Arduino Plugin feature requests

[piever]

Support of chipkit max32 board

Hello Greig,

I have a chipkit max32 board and would like to connect this board to HS3.
The latest rev http://www.chipkit.net/started is here.
I tested this version but its sees not to connect to hs3.

The newer do not support chipkit 32-bit boards.
Is it possible to use this board?

Regards piever. Netherland

[bsnedek]

Addressing

Please consider changing your addressing scheme. In most of HomeSeer a comma"," is a field separator. Most other addins or systems use a "-' dash in their addressing. Even ":" can cause some issues.

Jon00's stuff, Z-Wave stuff, Homeseer's stuff all use dash "-" not comma "," or Colon ":" when you scripting or even eventing the commas and colons in your address scheme cause real issues.

TIA

[randy]

There are many power transistors now available with completely isolated tabs. That is to say that the mounting tab has no connection to any of the 3 pins in the device. This is ideal, especially for experimenters. You don't have to "float" the heatsink with insulators, which was a real pain on some projects. Attached is an example datasheet with an isolated tab power mosfet. This is not the one in question, but I found this with a quick google search. If I were looking for one to do a project, I would not choose the 200v part.

Agreed. That is why I said "most T0-220 packages". I was aware that there are many using isolated mounting tabs. If I was going to purchase one for a project, that would certainly be a consideration. The reason I used the devices I did was expediency, they were in my parts bin. I bought a lot of 50 for $5 a year or two ago when a parts house was going out of business. I also know that device performs very well in high current PWM applications, because I have built quite a few using it. For low voltage applications, having the Drain of an N-Channel exposed is of little concern, unless you mount several to a common heatsink.

[jimbell]

You are correct, however....

Sorry, I missed this post when you made it. Like most TO-220 packages, the tab is either the Collector or in the case of a MOSFET, the Drain.

Since the Drain is the return path for the LED "-" or GND side, the heatsink would be at approximately 12V, but current limited by the LEDs attached and that is floating, having no reference to earth ground. Since the 12V is supplied by a switch-mode power supply, it is completely isolated from the house current. I see no harm of electrical shock, no reason to be concerned that the heat sink is at that potential. If you wanted to, the tab could be insulated from the heat sink, but that was not of any concern in my application (in my opinion).

There are many power transistors now available with completely isolated tabs. That is to say that the mounting tab has no connection to any of the 3 pins in the device. This is ideal, especially for experimenters. You don't have to "float" the heatsink with insulators, which was a real pain on some projects. Attached is an example datasheet with an isolated tab power mosfet. This is not the one in question, but I found this with a quick google search. If I were looking for one to do a project, I would not choose the 200v part.

[randy]

Do these have electrically isolated tabs?

Sorry, I missed this post when you made it. Like most TO-220 packages, the tab is either the Collector or in the case of a MOSFET, the Drain.

Since the Drain is the return path for the LED "-" or GND side, the heatsink would be at approximately 12V, but current limited by the LEDs attached and that is floating, having no reference to earth ground. Since the 12V is supplied by a switch-mode power supply, it is completely isolated from the house current. I see no harm of electrical shock, no reason to be concerned that the heat sink is at that potential. If you wanted to, the tab could be insulated from the heat sink, but that was not of any concern in my application (in my opinion).

[jimbell]

Add Device string function to API mode

Please add any new feature requests to this thread and I will do my best to add them at some point in the future but please don't ask when as the list is very big already.

Greig.

Adding device string API mode would add significant functionality to the plug-in. Then the ardiuno code can return either the present long value, or a string value. Would then be easy to set the device string in the device to something like "5.00v", "Auto", "72.5F", "Cloudy", "Rain", etc.

[jimbell]

Are these MOSFET'S have isolated tabs?

I am driving N-Channel MOSFETs with mine just like the schematic attached from the Velleman shield. Without a heat sink these devices can handle 6A all day long. If put on a sufficient heat sink they are capable of switching 34A @ 55V. Just supply the "+" side of the LED strip to your supply voltage, then connect the "-" side to the device's Drain. Drive the Gate directly from the Arduino with a small limiting resistor and ground the Source.

I'm driving a couple of 5 meter RGB strips with three of these devices. They are BUK9535 devices, about $1 each from Digi-key.

Do these have electrically isolated tabs?

[randy]

is there anyway to invert the PWM pin outputs?
i am sure i could do it in API mode with the map function but i have not tried the API Mode yet and was thinking to would be nice to be able to use NPN Fets or a LED amplifier to control higher powered RGB leds and strips and i haven't figured a way to invert the slider in HS3 yet so now it's backwards (on = off)

I am driving N-Channel MOSFETs with mine just like the schematic attached from the Velleman shield. Without a heat sink these devices can handle 6A all day long. If put on a sufficient heat sink they are capable of switching 34A @ 55V. Just supply the "+" side of the LED strip to your supply voltage, then connect the "-" side to the device's Drain. Drive the Gate directly from the Arduino with a small limiting resistor and ground the Source.

I'm driving a couple of 5 meter RGB strips with three of these devices. They are BUK9535 devices, about $1 each from Digi-key.

[usLEDsupply]

is there anyway to invert the PWM pin outputs?
i am sure i could do it in API mode with the map function but i have not tried the API Mode yet and was thinking to would be nice to be able to use NPN Fets or a LED amplifier to control higher powered RGB leds and strips and i haven't figured a way to invert the slider in HS3 yet so now it's backwards (on = off)

[randy]

I haven't figured out why your are writing the IP addresses into eprom though.

If you are using Ethernet shields is there any other way HomeSeer could find the boards if they have power interrupted or are reset?

[bsnedek]

API.ino

Greig,

I'll start with API.ino, of course I'll share, thats what open source is all about. After looking at the API.ino sketch will have to go into the root of your code. I haven't figured out why your are writing the IP addresses into eprom though. I will also use a development machine and wireshark to watch the packets. That way I won't mess up my plugin.

Thanks

[enigmatheatre]

enigmatheatre,

Very nice work on your sketches. I notice that you are bit banging using UDP. Simple and elegant nice. I found an example of the cc3000 wireless Ethernet controller using UDP that I would like to try to meld into your sketch.

I would like to ask your permission before I do so though.

Please?

TIA

If you have a look at the API.ino that is what this is for. You can add your own code to it and modify it in any way. If you get it working in there the I would ask that you post the code so others can use it and I may ad it in to the main Sketch if there is room on the board and it is not blocking.

Greig.

[bsnedek]

API and Homeseer Sketches

enigmatheatre,

Very nice work on your sketches. I notice that you are bit banging using UDP. Simple and elegant nice. I found an example of the cc3000 wireless Ethernet controller using UDP that I would like to try to meld into your sketch.

I would like to ask your permission before I do so though.

Please?

TIA

[bsnedek]

New to your plugin looks great!!!

Good day all,

I'm an old C# hack and have been working with HS2 and Json. Nice to see your plugin and am looking forward to giving it a spin.

My request would be for some wireless connectivity say with the cc3000 TI chip. I am a big fan of lady ada from adafruit she has done a lot with this chip and sells a shield as well as a addin board.

Looking forward to my hack on your plugin.

TIA
Brad

[enigmatheatre]

Is There a way to get an input pin to work as current cost energy type. So that it can be added to homeseers energy system and mesarues?

Hi Jakob,

I am sure I replied to this before but the post hase vanished.

I may have a look at being able to log this to the HS energy database but I have never had it working on my system and I have logged this on bugzilla but there has been no response.
I would use Jon00's great new plugin Jon00 Database which I think should do what you want.

Greig.