
NETduino - shawndumas
http://www.netduino.com/
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wccrawford
In the past, I've had some projects that I'd like to have tried, if I knew
what I was doing with circuitry. I have a feeling an Arduino (or Netduino)
would have taken a lot of the pain out of it. But eventually, I'd probably
want to make a version that didn't start with a $35 part, possibly to sell or
let others make.

Is there a pretty clear path from starting with a 'duino and moving to custom
set of components (assuming we're not talking about anything crazy complex
like making a smartphone lol) or would it be essentially re-learning
everything from scratch?

For example, the other day I wanted to plug a GC controller into a USB port.
I'm pretty sure I could wire it up to a programmable chip and make that
happen. I'm also pretty sure an 'duino would be easier. But would making one
version make it easier to make the other?

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evan_
You can pop the ATMega chip off of the development board and use it in place
of the complete arduino. ATMega chips are pretty cheap (edit- I said $1 before
but that may have been optimistic).

If you just want to plug a Gamecube controller into your computer this is
probably a better option: <http://goo.gl/Y0nP9>

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wccrawford
Actually, I've read bad things about that particular adapter, but I did have
an alternative in mind. But thanks!

I didn't fully understand the ATMega bit, but I'm assuming it means I can even
use the same C++ program and not have to rewrite it for a new chip? That would
be an amazing way to go, if so. I had assumed I'd at least have to recompile
for a different chip.

Edit: Looks like <http://www.arduino.cc/playground/Learning/AtmegaStandalone>
explains it for me. Thanks for the tip! That's exactly what I needed to push
me further.

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marssaxman
Building your own Arduino clone is pretty straightforward - it's half a dozen
components, under ten bucks. Once you get the hang of it you can prototype
your design using an actual Arduino board, then simply integrate the
components into your actual project and continue using the same firmware. I've
done this many times.

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evilduck
The only gotcha with this is that you'll need a way to put the Arduino
bootloader on new AVR chips, or pay a small premium to buy them preloaded with
Arduino firmware.

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mrspandex
>> "Netduino is also pin compatible with Arduino shields."

I think this is an awesome idea. Writing code in the original Arduino C
dialect was a bit frustrating (for a Java guy). Being able to write in a
higher level language that interops with already available Arduino accessories
is just fantastic.

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qeorge
I saw a demo of a Netduino a .NET developers group in Raleigh, and was very
impressed. It was extremely cool to see someone step through C# code in Visual
Studio that was running on the board.

IIRC, the SDK runs on the Express (free) version of Visual Studio as well, so
you really can get started for $35.

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dvfer
now I want iDuino... an objective-c based open source embedded system. It's a
pretty good startup idea actually, considering everything i-based product can
charge more...

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MatthewPhillips
Very nice. I've wanted to do an Arduino project for a while (or an Android
ADK, or this) but I can't think of any project ideas. I don't want to create a
remote controlled car, or a gmail notifier. I want to create something real,
something useful.

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3pt14159
Are there any NETduinos that can handle more than 20 Gs of force out of the
box?

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regomodo
Depends on the duration.

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3pt14159
I know a guy that is basically looking for an MS Stack solution to a problem
he is having. He makes displays for fighter jets and he would like to know if
these can solve them. The only problem is that it is all military spec stuff,
ergo question.

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regomodo
Whether the item works is the least of your problems when it comes to military
jets. Trust me, if it's UK-mil it's a bureaucratic nightmare (expensive) to
develop software that can be proven to be of high-integrity. To reduce costs
you use stuff that has been proven safe before (we still use 8051s and wire-
wrap).

Put simply, if the pilot makes decisions on how to fly (in flight or on later
analysis) based on an electronic piece of equipment, it'll have cost
shitloads. This fact is why I want to get out of mil-aero in the UK;
developing embedded soft/elec is mostly about jumping through hoops.

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jvoorhis
Does anyone know if .NET micro supports F#?

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MostAwesomeDude
I actually asked a guy at OSCON, and no, F# is not supported. The CLR on the
Netduino isn't complete and doesn't support every .NET language.

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pointyhat
I've played with a netduino extensively. My only comment is that they are
HIDEOUSLY SLOW and expensive compared to other similar platforms such as
AVR+GCC and PIC. They are however convenient and easy to debug, which are the
only positive things I can say.

I spend 70%+ of my time with .Net/C# happily so this is not a
langauge/Microsoft bias.

