is there universal board to test various common hardware module/sensor?

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oyster
Posts: 26
Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2021 1:21 pm

is there universal board to test various common hardware module/sensor?

Post by oyster » Fri Apr 02, 2021 1:05 am

the short question
is there any micropython-powered board, which expose dedicated SPI, I2C, RGB and FSMC interface as female header just like two stm32 boards do

the long story
I am a newbie.

Currently, I try to learn how to make modules( sorry, English is not my mother language. I don't know whether it is proper to call a sensor/display/and_so_on as a module) work from software side.

However, since I carry out my study on breadboard with Dupont lines, failures appear frequently due to
  • wrong wiring
  • loose wiring
  • mis-used pin, for example, a In-Pin is connected as an Out-pin
  • the reason that some modules are second-hand, for example, Nokia 5110 display. I can't ensure they can work or not


Every time the module does not work, I have to check and re-wire it from time to time, which not only makes me tired(since small pin span) but also feel frustrated.

There are two stm32 boards which can be used to test most of the display of SPI/RGB/FSMC interface quickly. The 2 boards are programmed in C/C++, so we have to write different code for different display and then upload the compiled code into the board.

As we know, SPI and I2C are common used for modules( even some display uses SPI). For advanced display, RGB or FSMC interface are used. It seems that SPI/I2C/RGB/FSMC covers most of the common modules' interface(correct me if I am wrong).

So my question is
1. is there any micropython-powered board, which expose dedicated SPI, I2C, RGB and FSMC interface as female header just like two stm32 boards do
2. so the pins used for SPI, I2C, RGB and FSMC are always fixed, as a result the user can always use a code template without worry about wrong wiring, wrong pins
3. the board can supply a minimal code to judge whether a module can work or is bad
4. even more, the program can supply multi-function. I mean the user can choose to perform test on which kind of interface

thanks

fdufnews
Posts: 76
Joined: Mon Jul 25, 2016 11:31 am

Re: is there universal board to test various common hardware module/sensor?

Post by fdufnews » Mon Apr 26, 2021 7:41 am

Well, a generic interface board is just a dream.
If you search a little you'll see that there is no standard pinout for the graphic boards.
I have in hand 2 Nokia 5110 display boards and their pinout are different.

Concerning the sensors there are some de facto standards like Grove or click™ Board but they are not universal.

The only solution is to be carefull when wiring your test contraptions

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scruss
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Location: Toronto, Canada
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Re: is there universal board to test various common hardware module/sensor?

Post by scruss » Mon Apr 26, 2021 6:20 pm

Apart from the unusual display connectors, these look very similar to the STM32F407 boards that already have MicroPython support: https://github.com/mcauser/BLACK_F407VE
So you may be able to compile and install on the hardware you already have.

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