Don't know what to use

[jerome83136]

hi @wsanders
If I can drive the motor with tha Atom and H-driver; that's fine for me.
I plan to extend it with a PaHub in order to get additional grove ports and connect the Scales kit + RFID2 reader.
But I wonder if it will work because I'm not sure M5 Scales kit is using I2C

I choosed the RFID2 reader because of its price (as you said: the UHF reader is quite expensive)

I see 2 options to solve the range issue:

• Using 3 RFID2 readers on each side of my object (see red arrows on enclosed picture)
• Try to extend the RFID2 range with a custom antenna with magnetic wire, around the food dispenser
• Use this cheap 125KHz RFID reader and make a custom antenna with magnetic wire, around the food dispenser. But can I make it talk to M5 stuff ? (it uses a grove connection and output format is Uart and Wiegand)

Do you think it could work ?
Thank you for your feedback

Best regards

[crami25]

The RFID Unit is a I2C device. The scale unit isn't. Is uses a special protocol (using HX711 library). It will not work with the PbHub. As I mentioned in another community thread, you can get a I2C scale kit from DfRobot : https://wiki.dfrobot.com/HX711_Weight_Sensor_Kit_SKU_KIT0176.
DfRobot doesn't use the groove standard fot their wiring: VCC and GND are switched as well as the SDA and SCL lines.
Wish List for M5Stack: Make the scale kit I2C compatible by using the STM8/32 or AVR328 as they are using in the PbHub or 4Relay Unit making the compatible for the "universal" I2C bus.

[jerome83136]

Hello all,

Some news here.

I ordered an RFID reader and am still waiting for it to be delivered. So, I will share some news about this part later.

For the 12v DC motor control; I have some troubles.
I ordered a GoPlus2; but it tidn't feet because even if it has a 12v input; it can't deliver 12v output to my DC motor.

So I switched to another option: using a 5v relay to power the 12v DC motor.

The problem I have is: how to use the M5 Core to control the 5v relay ?

I tried this example but I'm just unable to understand what are the pins used by this guy on the M5 core ?
The guy uses the pins 2, 27, 32 and 13; but where are these pins on the M5 core basic I own ?
Do I have to remove the M5 core bottom (received with the M5 core basic) ?

I don't really understad the pin map of the M5 core basic. Is there some reference somewhere for wiring ? And is there a description about the colours used on the M5 core basic product sheet pinmap section ?
Or some example telling "if you are using digitalWrite(2, 0) on UIFlow; you have to use this specific pin on the core"

Thank you for your feedback

Best regards

[ajb2k3]

The pinouts are located on the M5Stack product page by following the documents link https://docs.m5stack.com/en/core/basic_v2.6?ref=pfpqkvphmgr
The exact pins and location depend on the specific model of core but he is using the Core2's MBus which is the big internal connector.

[jerome83136]

Hello,

Thank you for your feedback.

As I'm quite new on this kind of stuff (using pins to interact with an external component); I need some tips :)

When I do this on UIFlow:

I understand it activates the pin n°2 (LOW), when the "switch0" is activated. Am I right ?

How can I identify the pin n°2 on my M5 Core basic with a base core bottom ?

I think I need some documentation/tutorial to understand the correspondance between the pins used into UIFlow and the the pinmap on M5 Core Basic. Can I find this somewhere ?

Thank you for your help

Best regards

[jerome83136]

Hi,

I finally got the relay working with M5 Core Basic !
I think my mistake was to power the relay with 5v rather than 3.3v

Here is my wiring:

And here is the example UIFlow that works for me:

Now I need to find a way to power the M5 Core Basic by using a DC 12V --> USB 5V connector and connect it to the DC 12V power supply I already use.

Next step will be the hardest: understanding how PaHub works to interconnect the M5 Core Basic with:

• RFID reader
• M5 Scales kit
• M5 Ultrasonic Distance Unit

I will report progress here

Thank you again for your help

Best regards

[jerome83136]

Hi all,

Another report here.

