Trying Out The M5Stack Core 2 and M5StickC Plus With Ui Flow
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- Опубликовано: 11 сен 2024
- Today we’re going to be having a look at two members of the M5 range, the M5Stack Core 2 and the M5StickC Plus. These are feature-rich ESP32 based development boards that enable you to develop and prototype your own projects and IoT devices without a significant learning curve. We'll be creating some basic programs using the online IDE - Ui Flow.
These M5 development boards were sent to me by Banggood to share with you, you can buy your own through these links:
M5Stack Core 2 - www.banggood.c...
M5Stick C Plus - www.banggood.c...
Visit my blog for the write-up - www.the-diy-li...
Other Components Used In This Video:
8 Channel Relay Board - www.banggood.c...
Joystick - www.banggood.c...
Capacitive Soil Moisture Sensor - www.banggood.c...
Jumpers - www.banggood.c...
M5 Stack Sensor Set - www.banggood.c...
Grove Cables - www.banggood.c...
The above parts are affiliate links. By purchasing products through the above links, you’ll be supporting this channel, with no additional cost to you.
If you've got any ideas for Raspberry Pi, Arduino, or other Electronics projects or tutorials you'd like to see, let me know in the comments section.
Hello from SA! Great video and nice to see local content for a change!
Awesome production, thanks! I followed your example for driving the 8-pt relay, then expanded to 24 I/O using i2c.
Very nice devices here. A lot of potential with all the "Built in" sensors. Now the wait for it to arrive in sunny ZA
Your best bet to get them in ZA is to buy them from Amazon US, a couple of retailers offer international delivery and Amazon typically deliver with reputable courier services.
I have m5stackc plus and it's fun to work with it. But I am interested in core 2 and more interested in your project with it. I will do it today 😁😁.
The touchscreen on the Core 2 is quite nice to use and it's also got a lot more IO pins available at the back to build more complex projects.
@@MichaelKlements that's awesome man. does it run on a battery?
I know this is a sorta of a old video but I'm wondering if you can help me write a code?... What I'm aiming for is to solder a ground plus positive to my computer power button and write a code to power on and off the computer from m5stack instead of the actual PC. Just want to write a button or switch on the touch screen of the m5stack that's always displaying ( putting a PC in my maserati granturismo ) is this possible? What I want to do is simulator to what you're doing in this video.
I got the Core2 v1.1 and was wondering, is it possible to program / upload the code to this wirelessly? From what I read, it seems possible but, I can't seem to figure it out. In the web version of Uiflow2, it connects just fine via the USB-C cable. Anyone got it to work?
Great video! Very cool device!
I'm having problems with the core 2 automatically selecting Flow without letting me select in the menu, do you have any idea what could be the problem?
Maybe just trying reflashing Ui Flow using M5 Burner?
hello i just messed the display on M5stickC plus when i was uploading code from Arduino IDE. Now All i can see is white blank screen. How can i changed to default screen plz can you help?
You should be able to re-load the original code from their examples
Wow thanks
It appears to be electronics packaging from the 90’s. But now modernized.
It could work in a classroom but not on the desk of any real electronics hobbyist.
Soldering a component on a PCB is where 1/2 the fun is!
I agree that most electronics hobbyists (myself included) would prefer to be more involved in the raw components, but there are loads of people who have little interest in the electronics side and prefer being able to just get started programming.
It's also quite daunting for a newbie to get a box full of electronics components and have to learn the electronics and programming sides simultaneously, so these help to bridge that gap while still allowing some flexibility to add IO devices at a later stage.
I don't know, some of my projects ends up just looking awful. This has the ability to expand, but the form factor makes it look more like a finished project. I love it.
I would like to see basic projects any novice can accomplish. I am new to it all and would like to learn the basics. Eventually I would like to learn how to create my own oscilloscope and signal generator and build a toroidal device to turn sound into dc/ac power :)
I'm also curious about the moisture device. I am currently building a home hydroponic system and moisture level is important. Can you show me how to upload proper code for that? Also os there a way to spread out the sticks for multiple plants?
These are great to learn the basics and they're simple to use if you've got limited electronics or programming experience.
The soil moisture sensor just provides a single analogue signal (0-3.3V) back to the device, so you can add as many sensors as you've got analogue inputs available. If you have a look at my blog (linked in the description) there are a couple of different soil moisture projects on different platforms to get started with.
Hello, which pins did you use as GPIOs?
So can this be used to building a batty management system?🤔
the core 2 or the c plus? , can you function the 2?
can i use arduino sensor components?
Schimmel Curve
where I can see the documentation and tutorials to learn to program from scratch with the msflow program
thanks.
There is quite a lot of documentation here - docs.m5stack.com/en/uiflow/uiflow_home_page
thanks!
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Hi ! I am doing a project with m5 stacks. Is there a way i can reach out to you privately and ask some questions please .
Hi Kieran, you can contact me through the contact form on my blog - linked in the video description.
I'm new to arduino and have been studying your videos and others' to motorise a camera slider I have (just 1 step motor probably nema 23, plus tb6600 driver - to move a camera payload of 5kg max - plus connecting a PS4 controller for joy stick and buttons). I've found all the code components, and just started learning arduino coding... and researching all the hardware options... then found this device!
