4-Electronics Production¶
Assignments¶
Group Assignment:¶
- Explore the datasheet for a microcontroller
- Compare the performance and development workflows for other architectures
- Document what you learned on the group assingment page and note down some points on your individual page.
Individual Assignment:¶
- Make a circuit board on tinkerCAD circuits or wokwi which can preform a simple task.
- Explore the datasheet of the microcontroller you will use.
This week, for a channge, we were required to make a road map instead of a timetable for a change. This is my roadmap for this week here
Individiual Assignment¶
To start off, firstly, we have to not down the difference between analog and digital signal, This, we covered in the local zoom meeting we had. Here is an image that may help you understand better from google.
Programming the microcontroller¶
For this process, I will be using tinkerCAD to make the circuit board and test the program. Along with that though, I will try out a code from arduinos example codes as well.
Step 1- Log into tinkerCAD and open the circuit creation menu
Step 2- Access the Board you want o test
(This i board has an example code in arduino as well, So I wanted to try this design out)
Step 3- Change the coding settings from block to text
This is the code that was there in tinkrcad.
Congratulations! You now have a working test circuit
Step 4- Now, we can also test out the arduino board.To access this, firstly we need to downloade arduino. We can do this here
Step 5- Change the settings.
Once you access this code, It will open a new arduino tab where the code will appear.
Step 6- Copy paste to tinkerCAD
This is the finished circuit in tinkerCad(the code works with the circuit to make the simulation work as well!):
Microcontroller board datasheet¶
For finding out what board to use, I used chatgpt for help. The prompt is used was:
what microcontroller should go together with a matrix portal board for uploading the code
I used this prompt because I know that i have to use a matrix portal board to change the program of the display. So, I decided that I should use a board that I can connect that board to. The name of the board I will be using is ESP32 Dev Kit
You can access more info on the datasheet for the microcontroller here
Some important points for this now is:
General
- Chip: The ESP32 is based on a dual-core Tensilica LX6 processor, which runs at up to 240 MHz.
- Floating Point Unit (FPU): Built-in support for single and double-precision floating-point operations for computational tasks.
Memory
- External RAM/Flash Support: Some ESP32 variants support connecting external flash or RAM for increased memory capacity.
Connection
- Wi-Fi: Integrated Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n support, with up to 150 Mbps throughput and support for both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands (depending on the ESP32 variant).
GPIO (General Purpose Input/Output)
- Number of GPIOs: The ESP32 has up to 34 GPIO pins that can be used for digital I/O, ADCs, DACs, PWM, SPI, I2C, UART, and other peripherals.
Power Supply
- Voltage Supply: The ESP32 Dev Kit typically operates at 3.3V, with a recommended input range of 5V via the onboard regulator. Be careful not to exceed this voltage.
This is all I researched on currently, but I hope to learn more on this later onwards.
Along with the esp32, I need to use the esp32 s3 chip to help with the graphics of the display.
Now I didnt really understand why this was necessary, so I researcher a bit more on the importance of using this chip.The following information is from chatgpt with the prompt:
why do you need the esp32 s3 chip with the microcontroller board
- Graphics and Display Support The ESP32-S3 has a hardware graphics engine that can accelerate rendering for graphics-heavy applications like the LED matrix displays. This is important for achieving smooth, responsive animations and fast frame rates. It also supports parallel data interfaces which are essential for controlling multiple LEDs in high-density displays.
- Processing Power The ESP32-S3 is equipped with a dual-core processor (with a 240 MHz clock speed), which allows it to handle tasks such as real-time data processing, networking, and display control simultaneously. This power is essential when running complex visualizations on large LED matrices.
- Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth The ESP32-S3 includes Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE capabilities, making it easy to connect the Matrix Portal to the internet or other devices. This is great for creating IoT (Internet of Things) projects, like pulling weather data, social media feeds, or streaming content directly to the display.
- Memory and Performance The ESP32-S3 has more RAM and flash storage compared to earlier versions of the ESP32, making it more suitable for running larger applications that require handling more data or assets (like images or animations) for your display.
- Support for Python or Arduino IDE The ESP32-S3 is compatible with CircuitPython and the Arduino IDE, which are both beginner-friendly platforms for programming. This makes it easier for users to develop projects without needing deep knowledge of embedded programming.