Oftentimes, we’ll find ourselves using an PC attached to a project for serial debugging. Other times, we’ll be squinting at a status LED trying to remember the flash code we invented. This embedded dashboard from [hgrodriguez] aims to land somewhere in the middle.
The dashboard features LEDs, several 5×7 matrix displays, and will also mount a small OLED display as well. Everything onboard is driven by an ItsyBitsy board, featuring an Atmega32u4 microcontroller. Data can be fed to the ItsyBitsy via UART, SPI, or eventually, I2C as well.
With the ItsyBitsy handling actually driving the various displays, your project only need send out debug data over one of the listed interfaces. The ItsyBitsy will then display your byte values or word values on the matrix displays, flash the LEDs as required, and so on.
The result is a useful little console that can show you what’s going on in the brain of your microcontroller project. It’s no substitute for a full serial terminal, but it could definitely come in handy when you need to get eyes on a few variables in RAM!
It is programmed in ADA !, that is worth a big mention :), I think.
I think he is using this: https://pico-doc.synack.me
All of his stuff written in Ada. That guy really like Ada. o_O
Nice idea! Wonder if using a ready-made form factor like an arduboy might work? Though there’s something very awesome about LED matrixes…
I have a bunch of these built out on protoboard with an ESP32 – ideal for longer term automated tests/debugging etc. ESP-32 OTA means modding the api / serial data processing / io use is easy. My assortment of modules have 8 digit x 7 segment, LCD 40×4, 8×8 dot matrix x 4 etc.etc. Well handy!
Are the red digits in the top pic meant to be in sequence?
It’s probably an Endian thing.