suggestions for enhancements to webcontrol (not 32)

[CAI_Support]

SPI bus speed is a lot faster than handling TTL input and output in PLC.  What kind of device are you talking about?  We are thinking to implement SPI/I2C support on a separate chip that can communicate with WebControl.  Than people can purchase this IC as option to talk to the WC boards.  But we need to know what kind of devices would be supported then we can define the spec.

 

[rossw]

SPI bus speed is a lot faster than handling TTL input and output in PLC.  What kind of device are you talking about?  We are thinking to implement SPI/I2C support on a separate chip that can communicate with WebControl.  Than people can purchase this IC as option to talk to the WC boards.  But we need to know what kind of devices would be supported then we can define the spec.

 
I can't find a specific reference to the LOWEST speed SPI (or I2C for that matter) will work. Plenty of upper limits though!
It LOOKS like it should work at whatever speed you can manage, as long as you maintain the right setup time before clocking.
 
There are a number of devices I'm looking at using, so the specifics are unclear at the moment. I've ordered a couple of chips I particularly want, and will breadboard an interface to see if bitbashing will work. (At least with the shift commands it'll be a lot less difficult now!)

 

[CAI_Support]

Okay, please let me know. If you need some special command, for example, sending out a stream of command, I can try to help. But I don't know when device talked back, if the TTL input is fast enough to capture and decode.

 

[rossw]

OK, all this discussion about input buffering and polling etc, if I try to read an input, is it the actual state of the input RIGHT NOW, or is it what the input was some arbitary period of time ago?
 
If I had code for example

  set op2 1
  set op1 1
  set op1 0
  set ram1 ip1
  set op1 1
  set op1 0

 
Can you GUARANTEE that:
* output 2 will be high BEFORE output 1 goes high? 
* output 1 will actually go high, then low, even if only for microseconds
* that ram1 will be set to the value input 1 is *AFTER* output 1 has gone low
* that output 1 will then go high *AFTER* I have read input 1
* that output 1 will again transition low->high->low for some finite (if short) period
 
I would rather not introduce additional delays but it is absolutely critical that I understand that the inputs are actually read from the input AT THAT TIME and not just the last-buffered state which could in fact be BEFORE the output toggle!

 

[CAI_Support]

Hi Ross,
 
When not specify [y] for non-blocking delay, the input is whatever the level is, 5V for true, 0V for false, and if configured invert, it will be the opposite,
That will not change.  Otherwise, it will be useless. 
Only when specify non-blocking delay on TTL input, input must remain high longer than the delay for IPx to go TRUE.
 
If you set a section of PLC code keep doing the sequence you specified, you should be able to do.  However, you need to have a re-try logic, in case there is a interrupt in hardware from other part of CPU, it could cause timing wrong, then you will need to go back to retry it.

 

[Efried]

yes I would like to control 4-wire PC-fans...

Of course, once that is done, users can use PWM output to control other things.

 

[CAI_Support]

4 wire PC fans requires 25KHz PWM.  We need to work on that for you.
WC32 board has four PWM output, if you can not wait, that can be a choice too.

 

[Efried]

thanks a lot, I was reluctant to start using a digital potentiometer steered by TTL outputs  to control an external voltage/motor controller as intermediate solution...
In order to decide whether WC32 is usable, where to find latest spec and price?
thanks a lot

 

[CAI_Support]

We are making production batch of WC32 now, since the USB port on it needs to change for easier connect, we are designing an IO daughter board with RossW's help.  Once the IO daughter board is finished, we will be able to offer them to everyone.
 
We are still offering WC32 beta kit now, which includes a beta WC32 board, a UM216 USB based LCD display and keyboard, and when production is ready to ship, we will also offer a free WC32 production board. Total cost is $99.  When we start shipping production board, that list price for board alone will be $99.  UM216 is listed for $35 each.  So that this beta kit is a great price.

 

[Tschmidt]

Sounds interesting - how do you order the beta WC32 eval kit?
 
Wintertime - time for another project.
 
/tom

 

[CAI_Support]

You will need to send email to [email protected] to arrange payment and shipping.

 

[Efried]

We are making production batch of WC32 now, since the USB port on it needs to change for easier connect, we are designing an IO daughter board with RossW's help.  Once the IO daughter board is finished, we will be able to offer them to everyone.
 
We are still offering WC32 beta kit now, which includes a beta WC32 board, a UM216 USB based LCD display and keyboard, and when production is ready to ship, we will also offer a free WC32 production board. Total cost is $99.  When we start shipping production board, that list price for board alone will be $99.  UM216 is listed for $35 each.  So that this beta kit is a great price.

 
Would it be possible controlling SPI via the WC32? There are  some RF transceiver boards using 2.4 GHz having such an interface..
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/NRF24L01-RF-Board-C-Wireless-Module-2-4G-Radio-Transceiver-Evaluation-Development-Board-Kit/633087965.html
thanks

 

[rossw]

Would it be possible controlling SPI via the WC32? There are  some RF transceiver boards using 2.4 GHz having such an interface..
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/NRF24L01-RF-Board-C-Wireless-Module-2-4G-Radio-Transceiver-Evaluation-Development-Board-Kit/633087965.html
thanks

 
"Possible"? It's "Possible" to do it with a WC8. (I already published how).
I suspect however, you want a nice, convenient function rather than doing the hard yards and brute-forcing it. (Short answer: "I don't think so (yet)")

 

[Efried]

"Possible"? It's "Possible" to do it with a WC8. (I already published how).
I suspect however, you want a nice, convenient function rather than doing the hard yards and brute-forcing it. (Short answer: "I don't think so (yet)")

yes I have seen the post and admired your work, but not the time and may be competencies to do it the hard way. Lets hope that everybody gets easy access to sophisticated solutions. I still don't know the business model for CAI but WC32  might be the prototyping tool, taking all the sensors and actors to a programmed solution later...

 

[CAI_Support]

Hi Efried,  we do not plan to change the hardware design to implement the SPI interface, because that will cause all existing boards using different firmware, besides, SPI support is already doable in the PLC logic.
 
We understand more hardware support will help users. However, that will increase PLC complexity to handling so many different things. If existing PLC can handle it, we would rather let user familiar with PLC program, developing different libraries to handle different cases in PLC.
 
We do appreciate all suggestions, and actually reading, discuss them, select those can be implemented without hardware change or increase complexity too much first.  Through a lot good suggestions from users on this forum, we made a lot of improvement to WebControl firmware.  For those suggestions may require future hardware changes, we also take note of them. We look forward receiving a lot more great suggestions from you and others.