I'm also getting some hanging issues with the netduino (which arrived this morning!) It will be fine for a couple of deployments or debugging, but then will cease to work. Running the 4.1.0.2 firmware too. Symptoms are variously: I can deploy (the blinky app for example) (not debugging) but the code doesn't run (no blinking). This can be resolved by removing and reinserting the USB cable. I can't deploy when debugging, the VS 2010 (express) output window says "rebooting", and it 'never' changes (I say never, but I give up after a couple of minutes). I press stop on the debugger, but VS presents a dialog saying the debugging is waiting to stop. If I then choose stop on the dialog, replug the netduino, I can then deploy, but debugging gives another error "An error has occurred. Please check your hardware". To recover from this I need to use the MFdeploy tool to erase the managed code. Apart from that, when it does work it's fantastic! I have another netduino here that has the original firmware (4.1.0.1 I think) so I'll try that on the same PC / USB cable and see if it's different.

I have another netduino here that has the original firmware (4.1.0.1 I think) so I'll try that on the same PC / USB cable and see if it's different.

The same symptoms occur with the 4.1.0.1 firmware, so it's probably something peculiar to my PC here (Win XP SP3, VS 2010 Express). I'll try from my home PC tonight (VS2010 professional, Win7 64bit)

On a positive note I've got an analog devices ADXL202 accelerometer, and a TAOS TSL2550 I2C light sensor working nicely. I'll work on my sparkfun OLED tonight...

Well the debugging problems didn't occur on another PC (win XP SP3, VS2010 professional) so it's something related to my PC here... (considering it has VS2005 professional, VS2008 professional, VS2010 express, GCC, borland C++ builder and eclipse on it, that's not a surprise!)

Arceon,

Are you running inside of a VM (Parallels, VMWare, VirtualBox, etc.)? What operating system are you running?

Also, are you running the .NET MF 4.1 SDK or last week's "QFE1" bugfix release?

Finally, if you push the pushbutton on the Netduino when Visual Studio hangs, does that prompt Visual Studio to finish deploying?

Chris

I have the same problem running 4.1.0.3 and the QFE1 bugfix.

Running on XP SP3, virtual PC is installed but not running, and VS 2010 Express is running from the main OS.

Pressing the button on the netduino doesn't fix it.

Waiting till deployment is complete, VS gives a message along the lines of "The debugging target is not in an initialized state, rebooting..." but will sit there forever.

If I unplug and replug the netduino when VS gives the "The debugging target is not in an initialized state, rebooting..." message, debugging goes ahead normally.

Also, similar symptoms sometimes occur when stopping debugging, VS will sit there forever waiting for it. Unplugging the netduino hastens things along a bit.

Have you tried reflashing .2? That was what sorted it for me. Also does your MFDeploy hang upon flashing the Alpha like mine did?

No, I've moved on to the 4.1.1.0 Alpha to try my microSD shield...

Does this allow us to use cards greater than 2GB?

I have a microSD card shield from Sparkfun (http://www.sparkfun....roducts_id=9802) and a Sandisk 8GB microSD card and the code shown by Bob doesn't appear to work.

Further to that, after deploying the following code, the LED doesn't flash (as per the while loop) and I have to use MFDeploy to erase the code before it will allow me to deploy or debug again.

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

namespace SDTest
{
    public class Program
    {
        static OutputPort LED = new OutputPort(Pins.ONBOARD_LED, false);
        static bool LEDstate = false;

        public static void Main()
        {
            string root = "SD_Card";
            StorageDevice.MountSD(root, SPI.SPI_module.SPI1, Cpu.Pin.GPIO_Pin12);

            string path = Path.Combine(root, "test.txt");
            string content = "This is a test";
            byte[] bytes = System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(content);
            File.WriteAllBytes(path, bytes);

            while (true)
            {
                LED.Write(LEDstate = !LEDstate);
                Thread.Sleep(100); 
            }
        }
    }
}

When debugging, the 'StorageDevice,MountSD' line is reached and the debugger exits.

Using the 4.1.1.0 Alpha firmware linked above, and the references are added to VS2010 correctly.

Strange indeed... I'll see if anyone here has a microSD card smaller than 2GB.

If you try to mount a card that .NET Micro Framework doesn't support, .NET MF may throw an exception or lock up. Exceptions are good; the locking up is something we're seeing if we can fix and contribute back to the .NET MF codebase.

