hi All -
Joe -
Doug is hosting a version of my library (based on Tom's and Brohogan's code) at
https://github.com/DougC/arduino-x10

We're discussing more permanent hosting options, but for now, this version is stable on the current Arduino version.

Despite much investment in time and materials, whole house couplers, repeater/amplifiers, I was never able to make the original X10 reliable (enough) in my house and have set it aside.  My opinion is that it's era is over.  If/when I reengage it will be with a more modern standard.  I'm impressed you've made it reliable!

--creatrope

If you've verified you're running sketches ok, and verified you can blink an LED on this pin, it's time to check whether the buzzer polarity might be a factor, whether the buzzer is damaged, and to try a real 8 ohm speaker (with an additional small resistor).  Another reasonable step would be to try your buzzer with another Arduino.

good luck!

Since there is no obvious reset RST pin brought out to the connectors I used the SDN pin. This pin must be kept at logic high for the module to work. The library reset function toggles it low then leaves it high so it appears to be acting as a Reset.

Pin 15 RST on the pam8803 module i have appears to be tied to GND on my module so I don't see how'd you'd use that as a reset and retain the connection to GND.

If you are getting unreliable odd behavior as I did try putting LEDs on Vup, Von, and reset and make sure you can see them changing.

-rrhb

On the 3W PAM8803 module, which PIN is the RST input?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mini-2-3W-4-PAM8803-Class-D-Audio-Amplifier-Board-For-PIC-AVR-/170850491058
I'm not seeing a schematic from the board pinout.

There's 3 different GND inputs - I've tried all of them.

thanks!

I have this exact combo.

The photos in the i2c part on eBay show you how it connects.

Search this forum to see the changes you need to make in the sketch, this unit initializes a little different than the default pinout. You use the more explicit constructor for the lcd object.

Also, this unit if its same as the one I bought is at i2c address 0x20 not 0x27 despite what the ad says. This needs to be updated in the lcd sketch as well. Find and use the sketch i2cscanner and check that you can indeed see the i2c controller before moving on.

The last thing that took me long time to figure out is that the backlit pot needs to be unfolded carefully from its shipping position and turned many times to make the display visible. It's a multiturn pot with no feedback but you can see it changing with a multimeter. At about 2k ohms I finally saw an image on the LCD.

Good luck, I did get working but the lack of docs (and the mislabeling of the i2c port) did make this harder than out needed to be. Hopefully I saved you some time.

--hb

I'm using an MJKDZ board  I2C SPI LCD serial interface
http://www.ebay.com/itm/170926744803?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
for a 20x4 display...

The following program works for me:

Program:

Code:

#include <Wire.h>
#include <LiquidCrystal_I2C.h>

                  //  addr, en,rw,rs,d4,d5,d6,d7,bl,blpol
LiquidCrystal_I2C lcd(0x20, 4, 5, 6, 0, 1, 2, 3, 7, NEGATIVE);  // Set the LCD I2C address

// Creat a set of new characters
const uint8_t charBitmap[][8] = {
   { 0xc, 0x12, 0x12, 0xc, 0, 0, 0, 0 },
   { 0x6, 0x9, 0x9, 0x6, 0, 0, 0, 0 },
   { 0x0, 0x6, 0x9, 0x9, 0x6, 0, 0, 0x0 },
   { 0x0, 0xc, 0x12, 0x12, 0xc, 0, 0, 0x0 },
   { 0x0, 0x0, 0xc, 0x12, 0x12, 0xc, 0, 0x0 },
   { 0x0, 0x0, 0x6, 0x9, 0x9, 0x6, 0, 0x0 },
   { 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x6, 0x9, 0x9, 0x6, 0x0 },
   { 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0xc, 0x12, 0x12, 0xc, 0x0 }
  
};

void setup()
{
   int charBitmapSize = (sizeof(charBitmap ) / sizeof (charBitmap[0]));

   lcd.begin(20,4);               // initialize the lcd

   for ( int i = 0; i < charBitmapSize; i++ )
   {
      lcd.createChar ( i, (uint8_t *)charBitmap[i] );
   }

  lcd.home ();                   // go home
  lcd.print("Hello, ARDUINO ");  
  lcd.setCursor ( 0, 1 );        // go to the next line
  lcd.print (" FORUM - fm   ");
  delay ( 1000 );
}

void loop()
{
   lcd.home ();
   // Do a little animation by writing to the same location
   for ( int i = 0; i < 2; i++ )
   {
      for ( int j = 0; j < 16; j++ )
      {
         lcd.print (char(random(7)));
      }
      lcd.setCursor ( 0, 1 );
   }
   delay (200);
}

The display backlight comes on, which suggests that the I2C is communicating, however I was not able to see anything but the backlighting.

