14-12-2010

One of the things I'd like to do with the mbed is to interface it to fischertechnik.

Based on a previous (PC) tcp/ip to fischertechnik project, I'm trying to build a similar thing on mbed. Basically it listens on a socket for a connection of a PC client (in theory this could also be another mbed), interprets the messages (compatible with the RoboInt messages) and outputs them on a Serial connection or uses a version of the ftlib to set outputs and read inputs. For the ftlib I adapted the libft from Erik Andresen (currently only comport supported).

This works!

Now I'm thinking about two extensions: 1) support for the TXC over RS485 (either as master or slave), have not decided yet; 2) supporting access via a web-page (preferably a silverlight client or a java gui). The DIY baseboard I use supports: ethernet; 2 DC or 1 stepper motor (PWM); 2 analog inputs; 2 serial ports which can be used as RS232, TTL, RS485 or MIDI; an I2C EEPROM; an SPI intended for an SD-card; 5 spare analog/digital I/O; provisions for USB host interface.

Next: TXC slave interface (RS485)

Later: Web server with interactive GUI

Finally found a way to use the speed and link LEDs on the ethernet MagJack:

&lt;<code>&gt;

1. define FIO1PIN (*(unsigned long*)0x2009C034UL) DigitalOut Green(p30), Yellow(p29); leds are on pins 29 and 30 Green = !(FIO1PIN&amp;(1&lt;&lt;25));link Yellow= !(FIO1PIN&amp;(1&lt;&lt;26));speed &lt;</code>&gt;

31-12-2010

Changed the order

The webserver with interactive GUI works. The standard http server serves a java applet which builds the GUI and communicates through the tcp socket interface that I already had. I did not manage to use the java interface that I had made with an old JBuilder so I had to port it to Eclipse and the standard sun-java. Another thing causing problems is the blocking behaviour of many library functions. In a complex application this is rarely acceptable so there was a lot of rework concerning I/O.

Next in this project: RS485 for the TXC (master or slave?)