I like the look of ui flow, and the visual approach to building code seems much more intuitive for someone with no coding experience. It reminds me of Davinci Resolve's nodes based ui which I like for the same reason.
Do you think ui flow is easier to code/programme for my application? Which would be the fastest way to proceed? thanks
It really depends on your experience with each IDE. UI Flow is definitely much easier to approach as a beginner, but there are limitations in what you can do. I personally find Arduino's IDE to be the easiest and most powerful for me, but that's just because I've been using it for years and I know what I can and can't do with/through it. I found with UI Flow that it took me a long time to figure out how to do something if it wasn't immediately clear how to do it.
Hope this makes sense.
@@MichaelKlements thanks for the quick reply... well I had to look up "IDE" (lol) which tells you a lot I guess! Even the jargon is a learning curve.
Yes that does help actually. I checked out a couple of videos on UI Flow, and I can already see what you mean... but it's very helpful to hear first hand your experience. Of course, my problem is different from yours: your existing knowledge probably gets in the way, and I have no such problem!
In UI Fow, I'm not sure how I would know which 'blocks' I need for a project, and I think that's where the UI gets a bit difficult, it sort of assumes you know what you're looking for. I guess, to be fair, that's a problem all the IDEs have: you need to know your hardware requirements, some basic electronics concepts, and have some idea of the functionality you need for both the hardware and your 'use case'... which is not obvious if you have limited or no experience of any IDE at all!
What I liked the look of with the M5Stack was the form factor and screen with all those built-in capabilities... so much potential, but it's also a bit overwhelming if you don't know where to start.
I'm currently thinking that Arduinos might be the way to go actually. Having done a YT free Arduino coding course, and studied the AccelStepper documentation, I've already learned the basics of the code structure and AccelStepper functions. Examining some example codes from GitHub has been a really good way to get my head around how the code works, as well as which code I might need for the functionality I have in mind. So I think this might well be the easier route, ironically, as it's just a matter of understanding the logic and then copying and then adapting existing code.
I've figured out the motor requirements and which driver I need (in theory at least, so I'm going to over-specify the motor just to be safe), the OLED screen I want to use, and the interface controls. So now it's just a puzzle... I can see why people get so sucked into this maker culture... I'm even getting interested to learn basic CAD software lol...
@@MichaelKlements BTW, have you made the Raspberry Pi version of your camera slider yet? I was intrigued at the possibility of plahing with image-recognition, though it may be well beyond my ability at this point...
Yeah I think if you've got the time to learn each of them then your time would be better spent on Arduinos. There is a much larger online community and I've never run into a problem or had a question on a project which someone hadn't already experienced. The online community is really helpful to point you in the right direction or get some guidance when you get stuck.
It is very much an iterative process. I usually start with a list of what hardware inputs and outputs I'd like to have, then figure out the sensors, boards and actuators etc. and then tackle the programming. If its complex then it helps to get a small program running with each individual sensors or hardware components first before combining them.
I don't really like using Raspberry Pi's for projects than can be done with a microcontroller. It doesn't make much sense (in my mind) to use a Pi for a project that a microcontroller can handle better for a fraction of the price. With an Arduino you don't have to wait for it to boot up first or worry about shutting it down afterwards. You just turn it on and its ready to go and unplug it when you're done. They've also got analogue inputs built in. Pi's are only really useful for projects where you need strong networking abilities, lots of data processing or data logging and AI applications.
@@MichaelKlements Thanks for those explanations, that really helps clarify when to use Arduino vs Raspberry Pi. And I can see that Arduino is a really versatile platform for projects, just from the little bit of exposure I've had so far to such a wide range of projects that can be accomplished with a mircocontroller. I really like your prototyping suggestion of testing each bit of code with a single bit of hardware/sensor - I hadn't thought about it, but I can now see that would make fault-finding much simpler!
Hi Michael, Thank for your video. I would like to try the M5Stack Core 2. What do you think of the AWS version?. Which one do you think is better?. Thank you in advance
I've never used AWS or the AWS version of the Core 2, but it looks like quite a nice package. It would be good to know if you're able to re-flash the firmware on this version to be the standard Core 2 firmware if you change your mind in future.
Sandra, can it be flashed back to original firmware non aws?
@@yes_man_lol yes it can
Hi, thanks for the nice info, can u show us if this able to communicate with arduino ?
It has SPI and I2C interfaces so you should be able to set up communication with an Arduino
Where can I buy boards and sensors compatible with this core2 product?
Seeed Studio, Amazon or Arduino's online store sell "Grove" modules which are compatible with these boards.
@@MichaelKlements thanks!
@@MichaelKlements I can buy sensors of arduino and connecting to m5stack Core2?
Yes most sensors that work with an Arduino will work with these as well.
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At the price these are, I kinda just don't get the use case.
Due to the fact that the UI, at least from this video only works with this line of products, I just dont see how this could be remotely cost efficient even for prototyping (particularly due to the software being non transferable).
