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P2 mini starter bundle project — Parallax Forums

P2 mini starter bundle project

I was not sure about where I should place this thread, but I think for max exposure, for the general audience, maybe this is a good spot.

I should be getting my package, maybe tomorrow, I hope. I am also getting the WiFI SIP plus the accompanying accessory board for the edge. I will probably be using FlexProp, since I think it should work with the WiFi setup. I also will probably be experimenting with FlexBasic.

I have two existing projects that are now using the Activity Board, I will be replacing one with the P2 edge setup. The most likely to be replaced will be my solar station project. I use the Activity board because it has the ADC capability. Now that the P2 has that capability, I hope FlexBasic has some drivers for the ADC component on the P2. Since I will have to access my Raspberry Pi with a comm port, I think I know how to do that, since I have tried that, maybe a year ago, with the Activity board and FleProp. Not sure how I will be making the connection between the two devices.

I also have temp module on the Activity board, not sure how I will achieve that on the P2 edge configuration. I am trying to stay away from having a small breadboard next to the P2 edge configuration, minimizing the amount wires is a priority.

Since this setup is going to be data collection and then moving the data to the raspberry Pi for insertion to SQLite database, hopefully the P2 will be able to do the job. I will probably be adding other components, like an LCD display to view the data collected results.

Ray

Comments

  • VonSzarvasVonSzarvas Posts: 3,450
    edited 2021-01-04 19:11
    Hi Ray,

    In case you need the latest firmware version (v1.3) for the WiFi module, you can download the httpd_1218.ota firmware update file here:
    https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/11KquS93woptxTfJMx8J7WY4tSFkeH9Oq

    Power up the WiFi module, browse to the web-gui (192.168.4.1), then use the firmware menu to upload the .ota file.


    Looking forward to following your progress.

  • UPS shows that my package is out for delivery, says I will be getting it sometime before 9:00PM. 9:00PM, what the heck.

    Since this P2 Edge concept is something new, any special handling or assembly issues to be considered. I hate to put it together and have the whole thing go up in smoke, or worse yet, P2 cannot be found.

    Also, any special handling of the WiFi assembly. I take it that it should be very straight forward, I hope. I do not want to fry that the first time out.

    Thanks
    Ray
  • I received my package and proceeded to assemble my P2 Edge system.

    !. Make sure you have a picture of the correct orientation of the P2 Edge as it sits in the mini breakout board. Of course I had mine inserted the wrong way. Started up FlexProp and ran the blink2.bas file, worked as expected. So far so good.

    2. Here is where the PROBLEM occurs. I plugged in the WiFi module and adapter board, goes only one way. The blue LED is solid, and when I tried 192.168.4.1, it would not allow a connection. I know that the blue LED is supposed to be flashing, so, I am not sure what needs to be done to make this thing work. Very DISAPPOINTED.

    I am 50/50 on the satisfaction scale with the product so far.

    Ray
  • Do you have any code running in the P2 at the moment ?
    Quick test... whilst holding the reset button down (on the JonnyMac board), try connecting to 192.168.4.1 again. (And also observe if the ASC led behavior changes)

  • The LED only flashes when it is connected to a network. It is not connected to your network yet and is on solid because it is an Access Point.

    To connect to it you need a phone or your computer and leave your network and discover this unit which has it's own network name. Then you can connect it to your network from there and it will flash blue every so often.

    Mike
  • At this point, I would recommend the P2 Edge and the Edge breakout. Just make sure you do not insert the P2 Edge in backwards.

    As for the WiFi module and breakout for the P2, I do not recommend it for anybody that is a novice or just starting out with the Propeller. I am still trying to work out the problems, when and if I get it solved, I will discuss it here, in full detail.

    Ray
  • Sounds like perfect material for a P2 Quick Byte (details coming soon!).

    Ken Gracey
  • For the WiFi, I think I got to work, but I am not sure.

