Are the complete, free tcp/ip stacks for AVR (Aurduino), PIC, MSP430, ARM, Freescale (coldfire, et al), etc so difficult to learn that open hardware needs to take these shortcuts?

PC – BBB Arduino – Plant

Some code changes would be needed but it will be alot cheaper. I’m planning on doing something similiar but for more plants and sending the data to my pc. But it is a cool idea.

PC – BBB Arduino – Plant

Some code changes would be needed but it will be alot cheaper. I’m planning on doing something similiar but for more plants and sending the data to my pc. But it is a cool idea.

If you’re using the PC, why bother with an arduino? Just connect the sensor directly (maybe with a simple $2 PIC circuit to translate the sensor but even that might not be needed depending on the sensor).

as someone who has written a tcp/ip stack* as well as overlaying protocols such as DHCP, for 8-bit micros (AVR/PIC), the answer is “yes, its extremely hard to use”. its also much more expensive than you’d think, after all the ‘extras’ necessary for the chip/phy to work, and/or requires soldering of very fine-pitch parts. $28 for a do-it-all plug-in module with all the nonsense is a good deal for people who just want one item.

http://ladyada.net/techproj/aether/index.html , etc.

If you are only looking for a web server on a static IP, then these seem to do OK (of course, you could just use an Xport by itself as a web server). I’ve used a PIC board pre-programmed as a web server.

However if you want to have a dependable DHCP address and initiate general UDP or TCP sessions, I’ve found the PIC stacks incredibly annoying to use and often bug-ridden. I suspect the AVR stacks are the same way.

The Arduino/Xport solution is easy to set up and use and is very dependable.

http://code.rancidbacon.com/Netduino

It includes a library to make the network (almost) as easy to use as serial for communication. (But doesn’t use your serial connection to do it!)

–Phil.