SparkFun Blocks for the Intel® Edison are a great way to unlock all the features provided by the miniature 70-pin expansion connector. By mixing and matching Blocks, users can custom-tailor their Edison for any application. To get started, let's look at the anatomy of a stack of Blocks.
A sample stack of Blocks
Blocks allow applications to remain small, utilizing the miniature size of the Edison. Doing so required the continued use of the 70-pin connectors.
Hirose DF40 Socket and Plug
The manufacturer (Hirose) named the connectors Headers and Receptacles. We have named both respective connectors Plugs and Sockets to better describe how the interface with each other.
Most Blocks will have two connectors that allow the signals to be used, then passed along to the next Block in the stack. This is very similar to how Arduino Shields work. Let's now look at the different types of Blocks and learn how to create your own stack.
Which Blocks do I Need?All Blocks are not created equally. There are Blocks for power, communication, and for interacting with the environment. SparkFun engineer, Shawn, gives a great overview of the Edison and Blocks in the following video. After the video we will try to categorize the blocks to give a general idea on the uses for each Block. Some blocks are capable of multiple functions and will show up in multiple categories.
ReplaceMeOpen
ReplaceMeClose
Power BlocksThe first concern when building a stack of Blocks is power. There are a number of blocks available to power an Intel® Edison. These blocks have the ability to supply the required power to the Edison VSYS input located on the 70-pin expansion connector. All power Blocks built by SparkFun are designed to provide 4.0-4.1V to the VSYS bus.
Console Communication BlocksNow that we have power to our Edison Stack, we need to log into our Edison. The Edison uses a serial terminal interface to allow users to access the Edison console. This console is located on UART2. All SparkFun Communication Blocks provide the necessary level conversions.
Input BlocksThe input Block category shows how each Block can bring data into the Edison for processing. These inputs can be raw signal level, or processed data from an external sensor. These inputs rely on a number of communication methods that are explained with each Block. These blocks take the raw functionality of the Edison and make it accessible to the user.
SparkFun Block for Intel® Edison - 9 Degrees of FreedomThe output Block category shows how the Edison can utilize each block to control an external component or feature.
How Do I Make My Own Blocks?If you have outgrown our current offering of Blocks, we are here to help! In case you missed our homepage post, we released a template to jump start your next idea. This template is designed to help create new blocks that will interface with the existing ecosystem.
Here are our template design files, take them and see what you can come up with! There are all kinds of helpful messages in the schematics and board files. The library parts for the Edison connectors are there as well.
Here is a detailed diagram of the Edison connector showing the pin numbers along with names and functions. This may also prove useful for testing signals.
Hopefully we have given you a good start to understanding the SparkFun Blocks for Intel Edison ecosystem.
Resources and Going FurtherNow that you have had a brief overview of the Sparkfun Blocks for Intel Edison, take a look at some of these other tutorials. These tutorials cover programming, Block stacking, and interfacing with the Intel Edison ecosystems.
Check out these other Edison related tutorials from SparkFun:
Single Board Computer BenchmarksHow to set up different benchmarking programs on single board computers or computing modules and run them. The results for various generations are shown on the subsequent pages.
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