Ardreno/rasberypie users??

[no704]

I come from an older time when plc’s ran things. On a 2000’ ft view an ardreno seems more like a plc. Raspberry seems more like a controller.

Trying to wrap my old head around these systems. I like to program in plc style block if and or type of flow. Last real programming I did was 20 years ago in probably Fortran.
Where to start?
I’m 50 and get off my lawn!

 

[f121]

Arduino is a micro controller, you program it in a C-like language, upload the program to it and then it executes that program whenever power is applied. They're suited to hardware automation, watering plants, monitoring/sensing stuff like rainwater harvesting or sump level. I built one to allow my wife to reset the engine light on her VW by pressing a button on the dash.

Raspberry pi is a cheap low powered computer. Plug a keyboard, mouse and monitor in and you can browse the Web and edit documents. Program it in python, c, java or any other language you want (including fortran I expect). Because of their super low price, they’re suited for education and theres a wealth of learning materials. I think they're suited to tasks where you need a small computer but dont want to spend money on hardware or electricity, often used as media centers or running ad blocking dns.

What are you trying to achieve? I got a arduino beginner kit as a gift a few years ago, it was an introduction to electronics and programming and was a lot of fun, would definitely recommend.

 

[manac]

What f121 said. Neither are a plc. Arduino is more like an old basic stamp If you remember them. They have Fortran compilers for rpi if you want to be masochistic.
Check out node red if you want to program in the 21st century.

Do a search on ladder logic and rpi, it’s been done. The I/O for a pi isn’t that robust compared to a plc.

I use a pi as a headless computer controlling things like home automation hubs or 3D printers.

Arduino is great for small I/O projects like a weather station or 3D printer. The Arduino can drive a small display that can be very useful.

 

[tool_scrounge]

Arduino uses a variation of C++, which is backward compatible with C. One strength of Arduino is the plethora of plug in shields (expansion boards). Want battery power with a charging circuit? Stepper motor drive? flash drive with a batter backed real time clock? Blank prototype shields so you can make what you want? All are available and you can usually stack more than one if needed.

The RaspberryPi is more powerful, but is really hard to purchase at list price. They are in big demand and Raspberry Pi has prioritized supplying OEMs over the hobby users. So you can buy mostly used ones on Ebay for a high price.

Arduino boards are a lot more available.

I use the Arduino Uno and Mega 2560 a lot in my work projects.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Where to start?
I’m 50 and get off my lawn!

There is really no similarities to PLCs with either. I have been in the computer "biz" for over 50 years, everything from electronic fuel injection up to main frames, so a lot of this is old hat.

Your choice of which you want to use is really up to what task you want to accomplish. RPi is NOT "real time", so if you want to do something time critical, it is out (still amazes me that only "special" versions of Linux are real time) !

If you are just "messing around" and trying to learn something, stick with the Raspberry Pi. Biggest problem is finding one. They have been on 3 to 4 month back orders since the pandemic started.

Arduino is a "whole 'nother kettle of fish" ! Definitely "bare metal" programing. Crude, but effective.

One of the big issues for newbies is under standing that very little can be done without using some "library" that someone else created. Learn the most common library calls. Many people spent many, MANY hours making those libraries so you would not have to !

 

[Jehannum]

Teaching Tech on youtube has some fun arduino howtos.

I have a smattering of them around, because they're fun toys and I use them at "career days" for doing silly electronic tricks for elementary and high schoolers, since I can't actually show them the things I do day to day. I've used them (or more accurately, I've used NodeMCUs, since I wanted wifi and TCP/IP) around the house for temperature/humidity/occupancy sensing. I've used an actual Arduino with a serial shield to read Nissan's CONSULT data out of my 300ZX.

 

[vavet]

I’ve used arduino and knockoff arduino units from Amazon for some of my work stuff, I even had a pcb made to speed up the duplication process. instead of mounting it to a perf board or bread board, I mounted everything to the pcb, populated it with the resistors, diodes, transistors, and LEDs, and I had a working piece. It was much faster and reliable. I was able to have 15 pcbs made in China and delivered to my door in less than a week for under $20, including shipping.
all those things have been migrated to click plus plcs from automationdirect.com because we wanted more connectivity and this was more cost effective than designing the next evolution of arduino based pcb. The click and click plus plcs use ladder logic for programming. It’s very different than the c++ style environment I was used to with the arduino, but it’s probably easier if you’re starting from ground zero on both of them.

 

[dogdog]

There is really no similarities to PLCs with either. I have been in the computer "biz" for over 50 years, everything from electronic fuel injection up to main frames, so a lot of this is old hat.

Your choice of which you want to use is really up to what task you want to accomplish. RPi is NOT "real time", so if you want to do something time critical, it is out (still amazes me that only "special" versions of Linux are real time) !

If you are just "messing around" and trying to learn something, stick with the Raspberry Pi. Biggest problem is finding one. They have been on 3 to 4 month back orders since the pandemic started.

Arduino is a "whole 'nother kettle of fish" ! Definitely "bare metal" programing. Crude, but effective.

One of the big issues for newbies is under standing that very little can be done without using some "library" that someone else created. Learn the most common library calls. Many people spent many, MANY hours making those libraries so you would not have to !

you can check out FreeRTOS,

FreeRTOS with Wio Terminal | Seeed Studio Wiki

FreeRTOS with Wio Terminal

wiki.seeedstudio.com

Python is the new thing now for others like ESP32 or that Raspberry Pico, TI's MSP microcontrollers. ... supposedly faster speed than adruino.

