Hi,
Yes, sadly it appears that Fine Offset applied an aggressive "Cost Reduction" exercise, combined with some incompetent software re-design. The well-known "USB lockups" appear to be associated with all of the more recent (OOK since c2012) USB versions.
The "problem" with the Arduino is not just the off-the-shelf hardware (bright LEDs hard-wired across the power supply rails, etc.) but the Operating System (Environment) which uses a 16 MHz clock (hence 5 volt supply rail) to support the High Level Language (C++) with fast interrupts, etc. and no "sleep" mode.
I refer you back to my post #5 in this thread, but must emphasis again that it's only a long-term project. One of the key aspects is starting with the "Auriol" wireless protocol which is intrinsically a "low power" transmission protocol. The Weatherduino project grew from the "Auriolduino" project, which is still supported by the present receivers.
I will also just add that I have modified my own Weatherduino Transmitter(s) to be broadly "compatible" with the FO transmitter hardware, and using only a low power 5 volt USB supply ("wall wart"). I plan to post some details in due course, but it's still not really suitable for economical solar-powering in UK.
Cheers, Alan.
Yes, sadly it appears that Fine Offset applied an aggressive "Cost Reduction" exercise, combined with some incompetent software re-design. The well-known "USB lockups" appear to be associated with all of the more recent (OOK since c2012) USB versions.
The "problem" with the Arduino is not just the off-the-shelf hardware (bright LEDs hard-wired across the power supply rails, etc.) but the Operating System (Environment) which uses a 16 MHz clock (hence 5 volt supply rail) to support the High Level Language (C++) with fast interrupts, etc. and no "sleep" mode.
I refer you back to my post #5 in this thread, but must emphasis again that it's only a long-term project. One of the key aspects is starting with the "Auriol" wireless protocol which is intrinsically a "low power" transmission protocol. The Weatherduino project grew from the "Auriolduino" project, which is still supported by the present receivers.
I will also just add that I have modified my own Weatherduino Transmitter(s) to be broadly "compatible" with the FO transmitter hardware, and using only a low power 5 volt USB supply ("wall wart"). I plan to post some details in due course, but it's still not really suitable for economical solar-powering in UK.
Cheers, Alan.