Ahh that would explain some of my symptoms then. I should be able to try it tonight with a 128MB microSD card.

The SparkFun MicroSD shield uses pin D8 for CS, will that need an update to the firmware or should it work with it hardcoded to D10?

Works with a SparkFun MicroSD shield, with a wire connecting D8 and D10...

Used a Sandisk 2GB MicroSD card borrowed from a friend's phone

directory count: 1
directory: \SD1
file count: 17
filename: \SD1\winamp_cache_0001.xml
filename: \SD1\PMP_USB.INI
filename: \SD1\DevIcon.fil
filename: \SD1\DevLogo.fil
filename: \SD1\WMPInfo.xml
filename: \SD1\qf
filename: \SD1\TMP65a01.$$$
filename: \SD1\Foo.m3u
filename: \SD1\shakesms-v1.02-symbiansigned.sisx
filename: \SD1\Track list.m3u
filename: \SD1\opera-mini-4.2.13337-advanced-en-gb.jar
filename: \SD1\Gang gang dance.m3u
filename: \SD1\Gurrumul.m3u
filename: \SD1\Kings o leon.m3u
filename: \SD1\Coldplay.m3u
filename: \SD1\Running.m3u
filename: \SD1\356255019313162.ndif

Ahh that would explain some of my symptoms then. I should be able to try it tonight with a 128MB microSD card.

The SparkFun MicroSD shield uses pin D8 for CS, will that need an update to the firmware or should it work with it hardcoded to D10?

Got it working as per this post

Excellent!

Sparkfun microSD card shield works (with the 4.1.1 beta firmware) with D8 and D10 connected together (which shouldn't be required once the netduino allows specifying a card detect pin)

Watching the formula 1 grand prix this morning, and browsing this forum at the same time (1:30 AM!), noted that little bird electronics had 4 'pluses' in stock and thought 'I'll pick one up when I get to work'... Of course by the time I arrived at work they were oall sold out bugger!

To follow up on this, Proto-Advantage had originally listed 12 fewer Netduino Pluses for sale than they received. There was a shipping/delivery delay and they didn't know exactly how many they'd be getting...

Anyway, if they do have one or two left... Now's the time to grab them. They're "local" to the USA and Canada, but I understand that they ship worldwide as well.

Chris

I just bought the 'last' one from Proto-advantage (their site shows no stock now)

I guess it redresses some of the imbalance from the US based people ordering from Little Bird Electronics

Also it has a LOT of contacts on that flat plastic type wire.

That's an FFC cable (flat, flexible cable). You may be able to buy an appropriate FFC connector and breakout board to make it more user-friendly...

Works very well with the sparkfun microSD shield (again with D10 and D8 jumpered together for the card detect) and a nokia branded 128MB microSD card.

The exception handling with no card inserted is nice too.

As above, I have to manually unplug and plug in the netduino when it comes up with the 'The debugging target is not in a initialized state; rebooting...' statement.

Code:

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

namespace SDTest
{
    public class Program
    {
        static OutputPort LED = new OutputPort(Pins.ONBOARD_LED, false);
        static bool LEDstate = false;
        static bool mounted = false;
        public static void Main()
        {
            try
            {
                StorageDevice.MountSD("SD1", SPI_Devices.SPI1, Pins.GPIO_PIN_D10);
                mounted = true;
            }
            catch (Exception Ex)
            {
                // Just trying out the exception handling
                Debug.Print(Ex.ToString());
            }

            while (mounted)
            {
                string[] directories = System.IO.Directory.GetDirectories(@"\");
                Debug.Print("directory count: " + directories.Length.ToString());

                for (int i = 0; i < directories.Length; i++)
                {
                    Debug.Print("directory: " + directories[i]);
                }

                string[] files = System.IO.Directory.GetFiles(@"\SD1");
                Debug.Print("file count: " + files.Length.ToString());

                for (int i = 0; i < files.Length; i++)
                {
                    Debug.Print("filename: " + files[i]);
                    if (files[i] == @"\SD1\HiLiam.txt")
                    {
                        FileStream fs = new FileStream(files[i], FileMode.Open, FileAccess.Read, FileShare.None, 512);
                        StreamReader sr = new StreamReader(fs);
                        Debug.Print("contents: " + sr.ReadToEnd());
                        fs.Close();