Nvdia also have something for the new thing with AI and deep learning. supposedly a whole new field(s) branched. dependents on your interest.

I just cant wrap my head around all these , still stuck with blinking light with an on/off switch.

as far starting with arduino... there are... maybe were two great guy that teaches them on youtube if you have the paitence to follow the lesson plans.


These two are absolutely the best for beginners.

https://www.youtube.com/c/Dronebotworkshop1

Also this guy. if you like wireless LoRa stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu7_D0o48KbfhpEohoP7YSQ

 

[theoldwizard1]

I just cant wrap my head around all these , still stuck with blinking light with an on/off switch.

Try wrapping your head around firing a spark plug or a fuel injector. Accuracy is critical ! But the timing is such that the event must be turned over to hardware that use μsec accuracy. Therefore the software has to predict in the future when this going to happen based on past data (crankshaft position in time domain, not in degrees). Not too difficult it everything is "steady state". Of course crankshaft "instantaneous" speed changes with each combustion event !

 

[dhally]

Why not just buy a PLC? A small brick is $100 and free software. https://www.automationdirect.com/ad...lcs_(stackable_micro_brick)/plc_units#start=0

 

[ArcReactorKC]

There is some incorrect information in this thread.

I program arduino and PLC's for a living. There are ladder logic programming suites for the arduino, they are for the most part junk.
Arduino now has their own industrial PLC's based on their hardware, their have a ladder logic IDE available for the pro platform

Verticals

Arduino Cloud

www.arduino.cc

There are many things you can do with an arduino pro or not that a PLC cannot leveraging the IoT capabilities of the arduino ecosystem.
Depending on your project you may end up in the price realm of the automationdirect.com Click price range just in relays and other parts to interface different voltages and high currents with an arduino.

The raspberry Pi is a largely different platform in that it is an SBC (single board computer) it is capable of running a vast array of different linux based operating systems but does have some IO onboard that can be leveraged through python.


If I was starting again from scratch, I would buy an arduino kit from amazon. Such as this:
Elegoo Arduino Kit

But I also would buy a Click PLC from Automation direct:
https://www.automationdirect.com/adc/shopping/catalog/programmable_controllers/click_plcs_(stackable_micro_brick)/plc_units/c0-00dr-d
That Click has relay outputs on the processor and should get you rolling on some automation within minutes of opening the box.

There are a handful of us on the boards with C, and Python experience that are all happy to help. I have a vast array of ladder experience from all the major players Rockwell/AB, GE/Emerson, Schneider, Delta, Omron etc..

 

[no704]

Good info guys!! Now just need time!

 

[theoldwizard1]

The raspberry Pi is a largely different platform in that it is an SBC (single board computer) it is capable of running a vast array of different linux based operating systems but does have some IO onboard that can be leveraged through python.

As a teaching tool, RPi is fine. Running a non-"real time" OS like Linux makes it difficult/impossible to do certain task in the "Internet of things" domain.

 

[NakeDiesel]

I dabbled with a few Rasberry Pi's to create a set of 3 picture frames that pulled images from my nas here at the house from 3 different folders and one for my mother in law to pull images from a usb drive. They worked great, but after a few power power outages/flickers they would get corrupted and I'd have to redo them. Basically turned them off and they are sitting in a pile on one of my shelves now. Wasn't going to run a UPS for each one.

 

[ArcReactorKC]

As a teaching tool, RPi is fine. Running a non-"real time" OS like Linux makes it difficult/impossible to do certain task in the "Internet of things" domain.

It's not required to be running a non-rt OS on a raspi. Base Python can be run bare metal.

I wouldn't suggest doing that however. For most IoT devices I suggest an ESP-32

 

[jayz66ragtop]

More of a "what useful things can I do with a Pi?" post.

I have a couple of Raspberry Pis running:

Open Sprinkler Pi (OSPi) - Sprinkler system for the house runs on this. Couldn't stand paying $450 to replace the original controller, cost me $140 for the replacement. Pi 3B+
Wireguard - Needed a personal VPN to tunnel to when on the road using Sketchy WiFi. I bought a travel router that supports Wireguard so I have a personal hot spot with encrypted traffic to my house. Pi 4B - probably overkill but don't have a spare 3B+ to test
PiHole - Intercepts advertisements for any device on my home network Pi 3B+
MagicMirror - Have not fully deployed it since I'm hung up on a display and where to hang it on the wall. I have it streaming our security cameras and other information Pi 3B+
Turing V2 - Plan on setting up a lab for deploying applications on Kubernetes. Still waiting for the board and hoping Compute Module 4 become available at a reasonable price once the board arrives 4X Compute Module 4

At some point I'd like to pick up an Ardreno and build a small footprint CNC machine. Maybe make a multi head for it so it can attach a trim router, drag knife, and laser for engraving. But too many other projects right now to think about it.

I'm a programmer by trade and working on getting Ansible setup to manage all my "toys". Wanted to PXE boot all my PIs but can only do that with wired connection which is not feasible for all of them.

 

[86turbodsl]

Use the right tool for the job. RPI are good for internet/computer specific fiddling. Arduinos are good for TTL/microcontroller type stuff, and homebrew ecu's and such. PLC is good for hardened automation and are very tough in an industrial environment. They all use different programming types. RPI for C, python, linux, etc. PLC use proprietary-ish ladder logic. Different animals.