I’ve previously coded up ESP32 devices using C that boot the first time in AP mode, allow the user to connect and provide network information, then reboot in station mode. However, there don’t seem to be any examples in either Blockly or Python for the M5StickC.
This is pretty vital behavior when prototyping a consumer product. Does anyone have an example? Thanks.
I'm working on a project that involves monitoring bees inside a hive. Bees can't see red light, so it's great to use red LEDs to light up the inside of the hive. It doesn't make things too hot, and it doesn't disturb the bees -- it may even help cut down on disease.
However, all the cameras seem to have a red filter that makes it almost impossible to see anything, even when there are a lot of red LEDs. Is there any way to make the cameras work better in red light? Some what to remove the filter, or some version of the camera that works better in red light than others?
Thanks.
I created a number of programs about a month ago, some of which got quite complex. At the time the files (created between 5/30 and 6/5) saved and loaded without an issue, and after developing a prototype of an app, I ordered a dozen more units so we could put some some trials in the field.
But not none of these programs will load completely. When I try to load them, I get just a small part of the original program, sometimes part of the main loop, and even that is missing many commands. These programs were created using 1.5.4, but it doesn't seem to matter which version I use in attempting to load them.
I had put this StickC aside to work with another (I have a dozen or so of them). And then I ran into the same thing about ten StickC's later.
With both of these, it seems to be a screen failure. I can download a program, get the LED to flash, and even connect via network. But the screen remains dead -- even if I just run the burner and start the device over from scratch. I've also tried shorting BAT to GND, just in case, and get the same results. Another 8 StickC's working dandy (I was making a batch of prototype devices) but these two appear to have simply lost their screens.
So it's not really dead. It's just gone dark.
Yes, it sounds like this is what will be needed.
It would be great if UIFlow would just roll up the whole sequence of switching to AP mode, collecting the info, and reconnecting. It's such a standard behavior for ESP-based devices, that it seems like it should be baked-in.
I want to be able to take it anywhere and detect the local networks. The initial setup of the StickC allows this, and I've set up a similar process on an ESP8266, but but I don't see any way to trigger that kind of sequence in UIFlow.
Since arriving a couple of weeks ago, the M5StickC has worked like a champ. Together with the ENV and weight sensors, it's proven to be perfect for a project that was in the works and (except for some issues around swapping networks) has performed like a champ. I've had the StickC connected to a small (2600mah) power bank which was in turn connected with a small (2w) solar panel. The combination had it running for days, recording data and sending it along to Thingspeak.
But last night I disconnected the StickC to make some code changes. It tested out just fine, but when I went to power it up this morning ... it wouldn't start. Not when connected to the battery, not when connected to the PC, not when connected to a USB power source. I've tried all the familiar long press and left+right options that have helped with past issues, but the screen is stubbornly dark.
Is there something I'm overlooking? Anything else I can try to revive a StickC that seems to be ... Sick-C?
I spent several years working on projects to automate construction / mining equipment that required highly accurate location values. At the start, we could use GPS fairly effectively for vehicles moving down a pre-defined path, but had to switch to GPS + RTK base stations when looking to get < 1M accuracy needed for things like loading dump trucks, etc.
Originally, RTK units were very expensive (as in $80K for a base station and another $20-40K on each vehicle) which limited the range of applications. But the price has dropped tremendously. The last set of items I built for this used a variety of GPS+RTK boards that brought the whole system below $300. Sparkfun makes one such board.
With these systems, you can get down to the sub-centimeter range. So ... really accurate. But you're still going to spend $200-400 if you want to track movement that accurately.
To get the kind of .5M accuracy you're looking for, look for a GPS chip that incorporates GLONASS and Galileo (which is, honestly, just about every new chip). Your device is moving slowly, so you could do something like sample four times a second and take a rolling average. You'll probably have to do some smoothing and filtering, because momentary blockages of satellites can result in an abrupt apparent shift in position and sometimes GPS just gives a "WTH" value. But it can definitely be done.