                    }
                }
                string path = Path.Combine(@"\SD1", "HiLiam.txt");
                string content = "Got it working :)";
                byte[] bytes = System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(content);
                File.WriteAllBytes(path, bytes);
                Thread.Sleep(1000);
            }
        }
    }
}

Output:

directory count: 1
directory: \SD1
file count: 26
filename: \SD1\Always here.aac
filename: \SD1\rm217_conpack_conf.cnfp
filename: \SD1\SD Content Package sd_apac_tuw
filename: \SD1\HiDermot.txt
filename: \SD1\HiLiam.txt
contents: Got it working :)
filename: \SD1\Ralph.mp3
filename: \SD1\spiderpig.mp3
filename: \SD1\Belly dance.aac
filename: \SD1\Com você.aac
filename: \SD1\Cycle.aac
filename: \SD1\Electronic.aac
filename: \SD1\Glow.aac
filename: \SD1\Nuance.aac
filename: \SD1\Peal.aac
filename: \SD1\Pick it up.aac
filename: \SD1\Polaris.aac
filename: \SD1\Roadster.aac
filename: \SD1\Rock.aac
filename: \SD1\Sunset.aac
filename: \SD1\Tinkly.aac
filename: \SD1\Image004.jpg
filename: \SD1\Alma_Bay_Mel_Paddling.jpg
filename: \SD1\Image005.jpg
filename: \SD1\Image006.jpg
filename: \SD1\Cleat.gif
filename: \SD1\Image003a.jpg

I'm currently jumpering my netduino to one of my other boards to hijack the FTDI USB chip on that board, for serial communication, and I got to thinking it would be better to have a UART shield for the netduino. Does anyone make a UART shield? I've never used an arduino (native C++ on 'raw' AVR's for me) but I understand that the arduino USB connection is used both for programming and communications, so a UART shield isn't really necessary. With that in mind I set about designing one. If there isn't one on the market I'll have to make my own I guess Currently drawn up with a FT232R, as that's what I have sitting here, with solder jumpers to select which RX & TX pins of the netduino to connect, however I note that FTDI now make a FT2232D, which uses 1 USB connection to expose two virtual COM ports, allowing me to have both UARTs appear as separate COM ports on the PC! I'll have to red-do the design with that on board. Edit: Now with FT2232D

I had my netduino plus set to use DHCP for networking (which works well) but when the plus was powered up without the network cable, it wouldn't respond to any deploy etc in visual studio (although the bootloader ping and erase worked in MFDeploy) Plugging in the network cable and / or changing to static IP sorted it out...

Batch PCB uses GoldPhoenix in China for their manufacturing. I go directly to goldphoenix as for the boards I make it turns out much cheaper ($110 US for a 10x15in panel, double sided, pth, single sided silkscreen, no limit on holes etc)

The quality of the boards is generally very good. On the last order I did (for a full panel) they actually shipped me two panels because there was a small manufacturing error on one of the boards. They do do sanity checking too, a coupelof orders ago I forgot to include my nc drill file, they contacted me back within an hour of submitting the order to confirm whether I actually did want a board with no holes

I use a hakko 936, which has been discontinued, but the hakko stuff in general is very good.

So I got round to ordering the PCB, and some FTDI2232D chips, so it will be interesting to see how it all works together...

I'm also using a 936 for soldering and so far I like it a lot.
What tips is everyone using? I only have a small pointed one so far and was thinking I should get a few more.

What has everyone else found most useful tip wise?

I have a general broad tip that I use for most work (including most SMD stuff even the fine pitch ones, good liquid flux makes it very easy) and a fine (0.2mm) point that I use for touching up or very fine SMD stuff.

Get the hakko tip cleaning sponge (the gold looking steel wool style) and you'll be set.

Easiest LiPo charger chip I've seen is the MAX1551 (http://www.maxim-ic....dex.mvp/id/4002)

So the boards arrived and I soldered one together (actually made two, had a minor brain explosion on the first one and put the FTDI chip in 90° out of position, oops!) It almost works The PC recognises that something has been connected but can't identify it. Some investigation required... Ignore the resistors, I didn't have any spare 0805 ones in the appropriate denominations, will be rectified shortly.