tempestvr - September '26 Update
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Time for an update. I have something very cool on the software side in the pipeline and I've been shoring it all up with further upgrades to the TCode library and device firmware. SSR1 calibration is now much easier, and TCode now remembers your preferences again.
My main goal is to get Arduino IDE and compiling code out of the experience of my users who don't want to have to deal with it. I will never take the source code away from those of you want it, but I expect that my average user would rather just get an ESP32 or one of the Milibyte boards, quickly flash the pre-compiled firmware onto it and plug and play. That's the experience I am aiming to create. I've got a good idea of what it's going to look like and I've already done a lot of the work. I'll share more when I'm a bit closer to launching it.
In the meantime I have made some other necessary improvements to my firmware code. The first is how SSR1 is calibrated. At present there are at least two pages on the SSR1 Beta build document describing the procedure to calibrate the motor. This includes reading off the motor parameters from the serial monitor and typing them into the code before compiling it. The procedure also involves having to quickly change the motor wiring if the direction is wrong.
As of the next update the SSR1 calibration process is much simpler. The motor parameters are now set and saved automatically, though they can be reset by pressing the "boot" button. Allowing for the motor direction is now also handled in software, so there is now literally no wrong way to wire up the three motor leads to the motor driver outputs. Definitely an upgrade!
The other thing that I have just implemented is the "D2" command in the TCode v0.4 interpreter. This is a cool little function that basically just remembers your axis range preferences for you. It doesn't directly have any effect on the device. Instead it just allows any player that it is connected to to know what axes are available and how you like to have them set. This function has been missing for the earlier releases of TCode v0.4.
The next Maker tier release is going to be these upgrades incorporated into the firmware for the various devices. I will also rework the SSR1 build document to reflect the changed calibration method.
Livestreaming a lot of this code stuff has not really been something that I could do easily and in all fairness it's not compelling viewing either, so I've not done much streaming recently. I think I will do a short video showing the SSR1 upgrade though. Something for my Supporter tier.
My Benefactors will have seen my new project taking shape on the exclusive discord channel. The focus on that has come at the expense of the newsletter, which I will have to catch up on soon!
As always a big thankyou to everyone who contributes to keeping the lights on here in the Tempest office. This software stuff isn't the most sexy, but it's overdue and makes a solid foundation for new hardware and other opportunities into the future.
Happy building,
Tempest
Time for an update. I have something very cool on the software side in the pipeline and I've been shoring it all up with further upgrades to the TCode library and device firmware. SSR1 calibration is now much easier, and TCode now remembers your preferences again.
My main goal is to get Arduino IDE and compiling code out of the experience of my users who don't want to have to deal with it. I will never take the source code away from those of you want it, but I expect that my average user would rather just get an ESP32 or one of the Milibyte boards, quickly flash the pre-compiled firmware onto it and plug and play. That's the experience I am aiming to create. I've got a good idea of what it's going to look like and I've already done a lot of the work. I'll share more when I'm a bit closer to launching it.
In the meantime I have made some other necessary improvements to my firmware code. The first is how SSR1 is calibrated. At present there are at least two pages on the SSR1 Beta build document describing the procedure to calibrate the motor. This includes reading off the motor parameters from the serial monitor and typing them into the code before compiling it. The procedure also involves having to quickly change the motor wiring if the direction is wrong.
As of the next update the SSR1 calibration process is much simpler. The motor parameters are now set and saved automatically, though they can be reset by pressing the "boot" button. Allowing for the motor direction is now also handled in software, so there is now literally no wrong way to wire up the three motor leads to the motor driver outputs. Definitely an upgrade!
The other thing that I have just implemented is the "D2" command in the TCode v0.4 interpreter. This is a cool little function that basically just remembers your axis range preferences for you. It doesn't directly have any effect on the device. Instead it just allows any player that it is connected to to know what axes are available and how you like to have them set. This function has been missing for the earlier releases of TCode v0.4.
The next Maker tier release is going to be these upgrades incorporated into the firmware for the various devices. I will also rework the SSR1 build document to reflect the changed calibration method.
Livestreaming a lot of this code stuff has not really been something that I could do easily and in all fairness it's not compelling viewing either, so I've not done much streaming recently. I think I will do a short video showing the SSR1 upgrade though. Something for my Supporter tier.
My Benefactors will have seen my new project taking shape on the exclusive discord channel. The focus on that has come at the expense of the newsletter, which I will have to catch up on soon!
As always a big thankyou to everyone who contributes to keeping the lights on here in the Tempest office. This software stuff isn't the most sexy, but it's overdue and makes a solid foundation for new hardware and other opportunities into the future.
Happy building,
Tempest
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