HUB-AP5 - several questions

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1

Hi all,
I found the HUB-AP5 module and it seems to fit my requirement to extend my raptor with some IO ports on Y-socket. Before I buy I have the following questions. Hopefully someone can answer:

  1. Standard Output and Input with Interrupt
    I have seen some samples, where a simple gadgeteer button is used at one of the provided sockets and it works. I would like the wire seven of the seven ports directly, using the Breakout TB10 Module for Inputs and Load Module for Outputs. To use them as standard Input/Output, I need the CPU-Pin in its constructor. How can it be done in practice?

  2. Additional Devices
    Is it possible to use the I2C bus for additional devices? I could imagine, that the I2CDevice for the onboard bus becomes blocked. Or can the I2CDevise be shared?

  3. Addressing the HUB-AP5
    I read in this forum, that the I2C bus address is fix and cannot be changed. So, unfortunately only one HUB can be connected. Is that correct? Is it planned to change? Or is it planned to provide a new IO device, e.g. something faster using the SPI bus?

  4. Bus Frequency
    Which I2C bus frequency is the board using?

Thanks for response.

2

@ bin-blank -

  1. The Load module and Breakout TB10 should provide methods similar to CreateDigitalOutput that take a pin number on the socket. You don’t need to construct the port yourself.

  2. I2C is a shared bus so if your mainboard provides multiple I2C sockets you can use other I2C devices. To use the same socket for multiple devices is not supported in Gadgeteer though.

  3. By default, that is correct. However, resistors R2 and R3 on the module control on of the address pins on the device that set the low bit for the device’s I2C address. You can see them on pin 30 http://www.ghielectronics.com/downloads/schematic/Hub_AP5_Module_SCH.PDF By changing that on one of your boards you can give it a different address allowing you to have a maximum of two devices.