Column: Electronics design
Testing components with RedBoard and Flowcode
I
By Martin Whitlock, Applications Engineer, Matrix TSL
wanted to create a project using RedBoard – an Arduino- compatible development platform by SparkFun for quick and easy project prototyping. To do this I needed a component
tester; I could have used a multimeter but didn’t have one at the time. Also, multimeters don’t differentiate between a transistor’s emitter and collector; likewise, a datasheet can identify each pin, but it can’t determine if a component is functional. A component tester can do all of this! I knew that Flowcode had just released a component tester app for free, so I combined it with the RedBoard to create my own setup. Tere are free apps on the
www.flowcode.co.uk website that use a SCADA type interface to allow communications between app developer soſtware on a PC and a SparkFun RedBoard /Arduino Uno; see Figure 1. One of the free apps is a component
tester that tests bipolar transistors, resistors, capacitors and single and dual diodes, among other components. So far I have only tried it on the Windows 10 operating system.
Step 1: Building the component tester Te app developer soſtware (Figure 2) is freely available, and so are the Sparkfun RedBoard or Arduino Uno. I used a solderless breadboard and wires for it (Dupont or solid core), six resistors – three x 1.5K, 1% or better, and three x 470K, 1% or better. I’d recommend a multimeter on standby, but it’s not essential.
Step 2: Loading the firmware onto the board You must install the drivers for the RedBoard or Uno. If running RedBoard then use the SparkFun ReadBoard Hookup Guide to help with the installation. For Arduino Uno, install the latest
Arduino IDE since it includes all the drivers.
12 September 2021
www.electronicsworld.co.uk
There are free apps that use a SCADA type interface to
allow communications between app
developer software on a PC and a SparkFun RedBoard /Arduino
Following this step, and once the
hardware is connected to the PC, run the Device Manager. With Windows 10, just right-click on the Windows logo and select Device Manager. Now expand ports COM and LPT. With
drivers installed, the assigned port will be displayed, as shown in Figure 3. Since you might have more than one
port allocated, you’ll need to remember the port number assigned to your RedBoard /Uno. To enable your PC to establish
communications, first load the correct firmware onto the RedBoard. Te only file you will need is called Arduino_Uno_ App_Developer_Firmware.hex. Select it from the zipped file, then paste it into a folder of your choosing. Before moving on, make sure the following applies to both boards: To transfer the above hex file, you will
need to download Xloader (Figure 4). Extract the Xloader folder from the
zipped file, and move it to a folder of your choice. I just copied and pasted it onto my D drive. Run the Xloader app, then leſt-click
on the three dots to open a new window. Highlight the file, then select ‘open’; see Figure 5. Te device is Uno ATmega3280, which
works for both SparkFun RedBoard and Arduino Uno. Make sure you have selected the correct COM port. Te baud rate is leſt at default 115200. Click on Upload and the firmware will
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