RoadTest: Infineon DC Motor Shield w/ TLE94112EL for Arduino
Author: gam3t3ch
Creation date:
Evaluation Type: Evaluation Boards
Did you receive all parts the manufacturer stated would be included in the package?: True
What other parts do you consider comparable to this product?: null
What were the biggest problems encountered?: Only big problem was being introduced to new software which I was not ready for which cause me to take some extra time to learn and adjust to.
Detailed Review:
Detailed Review:
Firstly I want to thank Element14 for allowing me the chance to review this product and a big thank you to Randall.
Unboxing:
After taking countless hours and going over this board I was quite impressed with the overall quality and craftsmanship. Some might have a issue with the packaging as there has been some complaints because of this. But before I get into everything I thought I would do a quick blurb. The XMC 1100 boot kit is great the add on board for the Infineon DC Motor Shield. But I opted for using the Arduino Uno R3 on my project as I thought stick with what I know for the time being until I get more familiar with the boot kit.
So getting all the software setup for this board was more then easy was quite impressed with the ability to get it connected quickly with the Arduino and the Boot kit. All instructions for the board and even the samples laid out for it were great to use a great starting point to get started learning the capabilities of the Infineon DC Motor Shield.
Testing Goals:
Use multiple DC Motor pumps in a project.
Reliability:
After taking countless hours and going over this board I was quite impressed with the overall quality and craftsmanship.
Wierd Issues:
Not sure if it was the sketch or the board but was getting odd voltage reading to me it wasn't what I have seen others have for results on the same thing but mind you my wav forms seem different as well. I will be looking into this further in the near future as well with the next project that I am working on. But at this current time its just a note possible software or hardware.
Setup Arduino library:
https://github.com/Infineon/XMC-for-Arduino
The current update adds Examples under the TLE94112
Under File menu and then Examples scroll to the bottom to find them.
The above video is for reference but the site has a great walk through to install it as well
My Testing Setup:
https://community.element14.com/resized-image/__size/348x195/__key/roadtestreviewfiles/20e0862d972c4a9f9353c69192799251/0753.contentimage_5F00_157646.jpg
https://community.element14.com/resized-image/__size/345x194/__key/roadtestreviewfiles/20e0862d972c4a9f9353c69192799251/4382.contentimage_5F00_157648.jpghttps://community.element14.com/resized-image/__size/108x191/__key/roadtestreviewfiles/20e0862d972c4a9f9353c69192799251/1643.contentimage_5F00_157649.png
Sorry I know its not as pretty of a setup as it should be will be working on things a bit more to get a better testing area completed. Just bought a beautiful old watchmakers bench.
Testing Phase:
Starting with the software setup I found that everything was smooth and simple to get going and then altering the code to get a decent working project going with multiple water pumps I ended up using a few 6v water pumps as it seemed the 12v water pump wouldn't get any response. Which this if fine all apart the testing part. Not sure if it was software or hardware related on this issue but will be something I will look into at a later time as I have a lot more 12v pumps then 6v ones.
I did attempt to play around with Dave. I found it was a lot to take in all at once trying to work on my project its something I would have to come back to and revisit in the future to see if it would be better for implementing into my projects and time consumption.
Click here for more information regarding Dave.
I know I will be on the forums learning more as well.
Something to Note:
I just wanted to make one fact really clear. I am working with this board as a hobbyist and a maker I have been self taught when it comes to all electronics so please bear with me my reviews and information as it may seem very simple and not as advanced as some of the great reviews I have read on this its one with a perspective of someone who has a project in mind and if this board will function and do everything they need in to and more. I know I have a lot to learn and grow from and have appreciated all the help that has come from the Element 14 community.
Testing Phase Continued:
After getting the software installed and the example installed I wanted to test it out before I dove in further to this project. I got out my test equipment on the bench and started putting things together and then the result was what you would expect.
So now after I got this going unfortunately I didn't get more photos and video of it as my phone decided to bite the dust on me and completely forgot about my video cameras I had to keep on going with filming and photos of it so this will bring on to the next part now. But I will note that it took me a good day of playing around and learning to get it where I wanted which was expected to me when it came to a new board. Eventually it will become second nature.
Conclusion and Thoughts:
Well to tell you quickly my thoughts about this board is. That its a great board and if it can be incorporated into your projects it will serve as a great addition to your automation of devices. Even tho it was stated for automotive use as well I can see that being a great platform to gear it towards but ultimately find consumer electronics would be more of a ideal platform for this board. After quite sometime playing with the software altering the code examples that I had and producing a product I was happy with its result in testing it with multiple motors and would incorporating this into future projects in the future as well. As its not a board I would just jump on board and buy and play around with I am glad I got the opportunity to have a go at it and know that for me I can find many applications to use this with and will be purchasing a few extras for my collection for use in other projects which I will post up once I get around to them.
So if your looking for a board with more options to add on to your existing Arduino uno r3 or use the boot loader kit either one would be a great way to go and easy to figure out and program once you get into it. I do however need to once again state Dave would probably be the ideal solution so by all means download Dave and give it a run and see how you like it.
Thank you all for reading my simple but yet to the point overview and review on the board below are the links to the sites I found ideal for finding information on the board and remember to check out the other Road Test Reviews on this board as I know there is more in depth breakdowns of the boards in them as well. Why take one persons view when you have a bunch right?
So if you have are new to this board and the software get familiar with the software first while its on its way to you. Then you will be ale to get the most out of the board that you possibly can. The forums for the board should help as well (even on element 14 new information gets added all the time and feel free to ask questions around here you will probably get a response) if you run into any issues or need some help as well. I think forums are great sources of information just look at the community here its amazing what a group of people can bring to the world.
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Top Comments
Hi Wesley,
Not bad for self taught maker.
Learning new software is always a challenge. You always wonder if it will be good for you or if it will do nasty things to you.
Still, I hope you persistent and come…
Hi Wesley,
Thank you for your good review.
I've seen your hard work while reading, I've fallen nostalgically back in my memory when I was a beginner.
It is a hard work for a hobbyist who has to master…
Thanks DAB, and I should be shortly be spending a lot of time with Dave and will get back to you on my assessment on it.