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PRODUCTS DOCUMENTATION	Teleo Starter Kit User Guide Documentation for the Teleo Starter Kit:   TABLE OF CONTENTS: Introduction Package Contents Operating Instructions Teleo Introductory Module USB Connection Power Connection Network Connection Analog In Device Digital In Device Digital Out Device PWM Device Troubleshooting Technical Specifications

The Teleo Starter Kit is the best way to get started with Teleo. Included in the set is everything Macromedia's Flash, Cycling 74's Max and C/C++ programmers need to start interfacing with the real world.

The Teleo Starter Kit contains the following:

Teleo Introductory Module - A Teleo module with:

• 4 Analog Inputs (capable of reading 0-5V in 1024 steps)
• 2 Digital Inputs (which detect the presence or absence of a 5V signal)
• 2 Digital Outputs (which can switch devices requiring up to 2A of current on and off) and
• 2 PWM Outputs (which can smoothly vary the degree to which a device (like a motor or a light) is on or off).

  To connect to the computer, there is a USB connector and to both provide power and to provide an expansion mechanism, there is also a Teleo Network connector.

Power Supply - This is a small 12V, 800mA power supply. It will serve very well for a number of applications, but in cases where more power is needed, we recommend using a more robust power supply. See the MakingThings Store for other options.

USB Cable - Required to connect the computer to the Teleo Introductory Module .

There are only a few steps to get input and output from and to your computer:

1. Install (if you haven't already) any of the supported programming environments (Macromedia's Flash, Cycling 74's Max, or a C/C++ compiler)
2. Install the appropriate MakingThings software utilities (Max externals, Flash components, USB Driver, etc.)
3. Connect the Teleo Introductory Module to the computer with the supplied USB cable
4. Connect your project's sensors and actuators
5. Connect the power supply to the Teleo Introductory Module

The diagram below shows how it will be connected when you're done.

This is the simplest way to use the Teleo Starter Kit. However, if the system you're building requires more inputs and outputs than are available in on the Teleo Introductory Module, you can add other Teleo Modules to your system to add more functionality. To achieve this you will need a Teleo Network Cable. The Power Supply plugs into one end of the cable and the modules plug into the other connectors.

See the Teleo System overview in the Teleo System section of the Teleo User Guide. For information about setting up a Teleo System see the Teleo Hardware Setup section of the same guide.

 

Teleo Introductory Module

-A Teleo Module providing 2digital inputs, 2digital outputs, 4 analog inputs, and 2 PWM outputs.

Power Supply	-A 110VAC 12VDC 800mA power transformer.
USB Cable
3 "Plug & Play" Devices	-Photocell sensor, push button switch, micro lamp assembly.
Mini Screwdriver

 

Teleo Introductory Module
USB Connection
Power Connection
Network Connection
Analog In
Digital In
Digital Out
PWM

The Teleo Introductory Module connects directly to the computer via USB. Once this connection is established, the Introductory Module may be used either as a bridge between USB and a Teleo Network with lots of other modules on it, or it may be used by itself to provide simple input and output functionality.

There are four different kinds of inputs and outputs. The idea is that you can take various widely available electric and electronic devices, wire them into the Teleo Introductory Module and have them available for use inside Max, Flash and other programming environments.

Each of the inputs and outputs on the Teleo Introductory Module is an independent device which has its own corresponding object. Analog In devices can be used to measure continuous quantities, like temperature, position, pressure, etc. Digital Ins can convey whether something (e.g. a limit switch or a push button) is on or off. Digital Out devices can switch something (e.g. motors, valves or lights) on or off. PWM devices can switch something on and off thousands of times a second giving the effect of a variable level of activation - like a dimmer switch for a light or a speed controller for a motor.

Teleo Introductory Module Concept Diagram

Each of the inputs and outputs has its own screw connector so it can be connected to stripped wire. The screw connectors are very small on this module, you will need a 2mm flat blade screwdriver (available in the tools section of the MakingThings store).

From the diagram above you can see that there are four Analog Inputs, two Digital Inputs, two Digital outpts and two PWM's.

