have tried a trimpot with the same results. Reading is acceptably stable using usb on my Sony computer. Using an external power supply (a battery), with or without usb, the readings are all over the place. I have tried both A0 and A5. Setrange won't work as i need as much precision as I can get. Power supply can't matter as it glitches when using a different batteries. Any more thoughts? Thanks!

#3593 Analog input fluctuations

Posted by bill.french on 07 October 2010 - 12:24 AM in General Discussion

Nope! I'm in central NJ. No ski resorts close by that I'm aware of. I'll have to update my profile, there are a couple Bill Frenches out there, some more famous than others. The most famous alive that I'm aware of created Laplink. I'm not that guy, either!

#3601 Analog input fluctuations

Posted by bill.french on 07 October 2010 - 02:52 AM in General Discussion

Man were you wrong! I'm not in Colorado, near a ski slope, OR skilled! Can't even get a thermistor circuit to work.

#3619 Analog input fluctuations

Posted by bill.french on 07 October 2010 - 01:25 PM in General Discussion

No scope (it got stolen years ago... very sad day for me) but certainly a multimeter. The measurements I remember for 3.3V were 3.29V and when using the lipo battery, 11.9V on Vin. My multimeter is pretty cheap, but the readings were always steady. I might be able to borrow a scope tonight to take a deeper look. edited to add: using a usb power brick is another great idea!

#3653 Analog input fluctuations

Posted by bill.french on 08 October 2010 - 02:03 AM in General Discussion

Ok I took some measurements and notes:

#.5V...3.3V.VIN.....Powersource
1 4.73 3.29 1.26....PC USB - short cable
2 4.22 3.26 1.08....PC USB via long cables and usb hub
3 4.99 3.30 11.79...Lipo Battery
4 5.05 3.29 1.56....Motorola Droid USB Charger

The only scenario where the analog input has been stable (+/- 1 step) is #2... oddly enough.

I still don't have a scope, so this is the best I can do at the moment.

As a recap, I have a wire going from 3.3V to Vref, and a voltage divider using a 47K resistor and a thermistor. I also have three LEDs for indicators. Attached is a badly drawn schematic.

Any more suggestions? Thanks!! --Bill

Attached Thumbnails

#3772 Features of NetDuino

Posted by bill.french on 11 October 2010 - 06:09 PM in General Discussion

Perhaps you're already on this road, but when the getting started guide comes out, if it could be in a wiki or some other community-editable format, that would be great. If you need a suggestion for wiki software, I like the Screwturn wiki, it's very simple, open source, and .net based.

Full disclosure: I'm listed as a contributor to the Screwturn project, but my contributions were more by accident than intentional...

#3810 12V Regulated Power Supply

Posted by bill.french on 13 October 2010 - 12:19 AM in Netduino 2 (and Netduino 1)

I my quest to solve my analog input issues, I have dug out my somewhat decent "12V" regulated power supply that I have had luck with in the past -- which actually puts out 13.8V. Anyway, the netduino's specs call for 12V, but can it handle 13.8V? It would be good to know for this application as well as automotive applications since most 12V auto systems run around 13.8V, too. Come to think of it, it seems most 12V supplies I have come across put out a bit more than 12V. Thanks!

#3813 12V Regulated Power Supply

Posted by bill.french on 13 October 2010 - 01:10 AM in Netduino 2 (and Netduino 1)

Great, thanks for the reply. Am I safe to assume all the grounds on the netduino are the same? And that the Vin is tied directly to the inner pin of the power input? Also, is is safe to have external power and be hooked up to usb for debugging? Thanks!

#3864 Analog input fluctuations

Posted by bill.french on 14 October 2010 - 02:08 AM in General Discussion

Well, I've made some progress on my analog input fluctuations.

I borrowed a Rigol DS1052E -- the screen capture is below. I'm still trying to figure the scope out, I've never used a digital one before.

Anyway, is seems only on external power, there's fairly regular pulses of noise on the 3.3V line, regardless if the source is a battery or my 12v regulated supply.

I built the noise reducing circuit in this article, using an inductor and a bunch of caps:

http://www.arduino.c...Lib/Thermistor4

That is the blue line in the picture... so I've at least filtered it out, now, but my readings of the thermistor are certainly slowed.

Any ideas where the pulses are coming from and how to eliminate them, besides the inductor, etc?

Thanks!
Posted Image

#3898 Analog input fluctuations

Posted by bill.french on 14 October 2010 - 05:37 PM in General Discussion

Is this applicable to the Netduino? (From the Arduino playground linked above)

For any unused ADC input pins, it's best to set their pullup resistors so they don't mess with
the others (pinMode(myPin, INPUT); digitalWrite(myPin, HIGH)).