    I remember reading, some time back, about pressing the reset button four or five times very quickly, which I did, that sort of made it so I could make some progress with the Edge WiFi. I used my Raspberry Pi to get to 192.168.4.1 and change some things around. The weird part is when tried to access the Edge WiFi with me Widows 10 desktop WiFi, the Edge WiFi had a strong signal, but my Windows kept prompting with a cannot connect message. Still have not figured that one out.

    I am a little disappointed that FlexProp does not have the WiFi for the P2 working.

    I thought I knew what I was supposed to do, but this threw me for a loop.

    Ray
  • This is not a simple thing to add to Flexprop.

    First the scan for ports needs to be updated in Flexprop so that it runs the discovery code for the WiFi module. This will allow you to pick it as a com port. The code for this is readily available.

    Second the LoadP2 loader program has to be modified to include sockets and telnet to be able to talk to the WiFi module and start the load code process. It maybe simpler to just create a socket version of the LoadP2 Program.

    Then we need an updated terminal program that can use telnet as a com port so that we can see the output from the P2.

    Mike
  • I have made a very bad assumption.

    I have not used FlexProp in awhile, but the last time that I did use it, it was with a P1. At that time, I was using FlexProp with a WiFi setup, and it was working. So my assumption was that if it worked with the P1, it would also be working with a P2 setup. Not sure but I think ersmith made some changes to the original propload program, I did not know that the changes that were made did not include support for the P2.

    My project would rely on a P2 Edge system that gets accessed and programmed via the WiFi. Now I am not so sure which way I should go with this.

    At the moment, with the Activity Board, in place, I can use the Raspberry Pi to program the board. I found this setup to be some what cumbersome to work with. I would prefer to access the P2, in this case, directly.

    Ray
  • Just to verify, for PropFlex, in the GUI, I inserted the propplug and changed it to P1 defaults. It found the comm port and it also found the WiFi IP. Then I changed over to P2 defaults and the WiFi IP was still visible, but when I tried to load a P2 program, nothing happened. I was using the latest FlexProp version, so WiFi access for the P2 is still not there.

    I also noticed that in the Special menu, "Enter P2 ROM TAQOZ" is available. Since I can enter the Telnet service, for the WiFi IP, is there a way to start a TAQOZ session via the Telnet. Not sure what you could do with it, although I thought there were plans to have a full functioning TAQOZ. What would this offer as an alternative. Just trying to figure out all of of the options that are available for the P2 Edge.

    Ray
  • There are two loader programs. Loadp2 for the P2 and Proploader for the P1. PropLoader has code in it to deal with the WiFi module, the P2 loader does not.

    When you switched to the P2 you also switch loaders.

    To talk to the P2 you can use putty or some other telnet program and just use the IP address of the WiFi module to bring up TAQOZ.

    Mike
  • I used Tera Term Telnet, in the terminal screen. it just stays blank. Then I get a "Connection timed out" message. If the connection timed out, I guess that means that TAQOZ is not reacting. Must be more to it than meets the eye.

    Ray
  • Cluso99Cluso99 Posts: 18,069
    If you can get a terminal program working to the P2, the after the P2 has reset or powered up, you can type “> “ followed by <esc> and you should see the TAQOZ ROM response. This is a greater-than character $3E IIRC followed by a space character $20 followed by an escape char $1B IIRC.

    You could also try the ROM Monitor by “> “ followed by Ctl_D and you should see the monitor response. Then go to TAQOZ with <esc> <cr>
  • Since the WiFi module in what your connecting to with Tera Term it should connect no mater what the state of the P2. The WiFi module is excepting the connection.
    Since your getting an error then you have the wrong IP address or you are not using port 23, Like Putty it wants to make a secure connection on port 22. This is the wrong port for telnet.

    Once you get a connection you can talk to the WiFi module if commands are turned on by entering the codes found in the manual for the WiFi module or it will pass through data to the P2.

    Mike
  • I am not making any headway with the WiFi aspect, I think I have tried just about everything I can think of.