Also you will notice that there are power connectors with V+ (this is the voltage your power supply provides), +5V and ground (GND) positions. You'll learn how to use them in the next section.

For now it is important to remember a couple of basics:

• never connect the V+ connector to the 5V connector - this would put the whole power supply at V+ onto the board's electronics which are designed to run at 5V. Although this situation is protected against - this may still destroy components on the board.
• never connect the V+ or the 5V supplies directly to the ground (GND) this would cause a short circuit either of the whole power supply or the board's local power supply.
• while you're working with the board, it pays to monitor the temperature of the 5V regulator, the FET (Field Effect Transistor) switches and the fuse. If any of them are too hot to touch - disconnect the module from the power and see what the fault might be.
• under extreme conditions, components can be so taxed that they can give off smoke with a very distinct "frying electronics" smell. Once a component does this, it is often destroyed, so this should be avoided if at all possible. If it does happen, unplug the module and check your circuit. The location of the smoking component will give a clue about what's going wrong.

In order for the Teleo Introductory Module to communicate with the computer it needs to be connected via USB Cable.

Teleo Introductory Module - USB Connection

Regardless of the programming tool selected, a driver for the USB part must be present in order for the computer to communicate with the board. Except in the case of Linux (where the driver is often already installed in the kernel) the driver is included with the Downloadable Software. Follow the directions in the included ReadMe files.

The Teleo Introductory Module mostly draws power from the Teleo Network Connector.

Teleo Introductory Module - Power Connection

If a power supply is required that is not fitted with a Teleo Network connector, you have two options: either obtain a Teleo Network connector (they are available from the MakingThings store) or you can connect the power to the V+ and Gnd connection on the board.

Teleo Introductory Module - Non-Teleo Power Connection

 

If a Teleo Network is to be used to connect other modules to the Introductory Module, a Teleo Network Cable is added. The Power Supply and other modules are connected into the Network.

Teleo Introductory Module - Network Connection

For a lot more information about the Teleo Network see that section in the Teleo User Guide.

The four Analog In devices read voltages arriving at the connectors and convert them into a range that you can specify. The input is sensitive to a voltage range of 0V through to 5V. Although the input is protected, you should never try to apply a voltage outside this range to it. Once the voltage is read, the software converts the number obtained into a range that you can specify. See the Analog In overview in the Modules Section of the Teleo User Guide.

Also by default, the measurement is read every 100ms - or ten times a second. This can be changed to 1ms or up to 10000ms (once every 10seconds).

The Resolution of the device can also be modified. Its value is represented in bits. Minimum 1, Maximum 10. 1bit will result in only two levels between the specified minimum and maximum, while 5bits will yield 32 levels and 10bits will yield 1024 different levels.

With the inputs available on this module, it is possible to overwhelm the Teleo Network with data. Sample Period and Resolution can be manipulated to great effect here. Clearly if the sample period is increased (meaning longer time between successive samples) the data rates are reduced. Also if resolution is reduced there will likely be fewer changes in the value and thus less data. For only a few inputs you can run the devices at top speed (1ms sample period) and highest resolution (10bits), but as you add inputs you may find you need to either slow the sampling down a bit or reduce the resolution.

In general you should only use the resolution and sampling rate you really need. If you're measuring temperature, for example, you might need 10bits of resolution, but you might need to sample the sensor only once a second or so. If you're reading levels of light in a quickly moving setup, you might choose to have fast updates, but use low resolution data.

Teleo Introductory Module - Analog In

 

Programming - Flash

The Flash proxy that corresponds to each Analog In device is com.makingthings.TIntroAin. The name specifies the product (T for Teleo), the module (Intro for Introductory Module) and the device (Ain for Analog In). For the full documentation on the TIntroAin proxy see the appropriate section of the Teleo Flash Class Reference. For general information on setting your machine up to run with Flash, see the Teleo Flash User Guide.

