Category Archives: FatFs

FRDM with Arduino Ethernet Shield R3, Part 3: Embedded Web Server

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This is Part 3 of an ongoing tutorial to use the Arduino Ethernet Shield R3 with a Freescale FRDM-KL25Z board (or any other board you like).

In Part 1 I worked on the SD card, in Part 2 I have added basic network connection. Now time to run a web server with my FRDM-KL25Z :-). With this, I can get access to my board through the network, and the board will host a web page where I can do pretty much everything: showing status, or adding functions to turn on things like an LED 🙂

Web Server with W5100 on FRDM-KL25Z

Web Server with W5100 on FRDM-KL25Z

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FRDM with Arduino Ethernet Shield R3, Part 1: SD Card

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Sometimes it takes a very long time to realize a project. Adding the Arduino Ethernet Shield R3 to one of my Freescale FRDM boards is one of it: it took me a year until I have found a few days to work on using the Ethernet Shield with my FRDM-KL25Z.

FRDM-KL25Z with Ethernet Shield

FRDM-KL25Z with Ethernet Shield

I have not everything in place yet, so I decided to publish things in parts. So this is about part one: using the Micro SD Card on the Shield.

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Hacking the Heating System for Cooling – Geothermal Drilling with extra Benefits

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Summer finally has arrived in Switzerland. Yes, I live in a moderate climate zone, but if the outside temperature goes above 28-30° Celsius as these days, then sleeping at night is not that comfortable as it should be in my view. Luckily, I’m in a good constructed house with good insulation, so it takes a few days until it heats up. But I love to keep the temperature below 25° Celsius, especially at night. I do have a heating system which combines geothermal and solar heating. The question is: how can I use it for cooling during hot summer days? The solution: some extra plumbing, a Freescale Tower system and the Freescale FRDM-KL25Z board 🙂

FRDM-KL25Z with Arduino Data Logger Shield

FRDM-KL25Z with Arduino Data Logger Shield controlling Heating/Cooling System

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How to use MCUonEclipse GitHub without Git

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Not everyone is familiar with Git, and not everyone wants to use it. Although I think using Git or SVN is something every software engineer today needs to master 😉 To make it easier for the ‘non-Gitter’ to use the Processor Expert components, they are available now as *.PEupd files as described here. However, the *.PEupd files are just a snapshot, and not the latest and greatest. So how to use the latest component sources and example projects without Git?

gits in a box

gits in a box

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Added Write Protection Pin to FatFsMemSDHC

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What was missing in the FatFsMemSDHC component presented here is support for a ‘write protection’ pin. Well, that write protection is not present on micro-SD cards, and on normal SD cards it is a simple plastic thing with no real hardware meaning: it is all up to the software to respect it. While my other SD card components have support for such a write protection detection, it was lacking for the FatFsMemSDHC (for Kinetis) component. Time to fix this!

SD Card Lock

SD Card Lock: an SD-Card, a micro-SD Card and a micro-SD card adapter, both with write-enabled

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Serial Bootloader for the Freedom Board with Processor Expert

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Bootloaders are a very useful thing: it allows programming an application file without a debugger. This makes it ideal for upgrading a system in the field.

Usually, there are application notes and examples from silicon vendors available. But typically they are for a certain microcontroller, and hard to change it to another system without a lot knowledge about its implementation. What I need for a project based on the FRDM-KL25Z is a bootloader which shall be small and portable. As I’m using Processor Expert to keep my applications portable across different microcontroller families: why not create a bootloader with Processor Expert components?  With the Processor Expert drivers available, things can get a lot simpler compared to the ‘traditional’ approach. With less than 10 KByte footprint?

Serial Bootloader made with Processor Expert

Serial Bootloader made with Processor Expert

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USB MSD Host for the Freedom Board

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Sometimes things take longer than anticipated. And this is definitely the case for my USB MSD Host project where I wanted to use a USB memory stick with the Freedom FRDM-KL25Z board.

Memory Stick attached to the Freedom Board

Memory Stick attached to the Freedom Board

But finally, I have things working. At least most of the time ….

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Processor Expert Maxim I2C RTC for the Arduino Data Logger Shield

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There was one part missing to complete the software support for my Arduino DataLogger Shield on top of my FRDM-KL25Z Freedom board: support for the Maxim DS1307 RTC (Real Time Clock).

DS1307 on the Adafruit Data Logger Shield

DS1307 on the Adafruit Data Logger Shield (Source: http://www.ladyada.net/make/logshield/design.html)

Things got delayed a bit, as I first needed to get the I2C infrastructure up and running (see this post). But finally, I have things working :-). I proudly present: RTC_Maxim!

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Arduino Data-Logger Shield with the FRDM-KL25Z Board

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One success factor of the Arduino platform is the broad availability so-called ‘shields’: hardware plugin-modules which extend the capability of platform. Shieldlist.org currently lists 288 different shields available! Clearly, Freescale wants to benefit from that ecosystem with the Freedom FRDM-KL25Z board which features Arduino compatible headers. Time to use the Freedom board with an Arduino shield :-).

Data Logger Shield on Top of Freedom Board

Data Logger Shield on Top of Freedom Board

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Sports Timing System in a Lunch Box

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The 2012 London Olympics are over. And I had my own special sports event last weekend. Although not part of the Olympics, it is part of the Switzerland Central Mountain Race Championship. This is a series of mountain running challenges. And no, I did not run the race. I love the mountains, and I love hiking in the mountains, but this is definitely for the greatest athletes. Instead to run the race, I have chosen to implement and run the timing system :-).

Athletes approaching the finish line

Athletes approaching the finish line

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