I see the value in being easy to program, but its also sort of its critical flaw. At this price, you are competing with raspberry pis, not microcontrollers. Sticking a 50 dollar item in what would otherwise be a 20 dollar project seems just a bit silly. Maybe its a toy for rich people?
I guess what I'm saying is, because of the high price, and the lack of transferability of the skills acquired to program this device and the lack of the ability to run the programs made here onto other devices, I'm not really sure who I'd recommend it to, as those factors limit the target audience severely I think. Id far sooner recommend an esp32, arduino, or raspberry pi over something like this, which seems filled with proprietary software that may die with one company (though I have done no research and could be wrong about this part).
This is a somewhat techie wealthy, or high disposable income persons impulse drawer filler if I've ever seen one.
Beef Ingot/ you have hit the nail on it’s capitalist head.
Having electronics stuffed into a box will not help new users understand what’s going on under the cover.
Your review of this “ system “ was well written and clearly explained what this system does and does not do.
I have a few ideas for the developers.
(1) make it easy to open up it’s case so users can open it up and see the electronics inside.
(2) make the case in clear transparent material.
(3) a complete parts list and a schematic
If you provide the above information then you have a better chance in marketing this system.
Last point ( made by many) make the software open source
I agree that they are quite expensive in comparison to other standalone microcontrollers, but they are much more of a complete package. Once you've bought an Arduino/ESP32, a battery pack, power supply, a colour touch display, some pushbuttons, a breadboard and jumpers along with a couple of sensor modules then you're probably not too far from the cost of these devices anyway.
That being said it depends on what you'd like to use it for. Newbies find it quite daunting to order all of these components, have a box of electronics arrive and then have to learn electronics and programming together to get a basic project running. It's also disheartening for them to make a simple wiring mistake and damage the controller and/or sensors before they've got anything running. These bridge that gap somewhat and still allow people to add IO devices at a later stage.
Personally, I'd prefer to have the box of electronics and be able to see and touch the individual components, but that's not for everyone.
The software side, being Ui Flow, is just one option to use with these devices. They're essentially ESP32's at their core and are compatible with the Arduino IDE and probably most other IDEs which you'd use to program ESP32s.
I realized this comment went really long, but was in too deep to bother restructuring it so here's a TL:DR:
I think all the points made are true, yet the pool of customers remains basically the same.
It's too closed for newbies to learn skills that are transferable and too expensive for the initial investment in a hobby a new person might not be sure they are really interested in.
It's great for gifts though exactly because of being just barely unjustifiable due to cost rather than being actually unobtanium.
Boy, if this is the TL:DR I need to stop commenting so much.
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@@MichaelKlements I agree with most of what you said, but feel as though there is a caveat which still makes most of my feelings towards the product fair. The caveat, is that newbies aren't usually starting with extremely complex projects. They don't need all of that io right at the start.
Usually, a beginner project will maybe have a couple leds and a button. You don't necessarily need a screen or touch interface or anything like that.
As for the fact that its an esp32 underneath, I almost feel as if that hurts the value proposition because the value, is that its super easy to program for, but then if its an esp32 anyways, but you aren't learning transferable skills, what are you really learning from the experience?
I think it teaches you how to program for this like of products but now how to program. I think it teaches you how to set up a project with these components but now how to use components in general.
That's perfectly fine if you really do not care to progress further, but if you do, its a rather expensive proposition both monetarily for what it is (a fancy ESP32 with custom firmware), and time wise due to having to relearn the basics whenever you move on to a more custom solution.
ALl in all, you make many great points, but I ultimately feel as though while I think they all make sense, non of them really change who I think is the person who is ideal to buy this product.
I think its too expensive for a regular new person, too limited for someone who is getting into it to learn (unless you kind of defeat the purpose and just move to a different programming suite), and just right for someone with exposable income, and empty drawer to fill, and who might one day use it for a one off quarantine project where they don't necessarily care about going further.
That's perfectly fine, but I think that's a relatively niche audience.
For this to have wider appeal, I feel it could go 2 directions.
Either it could lower in price (which I understand no company wants to do if they don't have to), or it could have the interface be more friendly to transferring skills/learning.
At this point I realize I could totally be talking out of ignorance, because maybe it does and it just wasn't talked about, but the ui interface should translate to a real, non closed down programming language. That way at least it would have the real value added benefit of being a good beginners learning tool for microcontrollers.
I do realize I might have a bias with my experience now (I'm actually not even very experienced at all, I've maybe programmed for 3 years now, and have used microcontrollers for less than that in any real hobbyist sense), but I am trying to view things from the perspective of when I started, and as a non rich person, I cant imagine buying one of these as a newbie, yet alone handful of these later.
I have a couple raspberry pis, a jetson nano, and a bunch of esp32s, and I cant justify this now, so I have a really hard time imaging a new person without a lot of disposable income going for this when they arent even sure how interested they are.
As I typed this massive wall of text though, I did realize another potential customer: Gift givers.
Id never buy this, but I might gift it as its the perfect thing for a gift. Its just past the point that someone might personally justify buying it, yet its still neat. The perfect amount of excess for a gift.
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