The value reported back by the flash proxy ranges from 0 to 2^resolution - 1. Since the default resolution value is 5, the proxy sends values in the range 0 - 31. The full set of ranges appears below:

Resolution	0V	5V
0	Illegal Value
1	0	1
2	0	3
3	0	7
4	0	15
5	0	31
6	0	63
7	0	127
8	0	255
9	0	511
10	0	1023

First, you need to create the proxy,

import com.makingthings.*;

...

var ain:TIntroAin = new TIntroAin( 0 );

For general information about the creation of proxies, see the Proxy section of the Teleo Flash User Guide.

After creating the proxy, you can use it anytime to retrieve the value, set up parameters, etc.

var v:Number = ain.getValue();

or

ain.setResolution( 10 );

Properties are discussed in the Getters and Setters section of the Teleo Flash User Guide.

There are three different ways to cause your code to be executed when the Ain value changes. The simplest is overriding the Ain object's own onValue( ) handler.

ain.onValue = function( value:Number )
{

// your code here

}

See the sections on events and callbacks in the Teleo Flash User Guide for a more in-depth discussion of all the options.

Finally, as a debugging and diagnostic aid, you can see directly what the device's properties are by requesting an Inspector be created on the device.

viewer = new TIntroAinInspector( _root, ain );

Inspectors are discussed at length in the Inspectors section of the Teleo Flash User Guide.

Programming - Max

The Max component that corresponds to each Analog In device is called t.intro.ain. The name specifies the product (t for Teleo), the module (intro for Introductory Module) and the device (ain for Analog In).

Under Max, the default range reported is -100.0 to 100.0, meaning that if there is nothing connected to the device or if it is reading 0V, the device will report back -100.00 or a number very close to it. With the same range specified, 5V applied to the connector will result in a number of around 100.0 being reported back.

Alternatively, the device can be put into a mode where it only reads when it is asked to by sending a bang to the left most input. Regular sampling resumes when any non-zero number is sent to the sample period port.

See the t.intro.ain documentation page for more details.

t.intro.ain

 

Connecting the Analog Input

A basic device to connect to the Analog In device is a potentiometer. Potentiometers are often used as volume controls in sound devices. The potentiometer is made around a strip of resistive material. This strip is connected to voltages on either end and has a wiper which can connect to the material at any position along its length. The wiper reads values that are proportional to its position along the strip. For example, when one end is connected to 5 volts and the other end to 0 volts (ground), the wiper will register voltages of just below 5 volts when it is positioned just beside the 5 volt end, 2.5 volts when half way along, and almost 0 volts when near the 0 volt end. In electronics, this is called a voltage divider, since the way it is constructed the upper and lower voltages are divided in two parts.

When the Teleo Introductory Module is set up like the diagram below and connected to the computer it will report the range of values as the potentiometer is turned.

Teleo Introductory Module Analog In + Potentiometer Sample Circuit

Another basic sensor is the photocell. This is like the potentiometer in that there are resistive elements connected to 5 volts and ground and a tap (like the potentiometer's wiper) in the middle. The difference is that where the voltage change with the potentiometer is caused by moving the wiper across the resistive strip, in this setup the voltage is changed because the resistance of one of the elements (the photocell) changes.

Looking at the diagram, you can see that the photocell is connected between the 5 volt line and the AIn line, and the resistor is connected between the AIn line and the Gnd connector.

If the resistance of the fixed resistor and the light sensor are equal the AIn line would register 2.5 volts, since the AIn line would be sitting "halfway" between 5 volts and 0 volts. Now, when the photocell is exposed to light it offers less resistance so the AIn point ends up being "closer" to 5 volts and the voltage read at the AIn connector would rise above 2.5V

Teleo Introductory Module + Light Sensor

There are many resistive sensors like this that measure pressure, bending, etc. that can be connected in the same way.

The Analog In device need not be connected to simple voltage dividers. It can be connected to anything that provides a 0V - 5V output. The list of these devices is long: temperature sensors, acceleration sensors, pressure sensors and so on. See the MakingThings store for a wide selection.