Almost everything is ready.
I'm quite sure the RFID2 reader won't do the job because of its short reading range; let's try and improve if required.
I will certainly have to give this reader a try. (already ordered)

1 question I had while testing: TOF and RFID2 seems to need Ports A or E. But Port E never worked (the unit is seen as "not connected" by the Core); forcing me to use a PaHub which is a pity because I have plenty of available ports with the ExtPort extension.
Someone able to help me understanding why ? (If I could use port E; I could completely remove the PaHub)

Here is the current setup:

Last thing to do to complete the prototype: get a 12v --> 5V USB connector in order to power the M5 Core + 12v DC motor with a single source.

Here is a simple UIFlow to check every component works correctly:

Best regards

[jerome83136]

Hello all,

Last part done (single power supply for M5 core + DC motor)
I was also able to remove the PaHub by using the ExtPort (Port D). I had to change the dip switch value to:

• Port D-1[2] = ON (to use GPIO22)
• Port D-2[2] = ON (to use GPIO21)

I then had to change the TOF module's port config in UIFlow to use the Port D:

Final diagram:

NB: DC(12v) to USB(5v) converter link

Now let's get physcal parts printed and test it !

Best regards

[ajb2k3]

Cool and thanks for sharing your progress.
When you get everything up and running, please create a build log on Hackster.io

[jerome83136]

Hi guys,

New problem here: I'm unable to use this RFID reader from Seeed studio

The reader is able to communicate by serial (9600 baudrate, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, and no verify bit)

I connected it with my Ext port Blue port PortC (stacked with my M5 Core Basic)

• Reader Yellow wire (TX) --> Ext port (Port C) / PIN13
• Reader White wire (RX) --> Ext port (Port C) / PIN14

On UI Flow I tried this:

When I put an RFID tag on the reader; a red led seems to indicate it detects the tag; but I get nothing printed on my M5 Core Basic screen.

What did I wong ?

Thank you for your help

Best regards

[jerome83136]

Hello,
Anybody here to help me on this blocking point?
Thank you
Best regards

[jerome83136]

@ajb2k3 hello,
I would be really happy to share my project; but for this I will need some help on my last question on this topic 😉
Any suggestion to unblock me ?
Best regards

[ajb2k3]

Have you got a micropython library installed for the reader?
It looks like you set up the connection but you have yet to initialise the reader and tell it to start talking.

[jerome83136]

Hello,

Thank you for your feedback.

The code generated by the UIflow example from my last screenshot is the following:

from m5stack import *
from m5ui import *
from uiflow import *

setScreenColor(0x222222)

lcd.fill(0xffffff)
uart1 = machine.UART(1, tx=14, rx=13)
uart1.init(9600, bits=8, parity=None, stop=1)
while True:
if uart1.any():
lcd.print((uart1.read()).decode(), 0, 0, 0xff0000)
wait_ms(2)

Do I need to add something else to this code to receive any signal from the reader ?

Do tyou mean UIFlow requires additional libraries to be able to communicate over serial (UART) ?

Thank you for your help
Best regards

[jerome83136]

Hello @ajb2k3

I took a look on your UIFlow handbook for some examples on serial communication.

I found this:

It seems the code is almost the same than the one generated for me by UIFlow.

The imported libraries are the same than the ones I have in my code:
from m5stack import
from m5ui import
from uiflow import

On the example provided by my reader's provider; they import this library: " #include <SoftwareSerial.h>"

https://wiki.seeedstudio.com/Grove-125KHz_RFID_Reader/#play-with-arduino

But I think this is the implémentation for Arduino and I guess the equivalent UIFlow libraries are loaded through this:
from m5stack import
from m5ui import
from uiflow import

Do I miss something ?

On my side I think the reader works because when I bring a RFID tag close to it; the status led of the reader lights up.
But I still receive nothing on the M5 core RX PIN

Thank you for your help
Best regards