    I guess I will have to just start blinking the LED, with P2 code, how many different ways can I do this.

    Ray
  • Whichever code you use, avoid using P56 or P57 leds when using the WiFi module, as they control functions of the wifi module. Product guide for the adapter shows the pinout.

    Instead add an LED with series R to the breadboard and chose an IO pin below P55.

  • Sorry to hear that. I have several of these units and they all work very well.

    I have several videos and project that use this unit.

    This one uses a custom program to access and program the P2. WiFi Programmer

    This one uses the WiFi Module to send commands to it to move a robot arm: SCARA Project. Even though this is talking to a P1 the same holds for a P2 in this case.

    Mike
  • I think that I may have bought into the P2 just a little to early. This almost looks like when the P1 was first introduced, things are scattered all over, and a lot of people are going in there own direction.

    I got spoiled with SimpleIDE and the Activity WX board. Everything thing is plug and play, and almost everything is covered from a software and driver standpoint.

    Not sure what I will be doing next!

    Ray
  • Ray, it took us a number of years to mature the P1. SimpleIDE was released several years after the P1 chip and BlocklyProp took about ten years. The WiFi firmware was just recently revised and isn't fully documented.

    We're still in the P2 early adopter phase and will be for at least six more months while the tools and examples start to mature. You're part of an organic effort, as you already know. It's not common for a small company to design their own silicon, so it takes a while for the single inventor to fully document what he's created. Tools, code, and even hardware follow this to some extent.

    I'm thrilled how everybody above is helping you, above. They're trying to come up with solutions even though we're all in the same early adopter situation.

    If your expectations are not met and you're going to delay the effort I'd be pleased to accept the hardware back since we could use the JonnyMac/Edge boards for P2 Quick Bytes, as discussed on the P2 Live Forum. We don't want you or anybody else to be disappointed and will try to do a better job advising potential customers where we are in the process.

    Ken Gracey

  • Thanks for the return offer, but I will not be returning anything. I will stop posting about the P2, I have been here a very long time, and I do not want to get banned. Sorry that my critic's were taken the wrong way.

    Ray
  • Rsadeika wrote: »
    Thanks for the return offer, but I will not be returning anything. I will stop posting about the P2, I have been here a very long time, and I do not want to get banned. Sorry that my critic's were taken the wrong way.

    Ray

    We don't want you to stop posting and asking P2 questions. You're not going to get banned for anything like this.

    You will be here for many more decades, like the rest of us, so carry on! I think I make posts like this periodically just to help others also understand where we are in the development pipeline. Like you, I wish it was already turnkey.

    Ken Gracey
  • Just an update.

    After working with P2 Edge mini, it looks like I will have to get the P2 Edge breadboard. It looks like the Edge breadboard will be a better fit, at this time, for what I am doing.

    The P1 board (Activity board) that is being replaced, I had a CM2302 module and I was using all the ADC ports. In order to use the CM2302, now, I need a breadboard available. Also for the ADC aspect, now that I have to create voltage dividers, using specific resistors, I need a breadboard. I have a uSD reader, I need a breadboard. So, for the time being their are a lot of individual items, that I have on hand, they need a breadboard.

    I was thinking about wire for interconnecting things, the one thought that I had is, telephone cord. I bet everybody probably has telephone cord, in varying lengths that is just lying around and not being implemented. I think the the telephone cord is rj11, but I am not sure. So maybe in the future there could be an accessory board that could have rj11 connectors on it, and you could plug in the telephone cord to connect a couple of devices. I am also thinking maybe an ADC accessory board with some rj11 connectors. I also think that the telephone cord could be used for comm between two devices. Just in case you had another P2 Edge system, maybe 30' away that you wanted to interconnect. Specifically, for this project I want to implement a couple of CM2302 modules that could be, maybe 10' away from the P2 Edge system.

    Just a few thoughts that came to mind.

    Ray
  • I have a P2 Edge breadboard and highly recommend it, it's a well thought out quality product.
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