Arduino Micro Breadboard Laboratory Interface Processor (Micro BLIP) User Manual

Transcription

1 Arduino Micro Breadboard Laboratory Interface Processor (Micro BLIP) MicroBLIP circuit board v2.0 Operating System v /22/2019 User Manual

2 2 1 Setup and Operation 1.1 Introduction For the past ten years, students in the instrumentation course in the Bioengineering Department at the University of Pittsburgh have each constructed, used, and taken home a system called the Breadboard Lab Interface Processor (BLIP). The BLIP functions as a number of basic laboratory instruments. These include Voltage Logger, Waveform Generator, Frequency Counter, Logic Analyzer, and Period Duration Logger. The BLIP is powered by USB from a computer and appears to that computer as a human typing on a standard keyboard. Thus, the BLIP can interface to any text editor or spreadsheet software on any standard platform (Macintosh, Linux, or Windows). The new version of the BLIP described here, the MicroBLIP V2.0, is based on the popular Arduino Micro microcontroller board. This document describes how to use the MicroBLIP. A separate construction manual, Building the Micro-BLIP, is provided under Lab 2 on the class schedule at Please note that some of the illustrations in this manual show a previous version of the MicroBlip (v1.2), but this should have no consequences. The only difference in the hardware point is that the new board (v1.2) is wider with clear numbering of the Arduino pins. The corresponding software upgrade to OS V.2.0 behaves differently and uses different input pins than the previous OS V.1.2, and those changes are reflected in this document. 1.2 Loading the Program onto the MicroBLIP In order to load the MicroBLIP program onto the Arduino, we will be using the Arduino Integrated Development Environment (IDE). If you are using one of the Windows machines in the B10 Lab, open the Arduino IDE, which is installed on those computers (there should be a link to the IDE on the desktop). If you are using your own computer, download the IDE from the Arduino website: 2

3 3 Next, connect your Arduino board to the computer using the USB cable provided with your MicroBlip (in your PittKit). Once connected, you will see a blue LED glow, located under the MICRO board, indicating that it is getting power from the computer. In the Arduino IDE, go to Tools -> Boards and select Arduino/Genuino Micro. Next, go to Tools -> Port, and select the port that the Arduino is connected to. Now the IDE knows which type of Arduino board is being used, and which USB port it is connected to. Load the program (also called a sketch in the Arduino community) by clicking on Download MicroBLIP program under Lab 2 on the class schedule at We should note here some potential confusion about the terms, download and upload. One usually downloads from a website, but the Arduino community insists on saying that you are uploading when you load a program onto the Arduino processor from your computer. Either way, you are loading and it is clear which way the information is flowing from the context. Find the program where it has been downloaded. It should be labeled, MicroBLIP_OS_v2.0. Double-click on this file and it will be loaded into the Arduino IDE s edit screen. You will be asked if you want to create a new sketch folder to contain this program, and you should click OK. (If you have trouble downloading the program, you can click on View MicroBLIP program and cut and paste it into the Arduino IDE s edit screen.) Next, in the upper left corner of this screen, find the icon that looks like a check-mark. Click on this icon to verify that the code has no errors. There should be no errors, provided the program was copied correctly, though you may get a warning, Low memory available, stability problems may occur. Ignore this. Just to the right of the check-mark icon is the upload icon, which looks like an arrow pointing to the right. Click on this icon, and wait until the upload is completed, watching the green and yellow LEDs blink on your Arduino. Once it is done, you should be able to test the MicroBLIP software as described in the next section. 3

4 4 1.3 Testing the MicroBLIP Open a text editor on your computer. This can be MS-Word, TextEdit on the Mac, WordPad on Windows, etc. Whenever you have the MicroBLIP plugged into a USB port of your computer, you should open a text editor. Since the MicroBLIP will appear to the computer like a human typing on a keyboard, it can disrupt other programs if they are currently selected when the MicroBLIP is typing. The MicroBLIP program should already be running, as evidenced by the green LED flashing (1 second on, 1 second off). If not, push the hardware Reset Button on the Arduino Micro (see Fig. 1). After some flashing of the green and yellow LEDs, the program should start running. Then press User Button 1 and the welcome message will be typed. You may then cycle through the MicroBLIP modes by repeatedly pressing User Button 1, or you may first display the mode descriptions by pressing User Button 2. Each of the modes will print instructions on what Button 2 does for that particular mode, but in general, User Button 2 starts and stops what is typed to your computer, making it easier to use the MicroBLIP along with other programs on your computer. The program in your MicroBLIP is stored in non-volatile memory, meaning the MicroBLIP may be removed, and the program will automatically restart any time it is plugged back into a USB port, at which time you can again open a text editor and press User Button 1 to get the welcome message. Using the MicroBLIP in each of its modes will be described in subsequent sections of this manual. 4

5 5 1.4 Making Connections between the MicroBLIP and other circuits Figure 1 shows the completed MicroBLIP inserted into a breadboard. Note that the left most pins of the male header are inserted into Column 1 of the breadboard. Since the pins of the Arduino pass through the custom printed circuit board (PCB) of the MicroBLIP, the Arduino pins have a fixed correspondence to the column numbers of the breadboard. Also note that at this time no other connections are present on the breadboard. These will be added as the MicroBLIP is used in Lab 3 and subsequent labs. It is important that no other power sources, including batteries, ever be used on the breadboard along with the MicroBLIP, to avoid damage to the MicroBLIP. 5