Quote:
Originally Posted by takyka
The arduino mega is a 5V device! As long as one doesn't need computation power of 32bit systems, but for more pins or memory does, arduino mega can be a good choice.
Unlike some are thinking multiplexed analog inputs or IO port expanders, these are needless with mega. And all UNO shields are compatible...
In relation to this, one more tought about 1wire adressing.
As separate arduino pins can be used for analog sensor reading, the same way, dallas sensors can be connected to separate pins too (one ds18xxx on one pin). This way temperature reading can be done without the knowledge of sensor ID, sensor swap is as easy as in case of NTC.
Where temperature reading speed is not a concern, (more than one reading/ second), I prefer DS sensors over NTC because of accuracy, noise immunity and unnecessarity of calibration.
T.
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I agree with you pretty much completely. If a particular user wanted to wire up the dallas sensors so they never need to be decoded and would swap out just like analog sensors, it would be easy to assign a separate onewire pin for every sensor. Each pin (or sensor cable) could be labeled for later recollection in case a sensor ever went crazy or failed. The new sensor would "just work" when the unit was powered back up after the swap. Using a Uno, one would quickly run out of available digital pins. This is a compelling reason to choose a Mega as a starting platform.
The reason I brought up the Zero is because it looks as if it will be the "nexgen" replacement for the Uno. Likewise, the Due will be the "nexgen" replacement for the Mega. The Arduino crew is working hard to make sure that "old school" programs and libraries can migrate to the new boards and work. I don't know how seamlessly this will end up, but the time is coming soon when the retail version of the Zero will hit the market. As I write this, competitors are already releasing "knockoff" boards based on the pre-production architecture.
I believe that the Uno and Mega will remain the most widely used boards in the line for quite some time. Until the "modernized" boards get lots of specific code and support content tailored for them (as with the Uno and Mega), they won't attract users and beginners like the "original" boards do. That doesn't mean they're not useful. They just haven't stolen the spotlight from their parents yet.