Simple Actuator Question

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Anonymous
Not applicable

Hello all,

   

I am trying to use Sense and Control Dashboard 2.0 to have a sensor relay results to an actuator and upon receiving certain results, the actuator performs a task.  For example, if the sensor detects a temperature that is too high (say above 30 degrees celsius), the actuator is informed that this condition has been met and proceeds to flash a series of LEDs and start a buzzer.

   

Currently, I am able to have the sensors results displayed on the Sense and Control Dashboard 2.0.  I am also able to set up an actuator that is being sent information based on if the sensor's results meet certain conditions.  My problem is How do I have the actuator process information being sent to it and execute a method? 

   

For more details my setup is as follows (all parts are from the PSoC FirstTouch Starter Kit with CyFi Low-Power RF or the Environmental Sensing Kit😞

   

1) Actuator: AAA Battery Pack --- RF Expansion Board --- Multifunction Board

   

2) Sensor: AAA Battery Pack --- RF Expansion Board --- Weather Station Expansion Board

   

 

   

(I think my problem has to do with relaying information from the RF Expansion Board to the Multifunction Board)

   

Thanks in advance,

   

Cyphez

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14 Replies
Anonymous
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 Another possible topic of interest would be using the same setup, how would one go about directly transmitting the information from the sensor to the actuator, without the use of the PC as the middle man?

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Anonymous
Not applicable
        Hi ScotleCyphez, I'm not shavvy with FirstTouch-Kit-RF but may I advise for you. I have look the Cy3271-kit users guide. Your ploblem is you can receive a sensor alam, but you can not send a signal to actuator automatically. right? Do you have source code of the Sense and Control Dashboard 2.0? If you have, you can check the exchange of signals and control how you want to. My English is quite not much. can I help you.   
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Anonymous
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 I can send a signal to the Actuator, however, I do not know how to have the actuator process the signal it is receiving.

   

I can currently receive a signal from a sensor (such as temperature or humidity), send this information to the PC to be viewed by the  Cypress Sense and Control Dashboard, analyze the information, and if the information meets a certain criteria (such as a temperature being too high), a specific value is sent to the actuator.  The value that is sent to the actuator is what I am having problems handling. My goal is to examine the value and trigger a buzzer on the Multifunction Board.

   

My problem is, how do I have the actuator (which has received a value) process the received value?

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Anonymous
Not applicable

I think my problem might be better phrased as:

   

How do I relay the data received on the RF Expansion board to the MultiFunction Board?

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Anonymous
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        "My problem is, how do I have the actuator (which has received a value) process the received value?" Does it mean value itself? OR received YES or NOT?   
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Anonymous
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        OK, two ways comes up. 1) Use the Console tool of Dashboard, send message to actuator, and check it. 2) Whatever we doesn't have PC source code or USB-HUB firmware code, but we have a HUB-I2C firmware code. hack it.   
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Anonymous
Not applicable

 1) Use the Console tool of Dashboard, send message to actuator, and check it.

   

This is what I am currently trying to do. The message is sent to the actuator. The problem is how do I get the actuator to handle the value sent to it.

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Anonymous
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        You should have the actuator firmware code, So hack it and lit a LED when the actuator have received the signal.   
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Bob_Marlowe
Level 10
Level 10
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You HAVE got the actuator firmware (it's on the accompanying CD) and you'll have to change that. The sensor (actuator) boards contain usual members of PSoC1-family and are programmable as well but they lack the additional hardware you are talking about (LEDs, buzzer).

   

 

   

Bob

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ETRO_SSN583
Level 9
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The basic kit you have looks like -

   

 

   

   

The hub can both act as a hub or to program the node boards.

   

 

   

So basically you take the node board of interest and modifiy its code to effect actuator

   

behaviour. The firmware for the node is located on kit CDROM. So you would open up

   

that firmware in Designer and modifiy it. Note the projects, if I am not mistaken, are

   

5.1 or 5.0 Designer projects. Look at user manual for the procedure to program a node

   

board. You have to make sure you pick the right PSOC to insure you are not re-programming

   

the hub firmware device.

   

 

   

Regards, Dana.

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Anonymous
Not applicable

 This sounds like what I am looking for!

   

\

   

My only question now is how do I go about programming the node board?As a reminder my setup is:  AAA Battery Pack --- RF Expansion Board --- Multifunction Board

   

\

   

I have opened the firmware for the Multifunction Board in Designer and I am able to program the MultiFunction board to do various tasks on its own (such as flash an LED and buzz a buzzer in sync).  I have also opened the firmware for the RF Expansion Board but I still do not understand how to have the RF expansion board communicate with the Multifunction board based on the data it is receiving (I also do not even know how to have the RF Expansion board examine the data being received from the Hub)

   

\

   

In terms of what is actually going on, the weather station sends temperature measurements to the SCD, the SCD analyzes the temperature, if the temperature is found to be in a given range a certain command is sent to the RF Expansion Board, The problem is here. How do I have the RF Expansion Board forward the command for the MultiFunction board to process and perform a certain action?

   

\

   

Sorry for so many questions but I am completely new to PSoC programming.

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Anonymous
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        Hi ScotleCyphez "Ohayou" Basically You want to do on FTK-RF which can do without firmware modification. You know, [User Guide] Button help for you. How to Configure Sensor and Actuator, How to write conversion expression. How to do create and edit Actuator Rules. Which are all in there. These are written politely and concretely. You can be understand. Regrettable, I didn't have FTK-RF actually. I cann't describe more detail. Thank you.   
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ETRO_SSN583
Level 9
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 In-System Programming

   


The master CY8C24894 on the hub side doubles as a programmer for the PSoC connected to it -
the application CY8C24794 on the hub board or the PSoC on an FTRF Expansion card. You can use
this feature to download the firmware hex file onto the PSoC CY8C27443 processor on the RF
Expansion board.

   

 

   

The manual has a section dedicated on this. Basically the usb hub can program its own application

   

processor (there are 2 in the hub, one to handle USB, the other as an application processor or as a

   

programmer for external boards plugged into it). When you program you make sure you have the correct

   

part number for the FTRF board set in the programmer, or you will wind up programming the processor

   

in the hub, which in general you do not do unless you decide to modify its firmware.

   

 

   

Regards, Dana.

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ETRO_SSN583
Level 9
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PSoC73 is correct to a point. If you are just using the Cypress boards, and

   

no need to pass info from one node to another, just node to hub, you can

   

pretty much handle that with SCD.

   

 

   

But if you want to add your own sensors with more than simple signal conversion,

   

then you will have to do firmware mods.

   

 

   

Regards, Dana.

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