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Which microcontroller?

SIMOND
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Oct 7, 2008, 5:53 PM

Post #1 of 5 (829 views)
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Which microcontroller?	Can't Post

I’m creating an Isadora project that involves wearable sensors that are triggered by touch. I’m thinking of using either force sensitive resistors or magnetic proximity sensors (with magnets attached to the performers hands to trigger them). As always I’m doing this on as small a budget as possible so before I spend any money I would really appreciate advice on which wireless microcontroller to go for:

1.Arduino Bluetooth – budget wise this looks good but how straightforward is it to use for this type of application?

2. Infusion Systems I-cubex Wi-microSystem – looks like its more user friendly but will blow my budget resulting in crap Christmas presents for my girlfriend.

3. Has anyone had success in hacking a Wii remote by soldering external sensors onto the board?

4. Any other ideas or products?

Thanks
Simon

skulpture
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Oct 8, 2008, 1:15 AM

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Re: [SIMOND] Which microcontroller? [In reply to]	Can't Post

im not sure about the wireless part but maybe use an old keyboard? Or a wireless keyboard? Using Max you work out a key stroke number then rip the keyboard apart, turn it into a sensor glove/suit or whatever and just extend the cables.

In theory this should work.

An instant without duration....

www.grahamthorne.co.uk

hal
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Nov 12, 2008, 9:38 AM

Post #3 of 5 (699 views)
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Re: [SIMOND] Which microcontroller? [In reply to]	Can't Post

I like Maxstream Xbee much better than bluetooth. It's cheaper, probably cheaper to buy the two xbee radios then one bluetooth device.

And Bluetooth needs to be constantly connected and does not auto reconnect without user intervesntion well.
It also tends to eat masive power.

Xbee will auto reconnect, and is much easiter to use. Works great with arduino
--
Hal Eagar - Media Effects Artist http://haleagar.com
Director - Digital Performance Institute http://digitalperformance.org
DPI-office 646 442 4435 | Hal-cell 917 257 8440

SIMOND
Novice

Nov 25, 2008, 4:33 PM

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Re: [hal] Which microcontroller? [In reply to]	Can't Post

Thanks for your advice hal. I'm working towards getting arduino and xbee working with Isadora but so far haven't had much success with even arduino on its own.
I recently successfully hacked the Wii remote to enable the triggering of contact switches attached to clothing but the range/strength of the bluetooth signal drops off very quickly when the performer moves more than 4 metres away from the computer causing it to have to reconnect. very dull and not much use.

Do you know what the range of the xbee is? With my wii/bluetooth experiments the connection can be interrupted a body being between the wii and the computer - will the xbee perform better?

thanks
simon

hal
User

Dec 1, 2008, 12:06 PM

Post #5 of 5 (229 views)
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Re: [SIMOND] Which microcontroller? [In reply to]	Can't Post

There are 2 flavors of Xbee, the standard and Pro. The Pro has a stronger radio and some crazy range like up to a mile.
I've only use the standard radio, that is rated for 300ft I believe. Those are line of sight distances of course.

Anyway it works pretty solidly throughout my office (60ft away), It works out in the stairwell through a few layer of drywall including standing in the center of a iron stairway.
It even works intermittently from the lobby on the floor below, through a pretty substantial floor of steel and concrete; Not well enough but a bit.

I would probably go for a pair of Pro radios for use in a theatre environment, they are not much more.
Spark Fun has a nice cheap USB board for hooking one of the Xbee's up to the computer.
And other boards you can use to hook it to an Arduino for Way less $ than the standard Arduino Shield.

Another feature for the Xbee is that you can have several in a a network all talking together. So one dongle on the computer, and only one Serial port to read/write on the computer, but multiple wireless devices on stage.

And so far as I have experinced if it works over a wired serial connection it works exactly the same way over the Xbee.
The Xbee is a 3v device so it makes a good match with a Arduino stamp/mini ...

Also I have never used it but I think the Xbee has 3 anolog inputs itself, so in some circumstaces you could skip the need for an arduino altogether.
But I have never used that feature, so I don't know what or how you get those values on the serial connection.
--
Hal Eagar - Media Effects Artist http://haleagar.com
Director - Digital Performance Institute http://digitalperformance.org
DPI-office 646 442 4435 | Hal-cell 917 257 8440

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