Teleo Introductory Module Analog In + Generic Sensor Sample Circuit

You must be careful with the analog inputs to keep the voltage within the limits of 0 to 5 volts. All the Teleo Introductory Module inputs are protected against voltage extremes, but not infinitely so. We try to make it hard to make a mistake by only providing connectors for these voltages next to the analog inputs, but, accidents can happen. Be careful!

The two Digital In devices read a voltage at their connectors. If the voltage is above about 2 volts they read as 1 or true, if below 2 volts they read 0 or false. They have a slight bias to reading off, so you can make them read on by connecting the line to +5V. See the Digital In overview in the System Section of the Teleo User Guide.

Digital inputs are useful for reading the states of pushbuttons, floor pedals, switches of all kinds, relays - anything that can either act as a switch or supply a 0V or 5V signal.

The input can be inverted so that it reads 1 when connected to Gnd (or disconnected) and 0 when held to +5V.

Like with the Analog Input, the period of time that the Teleo Introductory Module's microprocessor waits between checking the Digital In inputs is 100ms by default, but can be changed to much more frequently (10ms) and much less frequently (>10000ms).

Teleo Introductory Module Module Digital In

Programming - Flash

The Flash proxy that corresponds to each Digital In device is com.makingthings.TIntroDin. The name specifies the product (T for Teleo), the module (Intro for Introductory Module) and the device (Din for Digital In). For the full documentation on the TIntroDin proxy see the appropriate section of the Teleo Flash Class Reference. For general information on setting your machine up to run with Flash, see the Teleo Flash User Guide.

First, you need to create the proxy,

import com.makingthings.*;

...

var din:TIntroDin = new TIntroDin( 0 );

For general information about the creation of proxies, see the Proxy section of the Teleo Flash User Guide.

After creating the proxy, you can use it anytime to retrieve the value, set up parameters, etc.

var v:Number = din.getValue();

or

din.setPeriod( 10 );

Properties are discussed in the Getters and Setters section of the Teleo Flash User Guide.

There are three different ways to cause your code to be executed when the Ain value changes. The simplest is overriding the Ain object's own onValue( ) handler.

din.onValue = function( value:Number )
{

// your code here

}

See the sections on events and callbacks in the Teleo Flash User Guide for a more in-depth discussion of all the options.

Finally, as a debugging and diagnostic aid, you can see directly what the device's properties are by requesting an Inspector be created on the device.

viewer = new TIntroDinInspector( _root, din );

Inspectors are discussed at length in the Inspectors section of the Teleo Flash User Guide.

Programming - Max

In Max, the Digital In object is fairly simple. It is called t.intro.din, "din" being the abbreviation for Digital In.

See the t.intro.din documentation page for more details.

t.intro.din

Connecting the Digital In

The simplest circuit to connect to the Digital In terminals is a push-button. It works because the Digital In wires are internally biased to Ground by weak pull-down resistors. This means that left alone, they'll register 0 volts at their inputs which will equate to a digital "false" or "off". When the push button is activated, it connects the input to +5V. The direct connection to +5V is of such a lower resistance than the pull-down resistor that the voltage on the Digital In connector becomes very close to 5 volts. When the push button is released, there is no strong pull to +5V through the switch so the connector is pulled back down to 0volts.

So when the button is pressed the value read is a logical 1, and when it is released it's a logical 0.

 

And like the Analog In, the Digital In can be connected to any source of logical signals. Also like the Analog In devices, care should be taken to avoid connecting anything outside the range of 0 to 5 volts.

Teleo Introductory Module Digital In + Generic Sensor Sample Circuit

There are two Digital Out circuits. They are the most simple devices on the Teleo Introductory Module t since they are either on or off. It's that simple. See the Digital Out overview in the System Section of the Teleo User Guide.

Digital Out circuits can be used to switch devices like motors, relays, values and lights on and off that draw up to 2A of current. The Digital Out circuits can also be used to generate logic signals for controlling other devices. See the MakingThings Store for a selection of these.

The Digital Out circuits operate by making a connection to ground for whatever voltage is applied to their connectors. This switching is done by a FET (field effect transistors) in the small 4 legged rectangular chips next to the outputs. These FET switches can handle moderate currents - but nothing too big. Small motors, relays, solenoids, lights and valves should all be OK. Larger devices might not work well. Where possible, before using some new item, try to understand what its current requirements are and ensure they draw less than one amp.

