DSP Robotics Support

Hi guys

This might be a retarded question but bare in mind i have no experience of Linux and I don't think I have ever even seen it running!

can Linux run windows exe's?

the reason i am asking is i was wondering if a Raspberry PI could host a flowstone made application?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raspberry_Pi

it looks like a niffty little computer

Best Regards

Short answer: No, Linux can´t run Windows .exe files

Long answer: Not only Linux can´t run Windows .exe files (unless you use some kind of emulator, that is) but the Raspberry Pi uses a different hardware (ARM, not Intel) so if you want to run a certain app on your RPi, you need a special version of that app which is both Linux (or the OS you are using) & ARM compatible.

That said, the RPi is surely one interesting piece of hardware, although I´m not sure if it could do the things we´re used to do in Synthmaker. I´ve been able to run a couple of white noise oscillators running into some multipliers acting as VCA´s and the CPU usage isn´t that bad.

There´s a project called Piana - it´s a small synth specially made for the Pi, with a couple of oscillators, filters and such. As far as I remember, that app can run up to 8 voices before maxing the CPU.

Of course, and since the other "data path" (greens) in SM(FS) is more "relaxed" in terms of CPU usage, I´m sure a special version of FS aimed at the RPi with only the robotics stuff would work great and be successfull, IMHO.

You could try controlling a Rasberry Pi from a Windows/Flowstone computer via USB...

Yes,
but knowing how many Raspberry Pies that have been sold, well over a million I believe, wouldn't it make sense to offer a native component like there are for Phidgets and LabJack devices where the RP's 32 GPIOs would be directly accessible within FlowStone ?

That's very different than having to stream data to an RP via USB.

This would bring the world of FlowStone's graphical programming style to millions of DIYers.

'Just my two cents.

Cheers

Well, there is probably a bunch of ways to do this. It's not a "native" primitive like the phidget one, but you could sort of make one that works the same. Several that pop up right off to me are:

1) Serial.
a) Using Python in the RPi, read and write to the IO on the PI, and then send/receive a data packet to the COM port. Make a nice GUI with inputs/outputs. Pretty much like the Arduino module. You could even make a nice graphic of an RPi. Can go wireless with Wixel from PC.

2) Ethernet.
a) Using Python in the RPi, read and write the IO on the PI, run Modbus Client on the PI, run a Modbus Server in Flowstone. Make a nice GUI with the inputs/output. Nice thing about ethernet is that its easy to go wireless here.

3) HID module talking to PIC - which is interfaced to RPi via I2C or SPI or serial. No COM port tied up this way.

4) DLL with OPC server, using this http://www.unified-automation.com/news/news-details/article/1098-opc-ua-evaluation-kit-for-raspberry-pi.html and this http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/1135/OPC-and-NET-with-COM-Interoperability


I'm sure there are many more..

Thank you so much for all these great suggestions!

Although, if you were to take 4) i.e. the .NET route as in writing a dll with opc that would be like trying to get rid of an outbreak of ants in your apartment with a hand grenade...

If you take the .NET approach you may just as well use a netduino.
You can get a netduino 2 for roughly $30 and the framework is free.

1) and 2) seem doable, especially 2) using Embedded's Modbus TCP Client/Server fsm I found googling the net.

3) The HID module came with rev 3 and I'm still on revision 2 of FlowStone.
I'm still waiting to see if the immortals who code FlowStone will at some point amuse the lower-brow crowd of which I am part of and stoop as low as to look at implementing modules for "general public" boards, like the Raspberry Pi for example.
This alone would be worth the upgrade .

Cheers

You could use the TCP Client and Server primitives to communicate to the RPi. On the RPi you wouldd have to write a small app to receive TCP packets and use the info to drive the pins, or to send packets to the remote machine based on the state of the GPIO pins. I gues that would be the easiest way to use FS with the RPi. It would also have the advantage of being able to use WiFi to wirelessly make the connection.