After having made several DIY designs using Arduino, WS2812B led strips and USBD480 I am developing a steering wheel for a small mass production.
Despite the limitations of the Nextion screens, I had come to consider the use of these devices due to an economic question and due to their better integration in the SimHub interface.
When using the bridge sketch to connect the Nextion through a Pro Micro, all the necessary configuration for the end user to make the WS2812B LEDs work consists of indicating the total number of LEDs on the Nextion configuration screen. While using the USBD480 devices it is necessary to detect the arduino and access the "RGB LEDs" section through a submenu.
From a DIY point of view, SimHub is wonderful, the category approach makes it functional and allows for a full level of configuration.
But it's not ideal when it comes to commercial developments where the end user doesn't know the details of the components or their individual configuration.
My question/proposal is the following:
In the same way that the connection through NextionMicroBridge does not use the SerialFlow protocol that is used with the connection from the Arduino menu, would it be possible to establish the connection for the control of the LEDs without using the Arduino recognition through its own menu? (I mean, using a different screen device such a Vocore or USBD480 display)
And on the other hand, something that would be even more convenient for this type of development: would you consider the option of creating an interface configuration system using XML or any other coding to automate the integration of devices in it's own category of the interface?
I am talking about the possibility that developers create a structure of nodes where we indicate the name of the model, the type of screen that it integrates, as well as other modules that must be controlled, for example WS2812B with a total number of LEDs.
The end user would only have to import that file into SimHub so that a category of its own with the name of their device would appear, and within that category the modules corresponding to their configuration would be displayed (in this case the DashBoards panel and the RGB LEDs configuration module).
My approach is none other than creating an abstraction layer to simplify the user experience and to give a more professional appearance to the development of controls that intermediate users do. I think SimHub is the perfect piece for "in home" professional developments, who could not consider using proprietary hardware or software.
Until now I was going to use Nextion only because of this, but since SimHub supports Vocore screens, I feel Nextion shouldn't be considered anymore.
Thanks for your amazing work
And maybe another option would be some kind of affiliation system where developers could send their VID/PID with the configuration XML to get a true auto recognition system.
Most of us are always thinking in an "opensource way" bussines model. I'll reserve a PID from the 1209 VID so it could be the perfect relationship between OpenSource projects and SimHub as the main and only one dash for these devices.
Cheers
Hello !
to be totally transparent I have no particular opinions about it, commercial usage is a side effect , but not my main goal (that's also why I always stick the "DIY" to the simhub name :D)
But I admit the challenge of HID driver is something interesting and I made lot of experiments lately allowing to get rid of serial port, lock uploads etc ... It's maybe something which could come officially.
Wait and see 😉 let' say you have planted the seed of some new challenges, but it will require lot of reflections before getting somewhere 😀
Using HID would definitely be the best possible option. There would be no need to import files or make use of PID listings.
It would also be a very useful feature for other DIY projects.
And don't get me wrong when talking about commercial projects, if I got to know SimHub it was precisely because it was oriented to DIY. The only thing that makes the project I'm talking about commercial is the fact of putting it up for sale, but it would still be a DIY development made by an user, far from industrial developments or large companies. It's basically the natural step of any hobby that I'm passionate about (earn enough to amortize the expense that it generates and that my wife does not throw me out of home 😆).
I hope that the seed that has been planted continues its process. I may pass by from time to time to water it 😉
Cheers