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  • Author Author: dougw
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Stirling Blue - Project Summary - Blog 14

dougw

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This roller coaster project had some ambitious goals because it is always fun to try and stretch to see if you can achieve them. Dealing with 7 MCUs and all the different development environments wasn't too difficult, but it was still lots of work. Designing the PCBs was fun and they worked well. However assembling 5 PCBs was a bit of a chore because they had hundreds of switches to mount. I definitely did not properly anticipate the time required to design 66 different 3D printed parts and printing hundreds of 2 tone keycaps is also pretty tricky.

The major achievements of the project were:

  • Design, build and program a PSoC4 based Bluetooth terminal with dual LCDs and 60 button keyboard - demonstrate communicating with an android tablet via Bluetooth
  • Design, build and program 2 wireless Type-N-Text micro:bit systems also with LCD and QWERTY keyboard - demonstrate TNT-to-TNT wireless communications
  • Getting a PSoC4 to communicate with a micro:bit via SPI
  • Design a complete package for the Type-N-Text device (66 different plastic parts for each device)
  • Designing and printing 2 types of PCB and assembling 5 PCBs
  • Research Stirling engines, how they work, acquire an engine and measure temperatures, speed. output voltage and output current.
  • Developed a method of measuring fuel level using capacitance
  • Learn about the PSoC6 and make some working programs towards monitoring a Stirling engine

The project objectives that still need work:

  • Automated monitoring of the Stirling engine
  • publishing engine data via Bluetooth

Stats:

14 blogs, 11 videos, buckets of fun

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Capacitive Fuel Measurement

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I had fun with this project, it was a lot of work but I'm happy I took it on. The project had perhaps a few more obstacles to overcome than usual and some of the tasks were underestimated but it is all about how you deal with adversity, because sometimes it just happens. I do regret not getting further with the Stirling automation, but I think the Type-N-Text system has far more potential to be adopted by many users. There are over a million micro:bits out there and they could all use the Type-N-Text system.

When I realized the potential of the Type-N-Text system, I re-prioritized the objectives of the project. Projects can really benefit from maintaining the flexibility to exploit interesting and useful spin-off ideas. I am very pleased to be the first one to finally bring a full text interface and full text wireless communications to the micro:bit platform at a nice low cost.

 

 

Related Links:

Bluetooth Unleashed Design Challenge

Bluetooth Unleashed Design Challenge: The Challengers

Bluetooth Unleashed Design Challenge: About This Challenge

 

Links to other blogs for this project:

Stirling Blue - Project Description - Blog 1

Stirling Blue - Unboxing Hero - Blog 2

StirlingBlue1

Stirling Blue - micro:bit TXTR - Blog 3

Stirling Blue - Fuel Measurement - Blog 4

FuelMeasurement1

Stirling Blue - Interface Description - Blog 5

Stirling Blue - BBC micro:bit LCD - Blog 6

microbitLCD1

Stirling Blue - Power Measurement - Blog 7 (updated)

PowerMeasurement1

SpeedMeasurement1

Stirling Blue - Bluetooth Terminal Awakening - Blog 8

BluetoothTerminalAwake1

Stirling Blue - PSoC Bluetooth Terminal Keyboard - Blog 9

PSoC4KeyboardScanning1

Stirling Blue - Bluetooth Terminal - First Contact - Blog 10

BluetoothTerminal1stContact

Stirling Blue - micro:bit QWERTY keyboard & LCD - blog 11

MicroBitKeyboardLCD

Stirling Blue - TNT (Type-N-Text) - blog 12

TNT1

Stirling Blue - TNT Ignition - Blog 13

TNT2

Stirling Blue - Project Summary - Blog 14

  • in reply to balearicdynamics

    I don't know about using Yotta - I don't think the average micro:bit user would be using Yotta directly. I would expect young users to modify, adapt and improve my code.

    The Windows version of Mu that I used has all the Python libraries.

    https://codewith.mu/

  • in reply to dougw

    Thank you Doug,

     

    I am approaching an SPI and I2C connection to the micro:bit and I was just unsure if it was the case to use Yotta plus all the other parts to develop the Python locally or using the micro:bit let's code micro Python access. My doubt is (one of many at the moment) how can I use the SPI and other libraries if I developing locally.

     

    Enrico

  • in reply to balearicdynamics

    Unfortunately I ran out of time - due to all the usual sad excuses (of course in my case they were really good reasons image) - I was still developing firmware on the last day of the challenge, after pulling yet another all-nighter, so no software is posted.

    I used PC-based mu Python for the micro:bit because I liked the way it handled SPI.

    I used PSoC Creator on both the PSoC 4 and PSoC 6.

    It was useful to have a powerful, multi-screen computer when trying to have 3 software development tools running at the same time as my electronics CAD software and mechanical CAD and 3D printing...

    I will continue working on several aspects of the project at a lower priority pace and I'll post updates and software if/when they are complete. There is a lot of material and work I have not had a chance to publish yet.

    Meanwhile, I am open to questions if there is anything specific somebody wants to know....

  • Hello Dough,

    As I am fascinated by the stirling engines too, I have followed with special attention the evolution of your project. I have a question about. What about the software? Did you plan or already provided somewhere a repository with the software parts? What platform and language did you used for the micro:bit? For the PSoC I suppose that you have approached the native PsocCreator...

     

    Enrico

  • in reply to shabaz
    1. The ZX81 was a cool device. I almost bought one. If I add my keyboard to the PSoC6 hero card it would be a complete computer that really outperforms any of those early computers,  maybe even the original Apple Mac.