RoadTest: Arduino Nano 33 IoT Embedded Dev Kit
Author: garymii
Creation date:
Evaluation Type: Development Boards & Tools
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?: Nothing at this price point, the other available processor boards do not include WiFi.
What were the biggest problems encountered?: Using the code libraries were easy to find but took awhile to incorporate into an existing script.
Detailed Review:
I like the size of the board and the pin layout, makes it easy to attach to a prototyping perf board. I started out by creating a Temperature controller by using the SPI channel to an RTD driver IC (MAX31865). It was wired to a three wire PT100 RTD attached to a block heater on a syringe containing an adhesive. I easily found a library online for the PID source code and modified the PID values to achieve a precise temperature for the adhesive. By having online libraries for the source code, it was very easy to write a script, upload the PID code, incorporate the code as a state machine, and call it as needed. The next function for the project was to control the speed, direction and distance for two DC brushed motors. An L298 Dual H-Bridge module (also very low cost) was used and controlled by 4 Outputs from the Arduino (PWM is another method for speed control). The code for driving the H-Bridge was also found online and uploaded to the script from a library. Once the basic functionality of the motor driver was confirmed I ran a DOE to determine the ON/OFF times for the 3 pairs of different state machines needed for the slow, medium and fast speeds of the motors and the distances needed. The WiFi was just as easy to setup (from a library found online) and allowed me to monitor the motor speeds and adhesive temperatures remotely.
Over all I found this very low cost Arduino extremely easy to use (I am NOT a programmer) and will be using it for assembly line functionality testing. The WiFi capabilities make this an easy solution and cuts down on the wiring for test fixtures. I was absolutely surprised to learn how easy it was to program by searching online for whatever function you need. I found numerous Websites with Arduino code libraries as well as modules for motor drivers, Temp controllers, LED drivers, Touchscreens, etc. at low costs easily purchased at Newark, Amazon, Ebay, etc.