Re: Support multiple files

I've done a few Blockly programs with M5 and it's amazing how fast I can put together a prototype. I can write code that does amazing things without having to look up class methods or function arguments in the docs. I think this is the real strength of UIFlow that people overlook. You get to write working code instead of looking up docs.

But with all the good UIFlow has, I can't find a way to easily reuse what I've done before. I need to pull in pieces of block functions and pieces from prior programs and edit them to fit my need in the current project. So I find myself writing the same stuff over again.

The closest I see is the ability to create custom blocks and drop chunks of Python code into them from other projects/libraries. But this is not editable in Blockly, so I'm back to writing and editing Python code.

I even tried using an online instance with a desktop instance open simultaneously hoping I could copy/paste chunks between them, but no luck. I can only duplicate blocks inside the one UIFlow instance. I can't copy it from one and paste it into the other.

Is there a way to copy/paste pieces of Blockly between several files, or maybe import a Blockly m5f file into a current project? This would be very helpful if you want to write large apps and not re-invent the wheel every time you start a new one.

Maybe I'm just missing something and there is a way to do this?

In case the UIFlow team is working on 2.0, please explore a means of adding modular programming concepts to Blockly. It would be great if blockly segments could be selected, saved, and imported. That way complex pieces of code could be reused, instead of re-created.

I figured out how to work the Core2 for AWS LED strips. Add a custom RGB LED Unit with custom port. SDA/TX is on 25, and SCL/RX on 22. The Number of LEDs is 10. Then set the neopixel device as you want it. LEDs 1-5 are the right side, and 6-10 are left.

Remember to also Enable the bus power mode.

@ajb2k3 That's too bad. It would be of great value to have a way to create libraries of reusable code.

With Blockly you can get up and running really fast. But then you have to come to a screeching halt and start over with every new project.

@ajb2k3 :( hope 2.0 is comes out soon.

@ajb2k3 That's a great tip! It's also a good way to quick debug the code using REPL.

It would be great if the UIFlow team could invent a way to print a UIFlow program in a readable form, in its entirety (all of it).

@felmue I found the M024 M-BUS Connection proto board. It looks like the bus is available on two rows. I think this is the thing to use for connecting to the bus.

https://shop.m5stack.com/products/bus-module

@felmue I got some of these proto boards model M001, and it was a real mistake. They don't break out any bus signals, so you have to solder tack on tiny wires to the inaccessible surface-mount headers. Ugh. This is a poorly-designed and hard to use proto board. All they had to do is add a couple through-hole rows with the bus signals. I have yet to find a single example of someone actually using this proto board to build something useful.

It would be great if the UIFlow team could invent a way to print a UIFlow program in a readable form, in its entirety (all of it).

@ajb2k3 That's a great tip! It's also a good way to quick debug the code using REPL.

In case the UIFlow team is working on 2.0, please explore a means of adding modular programming concepts to Blockly. It would be great if blockly segments could be selected, saved, and imported. That way complex pieces of code could be reused, instead of re-created.

@ajb2k3 :( hope 2.0 is comes out soon.

I tried this with the online version of UIFlow, and am able to open MakerCloud1.m5b but not the custom blocks I created with the desktop version.

Using the online UIFlow Block Maker, I was able to create, save (download), and open for edit a new block. I was also able to open the new custom block for insertion into the Blockley workspace.

This is in fact a bug in the desktop version of Block Maker.

Is there a bug in UIFlow Desktop version or am I doing something wrong? I'm unable to create a working custom block. Also, can't reload a created block for editing.

I'm able to create custom blocks with the Block Maker. Everything seems to work fine, and I can save (Download) the new custom block.

Newly created blocks can be opened in UIFlow, but the namespace (group name) has no blocks in it. The blocks that were created do not appear and can't be inserted into Blockly.

Attempting to edit a previously created block in the Block Maker also doesn't work. I can click on Open .m5b, and the file selection window pops up. I select a block I created, but Block Maker does not import the file's Block Settings. Whatever block design was open at that time remains unchanged.

I'm pretty sure the problem is in the desktop version of the Block Maker. Here's why... I found a .m5b file on the internet called MakerCloud1.m5b and downloaded it. In UIFlow the MakerCloud1 group name now has blocks in it that I can move onto my workspace. But Block Maker doesn't import those block designs when I open the .m5b file. So it looks to me like desktop Block Maker can't read and can't write correct files.

Can anyone please offer help on how to fix this in my project?

@Amani , I also need to measure frequency using an M5 Stack Core 2. I was looking at your code and wondering if you ever solved this problem? I see that you're using a counter that's incremented in an interrupt handler. How do you get the frequency from that?

The way I understand Micro Python interrupts is that they're soft and give you jitter of some milliseconds, like over 2. Because the M5 Stack UIFlow runs on top of Micro Python, it does not seem likely that interrupts with adequate resolution are possible. You'll be lucky to measure a 500Hz signal.

But I'm very interested to hear if you came up with a solution.

I'm planning to solve this problem with a frequency to voltage converter. TI makes a low voltage part, LM331. The output is a voltage proportional to frequency that can be input to an ADC pin. Here's a link to the datasheet, https://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/lm331.pdf

I don't see another way to solve this problem using an M5 Stack. I'm hoping you found one that you can tell me about.

Thanks

Is there a stackable proto board for the Core2 similar to the one for the original M5Stack? The only one I've been able to find doesn't have the correct pinouts labeled.

Though mis-labeled, will the M001 board match up with the Core2 dimensions?