Iboard - Cheap Single board Ethernet Arduino with Radio

[gregl]

Anyone using the iBoard with 1.4, see: http://forum.mysensors.org/topic/466/ethernet-gateway-problem/61#

Adding the line to setup gave me stability.

SPI.setClockDivider(SPI_CLOCK_DIV2); //to assist with gateway stability.

[Firestarter]

@gregl Thank you for your guide how to do the hardware changes. I'm more of a software guy, so I would like to try that route. You mentioned the software changes to the RF24 library in the wiki, but where should I change this library? I'm would like to use the EthernetGateway.ino on the iBoard, but I'm missing something and I can't figure out what it is. Just started with MySensors.

I hope you can give me some pointers.
Thanks a lot!
Firestarter

[gregl]

@Firestarter said:

ges to the RF24 library in the wiki, but where should I change this library? I'm would like to use the EthernetGateway.ino on the iBoard, but I'm missing something and I can't figure out what it is. Just started with MySensors.

I hope you can give me some pointers.

Hi Firestarter...Welcome! MySensors is very cool and keeps getting better all the time from community ideas/projects... and of course Hek keeps improving and adding great stuff all the time too!
The "wiki" i made reference too is here:http://wiki.iteadstudio.com/IBoard
at the bottom is some "Useful Links" two of which are to forks of the RF24 library. So you could go this route, but as i think i said before, if you do then you need to repeat if/whenever there is a change to the RF24 lib used by the other sensors you create...or you need to have 2 diff versions of the lib....
Imho, doing the hardware hack is best as its a one off job ( and its easy )and then you can load newer versions without needing to worry about lib changes!

Good luck and enjoy!

[Hacker007]

This post is deleted!

[AtomicGrog]

I have just received 2 of these devices and will be making the mods posted over the next week or so but I am intrigued. Is the iBoard a valid product or are we trying to do something unintended with the mysensor software?

What I mean is this... how can someone manufacture and sell a duino which requires hardware modifications for it's unique selling characteristics to work? if you sell an Ethernet/RF24 (Header) duino shouldnt it work out of the box?

[nneeoo]

Hi. I just used MySensors library with the iBoard without any HW modifications. All You have to do is to edit utils/RF24_config.h.

uncomment the following line:

#define SOFTSPI   // Requires library from https://github.com/greiman/DigitalIO

and modify SOFT SPI PIN definitions to

const uint8_t SOFT_SPI_MISO_PIN = 6; 
const uint8_t SOFT_SPI_MOSI_PIN = 5; 
const uint8_t SOFT_SPI_SCK_PIN = 7;

And it all "just works" ;) Of course you have to have the DigitalIO library, too.

[gregl]

Nice one!

[Hacker007]

Hi. I have tried nneeoos' solution fot SOFTSPI, but the code only compiles if I use DigitalIO library in my main INO file too (I tried MQTTGateway ethernet on Iboard). I have the latest librarys. After uploading I get "check wires".

[tbully]

Hello. I too tried @nneeoo 's edits and am getting check wires.

Here's my relevant RH24_Config settings:

  const uint8_t SOFT_SPI_MISO_PIN = 6; 
  const uint8_t SOFT_SPI_MOSI_PIN = 5; 
  const uint8_t SOFT_SPI_SCK_PIN = 7;  
  const uint8_t SPI_MODE = 0;

And here's my setup in my gateway sketch:

 #include <Ethernet.h>   


 #define INCLUSION_MODE_TIME 1 // Number of minutes inclusion mode is enabled
 #define INCLUSION_MODE_PIN  3 // Digital pin used for inclusion mode button

 #define RADIO_CE_PIN        5  // radio chip enable
 #define RADIO_SPI_SS_PIN    6  // radio SPI serial select
 #define RADIO_ERROR_LED_PIN 10  // Error led pin
 #define RADIO_RX_LED_PIN    8  // Receive led pin
 #define RADIO_TX_LED_PIN    9  // the PCB, on board LED

 #define IP_PORT 5003        // The port you want to open 
 IPAddress myIp (192, 168, 34, 169);

[tbully]

To be clear, I'm not afraid to do the hardware modification but it appears that @nneeoo got it to work without doing so. If that's true, I'd like to go that route........

[tbully]

As an update....I gave up on the software method and just did the hardware modification.

All is well now.

One question: How did you guys do the LED and inclusion buttons? Did you carefully solder right to the Atmega chip or is there a better place to grab the needed pins?

What pins did you use for TX/RX/ERR/Inclusion?

[gregl]

Hi @tbully - i personally never bothered with leds/inclusion button.

My gatway is underneath my staircase near vera and my wifi router, so other than when i make a change, i never see it - so leds wouldnt help me.

When i do an inclusion i do so via software..so no button needed either...

I would like a nice 3d printed case for it one day...still havent boxed the iboard up!

[tbully]

@gregl said:

Hi @tbully - i personally never bothered with leds/inclusion button.

My gatway is underneath my staircase near vera and my wifi router, so other than when i make a change, i never see it - so leds wouldnt help me.

When i do an inclusion i do so via software..so no button needed either...

I would like a nice 3d printed case for it one day...still havent boxed the iboard up!

Same here, @gregl . I appreciate your write-ups above. They really helped out. I'd like to find a printer and user @jtm312 's design but would like to know how he got the LEDs and Button wired up. Soldering directly to the chip could be difficult without a steady hand.

