Yep! There's a whole lot coming. It'll be a while yet before we're pushing your skill, Publison. But give us some time, and in due course we'll be showing some really unique projects.
Hey Ken, somehow my question didn't make the Webinar earlier, but what plans are there for expanding the available blocks in Blockly for additional periphals/parts?
I am starting my daughter out with Blockly and her S2 (as well as my activity Board)
Hey Ken, somehow my question didn't make the Webinar earlier, but what plans are there for expanding the available blocks in Blockly for additional periphals/parts?
I am starting my daughter out with Blockly and her S2 (as well as my activity Board)
We're soon adding graping capability and improved terminal.
Blocks I would like to see first:
1) Basic datalogging to an SD card
2) Reading values from an SD card
3) Date and Time from GPS
4) RTC functions
I am still learning BlocklyProp, but as I start digging deeper, I want to be able to share some projects that I have completed in SPIN by converting them over to BlocklyProp for some "real life" examples. One of them utilizes dumping times/values to an SD card, so that would be nice to have in BlocklyProp. Another thought that I had was to migrate my Reverse Geocache Birthday Present project over to BlocklyProp since that should gather interest of students.
Everything you mentioned is at least in the queue. Date and Time from GPS is already in demo, but untested/broken, so that will go first. RTC is an unknown right now, but if you're willing to point me to or provide me with some solid c examples that would work for you, that might speed me up a bit
As for the SD card, it's not a technical challenge, it's a question of how to implement the file pointer in Blockly. It needs to be carefully crafted and designed before I can built it, and I haven't gotten there yet.
Sounds good. I don't do anything with C, so can't help with solid examples for the RTC. I would hope someone is using the RTC that Parallax now sells with C to help with that.
Understood on the SD card. Unless you make it extremely generic (like an SD version of EEPROM) I can see how it will create difficulties with all the variables with how someone would want to make use of the data. My thoughts would be to create a standard table format for the file on the SD card. In other words, the Blockly SD Block saves 8 values (words/bytes/strings??) delimited to a specifically named file. Somehow, a pointer is defined for each "row" of data so that data for specific points can be retrieved if being used
So, for a 6 zone temperature data logger, you could store 8 values like this (using the pipe as a delimiter for example for log at 11:34pm today):
05182017|2334|86|76|77|79|75|77|78
For a 2 zone datalogger, it would be:
05182017|2334|74|86|||||
Because the row of data always has 8 fields.
Forgive my ignorance with how the data is stored via blockly blocks since I have only done straightforward datalogging with OBEX SD card drivers.
Good morning Ken & Matthew,
I would like to use Blockly Prop as the primary programming environment for my Mobile Systems class next spring term. Will there be an option to download the compiler to a local server within our school and run Blockly local without the cloud based server currently required?
MikeH
GBCC, Portsmouth NH
You inspired me to try this out on a QuickStart board. Minor feedback is that it would be nice to be able to use a variable with Analog/Pulses:RC time. Pin states:check PIN already has this option.
I have a sensing application that periodically stores a few bytes with a time stamp.
I agree with WBA's opinion for an SD "basic" block. Make it limited but easy to use. For a lot of purposes efficiency isn't important. Saving only one variable size and always in a group of eight would be fine.
Also, I would use RTC block for Product ID: 29125, especially if output could be used easily with a basic SD block.
Good morning Ken & Matthew,
I would like to use Blockly Prop as the primary programming environment for my Mobile Systems class next spring term. Will there be an option to download the compiler to a local server within our school and run Blockly local without the cloud based server currently required?
MikeH
GBCC, Portsmouth NH
A little late, but just noticed your questions to Ken.
If you don't have an answer, either phone Parallax or email Ken or Parallax. Parallax are very responsive.
Good morning Ken & Matthew,
I would like to use Blockly Prop as the primary programming environment for my Mobile Systems class next spring term. Will there be an option to download the compiler to a local server within our school and run Blockly local without the cloud based server currently required?
