Hi,
is a new bigger board planned, like FEZ Spider II with more sockets?
Would be nice.
Regards
ChrisLE
Have you really run out of sockets? Whatcha buildin’?
Of course I need one more P socket for a third motor controller (perhabs I can try it via usb) and one sensor for a barometer. All is full. Plz see the attachment.
@ ianlee74 : I think this is quite easy to run out of sockets. Even if you build something less “complicated” than ChrisLE example.
Look :
socket 1 : Power (unavailable)
socket 2 : “special” (unavailable)
3, 7 : no GPIO
If I have a T35 display, then sockets 10, 12, 13, 14 are used.
I add 2 L298 motor modules then sockets 8 & 11 become unavailable.
I then add 4 buttons modules to control both motors and sockets 4, 5, 6 & 9 (for example) are gone.
No more free sockets ! With only 7 modules (8 with Power module, that doesn’t count for me as it is mandatory).
Of course, in this particular case, I could have used a joystick to control motors, which would free up 3 sockets. But this is an example with very simple devices/modules.
Btw, ChrisLE, what are you building that would need at least 5 motors ?
I would like to build a UAV with 4 Motors. All is ok but I would like to use a domecamera and that need 2 motors to control the camera…
I smell an IO extender module. Maybe even DaisyLink? The module could connect via an S or I socket, and provide a bunch of X or Y sockets. I don’t know if the designed supports this kind of thing, but it certainly would be possible.
Or a module that would let you choose with pin(s) you want to use ? Something like a small rotary switch ?
If I take for example the button module, it’s always on pin 3. That means you have to use another socket if you have another button module. But with choice of IO pin, then a module like Extender (I say “like” ) could be used to make some chain between modules that would share a socket and use different pins.
This may be simple for the button module but not for others, I didn’t think at this more than that, yet. Though I may try to do something :think:
Maybe this would reconcile me with Gadgeteer ? :-[
Or, probably the simplest solution is a multi-button module. An X socket could support 3 buttons, a Y socket could support 7. Or a DaisyLink button module (talk about massive overkill…).
I’d be willing to make a pass at the hardware design, if someone else wanted to handle the software side.
If we can have DaisyLink LEDs then we can also have DaisyLink buttons. ;D
Sounds like we need an add/drop extender module which allows the user to select the pins to add/drop to a third socket. Could use solder jumpers.
For some weeks, I have posted this:
http://www.tinyclr.com/forum/21/5990/
So a extender HUB. One ending for the mainboard and 2 or more (it has 3 egdes) to extends it to set more modules on one port :).
Regards
Chris
Aren’t the problems that could arise from this one of the main reasons Gadgeteer abandoned shields? 
I don’t understand your statement. 
They keypad we offer gives you 12 buttons if this helps.
Please do not release a Spider 2 (just yet anyway), I already have a hydra and spider, my misses will kill me.
Maybe not a new Board but maybe a extender hub module. So a new software implementation for it and a new little extender with max 3 ports. So I can put 3 motor controllers to one P socket. How does it sounds? ^^
Or, what you need is a 3x motor controller module. That uses a single P socket, but drives 3 motors. The biggest problem I see here is that some/much of any individual socket’s “resources” are wasted. Using a whole socket for a single button, for example, is a waste of pins. The solution, as I see it, is not so much an “extender” module as it is to use modules that more fully take advantage of the sockets.
A multiple-button module is the perfect example of this.
Yeah sounds good too, but you can see in my picture that I need one more socket for one more sensor too. So maybe modules with coupled sensors or smth else.
A redesign of some modules, or as you said modules will use the whole pins of a socket. so maybe 3 sensor to one socket if the module dont use the whole pins of it.
There was some mention of an analog module not too long ago – to allow us to use several analog devices on one socket.
I am also building a UAV and lack of sockets is a big limiting factor for me. As with Chris’ example, I’ve had to drop an accelerometer & compass (which I reallllly don’t like doing for a flying UAV) just to fit most of the components in. I’ve also had to hack up some sockets to support multiple modules per socket, mix-matching UART(U) modules and PWM pins for servo/speed controller control. If you ever want to cater to the robot makers out there, you’ll need to bump up the count on U, P and I sockets. In fact, if you wanted to do a UAV/Drone style board you could drop almost any other socket type for just U/P/I’s;