New Sparkfun power meter
Rsadeika
Posts: 3,880
I just saw a new product from Sparkfun : Sparkfun power meter-ACS37800. Since they do not show any useful code, for me anyway. I am wondering if this board could be used with the P2 Edge product. I am not even sure if Spin2 could handle this. Since I am not a Spin2 person, maybe some example code could be provided, if this board could be used with the Edge.
Thanks
Ray
Comments
It's an I2C device, so yes, you could use it with the Edge -- all you need is an I2C library and a bit of interface code.
My P2 I2C object: https://obex.parallax.com/obex/i2c/
For an I2C connection the small differences between Spin1 and Spin2 are inconsequential. That said, on the I2C library page in ObEx there is a bus scanner example that will show you how to work with that library.
Thanks Jon, I think I will buy that board, and try my luck with getting it connected to a P2 Edge. Now I am trying to decide if I should take up learning how to use Spin2. I saw your presentation for the maaca spin tools, I just might have to install it on a Windows box, and maybe try doing some Spin2 stuff, not quite sure about that just yet.
I think that since there is a ton of example code, for Spin2, it should be much easier to learn the Spin2, this time around, will see.
Ray
Spin2 -- like Spin1 -- is very easy, and in many ways nicer. For example, built-in pin control with pinhigh(), pinlow(), pintoggle(), etc. Delays, too, with waitms() and waitus() (though each are limited to a ~10 second delay). My favorite part is inline assembly. If you look at my I2C library for the P2 you'll see that it's all assembly code, but it doesn't invoke a cog.
The P2 has a few new opeators, but something I like is that >= and <= behave as expected. I also like the ternary operator.
BTW, if your project can use the INA219
-- https://www.adafruit.com/product/904
I have P1 and P2 demo code. I use that device in laser tag and other projects, and even built my own P2-Accessory style board for it.
On Windows, all you have to do is unzip a folder to the location of your choice. Easy-peasy. Marco has done an amazing job with it and -- from my experience, anyway -- is open to suggestions that make sense.
Just a reminder: Don't try to conquer Spin2 (or anything, for that matter) in a day. Poke around very slowly. Spin2 is bigger than Spin1 so there is a lot to learn, especially when it comes to Smart Pins (which also save a lot of cogs). A nice thing about Spin2 is that it is not burned into the silicon; it actually gets downloaded with your code. This has allowed Chip to make improvements to it as those of us who work with Spin2 have ideas.
There have certainly been additions, and maybe a few changes, yet this article that I wrote way back in the beginning of the P2 might be helpful.
-- https://www.nutsvolts.com/magazine/article/an-introduction-to-the-parallax-propeller-2
Definitely don't use the code that can be downloaded from that article; get the latest from ObEx.
I just looked into the INA219 breakout board, very interesting. I will have to see what kind of voltage my solar panel array is producing. Maybe I can use the INA219 instead. And since you have some spin code, maybe I can use your code.
What I am thinking about now, is getting the solar panel array voltages and data logging the input. Not sure how I would do that with Spin2. Doing it with Python was very easy, plus I could easily open the log file to view the data. With Spin2 this might be a little more than I can handle, will have to see.
Ray