Oh, and there's really no limit on how often you can check GPS signals. Several libraries out there do try to slow things down, or just feed you the same results if you ask again repeatedly, because GPS can be a power hog. But if you have the power, just take more measurements.
One thing to note: GPS data is sometimes accurate only to about 3 meters. It's certainly theoretically better -- and often is -- depending on how many satellites are currently in view. But when looking at data like this on a very small area, your GPS data will often seem erratic or jittery as the reported value moves around within the range of error.
For example, if your mower were moving back and forth in .5 m swaths, it may actually seem to say in the same place for 3 meters or so, then jump forward and maybe sideways by 2-3 meters. So the results may seem less regular, and less smooth, than real life. Even if the mower is sitting in a single spot for some time, it may seem to jiggle around.
The usual solution to this is to take multiple samples over a period and smooth them out, based on some knowledge of the speed of the device being tracked.
It seems I've answered my own question. By switching over to the "beta" version of UIFlow, it appears that ENV II is available, so will be supported in upcoming versions.
Mark it closed!
I realize that the ENV hat is available, but it won't work for my purposes which require that the stick and temperature probe be in different locations. Right now, I have a solution that's working fine with the original ENV unit. But when I attempt to change to ENV II in UIFlow, it shows this unit as not working with the M5StickC.
Considering the unavailable of the original ENV unit, am I simply out of luck? Or is this a matter of waiting for a UIFlow update?
I've built a little device that I want to be able to take from site to site.
At my home, it correctly picks up the local network, connects, and begins saving data to my website. The MSStickC is connected to a solar panel, and I'm delighted to see that in the morning, as soon as the sun hits the panel, it boots up, reconnects, and begins doing its job.
However, I'd like to be able to take it to other locations, and have the option to log into the networks there. Is there a good example of how this might be done? I'm not asking for how to hardcode a network into the device -- I know how to do that -- I need to be able to flexibly attach to a network that I didn't know about when writing the code. Thanks.
@gianni are you downloading the code or running it directly from UIFlow? I’ve had an issue where the same app will run for an extended period in one environment, but fail after a few minutes in the other.
I've been trying over and over to load images to my M5StickC using the resource manager of UIFlow.
I've reduced the size of the image I'm loading to just 2K. And I've tried saving it as 4-bit, 8-bit, 24-bit, and 32-bit. I've tried reducing .jpg quality to an abysmal 35%. I've pretty much toggled every possible setting for saving either BMP or JPG.
But each time I try to load an image, the same thing happens. Resource manager displays the name of the image, a message appears that says "uploading" and then ... nothing. The message goes away, no error is every displayed, but the image doesn't appear in either resource manager or UIFlow.
Thanks, looking forward to seeing how this is implemented, as it's necessary to my project.
Is it possible to use UI Flow to set up the kind of "smart configuration" that's standard in most ESP32 IoT applications? That is:
This is the primary issue standing between my using UI flow to knock out a few prototype screens, and actually being able to develop with UI Flow. I'm hoping that it's already in there and I just don't understand the terminology of the blocks involved.
Thanks.
Attempts to set display brightness to 0 immediately crashes the M5Stickc back to the UI flow screen. Attempts to set it to 1, then return the display brightness to 75, generates a streaky, difficult to read screen, and shortly afterwards also crashes to UI Flow screen.
I then attempted to mimic the desired behavior using Set LCD voltage to block, and got a similar problem. Using 0 as the voltage generates an immediate crash. Using 1 seems to turn the screen off, but trying to turn it back on (using 3, or 3.3) left the screen streaky and distorted, and was again followed soon after by a crash.
@giulio can you describe the problem? Does the stick fail immediately when you disconnect? If not, can you check battery voltage and flow?
Is there an example of using the M5StickC microphone in UIFlow? Thanks.