@Danieldsouza
I prefer to use KiCAD for schematic and PCB design.

• The software is open source
• It runs on Windows, Linux, Mac
• there is a strong community
• there is a ton of libraries for thousands of components
• some part distributor and assembling factories provide their own library or allow symbol and footprint download
• making your own symbols and footprints is very easy
• design rule checking

I am not an advanced user but managed to make a 4-layer PCB after watching a few tutorial videos.

Independend of the EDA Tool make sure you avoid the common tripping hazard like missing blocking caps or unwanted ground loops.

@marryjoseph22
Starting with UIFlow is a good choice but there are issues:

• If you need something that is not included in UIFlow then you will stuck or need a complicated workaround
• If the UIFlow Website is down you cannot work with
• As it is a interpreter language (micropyhton in the background) don't expect too much calculation speed!
• complex programs can become confusing

There are also benefits:

• very easy for a quick and (not so) dirty proof-of-concept
• easy to understand for beginners

One of my first programs was a TVOC logger with a remote display:


Data transfer from the stick to paper by ESPnow. It took me around 20min per device to program where the most time wasted to design the screens and understand how ESPnow works.

Another funny project was two sticks who send each other a simple message of a counter value by ESPnow showing the value on display, play a beep sound, increment the value by 1 and send it back. The other beeps as well, increment and send it back and so on... this was to test how fast it can run and how far the wireless ESPnow connection work.

For more complex programs I prefer the Arduino environment.

• it runs ON MY OWN computer so i am not dependent on the UIFlow cloud systems and website
• more complex programs possible without loosing overview
• many Arduino libraries running out of the box
• much faster program execution / calculations than on micopython / UIFLow
• the web is full of examples
• need a bit more programming skills but still possible for beginners

@harrietteytlxv222 did you read my post from Feb 12 (follow the link)? Do you use the appropriate emissivity value for your surface?

Just as an idea, code not tested:
Avoid to loop somewhere except the main loop!

Setup:

• Create a variable called "Button" to enable/disable the flash function
• Create a variable called "Blink" for the current state of the light
• Start a timer

Button clicked:

• Invert the state of "Button"

Main Loop:

• If Button is TRUE, start the timer
• else (If it is FALSE) stop the timer
• your other code doing somewhat

Timer0:

• Blink the LCD (or whatever you want) using the "Blink" variable

@gothicmaestro
see here: https://community.m5stack.com/topic/8081/emissivity-value-required

this should go as reply to https://community.m5stack.com/topic/1838/ncir-unit-weird-values
accidentally posted as new topic.

The NCIR has a MLX90614 sensor on it. https://docs.m5stack.com/en/unit/ncir links the datasheet.
The measurement principe is similar to a thermal camera with just one pixel. It measures the infrared (heat-)radiation that comes from an object. Unfortunately this radiation depends on the surface material where some are good radiators and some are not. To compensate this, the sensor needs to know the emissivity of the measured object.

In the datasheet they say: As a standard, the MLX90614 is calibrated for an object emissivity of 1. It can be easily customized by the customer for
any other emissivity in the range 0.1…1.0 without the need of recalibration with a black body.
This means: If your object has an emissivity of 1, then you get correct readings. If your object has for example a emissivity of 0.7 then your reading is wrong as long as you not tell the sensor to calculate with 0.7.

Conclusion: To measure with a IR unit (NCIR or a thermal camera) it requires to know the emissivity of the surface. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emissivity for more information and a table of common materials.

@Kabron
What about P1 and P2?

@dingfanshou said in key:

Why can't it connect even though the password is the same?

In the config I see "Start Mode" is "USB Mode". This means, your device is not connecting to WiFi at startup unless a previously stored program does. Change the mode and try again.

You may look for something like this: https://www.tindie.com/products/climateguard/dosimeter-with-i2c-radsens-arduino/

@rwp908 I do not know any existing. But you can use any Geiger counter kit e.g. equiped with a SBM20 tube or similar that has a pulse output and just use the S3 to count those pulses.

PA Hub is a I2C expander. That means it modifies/replaces the device addresses so it can handle more devices even with the same address. To make this work the software has to decode the "new" address of the device.

