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Arduinofirmata node! finally! but still some questions

vvvv beta question
#1

okee, after 2 days of trying to get vvvv to send a string (just a changing value) to my arduino I discoverd the arduino/firmata node!

wich saved me!

but now I still have some questions.
When I enable the node, nothing flickers, I got the comport right and am working in the helpfile… something is wrong, but what?

then I want to be able to read the value on the arduino IDE and use it to program my project what should I upload to the arduino? the patches that are in the arduino IDE are all firmata based, can I just use Serial.println to make the value appear on the serialwindow?

thanx for making this node btw, I always used PD for my communication with arduino, this is much easier!

art

#2

If I got you right, you want to send values from vvvv to Arduino in order to make it react on those values?
I recently had to do the same thing - the RS232 Node was of much use in my case. Just send any String to Arduino and check for it using Serial.read().

If you need any help, let me know and I will provide you a basic patch+sketch.

edit: Pardon me, didn’t read your post carefully. I suppose you tried this already - what caused the problems?

#3

jep you’re totally right

yeah tried that several times but the rs232 thing… i couldnt get it to work.
i think it had something todo with the output pin dint show any output.

in principle the rs323 should work but I havent ever gotten it to work right

next to that I want to learn to control the firmata stuff a bit.

but anyway, if you could provide me with some knowledge… that’ll be GREAT!

thanx!

#4

The output-pin of RS232 shows what has been written to the Serial-Port from inside Arduino using Serial.print().
I will upload the files later, just give me a minute :)

Edit: There you go!

Simple Blink-Example for RS232 (1.9 kB)

#5

regarding your firmata problem, i’m not sure if i understand you right. the firmata arduino code + plugin turns the arduino hardware into an interface board.

therefore, once you uploaded the firmata 2.0b3 arduino code to the board, the plugin should work. (you might need to do this with an older version of the IDE e.g. 16) make sure you don’t just upload the standard firmata coming with the IDE.

once this is working and vvvv has access to the IO’s, you dont need the IDE anymore, unless you want something specific which is not implemented in this firmata release.

note to myself: i need to test which IDE still works with firmata2.0

note to everyone: use phidgets because arduino is chaos ;)

#6

hi all

thanx for the reply’s you’ve been of great help!
the rs232 thing works! I got the led to blink, couldnt read the value jet but will try that today

about firmata, ill try to work with IDE 16 and do all the programming on vvvv, I think that’ll work just fine.
just one question, is the arduinofirmata node also working on arduino mega?

art

#7

hm… strange

Iam trying to send a string (changing value between 90 and 180) to arduino and read it with the serial window, using Serial.read and Serial.println, based on the programming that readme send me, but the only value I get on my serialwindow is -1… why? anyone knows that?

the patch and arduino react well on the rs232blinkpatch from readme, but I still dont see anything happening on the outputpin of the rs232 node

strange… or not?

#8

@ u7angel: when I replaced the firmata in the arduinofolder, wich patch should i upload? there are a few of them, but I dont think I see the right one…

thnx

#9

ho!
it works! thnx!

but is there a patch for arduino mega 1280 too?

#10

the plugin is only made for the standard arduino board.

#11

aj bummer…

is there a way to hack around that? i need 14 digital-outs
just one short heheh

thanks a lot youguys! for all the info!

If anyone is intrested in how to control 7 carwindow-wiper-motors with a videocam, i’ll post my patch

art

#12

hu ? there is no difference in serial talking between arduino and arduino mega. you should arrive to use 14 pwm without troubles

#13

@karistouf, we’re talking about the firmata plugin

i setup the number of digital i/o in the plugin to a fixed number(13 i/o). if someone wants to change that, modify the plugin, feel free to edit the sourcecode.

http://vvvv.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/vvvv/plugins/c%23/Devices/ArduinoFirmata/trunk/

its actually not that hard, the number 12 appears several times, thats the one needed to be changed.

#14

Thanx u7angel. Too late to dig in, but firmata vvvv plugin source will be fun when I wake up hungover and need distraction=coffee*code;
And yeah its been answered but flash arduino board with firmata firmware and no need for arduino(java meets avrdude) ide. Use firmata node and pins can be assigned…
Are you sure you want to send an entire string to avr chip… those are 8bit registers. It would be faster to build a case and pass it an int rather than a bunch of ascii over serial bits… bigger faster newer chips created mem register types that can hold byte sequences like those to represent strings, but 8bit micro no has fancy registers(other than 16bit Z).
Drunken dreamz: firmata(like(similar)) for ARM gpio interface into linux kernel. While I’m dreaming why not throw in SPI and I2C as well. Interupts are tricky stack jumps:( sorry if I OT. Luvvvv you and luvvvv arduino

String type is like vector of chars… container has logic to rearrange mem to resize/reorder… use single char’s or u_int, save cycles

#15

at karistouf and u7angel: thanks, Ill work on that!

at d00gie: yeah…

#16

@artvt: if you are stuck with the limitation of pwms, until someone recompile the plug-in with a Max IO, Max Analogic, Max PWM user editable, you may usewithout plugin, in artnet, this sketch:
art-net-set-for-arduino

i will add soon art-net client, that would enable to receive data coded by you as you wish (need a little couple of hours )

#17

hej karistouf

been a while, sorry,
I got to the point in my project now where I need to use my arduino MEGA instead of my normal arduino.

you gave me a sourcefourge link to adjust, but, what file should I use?
when I open the link I see this:

ArduinoFirmata (Devices) help.v4p 5607 7 months joreg
ArduinoFirmata.build 5244 11 months wirmachenbunt add build file
ArduinoFirmata.csproj 4707 14 months wirmachenbunt
ArduinoFirmata.sln 4707 14 months wirmachenbunt
ArduinoFirmataNode.cs 5449 8 months wirmachenbunt node info fixed helpfile reference
AssemblyInfo.cs 4707 14 months wirmachenbunt
arduino.cs

what I did, i took tha code of the arduinofirmata(devices)help.v4p, and
I tried to adjust all the 6-es (of the analog ins, I need 7) to 16
and all the 12-s (of the digital out, i need 20) to 20.

now I sort of have more in and outputs but they do not really work…

I think the fact that they dont work is probably right, but what should I do
to make it work?

hope to hear from you

thnx

art

#18

wait… i’ll make a new thread of this…

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