MicroPython Forum (Archive)

I see another company is having a go at competing against ESP8266 for both a tiny module for embedding and complete little dev board.

https://s.taobao.com/search?q=air602
also aviable for slightly more from seed https://www.seeedstudio.com/Air602-WiFi ... -3139.html and complete dev board https://www.seeedstudio.com/Air602-WiFi ... -3140.html

The module is much smaller than the ESP modules and the tiny complete dev board is $1US from taobao

The biggest downside is the super limited number of GPIO pins but if you just wanted a node for IOT projects at $1 each it is pretty cheap to put 1 unit on every separate thing.

The CPU is http://www.winnermicro.com/en/html/1/156/158/497.html with 1Mbyte flash and 288Kbyte RAM

This looks rather interesting. If the SPI interface (which apparently is mapped to the board's pins) has good slave mode support, this could also be used as cheap WiFi add-on for the pyboard or other MicroPython boards without a NIC.

You could probably even cook up a driver in pure MicroPython using the AT commands set, in the hope that this board doesn't have the same problems as the esp8266, spamming the UART with system messages, since it has several UARTs.

SpotlightKid wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 10, 2018 3:53 pm

This looks rather interesting. If the SPI interface (which apparently is mapped to the board's pins) has good slave mode support, this could also be used as cheap WiFi add-on for the pyboard or other MicroPython boards without a NIC.

You could probably even cook up a driver in pure MicroPython using the AT commands set, in the hope that this board doesn't have the same problems as the esp8266, spamming the UART with system messages, since it has several UARTs.

Looking at the capabilities of the modules it looks like it looks like it is designed for either a add-on board to MCUs without 2.4GHz radio or looking at the little dev boards look like just suited to a basic IOT node.

Considering the chip has 1Mbyte of flash and 288Kbyte of RAM it already has evough roon on the chip to run MP.

Considering where ESP was with there first chip the ESP8089 only 5 years ago and where they r now I would think this might be a space to watch as it may lead to a ARM competitor to Tensilica/ESP chips.

It depends on whether they provide a good reference documentation or even an SDK. So far I haven't found anything of the sorts (but I haven't looked very far).

Though it's not Wi-Fi, there's also this module, which is small, cheap, and has a built-in radio: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/nRF5182 ... 751bbe3a79

Some of the TI modules are also quite cheap.

The trouble with wi-fi is that, in comparison, wi-fi is far more power hungry, which is especially noticeable on battery powered devices.

SpotlightKid wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 10, 2018 10:30 pm

It depends on whether they provide a good reference documentation or even an SDK. So far I haven't found anything of the sorts (but I haven't looked very far).

Certainly I believe the docs r much like the early stages of ESP as in very slim but for the platform to get traction they will have to develope docs.

I am a noob so I ask questions to learn.

The fact that it is a ARM chip this just means that the machine instructions are a certain way??
But the registers can be anywhere??
This means you can use the ARM compiler but you still need docs on registers??

The ARM specification just covers the CPU. The chip manufacturer still implements all the periphery (UART, SPI, I2C, etc.) and is free to do this however he chooses. For example, the SPI implementation on a ST chip is completely different than on a Winner chip. Heck, even between an STM32F4 and an STM2F7 chip the implementation may differ. So you need to have a reference documentation for the registers and behaviour of the periphery hardware.

Hey @OutoftheBOTS_ I help run the Melbourne MicroPython Meetup group and always put together a brief 'News' presentation that includes any hardware of interest to MicroPython developers. I try to post the slides shortly after the meetup- they may be of interest to you? I'll be covering the Air602 at the next meeting, Wednesday.

mattyt wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 22, 2018 3:24 am

Hey @OutoftheBOTS_ I help run the Melbourne MicroPython Meetup group and always put together a brief 'News' presentation that includes any hardware of interest to MicroPython developers. I try to post the slides shortly after the meetup- they may be of interest to you? I'll be covering the Air602 at the next meeting, Wednesday.

Yes please post all this sort of info as it helps people like me learn

I did my first steps on the air602 and finally i got micropython working on it. Somehow someone of the Winner Micro-Team uploaded a working board discription and a precompiled .bin on the Winner Micro homepage (you need to register to download). All my common Linux tools failed to upload the precompiled bin but the trial-version of SecureCRT did its work. I did it just as descibed in one of those pdfs on their (WM) homepage. For this you need some special Chenglish skills...