You will notice that there are both 5V and V+ connectors available for connecting to the Digital Out connectors. You can use either, but not both on the same connector since that would result in a direct connection between the V+ supply and the 5V supply. The V+ will supply up to a total of 6 amps to all output circuits on the board. The 5V supply is very limited. do not try to run motors, and other mechanical devices off this supply since it will almost certainly cause the 5V voltage regulator to overheat and or the processor to reboot. The 5V supply is provided to control LED's and other very frugal users of current.

Teleo Intro IO Module - Digital Out

Programming - Flash

The Flash proxy that corresponds to each Digital Out device is com.makingthings.TIntroDout. The name specifies the product (T for Teleo), the module (Intro for Introductory Module) and the device (Dout for Digital Out). For the full documentation on the TIntroDout proxy see the appropriate section of the Teleo Flash Class Reference. For general information on setting your machine up to run with Flash, see the Teleo Flash User Guide.

First, you need to create the proxy,

import com.makingthings.*;

...

var dout:TIntroDout = new TIntroDout( 0 );

For general information about the creation of proxies, see the Proxy section of the Teleo Flash User Guide.

After creating the proxy, you can use it anytime to set the value, set up parameters, etc.

dout.setValue( 1 );

or

var v:Number = dout.getValue( );

Properties are discussed in the Getters and Setters section of the Teleo Flash User Guide.

Finally, as a debugging and diagnostic aid, you can see directly what the device's properties are by requesting an Inspector be created on the device.

viewer = new TIntroDoutInspector( _root, dout );

Inspectors are discussed at length in the Inspectors section of the Teleo Flash User Guide.

Programming - Max

The Max Digital Out object (called t.intro.dout) is very simple. Just send it a "1" to turn the device on or a "0" to turn it off.

See the t.intro.dout documentation page for more details.

Max Component: t.into.dout

Connecting the Digital Out

Circuits that are controlled by Digital Out signals can be very simple. Connect a power source on one side and the Digital Out signal on the other.

One of the simplest circuits uses a normal incandescent light bulb. What's important is that the voltages and currents are within the correct range. When you select the V+ line to supply the power to the light, make sure that the bulb can handle the voltage! Similarly check to make sure that the current rating for the bulb is less than one amp. Most small incandescent bulbs will fall within this range, but larger halogens do not. As usual, check the connections carefully before turning the power on and watch for signs of overheating on the appropriate FET device.

Another very common type of device to control is solenoids. They can be hooked up to act as actuators or to valves that control the flow of liquids (hydraulics) and gases (pneumatics). The circuit is virtually the same as the circuit for the lamp above. The basic cautions to observer are similar to the ones for the light example above: check to make sure that the rated voltage for the solenoid matches your power supply. Valves (and other solenoids) often specify a duty cycle. If the duty cycle is "Continuous" this means that it can be left on indefinitely. If the duty cycle is "Intermittent", then it's designed to be run only for short periods which are sometimes specified (i.e. 50%, etc.) If an Intermittent solenoid is run continuously, it may overheat and in extreme circumstances may be destroyed.

Teleo Introductory Module - Digital Out + Solenoid Sample Circuit

Periodically it's useful to be able to connect an external power supply to the Introductory Module to either provide a separate source of 12V or 5V (one that can supply more current, for example) or to supply a different voltage for a particular kind of device. It is very easy to add an external power supply: connect the -V (or Ground) side to the Ground terminal, and connect the positive side to the thing that is going to be switched (sometimes called the Load). Finally, connect the other side of the load to the DOut terminal.

Teleo Introductory Module - Digital Out + External Power

Finally, there's nothing to prevent the Digital Out signals from controlling other digital things. What is required is a pull up resistor. When the Digital Out switch is off, the resistor makes the connected circuit see approximately 5v. When the Digital Out switch is on the connected circuit is directly connected to ground (by the Digital Out's FET) and it sees 0V. Note that in this configuration the output is inverted. When the Digital Out device is sent a "1", the FET switch closes and connects the external logic to ground - which it interprets as a "0" or off. When the Digital Out device is sent a "0", the FET switch deactivates, the external resistor pulls the line up to 5V, and the external logic sees a "1".

