Nanode: Arduino-compatible with Ethernet

The Nanode project from (the?) London Hackspace has been on my radar but didn't make the spreadsheet since I was waiting for it to become available. Well, it's out ($40 kit), and it seems to be a hit!

Unlike the Arduino Ethernet and shield and other boards with built-in ethernet, the Nanode does not use the Wiznet W5100, instead using the Microchip ENC28J60 found in JeeLabs EtherCard, and you can even program it over ethernet!

Ethernet Arduinos (and Compatibles)

Also on the spreadsheet, three boards with built-in ethernet:

• There's finally an official Arduino Ethernet ($60), complete with RJ45 port. It has an FTDI cable header for programming (no USB), a microSD card slot for storage, and there's an optional PoE daughter card.
• SparkFun also released an Arduino-compatible board with ethernet, the Ethernet Pro ($55), but without the SD card slot. It's less cluttered than the official board, hopefully the price will come down as more people build projects around them.
• Additionally, the Freetronics EtherTen ($70) includes a microSD slot and (mini) USB interface.

All of these are compatible with an Arduino (or Arduino-compatible) board with the ethernet shield ($40) on top, but I wonder: will shields fit on any of these without hitting the magjack? Or do they use taller female pin sockets? They're also equivalent to an Arduino hooked up to a Wiznet W5100, eg. with a WIZ811MJ module ($20!). Too bad Adafruit doesn't sell the ethernet module breakout shield anymore, but at least the design files are still available.

Call me cheap, but these all seem overpriced, being based around a $4 microcontroller! With a basic Arduino board at $20 and WIZ811MJ module at $20, why isn't the SparkFun Ethernet Pro $40 or $45?

Coffee Control

It looks like we'll have remote control of the grinder timer by the end of the week, along with power for Mr. Coffee and the Gaggia Classic!

The first step (mentioned in my previous post) was to get my old (V1.0) Adafruit Ethernet Shield up and running with an XPort Direct+ and the color picker sketch on the examples page. Then I stripped down the sketch, reconfiguring it for general pin control: toggle outputs, set PWM output values, pulse, and read analog values. After that, I simplified it for the coffee control project which only needs three digital output pins.

One obstacle was getting my LAN to the kitchen counter, and an old AirPort Extreme from my scrap bin (found on the street!) did the trick: it now wirelessly bridges our home network via WDS and connects to the ethernet shield with a cable, its USB port powering my minimal Arduino-compatible board underneath with enough 5V power to spare for Mr. Coffee's relay; I'll add a 12V source for a bigger, higher power relay to switch the Gaggia Classic.

The Arduino side of the system works great, serving a web form (at right) to turn the two power relays on or off and to trigger the grinder timer. The last part is always the hardest, though: wiring and casing it all up. Safe wiring will take some time to nail down, with Mr. Coffee needing ~1025W and the Gaggia Classic rated at 1370W (!). As for the case itself, lucky for me some folks from Ponoko are scheduled to make a presentation tomorrow (er, later today ;) at the Make:SF Meetup-- just the info I need, right when I need it!