SunControl Raspberry Pi and Arduino Software Released

July 15, 2017 Arduino, Products, Raspberry Pi, Solar Cells, Solar Power, SunControl, SwitchDoc Products

SunControl Raspberry Pi and Arduino Software Released

The SunControl Solar Power Controller Board for Raspberry Pi, Arduino and Cell Phone Charger is a 4th Generation Solar Charging and Sun Tracking Board designed by and manufactured by SwitchDoc Labs.

You can use this board to power, measure  and control your Solar Power projects. It incorporates a number of outstanding features in a very compact, inexpensive single fully assembled and tested PC Board.  SunControl is customizable with your software and hardware.  It’s even used on Project Curacao2.

Last 2 days on Kickstarter!  Over 200% of goal!

[callout size=”col-12″ title=”Checkout the SunControl Kickstarter” button_title=”Go to Kickstarter” button_link=”https://kck.st/2rGInI0″  button_size=”normal” button_rounded=”true” button_color=”red”]

You can also pre-order this board here (expected ship date July 24, 2017).

Features of SunControl:

  • – Easy to Use!  No Soldering
  • – Solar Power Your System
  • – Charge your Batteries
  • – Control Your Computer Power
  • – Gather Important Data
  • – Improve Your Reliability
  • – Qi Wireless Charging Too!

The latest SwitchDoc Labs Kickstarter is SunControl, an advanced version of the SunAir/SunAirPlus product line with sensors to watch what is going on in the system. Same charging system and voltage booster but with a number of improved features for measuring, displaying and CONTROLLING what your Solar Power System is doing.

You can download the full specification from the SwitchDoc Labs Product Page here.

SunControl Allows you to:

  • – Use Solar Power to Charge and Run Your small Computers
  • – Measure and Monitor the Performance of your system.
  • – Understand what is happening in real time with your Solar Panels, batteries and computers!
  • – Turn your Raspberry Pi / Arduino on and off to avoid brownouts and SD Card damage
  • – Use the onboard Hardware WatchDog timer to dramatically improve your reliability of the your project

Raspberry Pi Software

We are pleased to announce we have released our first version of the SunControl software for the Raspberry Pi.  100% Pure Python Goodness!

Both of these software packages (for the Raspberry Pi and Arduino) have these functions (these are the C++ public functions, the python drivers are very similar):

  

// INA3221 I2C Address

#define SDL_Arduino_SunControl_INA3221Address  (0x40)

// USB Control GPIO Pins

#define SDL_Arduino_SunControl_USBControlEnable (9)
#define SDL_Arduino_SunControl_USBControlControl (8)

// the three channels of the INA3221 named for SunControl Solar Power Controller channels 
// (www.switchdoc.com)

#define SDL_Arduino_SunControl_LIPO_BATTERY_CHANNEL (1)
#define SDL_Arduino_SunControl_SOLAR_CELL_CHANNEL   (2)
#define SDL_Arduino_SunControl_OUTPUT_CHANNEL       (3)

// WatchDog Values

#define SDL_Arduino_SunControl_WatchDog_Done  (7)
#define SDL_Arduino_SunControl_WatchDog_Wake  (6)

#define SDL_Arduino_SunControl_WatchDog_Use  false   
    SDL_Arduino_SunControl(uint8_t addr = SDL_Arduino_SunControl_INA3221Address,
       uint8_t USBControlEnable = SDL_Arduino_SunControl_USBControlEnable,
       uint8_t USBControlControl = SDL_Arduino_SunControl_USBControlControl,
       uint8_t WatchDog_Done = SDL_Arduino_SunControl_WatchDog_Done,
       uint8_t WatchDog_Wake = SDL_Arduino_SunControl_WatchDog_Wake,
       uint8_t WatchDog_Use  = SDL_Arduino_SunControl_WatchDog_Use);

    void begin(void);

    float readChannelVoltage(uint8_t channel);
    float readChannelCurrent(uint8_t channel);

    uint8_t setUSBEnable(uint8_t value);
    uint8_t setUSBControl(uint8_t value);

    void useWatchDog();
    void patTheWatchDog();

https://github.com/switchdoclabs/SDL_Pi_SunControl

Arduino Software

We also have posted the SunControl drivers and software examples for the Arduino (all in C++) up on GitHub.

https://github.com/switchdoclabs/SDL_Arduino_SunControl

 

The below image shows the WatchDog test Arduino software running.   First we pat the dog for a bit (hence the “Minute Ticks” without the WatchDog Triggering, then we stop patting the dog and the WatchDog Triggers about every 64 seconds.  Perfect

Want to know more about WatchDogs?  Read this series of Articles:

https://www.switchdoc.com/2014/11/reliable-projects-watchdog-timers-raspberry-pi-arduinos/

Next up?

Our SunControl product starts shipping shortly.  We will also be publishing some tutorials on using the SunControl board in projects.