Teleo Introductory Module - Digital Out + Misc. Logic Sample Circuit

There are two PWM devices on the Teleo Introductory Module. PWM's can be used to control the speed of motors, brightness of lamps, etc. See the PWM explanation in the Introduction to Electronics section of the Teleo User Guide for more information.

Electronically, the PWM devices are identical to the Digital Out devices. One amp switches complete circuits connected to them by controlling the connection to ground. Again, the current capacity of the FET switches is limited: be careful what you connect. Watch for overheating and smoking! Never connect the V+ connection directly to the PWM output since as soon as the switch turns on, the current will surge from the power supply, through the switch, possibly destroying it. See the Digital Out / PWM overview in the System Section of the Teleo User Guide.

Multi IO Module PWM

Programming - Flash

The Flash proxy that corresponds to each Pwm device is com.makingthings.TIntroPwm. The name specifies the product (T for Teleo), the module (Intro for Introductory Module) and the device (Pwm). For the full documentation on the TIntroPwm proxy see the appropriate section of the Teleo Flash Class Reference. For general information on setting your machine up to run with Flash, see the Teleo Flash User Guide.

First, you need to create the proxy,

import com.makingthings.*;

...

var pwm:TIntroPwm = new TIntroPwm( 0 );

For general information about the creation of proxies, see the Proxy section of the Teleo Flash User Guide.

After creating the proxy, you can use it anytime to set the value, set up parameters, etc.

pwm.setDuty( 50 );

or

var d:Number = pwm.getDuty( );

Properties are discussed in the Getters and Setters section of the Teleo Flash User Guide.

Finally, as a debugging and diagnostic aid, you can see directly what the device's properties are by requesting an Inspector be created on the device.

viewer = new TIntroPwmInspector( _root, pwm );

Inspectors are discussed at length in the Inspectors section of the Teleo Flash User Guide.

Programming - Max

The Max object corresponding to the PWM device is quite simple. Sending a value to the leftmost port sets the PWM Duty Cycle.

See the t.intro.pwm documentation page for more details.

t.intro.pwm

Connecting to the PWM

In general, the same kinds of circuits can be used with the PWM devices as with the Digital Output. Here is an example of a motor which has been checked to draw less than 1 amp when unloaded. One side of the motor goes to the V+ line and the other goes to the PWM connector. Note that this motor will only turn in one direction as shown here, since there is no way to get the current flowing in the opposite direction. For that you need an H-Bridge, or a relay setup that can reverse the voltage to the motor.

You can connect an external power supply to the PWM output in the same way as described above for the Digital Out device.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS:

• digital inputs don't seem to work
• digital outputs don't seem to work

First Step:
See if your problem is described in the list above. If so, click on the link to see if the suggestion solves your problem.

Second Step:
Check the known problems section of the MakingThings website - in particular the System Troubleshooting and Max Troubleshooting sections.

Third Step:
Post the problem to the MakingThings discussion list. This list is checked regularly by the MakingThings staff. In addition, if another Teleo user has experienced, and solved, this problem, you will have the benefit of their experience.

Fourth Step:
Email support@makingthings.com. We endeavor to reply to all problems within one day.

Quick Note: how to use Max and Teleo effectively:

• if any object requires a specific address, then all objects should i.e. the optional address can be left off only when there is only one of each type of module i.e. the module type and device number completely identify every device on the network. as soon as there is more than one type of any module, then each and every object must specify both the device and address.
  

Affected Devices: Digital Inputs

Check:

• Are you connecting the circuit correctly? The digital in terminals need to be connected via switches to +5V.
  
  

Affected Devices: Digital Outputs, PWM

Check:

• Are you connecting the circuit correctly? The digital out and PWM terminals need to be connected to V+ or +5V rather than Ground.