The potentiometer is a multiturn one with little resistance or feedback so I thought perhaps it was damaged. Using a multimeter I was able to see it reducing resistance after many turns, and finally I saw an image. So if you're just getting backlighting - try adjusting the contrast even if it looks like it's not changing.

FM - thanks for the new library!

--creatrope

I was able to get nearly inaudible levels to reasonable amplification by putting a fairly large resistor inline from the speaker pin output to the input of the PAM8803.  It still surprises me that level 0 is so loud, but at least I have a work-around.

I was able to ensure a reset by soldering a pin to connect to the arduino to the reset pin input.

-creatrope

That's the problem. reset() method set the vol to level close to 20%. That's why setVolumen(10) is not working the proper way.

Sorry, I'm still not clear.

The volumes are decreasing noticeably as setVolume decreases.

setVolume(100) is quite loud - even distorted.  setVolume(10) is still pretty loud. and setVolume(0) is more amplified than I'd expected.

I've manually wired in the reset pin, however, is my understanding correct that the setVolume() parameter is a percentage of the entire range of the amplifier?

e.g. setVolume(0) is OFF and setVolume(100) is maximum?  It's not a percentage of the previous state or something odd like that is it?

If so, I'd expect setVolume(0) to be (nearly) silent no matter whether I've reset() the module or not? Is setVolume(0) silent for you?
If yours is silent at setVolume(0) then something is off with my unit or setup.


thanks!  --creatrope

on  this module:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-2W-4O-PAM8803-Class-D-Audio-Amplifier-Board-Simple-/350604041652?pt=US_Home_Audio_Amplifiers_Preamps&hash=item51a1a11db4

There's no explicit access to the reset RST pin as far as I can see, which pam8803.reset() invokes.  It's apparently pin 15 on the main chip, and it's brought out to a tiny switch on this module instead.

Is the ability to reset critical? If so it could be wired into this module.

-creatrope

This library and module work nicely.

However, I'm using it for a clock like application for late night use, and even at the lowest setting

pam8803.setVolume(0);

it's still far too loud...

It's definitely adjusting by setVolume.  setVolume(100) is very loud, and setVolume(10) is modest, but even setVolume(0) is far louder than what a simple PWM out would be (which is what I was using before).  I had assumed that setVolume(0) would effectively be no volume.

I'm wondering if I'm using it correctly?

I'm using this one:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-2W-4O-PAM8803-Class-D-Audio-Amplifier-Board-Simple-/350604041652?pt=US_Home_Audio_Amplifiers_Preamps&hash=item51a1a11db4

--creatrope

Perhaps you should inquire on reddit.com/r/vxjunkies

The VX crowd might be able to offer some insight into this problem.

I have a late 90s VX2, still works great, never saw the need to upgrade.

--creatrope

I need a very small, lightweight wireless LED circuit (that I can mount onto a cap/visor/mask) that can respond to an Arduino sending a blink signal. This is a low frequency, low-precision application - one or two blinks per second, triggered by the Arduino would be fine.  The transmitter will be 3-5 feet away, and the LED (and supporting receiving circuitry must be light and not encumber the mask - perhaps powered by a coin cell. There does not need to be any computation on the receiving side, just a reasonable response to the blink trigger.

Can anyone point me at such a circuit - I'm hoping there's a simple transmission and receiver circuit.
thanks!

Hi, I've removed creatrope.com, but I've rehosted the X10 Send/Receive Library Here:

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B5Sg6E9g_zOXMzQxZmVkYjktNjQwZi00MjgxLTk4YzQtNGIwYzI0ZjA0Njg3&hl=en_US

Apologies for the inconvenience.

Also, it's attached to this message.

--creatrope

Solved!

Nothing to do with flow control, it was the old serial culprit, forgetting to take into account DCE and DTE units.  With a NULL modem dongle installed between the Arduino's serial adapter and the W800RF32A, I started seeing valid serial data - from there getting the W800RF32A was a snap.

-creatrope

This is regarding the inability to get serial binary data at 4800N1 from a W800RF32 unit from an earlier post.
http://www.wgldesigns.com/w800.html
http://www.wgldesigns.com/protocols/w800rf32_protocol.txt

I'm able to see it's serial data when connected to a standard PUTTY console window.  The characters are 'garbage' as expected because it's binary data.

I'm also able to demonstrate that my circuit & sketch can read data at 4800N1 from a serial console window (connected to RX=2, TX=3).

But Serial.available() never returns > 0 when I connect the W800RF32A to the serial input.  If I don't use Serial.available() and just try a read, I only get 0xFF.

I'm starting to suspect that flow control is playing a role here.  The makers of the W800RF32 (wgldesigns) state that only TX/RX (and GND) are used by the unit.  However, is NewSoftSerial being thrown off by the binary serial data?  (By the way, I've tested with SoftwareSerial - same result).  

Is NSS using software flow control that is being tickled by the binary data? (XON/OFF).

Any working example for reading serial binary data?

-creatrope