Introducing the WS1102 Wireless Serial Controller, New High-Voltage ADC Tibbit, and More
In this issue:
- WS1102 Programmable Wireless RS232/422/485 Controller
- Tibbit #43-2 — Four-Channel Streaming ADC With a ±200V Range
- Python Wrapper for Plus1’s PinMux (Peripheral “Switchboard”)
- WebPWM — RGB LED Control Demo for the WM2000EV Kit
WS1102 Programmable Wireless RS232/422/485 Controller
Meet the newest member of Tibbo’s family of programmable serial controllers — the WS1102. This compact, cost-effective device combines Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) interfaces with a universal RS232/422/485 port.
Like all members of the DS110x family, the WS1102 ships preloaded with our Serial-over-IP (SoI) application, which has been adapted for the wireless-first nature of this new programmable device server. When running the SoI app, the WS1102 is compatible with Tibbo’s well-known TDST software, which includes the Virtual Serial Port Driver (VSPD).
To simplify deployment away from traditional Ethernet networks, the WS1102 also comes preloaded with the new SoI Companion App. It implements a configuration interface that can be accessed over BLE from the L.U.I.S. (Loadable User Interface System) smartphone app*. The SoI Companion App provides access to all SoI settings. This makes the WS1102 our first serial controller that can be fully configured from a smartphone.
While it was designed with the SoI app in mind, the WS1102 is still a fully programmable serial controller. Programmability makes it ideal for edge Internet of Things (IoT) applications. For example, the WS1102 can be tasked to query serial Modbus devices (something that a remote cloud server cannot reliably do) and then securely send the collected data to the cloud for aggregation and analysis.
The WS1102 is based on Tibbo’s cloud-native WM2000 Programmable Wireless IIoT Module and thus inherits the WM2000’s capabilities. In addition to integrated Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n over 2.4GHz/5GHz) and BLE 4.2, the WS1102 can store two compiled Tibbo BASIC/C application binaries and supports over-the-air (OTA) updates, wireless debugging, and Transport Layer Security (TLS). Native support for TLS1.2 allows the WS1102 to communicate with Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, and virtually any other cloud services provider.
* The L.U.I.S. app is available for iOS, Android, and as a web app.
Tibbit #43-2 — Four-Channel Streaming ADC With a ±200V Range
The new Tibbit #43-2 is a wide-input-voltage range version of the #43-1 ADC Tibbit that we introduced back in March.
Nominally rated at ±100V in the single-ended mode and ±200V in the differential mode — but with absolute maximum ratings of ±120V and ±210V, respectively — Tibbit #43-2 can even be used to acquire AC signals, for example, in phase detection and power quality factor monitoring systems.
Other possible applications include battery bank management, solar panel voltage monitoring and logging, as well as industrial instrumentation. In essence, Tibbit #43-2 adds the capabilities of a multichannel wide-input-range voltmeter to your TPS devices.
Like its sibling, the new #43-2 device offers four single-ended or two differential channels and incorporates a microcontroller. The latter enhances the linearity and precision of analog-to-digital conversions and also enables low-jitter signal sampling and data streaming through the serial port.
Python Wrapper for Plus1’s PinMux
As a part of the ongoing development of Tibbo’s Ubuntu-derived distribution, we’ve updated our Personal Package Archive (PPA) with a Python wrapper for PinMux.
PinMux is a truly unique feature of the Plus1 SoC. It is a “switchboard” that dynamically connects the CPU’s peripherals to its GPIO lines. Moreover, such reconfiguration is fully transparent to the OS and does not require a reboot. Flexible remapping of peripherals, while common on lightweight microcontrollers, has hitherto never been implemented on Linux-grade chips in a comprehensive, fully symmetrical manner.
The new Python wrapper gives you access to this “switchboard” and allows your code to map and remap peripherals on the fly and as needed.
For example, you may dynamically switch a CPU pin from being a GPIO line into acting as the TX line of a UART, stay in this mode for a while, and then turn the pin back into a GPIO line. With traditional Linux CPUs, such reassignments would require editing the device tree and rebooting the system on each change. Not so with Plus1, its PinMux “switchboard,” and the new Python wrapper!
For more information on the wrapper, see our Getting Started guide.
WebPWM — RGB LED Control Demo for the WM2000EV Kit
We’ve just published the next chapter in our guided journey of exploration for the WM2000EV. As you may recall, in the first chapter, we illustrated how the WM2000’s native support for Transport Layer Security (TLS) and our streamlined API simplify sending data into the cloud.
In the second chapter, you’ll first learn how to use the Companion App* to configure the module for connecting to your Wi-Fi network, as well as for wireless debugging.
Next, you will use TIDE, our development software for Windows, to upload the WebPWM application into the module. This project is a blueprint for creating cloud-connected lighting control applications with the WM2000 module. Just like with Tibbo’s traditional “wired-first” devices, the upload process is as simple as opening a project in TIDE, selecting the WM2000 in the Device Explorer, and clicking Run.
Finally, you will access the WM2000 through the application’s web interface. The interface demonstrates the dynamic control of the WM2000EV’s RGB LED using the module’s PWM channels. The modern implementation of the web interface allows controlling the LED in real time — no page reloads required.
* The Companion App comes preloaded on every WM2000 and can be accessed via the L.U.I.S. app (available for iOS, Android, and as a web app).
Courtesy of Tibbo
