Eliminating the need for i2c-usb module:
- Switched the rheostat(AD5243) circuit to use the Arduino power source instead of the usb module
- Added commands to the Arduino sketch to control the rheostat
- Learned how to use the wire library to transmit data to rheostat. One trick with the library is that the read/write bit is handled by the arduino so the first byte needs the right most bit removed. After that data bytes can be sent in standard 8 -bit format.
- Two main benefits of doing this:
- Only one com port to worry about. When you have more then one, it can get complicated when switching machines because you’ll have to keep track of more randomly assigned ports. There are ways to use port enumerators which scan the registry but this seems like it may be unreliable at times. The other way to alleviate the problem is to add custom drivers but at this point that seems like more work then its worth.
- The other benefit is that, you can send 16-bit string commands to the Arduino to trigger the command pattern. This simplifies the implementation in the actual control system.
- Pretty sure the sketch will work but I have not tested it yet.
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