I have an automation project. Like a CNC, but different. Anyway, some computer-controlled sensors and motors and stuff.
Normally, I would reach for an Arduino for this task, but I stopped, for two reasons.
First, there was a particular protocol I was trying to follow, and there isn’t a well known solution to it with Ardiuno. It’s called ASCOM, Google it, and don’t come back to me with the guy on Github, because
Second, This other solution is much more complete. But that’s another show.
Anyway, the more complete solution uses a Velleman K8055 kit, which is a very similar microcontroller/USB thingy, except the guy has already written an ASCOM driver for it, and I hear you starting up, so cool it, because this board has stuff that the Arduino doesn’t, out of the box, and it’s quite neat for me to be able to come from Arduino, and look at this schematic and be able to decipher it into functional groups, etc. it was a nice moment.
The K8055 comes with ULN2803 buffers on all digital I’s and O’s, see what I did there, and a TLV274IN quad op amp performing ADC and DAC, with corresponding DAC and PWM ports on both outputs. It also comes with terminal block connectors, all buffered and polished and ready to sense or actuate. Oh, push buttons on each digital In, LEDs on each out port.
In short, it seems to be a nice piece of kit, and very well thought out.
Not to mention it is like a semester in good computer to environment circuit design. Teaching the schematic piece by piece could be a course in any EE dept.
Sold on the concept, I picked one up at Vetco, which if you are an Arduino geek in Seattle, you must shop there. They do not pay me to say this. Just go, thank me later.
Nice looking kit, 4 ICs, granted, one is a microcontroller (a PIC in this case, I have no bias over helpful software that I didn’t write), but just a small 18-pin or so, what could be more fun?
41 resistors and a couple diodes and jumpers later, I am going cross-eyed and calling it a day. I am glad I don’t have to solder all this together on an UNO. I will continue this minor opus tomorrow, when I have fresh eyes.
I am going to drive some decent size motors off of this thing, through relays and optocouplers and stuff, see, I still had to accessorize, haven’t decided if I am going for AC or DC motors. Leaning towards 12VDC, still working out the automation bit, hence all the soldering.
Keep looking up.