Messages

1

TinyDuino Processors & TinyShields / Issues with stacking some shields?

« on: March 10, 2016, 12:02:27 PM »

I have a motor shield and a usb shield in my TinyDuino stack, and I was trying to debug why my motor shield was shorting out intermittently.  I thought maybe I had done a poor job of soldering the power or motor connectors onto the motor shield or that I had blown one of the boards somehow.  Then I discovered that the bottoms motor shield connectors were touching the metal of the usb port connector, and thus shorting out.  I fixed it by restacking the boards so the use was on the top, but then realized that almost anything stacked above the usb shield will end up shorting out on that usb port connector.  So, I hace "fixed" the issue by inserting an unused proto board above the usb shield.

Anyone encounter similar issues?  Maybe the power connector for the motor shield could be offset to the left or right in future revs of the board?

-Mark

2

New Product Ideas / Re: longer mounting screws

« on: March 10, 2016, 11:54:57 AM »

I support this.  Is there a source for longer screws?  I could not find anything/anyplace obvious as a source.

-Mark

3

TinyDuino Processors & TinyShields / Power to TinyShield Dual Motor?

« on: February 23, 2016, 01:32:43 AM »

I am going to be using two Dual Motor Shields (ASD2302-R) on my project.  Do I need to run power to both of the boards or can I run power to just one (and still power all 4 motors)?  The power source is going to be the same for both boards, that is why I am asking.

thanks,
-Mark

4

New Product Ideas / TinyDuino Processor/TinyShield proto combo to better integrate in circuits

« on: February 19, 2016, 11:50:27 PM »

If the TinyShield protoboard supported just a top socket connector (female), and the TinyDuino Processor board supported both top and bottom socket connectors (female/male), then it would be really easy to integrate a TinyDuino into a custom circuit board by soldering the protoboard to headers on the custom circuit board, and then stacking the TinyDuino and other tiny boards on top of it.  Right now, I guess you can achieve the same by having everything "upside down" with the TinyDuino on top.  But it is not immediately obvious, at least it wasn't to me.

-Mark

5

New Product Ideas / Breadboard compatible TinyDuino

« on: February 19, 2016, 11:43:40 PM »

Instead of having to depend on the TinyShield Protoboard, why not have a TinyDuino Breakout board.  It would basically be a TinyDuino, but all of the Arduino digital and analog pins would be laid out in a breadboard friendly layout.  The board would have a socket that would allow plugging in other Tiny boards.  This would make it easier to prototype, and then when ready for the real thing, just swap the breakout board for a real TinyDuino and a protoboard.

Alternatively, the breakout board could just have the breadboard friendly layout and a socket, but no built in TinyDuino processor.  This would allow for a TinyDuino to be plugged into it to provide the "brains".  But this would require the TinyDuino to have an option for having both top and bottom connectors, like other Tiny boards.  Not sure how doable that is.  But again, it would make it super easy to prototype using the TinyDuino and other tiny boards.

-Mark

6

TinyDuino Processors & TinyShields / Re: Problem with initial use of TinyDuino

« on: October 02, 2013, 09:33:19 PM »

Thanks, Ken!

Just to follow up in the forum here, it appears to have been some kind of software installation problem.  When I tried the original boards on my home computer (I had tried on two different computers while traveling), everything worked as it is supposed to.  The blink program downloaded without errors and then ran correctly and continuously.  I don't know what was up with the environments on the other computers, but I am just happy that things are working as expected now.

So, thanks again for the great service!  Looking forward to using my boards on upcoming projects.

-Mark

7

TinyDuino Processors & TinyShields / Re: Problem with initial use of TinyDuino

« on: September 20, 2013, 10:16:58 PM »

Did anyone have any advice on how to fix this?  Is there something wrong with my TinyDuino perhaps?

-Mark

8

TinyDuino Processors & TinyShields / Re: Problem with initial use of TinyDuino

« on: September 06, 2013, 09:44:15 PM »

I will also add that I did select the "Arduino Pro or Pro Mini (3.3v, 8Mhz) w/ ATMega328" for the board and COM3 for the serial port.

-Mark

9

TinyDuino Processors & TinyShields / Problem with initial use of TinyDuino

« on: September 06, 2013, 09:37:53 PM »

Hi,

I am trying to get started with my TinyDuino processor board and USB shield.  I am following the directions on the "Getting Started with your TinyDuino" card that came with my package.  I installed the Windows VCP driver from here (http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm), and I installed the Arduino IDE (1.0.5).  I connect my shields together, attach the USB cable, connect it to the computer.  Windows finds the USB device.  I compile and upload the "Blink" example.

I get a message of:
avrdude: stk500_getsync(): not in sync: resp=0x30

and nothing happens.  I unplug and replug the usb cable, the 2 leds on the USB shield go bright for a second or two, and then the led on the processor board starts to blink.  It blinks about 5 times and then stops.

If I try to upload again, I have to unplug/replug the usb cable, and I get the same behavior.  This does not seem right.

What have I done wrong? How can I debug it to fix it?

-Mark

10

New Product Ideas / Re: Beginner I/O Female Board -- Mini Breadboard

« on: August 30, 2013, 12:45:39 PM »

I like this idea as well.  It would get people up and running with prototyping much faster.  It could just be the proto1 shield with female connectors.

-Mark