Week 4

Assignment - Embeded Programming

  • Group assignment:
  • Demonstrate and compare the toolchains and development workflows for available embedded architectures.
  • Document your work on the group work page and reflect on your individual page what you learned about characteristics of your printer(s)
  • Individual assignment:
  • Browse through the datasheet for a microcontroller.
  • Write and test a program for an embedded system using a microcontroller to interact (with local input &/or output devices) and communicate (with remote wired or wireless connections).

From Assignment Details.

Assignment 1.1

The toolchain I am going to document in this case is that of the Xiao ESP32-C3. Link to group assignment page.

Move to Group Assignment Page:

  1. Install Arduino IDE.
  2. Try install ESP32 Board... first install Board Package Repository.
  3. Fails on Timeout...(See Fix 2)
  4. Install Arduino-CLI,
  5. Edit YAML preferences,
  6. Retry install Board Package Repository.
  7. Install Board Package, and select port and Board (XIAO_ESP32C3 in this case)
  8. Use sample code from Wiki (changed GPIO)

Arduino Blink Example

This was a very basic project. A jungle of potential shorts and bad breadboard connections, but it works on the desk. See the sequence sketch in the Files Section below. It is a test of digital outputs, and inputs (still pending).

Arduino Short Jungle

Reflection, contd.

Documentation for the ESP32-C3 Xiao board from Seeed Studio, is available on the Seeed Studio Wiki.

  • The Breadboard prototype works while on the desk, but has disadvantages in terms of connection quality (physical, and electrical). Disconnection would interrupt protocol-based connections.

  • Fix 1 and Fix 2 below, and certain OS-specific differences remain. I would not be sure I could repeat the same process on Linux or Windows.

  • Considering Fix 1, also, it strikes me that the process of adding board package repositories has not become easier in many versions of the IDE. Just a little strange that there should be two tiers of third-party boards in my opinion.

Assignment 1.2

Datasheet for a microcontroller.

Pinout for ESP32-C3

Pinout Diagram for Espressif ESP32-C3

Pinout Diagram for Xiao ESP32-C3 SoC

Pinout Diagram for Xiao ESP32-C3

Fix 1 (Additional Board Packages)

This is documented in the Getting Started section for this board. However, it is worthwhile noting that a similar step is required for many different boards (Arduino clones, various ESP8266/ESP32's, DFRobot, and others).

For the Xiao ESP32-C3, the board package repository is:

https://jihulab.com/esp-mirror/espressif/arduino-esp32.git

Add this on your Arduino IDE Preferences page (File > Preferences on Windows, and Arduino IDE > Settings on MacOS), as follows:

Arduino Preferences

Then, the Board Manager will be able to install the respective boards as normal.

Arduino Board Manager Icon ...then search "esp32"... Arduino ESP32 Library

Fix 2 (Extend Board Manager Timeout)

If your IDE is hanging and timing out while installing boards...

Arduino Slow

Arduino Slow Failed

The Custom Boards package is hosted on a CDN that wasn't fast enough. The default timeout seems to be 300s. Based on this post by user @ptillisch, it describes how to extend the timeout and allow more time to complete.

  1. You need to additionally install the Arduino CLI. (Even though you have the IDE, settings that are configured for the CLI take precedence over those set in the GUI). [Instructions for installation](https://docs.arduino.cc/arduino-cli/installation/). In MacOS, that was as follows:

    brew install arduino-cli

  2. Locate and edit the config file:

    nano ~/.arduinoIDE/arduino-cli.yaml

  3. Add the following to the yaml, if these lines do not exist:

    network:
  connection_timeout: 1200s

Files