Working Arduino Hardware for tmp2ser-Firmware? Only Teensy?

[ozett]

Hi, i tried to build another matrix and wanted to connect it to my pcduino, where pixelcontroller can run 24/7. For my test I took some of my arduinos, (an itead iboard=ducemilia, an arduino-pro-mini-with328, an saintsmart-arduino uno, an arduino leonardo) and tried it with my ws2811 and ws2801 strips and pixelcontroller running on win7 with ftdi-usb-serial/CP210x ---> with no great success. i used the tmp2ser firmware from the integration-subdir. Only with the Leonardo with the 2811-strips showed some response. if i took the example-sketch from the fast-spi library, everthing runs fine, even the ws2801 on the pro-mini. Here they dont have to get serial input, but the cabling of the strips shows up correct.

What options do i have to connect a larger Strip/matrix to usb-ports? Can i only use a teensy (2.0/3.0/3.1) with serialsupport without latency? Is it only serial-latency on the arduinos that they dont show any output to the strips? Or is there something i do wrong - or can check? another firmware? some other working configurations?

best regards, toz

[ozett]

hi, i thought over it at night and i stumbled yesterday over this code-line in your tmp2ser-sketch:

//LEDS.addLeds<WS2801>(leds, NUM_LEDS);
  LEDS.addLeds<WS2811, 11, GRB>(leds, NUM_LEDS);  //connect on pin 11 

while defining the leds-type with fastspi-library was done in the example-sketches with:

  FastLED.addLeds<WS2811, DATA_PIN, RGB>(leds, NUM_LEDS);

This slight difference between "LEDS.addLeds" vs "FastLED.addLeds" lead me to the Question:

Do i have to use your fastspi-library strictly from the integration subdir, or can i stay with my default-fastspi-library from the original website?

hope you find time to give a a little hint for diretly connection strips to usb-port (maybe you support fadecandy? ... i have one ... or do i realy have to get me an old teensy 2.0 ??)

[ozett]

i am stuck! Neeeeed Help .... i gave it another try and flashed your firmware "neoLedWS2801Spi" from the integration-directory to my pro-mini 328,5v. connected my 2801 leds and saw the animations. the animations are showed while waiting for serial-data, so this is what i read in the source, but i am anything but a coder... :-((( I saw my CP201usb-to-serial-adapter vividly flashing, as pixelcontroller must have been sending data to the right com-port on windows. pixelcontroller was configured to send it to the tpm2ser device with 115200 baud. the com-port was configured to 115200 on win7.

WHERE is my Mistake?

LEds are correctly working, as i see the fading-animation, but serial data doesnt seem to be received with your firmware on the pro-mini (as before with my uno and it-board). Does it only work with teensy#s? Or do i have to change something here in the firmware code:

#if defined (CORE_TEENSY_SERIAL)  

i have no clue, help very appreciated ... ;-((((

ps.: pixelcontroller and all my cabling worked as expected with my uno as if i use it as an artnet-client. i did this now the second time with the sketch from toni merino: http://www.deskontrol.net/blog/arduino-based-artnet-node-for-led-pixels/ it worked fine again. But i still want to connect the boards to usb where pixecontroller is running ...without network ...

[neophob]

Arduino UNO's and duemillanove suffer from a very bad serial latency, see the README.md:

I recommend a Teensy 2.0 microcontroller, as some Arduino boards suffer from bad serial latency (especially the Arduino UNO r3). You need to install the Arduino IDE, see the "Getting started with Arduino" (http://arduino.cc/en/Guide/HomePage) Tutorial.

Some work fine, others don't. I tried to debug this issue some time ago but couln't find a solution. So my advise, use a newer Arduino or a Teensy.

[ozett]

sorry for coming back again here, but i found a dutch website were they build a bobligh/ambilight with ws2811 strips on an arduino-uno.

!!! the suprising thing was the baudrate setting in the sketch!!!

#define BAUDRATE   460800    // Serial port snelheid, 460800 getest met Arduino Uno R3

-> http://www.tweaking4all.nl/download/arduino/t4a_boblight.ino

Maybe thats a key to get over the serial latency and the arduinos working? What do you think?

[ozett]

i give it another try with arduino pro mini and baudrate 460800. the higher baudrate must be set on win7 in the application. should work, so i found on the net. but must set in pixelcontroller/java ? there in rxtx-library. (You compiled in?) -> Out of my possibilites, i think ...

i put in new fastled 3.0.3 library in tpm2ser-sketch, but did not help. it run ok by itself and in the sketch as startup-animation ...but not with pixelcontroller on usb/serial..

so i went back to my leonardo (arduion with built-in usb-port, ATmega32U4) and success! tpm2ser worked with original sketch from integration directory of pixelcontroller 2.1.0.rc2 on win7, oracle-java-ver?, with ws2811 strips.

this drives me to go searching for little boards/clones with ATmega32U4 right now as the ONLY alternative to teensy 2.0 (~15EUR) for getting stips on usb-port running with pixelcontroller.. Right way?

[ozett]

if anybody comes here with similar problems, i add my latest findings (my impression is more that i talk to myself, but anyhow): i walked through this, finding pricy teensy alternatives: http://deskthority.net/workshop-f7/teensy-2-0-alternatives-atmega32u4-t4253.html

and at the moment i think i will try chinese "pro-minis" (7-12V, usb, atmega32u4). and a nano with that chinese CH340G usb/serial. will take some time to get them from china to europe... ;-)

i will come back here, i this is a succesfull alternative ... ok? ok!

[ozett]

go here for other hardware like esp8266 (wifi) board (<2EUR): https://github.com/neophob/PixelController/issues/75

[madmanth]

Hello Ozett! Funny little thread of you talking yourself through the problems! I've run into an identical issue it seems. So the answer is to use a Teensy, or were you ever able to get this running on an UNO? I tried to flash to a Teensy LC and get nothing out.

[ozett]

Whats exactly your issue? Long time ago, my writings. I got lots of different setups working...

[madmanth]

Ooo I was trying to get the Ardiuno Uno to be driven from PixelController. The Uno seems to be driving the WS2811 chip alright after futzing with some libraries, but I only get the rainbow effect and it never latches onto the serial signal. The Uno's tx and rx lights flash like mad in response to pixel controller, but I just get the rainbow pattern on the led. Hopefully it's the serial bus speed issue. I have a teensy 2.0 ordered that should be in Monday. Looks like there's a prebuilt library in the teensy world. I had a teensy LC, but cooked it by hooking it to a 12v rail on accident :/ oh well!

Thanks, Tony

On Aug 5, 2017 8:05 AM, "ozett" notifications@github.com wrote:

Whats exactly your issue? Long time ago, my writings. I got lots of different setups working...

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