MikeH
GBCC, Portsmouth NH
Hey Mike! We're still working on the best way to accommodate this request, which comes up about once out of every 30-50 inquiries about our Blockly efforts. The biggest request until now has been Chromebook support, so we've put all of our resources into that project. Now that it's released we have a few other smaller priorities related to our Terminal functionality, library support for the ActivityBot, etc. Soon we will be able to give this more attention.
Often, this request comes from people doing presentation - at conferences or other places where the internet access is either non-existent or limited, in locations where computers are locked down and have no internet (often government training centers).
Possible options until we figure something out:
- We engage community to dive into our GitHub resources and figure out how to make it run offline
- use a WiFi HotSpot from Verizon or Sprint to provide internet access
I think we'll have this problem solve at some point between Fall and Spring, but I don't know when. I'm a little tired when I wrote this message so hopefully it makes sense.
Comments
Bare bones always gets instant gratification and the ..what can I do next?.
I am starting my daughter out with Blockly and her S2 (as well as my activity Board)
We're soon adding graping capability and improved terminal.
What are you looking for exactly?
Ken Gracey
1) Basic datalogging to an SD card
2) Reading values from an SD card
3) Date and Time from GPS
4) RTC functions
I am still learning BlocklyProp, but as I start digging deeper, I want to be able to share some projects that I have completed in SPIN by converting them over to BlocklyProp for some "real life" examples. One of them utilizes dumping times/values to an SD card, so that would be nice to have in BlocklyProp. Another thought that I had was to migrate my Reverse Geocache Birthday Present project over to BlocklyProp since that should gather interest of students.
Everything you mentioned is at least in the queue. Date and Time from GPS is already in demo, but untested/broken, so that will go first. RTC is an unknown right now, but if you're willing to point me to or provide me with some solid c examples that would work for you, that might speed me up a bit
As for the SD card, it's not a technical challenge, it's a question of how to implement the file pointer in Blockly. It needs to be carefully crafted and designed before I can built it, and I haven't gotten there yet.
Understood on the SD card. Unless you make it extremely generic (like an SD version of EEPROM) I can see how it will create difficulties with all the variables with how someone would want to make use of the data. My thoughts would be to create a standard table format for the file on the SD card. In other words, the Blockly SD Block saves 8 values (words/bytes/strings??) delimited to a specifically named file. Somehow, a pointer is defined for each "row" of data so that data for specific points can be retrieved if being used
So, for a 6 zone temperature data logger, you could store 8 values like this (using the pipe as a delimiter for example for log at 11:34pm today):
05182017|2334|86|76|77|79|75|77|78
For a 2 zone datalogger, it would be:
05182017|2334|74|86|||||
Because the row of data always has 8 fields.
Forgive my ignorance with how the data is stored via blockly blocks since I have only done straightforward datalogging with OBEX SD card drivers.
I would like to use Blockly Prop as the primary programming environment for my Mobile Systems class next spring term. Will there be an option to download the compiler to a local server within our school and run Blockly local without the cloud based server currently required?
MikeH
GBCC, Portsmouth NH
I agree with WBA's opinion for an SD "basic" block. Make it limited but easy to use. For a lot of purposes efficiency isn't important. Saving only one variable size and always in a group of eight would be fine.
Also, I would use RTC block for Product ID: 29125, especially if output could be used easily with a basic SD block.
If you don't have an answer, either phone Parallax or email Ken or Parallax. Parallax are very responsive.
Hey Mike! We're still working on the best way to accommodate this request, which comes up about once out of every 30-50 inquiries about our Blockly efforts. The biggest request until now has been Chromebook support, so we've put all of our resources into that project. Now that it's released we have a few other smaller priorities related to our Terminal functionality, library support for the ActivityBot, etc. Soon we will be able to give this more attention.
Often, this request comes from people doing presentation - at conferences or other places where the internet access is either non-existent or limited, in locations where computers are locked down and have no internet (often government training centers).
Possible options until we figure something out:
- We engage community to dive into our GitHub resources and figure out how to make it run offline
- use a WiFi HotSpot from Verizon or Sprint to provide internet access
I think we'll have this problem solve at some point between Fall and Spring, but I don't know when. I'm a little tired when I wrote this message so hopefully it makes sense.
Ken Gracey
https://github.com/google/blockly-games/wiki/Offline