[hugob]

I am using the Itead iBoard as a gateway to a Vera Light for a few days now. Without any hardware modifications, only a few changes in header files required. I think the main issue is that you should map the inclusion button and led's to the Ax pins and use the full constructor (with 7 parameters). Beware of the last line in the first snippet. If you use the shortcut constructor (with three parameters), it will use defaults for the other parameters and your defs will be ignored.
To verify my assumptions above, I included a led to the A2 pin and it is blinking as expected on arrival of a packet.
The code below may look intimidating. But I posted the whole thing for easy reference. You can do the software changes in one minute.

Hugo

Snippet from EthernetGateway.ino:

#define INCLUSION_MODE_TIME 1 // Number of minutes inclusion mode is enabled
#define INCLUSION_MODE_PIN  14 //A0 // Digital pin used for inclusion mode button

#define RADIO_CE_PIN        3 // radio chip enable
#define RADIO_SPI_SS_PIN    8  // radio SPI serial select
#define RADIO_ERROR_LED_PIN 15 //A1 // Error led pin
#define RADIO_RX_LED_PIN    16 //A2 // Receive led pin
#define RADIO_TX_LED_PIN    17 //A3 // the PCB, on board LED

#define IP_PORT 5003        // The port you want to open 
IPAddress myIp (192, 168, 178, 66);  // Configure your static ip-address here    COMPILE ERROR HERE? Use Arduino IDE 1.5.7 or later!

// The MAC address can be anything you want but should be unique on your network.
// Newer boards have a MAC address printed on the underside of the PCB, which you can (optionally) use.
// Note that most of the Ardunio examples use  "DEAD BEEF FEED" for the MAC address.
byte mac[] = { 0xDE, 0xAD, 0xBE, 0xEF, 0xFE, 0xED };  // DEAD BEEF FEED

// a R/W server on the port
EthernetServer server = EthernetServer(IP_PORT);

// No blink or button functionality. Use the vanilla constructor.
//MyGateway gw(RADIO_CE_PIN, RADIO_SPI_SS_PIN, INCLUSION_MODE_TIME);

// Uncomment this constructor if you have leds and include button attached to your gateway 
MyGateway gw(RADIO_CE_PIN, RADIO_SPI_SS_PIN, INCLUSION_MODE_TIME, INCLUSION_MODE_PIN, RADIO_RX_LED_PIN, RADIO_TX_LED_PIN, RADIO_ERROR_LED_PIN);

Snippet from \Arduino\libraries\MySensors\utility\RF24_config.h

#define MINIMAL
  //#define SPI_UART  // Requires library from https://github.com/TMRh20/Sketches/tree/master/SPI_UART
  #define SOFTSPI   // Requires library from https://github.com/greiman/DigitalIO
  /**********************/
  
  // Define _BV for non-Arduino platforms and for Arduino DUE
#if defined (ARDUINO) && !defined (__arm__)
	#if defined(__AVR_ATtiny25__) || defined(__AVR_ATtiny45__) || defined(__AVR_ATtiny85__) || defined(__AVR_ATtiny24__) || defined(__AVR_ATtiny44__) || defined(__AVR_ATtiny84__)
		#define RF24_TINY
		#define _SPI SPI
	#else
	  #if defined SPI_UART
		#include <SPI_UART.h>
		#define _SPI uspi
	  #elif defined SOFTSPI
	  // change these pins to your liking
	  //
	  const uint8_t SOFT_SPI_MISO_PIN = 6; 
	  const uint8_t SOFT_SPI_MOSI_PIN = 5; 
	  const uint8_t SOFT_SPI_SCK_PIN = 7;  
	  const uint8_t SPI_MODE = 0;
	  #define _SPI spi
		  #else	    
		#include <SPI.h>
		#define _SPI SPI
	  #endif
	#endif
#else

[gregl]

@hugob - Finally got to try this last night late...Success!

I did also need to add to the EthernetGateway.ino this line to load the Softspi libs...

#include <DigitalIO.h>     <-added this too!
#include <SPI.h>  
#include <MySensor.h>
#include <MyGateway.h>  
#include <stdarg.h>

I also needed to compile it under a newer IDE version due to memory..I used 1.6.5.

[hugob]

@gregl
Good to hear that you can confirm that this is working. My unmodified IBoard gateway is working for months now without problems. But as I said in some other topic, this board needs a decent power supply.
So all you need for a MySensors Ethernet gateway is this board, a NRF24L01 Radio that plugs in into this board, and a power supply. No mess with cables like in http://www.mysensors.org/build/ethernet_gateway. This board has 7 IO ports in case you want the leds. For $17.50 this is a no brainer.

[hugob]

OK, I did forget some minor drawback. You need a FTDI adapter to program this IBoard from the Arduino UI.

[soward]

I'm using this as a gateway w/ 1.5 also with no issue. I do have the LEDs hooked up as well, using an oversized 'recovered' power supply and the PA+LNA radio with no problems. All I need is a nice case...

[5546dug]

My iboard gw is up and running so far so good!

Using the basic sketch with no LEDs

Question I see only A0 to A5 I/o s where or how can I use t he sketches pins d6 -d9 pins?

I printed the my sensors 3d stl file for the gw and it fits great, but there are the holes for the 3 LEDs and re include button .

Any help would be good maybe just a senior moment eh?

[Dwalt]

@soward said:

All I need is a nice case...

Print one