Working with Imote Builder

Working with iMote Builder

1. In order to start working with imote 2 builder, it needs to be installed on the computer.

2. Installed Imote Builder using CD

3. Installed the Visual Studio 2005, .NET Framework 2.0 and the essential USB drivers.

4. Important thing needed to make the program run is SP2. Since SP2 is the prerequisite for installing SDK.

5. After all this installation you can run the demos.

For running the demos

- Connect the Sensor chip and CPU chip to each other.

- Use an USB cable to connect the sensor to the computer.

- Press the RESET button.

- When you press the RESET button, a Green light appears for few seconds; which disappears after few seconds. This is an indication that the “device is ready to use and that the USB is recognized.”

**TIP: When you hit the debug button, the sensor starts emitting light in the order of Dark Green followed by Light green, red, blue and pink. **

Running Sample Applications (XSensor)

1. Tried to run XSensor ITS400 by going to Start/ All Programs/ Crossbow/ Imote2Builder/ Sample App/ Crossbow app. XSensor ITS400.

- This application is used to record the temperature.

- When the application opens, a window appears.

- Press the debug button.

- After you get a message saying debug was successful press the detach all button.

- Run serial dump to record the reading.

2. Running XAcel

- Accelerometer is used to measure movement.

- The program can be opened after followed by following the below mentioned steps:

Start/ All Programs/ Crossbow/ Imote2Builder/ Sample App/ Crossbow app. XAccel.

- Hit the “debug”button.

- After getting the message that the process was successful, press the detach all button.

- Run serial dump.

- Working of XAccel demo can be validated by looking at the graphs produced in Moteplot.

To check this follow the below mentioned steps:

Go to All programs/crossbow/Imote2Builder/Tools/Moteplot

- As you move the sensor graphs of different shapes are produced.

Measuring Temperature/Light

1. Go to all program/crossbow/imote2. Builder/Sample App/Crossbow.app.XAccel

2. When window appears change the x axis to record temperature and Y Axis to measure light.

3. Type //accel1X = sensor . Acce1XRaw;

accelX = (ushort) _ sensor. TempCTI

//accel1Y = sensor . Acce1XRaw;

AccelY = (ushort) _ sensor. Light

4. Start debug and then press detach all, to see the readings on Moteplot.

5. X axis on Moteplot measures Temperature and Y axis measures light.

6. Run serial dump only after clicking the detach all button and closing the moteplot application.

X-Axis measuring temperature

Y-Axis measuring light

Used XSensoreITS400 to see the changes in serial dump while measuring light and temperature.

- Click all programs/crossbow/imote2 builder/sample app/crossbow.app.XSensorITS400

- run debug and then detach all.

- Ran serial dump to see variations in the reading in terms of light and temperature changes.

** There is special program created to measure the light and humidity, which can be accessed by opening the zip files for the same using Visual Studio.

'light' which will print the raw light meter value to the console whenthe light level changes
'humidity' which simply prints the (raw) humidity sensor data every 10 seconds
Step 1: Load up the solution files in visual studio and load as normal
(Progarmmer have chose to print the raw A-D data from the sensors (to
keep the data clear)
Step 2: Therefore any analysis would have to use the conversion formulaslisted in the documentation they arehumidity = (-0.0000028) * humRaw * humRaw + 0.04*HumRaw - 4
but the light sensor's raw data isn't linear with respect to the rawvalues, so there is a lookup table in the documentation that has to beused.
****The folder is save don the Desktop by the name Imote Projects****

Overall Difficulties encountered while working with the equipment

- Its difficult to get the sensor to work.

- You need to be very quick while pressing the RESET Button because if you exceed 6 seconds , you will surely get a message saying “USB not recognized”.

- Most of the time it gives a message saying ÜSB not recognized”.

- Once the message comes up, its difficult to get the sensor to work.

- The reason for the message is unknown.

Suggestions

- Try to press the Reset button for less than 6 seconds. (May not always work)

- If the sensor (i.e. USB is recognized), there will be Green light initially followed by blinking pink and blue light.

- This is an indication that sensor is ready for use.

- Someone with programming knowledge will be in better position to understand this project.