PB Hub is a GPIO expander. That means, it simple adds GPIO ports and convert them to one upstream I2C. As with the PA Hub the software has to decode the data.

PDM microphones usually have an output which is electrical close to I2C but still different in the data part (e.g. no addressing). PA Hub is for I2C so it will not work. PB Hub may work if it is fast enough to read the clock and data and decoding the data stream on the Controller. I'm not sure if this is really fast enough.

When looking to the schematic on the back side of the unit then you will see the signal paths:

1. from MIDI IN to Groove TXD and the Switch
2. from Grove RXD to SAM2695 and the Switch
3. from the Switch to MIDI OUT

Connecting the MIDI IN direct to the SAM2695 is not prepared.

You have to go thru Groove port to do that. It may work if you just bridge the TXD and RXT on the port with a jumper wire (don't forget the 5V supply). Otherwise you have to go thru your processor and put everything what is coming in direct to the out.

@andrew-winton did you connect the sensor +5V to the +5V and GND to GND of the RPi? Are you sure not having crossed the clock/data pins? I speak from experience... spent more than one hour for a simple failure like this.
When powering on the 5V can you measure if the 3.3V inside the sensor is correct?

@marcelusvictor Did you put the Cardputer into Download Mode as described here? https://docs.m5stack.com/en/core/Cardputer
If Yes, check your device manager if the COM port appears without any error message. If it not apears then your USB cable may be broken or has power wires only (cross check with another one).

I guess this is a voltage level issue on the power supply for the sensor. M5 Groove Ports use 5V, RPi use 3.3V. Internally the AIN4-20mA use 3.3V (there is a voltage regulator between Groove port and the converter, see the schematic on https://docs.m5stack.com/en/unit/AIN4-20mA Unit) and 5V for the OP-Amp. You may supply the unit with 5V.

@mgrouch KMeter is just the thermocouple converter. The TC insulation itself can be made from plastic or silicon or it can be made from glass fabric. It can also be inside a stainless steel housing or whatever. It depends on the application.
I just did a quick search for exhaust thermosensors and there are many K-type thermocouple in different housing available. As long as they have a TC connector or open wires for mounting one by yourself you can use them with KMeter.

I strongly recommend you to read the basics about thermocouples and how they work. You may than understand, that this "plastic thing" can be and should be far away from the high temperature exhaust.

By the way: If you feel better with the MCP9600 then buy one from e.g. Adafruit and use it with its library in the Arduino environment. You controller can still be M5. As for the KMeter the MCP9600 breakout is not made to put in the exhaust as well.

@konacurrents You wrote "I'm not using RC-5 with my ESP32 M5 controllers" and in the next posting "eg. the IR doesn't turn the TV on"
So do you want to remote control a TV or another device? If you not using RC-5 what alternative protocol does your device use?

For the mentioned test by the mobile phone camera: Test if ANY working remote from TV or HiFi etc... is visible by your mobile phone camera. Point the transmitter to the camera and press a button. If you see a flashing light, then your camera is able to see the IR light.
Now do the same at the M5StickCPlus when one of the examples is running.

If there is no flashing IR then investigate on the port number of the IRLED on your device and change it in the code to the right one. If it flashes but your receiving device is not reacting to it, it may be a wrong protocol or command.

It may help if you post the code you are trying and a description of what exactly you want to control.

Most IR Remote use RC-5 coding. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RC-5
Often the IR LED is pulsed with high current on very low duty to increase the working distance (refer the datasheet of your IR LED for maximal pulse ratings). If you have a "normal" IR LED on a GPIO it might be less effective. In this case you have to try very close to the receiver.

Unfortunately you did not post your code so no one knows how you try to send the midi messages.
Check first: does the device apear as USB-MIDI-Class in your computers device manager?
Probably it is shown as a USB-Serial-Class device (which MIDI indeed is) but your MIDI application (seems to be a top secret application as you don't wrote which one) expect a MIDI-Class device.

Maybe this helps: https://github.com/esp32beans/ESP32USBMIDI