Thanks, that helps a lot. This is my first use of the Unit devices. I've use the HAT on the M5
which obviously is only 1 at a time.

I'll get the PbHUB and the I2C version of the Ultrasonic Distance Unit.

I'm working on many sensors to help disabled users. These sensors help those in
wheelchairs where they might not be able to even touch buttons. So providing a multitude
of options (motion, tilt, distance, LUX, buttons) - even the touch of the Core2 is very sensitive
which is good.

Thanks,

I have the Core2 working with almost the same display as the M5 and the 3 capacitive touch buttons are working (as M5.BtnA and M5.BtnB in my case). So I can mimic the M5's A and B buttons.

My question is whether the small circles can be colored so they can be seen, as this is outside the LCD display drawing.

Note: I had been trying to get the M5StackC-Plus to absorb the M5Display from the Core2 - but that was not going anywhere. Turns out the M5Core2 libraries had most of the M5Stack code so things compiled and worked (including MQTT, etc).

@williamsmaith just let me know. I have over 700 clients using the system with a remote dog feeding application. I even have a client using eye-tracking to send messages to feed his dog (as the feeder is mounted to his wheel chair). - cheers.

I’ve built a great extensible architecture with M5 and basically any sensor. It was mentioned in my reply
https://community.m5stack.com/post/29410

It’s one thing to capture some data, it’s another to do the same in a scalable collective user base. That requires a distributed collection and messaging environment. Sensing and Controlling are two major branches of that challenge.

So I think this community challenge needs to think bigger than a few M5 devices. 😄

@williamsmaith ah thanks - for seeing the breadth of what’s possible. Messages are key and with ESP32 sharing BLE and WIFI it really is a game changer. Let me know if you want to try the system out.
Thanks

I like this question and I think another question should be on the features of the software that are most powerful.

sensors

For the sensors, after M5 with display, we are mainly using the M5Atom and then connecting the various plugin sensors (like QR scanner, Speaker, GPS, or others) - and the GROVE cable to stand along like sensors for LUX, Motion, Buttons (especially for disabled users). But either GROVE or directly into the M5Atom using the pins to control things like buzzers, and motors. For Motors, we need the 5v power.

software features

As for software, I've built a really cool framework that incorporates the BLE, and the WIFI (with MQTT and web POST/GET) messaging. But for us, the ability to update already fielded systems requires the OTA capability. So any partition scheme without OTA isn't used.

Object Oriented Design

I still code entirely in C and now C++. I feared C++ was too heavyweight for that small M5Atom - but it turns out it works nicely - and let me wrap those various sensors in an Object Oriented (plug compatible) feature that is adaptable at runtime via BLE/MQTT messages - basically tell it to use the GPS or QR OO Class, and also pins 28 and 32, etc. This is without modifying the installed code (or use OTA to add new sensor options). (I also use Xcode as the editor)

backend web and message processing

Note for the MQTT and other to work, there needs to be cloud processing. I have the ability to send any messages to all my devices. So the web needs the MQTT host, and if you want HTTP GET messages to work, there should be a node.js based controller (I use node-red.org). - Also for OTA, there needs to be an "http" host (not https).

If anyone is interested in more of our projects, which we are open sourcing, let me know. We are using 3d printed housing as well.
Check out at least:
https://github.com/konacurrents
https://github.com/konacurrents/SemanticMarkerAPI
and more..

Cheers,
scott

Re: M5Atom based power turns on briefly before user code runs

Restating our issue with M5Atom

To power our motor (which goes through an H-Drive, but not the M5 version), we have to pass the 5v power from the M5Atom. (Bottom right 2 pins). The other two top on the right are the control pins (on/off).

This also shows a buzzer plugged into a different pin. Luckily that doesn't need the high power and will not BUZZ on startup.

Power send to motor on Reboot or Power UP

The M5Atom provides power to the motor when it is rebooted or powered-up. This is BEFORE my code is even run.

Any ideas on how to stop this? We have a dog feeder and food is dispensed before we have our say. Also any reboot will do this!

A rough diagram is below.

@konacurrents Note, I have a similar startup issue with the Atom Socket and H-Driver.

Anyone know how to stop it starting before I get a change to stop it?

https://community.m5stack.com/topic/7445/m5atom-based-power-turns-on-briefly-before-user-code-runs

@Scotty42 I have used that barcode scanner to configure the QR scanner so will have to re-visit that approach. I have got the sound to go away but forgot how to do that. I have tried code to do that. Unfortunately some of these devices have a pre-state, like when powered up, which makes a sound before I can turn sound off. (Same with H-Driver and Atom Socket I just posted)

There is a mode to not accept those barcodes (so an end user cannot change some setting your code didn't want set).

Right now I use MQTT/BLE to set what it would scan - and then play that back from a button click. Basically store and re-play later - just like the QR code scanner achieves.

For my system, the QR code will invoke messages in my network - to turn on the lights, or feed the dog. I call this a Semantic Marker(R).

cheers,
thanks,
scott (also scotty)

I have two M5Atom based controllers including:

• H-Driver
• Atom Socket

They both run nicely being controlled over MQTT or BLE.

But any devices connected that need power are receiving a quick amount
of power when the M5Atom is turned on. This occurs before my software runs - so before I can decide whether the power should be on or off.

So for the H-Driver, the connected small motor gets a quick jolt of power before my software runs. For the Atom Socket, the same quick power on occurs (turning on the connected device) before my software can determine the correct on/off mode.

Is there any way to stop this? It's not good (actually it's rather bad).

Thanks,

@Scotty42 I haven't been using the QR scanner as much especially as I cannot get the startup sound to go away (and it freaks my dogs). But the scanner works.

What issues are you having?

-scott

@felmue It looks like I need the binary version of getProtocolString. It seems the following is needed for sending an IRData (the mirror of what was learned from receiving.)

/**
 * Interprets and sends a IRData structure.
 * @param aIRSendData The values of protocol, address, command and repeat flag are taken for sending.
 * @param aNumberOfRepeats Number of repeats to send after the initial data if data is no repeat.
 * @return 1 if data sent, 0 if no data sent (i.e. for BANG_OLUFSEN, which is currently not supported here)
 */
size_t IRsend::write(IRData *aIRSendData, int_fast8_t aNumberOfRepeats) 

And I need a way to get the IrReceiver to provide the IRData information. So It seems this is in the decodedIRData from the IrReceiver.decode call.

/** 
 * Main class for receiving IR signals
 */ 
class IRrecv {
public:
    IRData decodedIRData;       // Decoded IR data for the application
}

I assume I save these values with the associated functions (volume up, change channel, etc). I see that a lot of those functions are defined for various known operations, but for now I will learn from the IR receiver.

Thanks for the help.