Feature request: remove virtual pins

[mrquincle]

The current code is motivated by a standard blinking example. I thought it would be great to have https://www.arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/BuiltInExamples/Blink working on the Crownstone but then with your normal lights. Just replace LED_BUILTIN with CROWNSTONE_RELAY.

// the setup function runs once when you press reset or power the board
void setup() {
  // initialize digital pin CROWNSTONE_RELAY as an output.
  pinMode(CROWNSTONE_RELAY, OUTPUT);
}

// the loop function runs over and over again forever
void loop() {
  digitalWrite(CROWNSTONE_RELAY, HIGH);   // turn the light on
  delay(1000);                            // wait for a second
  digitalWrite(CROWNSTONE_RELAY, LOW);    // turn the light off
  delay(1000);                            // wait for a second
}

This feature request by @vliedel and @AlexDM0 asks for removal of this functionality. Hence, do not use it.

The syntax will be more something like (this is custom and can change depending on lib version):

#include <Crownstone.h>

setup() {
   // some initialization
   Crownstone.init();
}

loop() {
    Crownstone.switch(1);
    delay(1000);
    Crownstone.switch(0);
    delay(1000);
}

There are a few reasons for this:

• You will be confused in thinking that CROWNSTONE_RELAY is an actual GPIO pin on the board.
• The Crownstone switch can be locked. In that case writing something over digitalWrite won't have an effect. You will need to call a function like Crownstone.isLocked() and Crownstone.unlock() before Crownstone.switch(1).
• The Crownstone dimmer can be disabled. Using an analogWrite would then have no effect.

There might be a middle way in providing both.

• I think to have those examples working as is would be sweet.
• Those examples are the ones that you recognize as Arduino developer.
• More dedicated functions (to capture corner case, see above) can always be provided through a Crownstone lib.

Just don't get your hopes up. :-D

[AlexDM0]

If an external sensor triggers an external activator or light or led via the pins on the header on the builtin, you can do the blinky exactly as you have written it:

// the setup function runs once when you press reset or power the board
void setup() {
  // initialize digital pin HEADER_LED as an output.
  pinMode(HEADER_LED, OUTPUT);
}

// the loop function runs over and over again forever
void loop() {
  digitalWrite(HEADER_LED, HIGH);   // turn the light on
  delay(1000);                            // wait for a second
  digitalWrite(HEADER_LED, LOW);    // turn the light off
  delay(1000);                            // wait for a second
}

[mrquincle]

Most Arduino users will not hook up the Crownstone board physically with other things.

You are describing a scenario where people add sensors to a 230V board through soldering a connector on the place of the GPIO pins and then connecting leds to those.

I am talking about the on-board switch and dimmer.