Powered Up - A tear down...

[JopieK]

I didn't but there are topics on it and a nice GitHub page: https://github.com/JorgePe/BOOSTreveng

https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/9148/what-internal-electronics-does-lego-boost-use

I don't have Boost at the moment. 

[Jetro]

Thanks. I hadn't realised Jorge had identified the chip and I was hoping you had opened up a unit :D

 

[TrainDragon]

The train motor disassembly got me curious what was different from the inside of a standard BOOST motor.  I couldn't find any pictures of a disassembled unit, so I disassembled my own and took photos.

Board top:

 

Board bottom:

 

After I took the pictures, I took some acetone to the red splotch on top of the microcontroller.  It turns out to be an STM8S103F2 (or maybe F3; the only difference is the amount of flash memory).

The pin on the bottom of the board labelled "SWIM" is for the Single Wire Interface Module on the microcontroller.

The rotary encoder sensor is a TCUT1300.

ID1 goes through a resistor, then to port PD6 on the STM8 microcontroller.  According to the datasheet, PD6 is "Analog input 6/UART1 data receive".  ID2 goes through a resistor, then to port PD5 on the STM8 microcontroller, which is "Analog input 5/UART1 data transmit".

My guess is that the ID pins are being used for serial communication between this small microcontroller and the main Hub unit  -- e.g., turn on for X time/rotation/whatever.

Here are additional pictures: Imgur - Lego BOOST Motor teardown

Edited June 15, 2018 by TrainDragon

[Noah_PL]

 

Edited June 15, 2018 by Noah_PL

[Jetro]

@TrainDragon love those pics. Thanks!

[paul_delahaye]

Certain sound effects seen in the app are what I would closely associate with a USA railroad rather than a European one.  Horn and level crossing at least.

 

i don't suppose the sound effects change depending upon the language selected in the app?  I note you selected USA as your language for the video.  Just wondering if they were clever enough to change the sounds based on language/region of the world.

 

Paul

 

 

[Jetro]

The only thing that changes when you change the language is the content of the legal notices.

[sed6]

Anyone can download the app. No train needed. And you can play the train sounds, again with no train paired, neat!

[Chromeknight]

Now if only there was a way to make the train make those noises rather than the phone. Then we’d be moving closer to what model railroaders can do.

[djm]

36 minutes ago, Chromeknight said:

Now if only there was a way to make the train make those noises rather than the phone. Then we’d be moving closer to what model railroaders can do.

That would be possible using a mini Bluetooth speaker in the train which was paired to your device. Though the sound quality may not be that great.

David

[sed6]

3 hours ago, djm said:

That would be possible using a mini Bluetooth speaker in the train which was paired to your device. Though the sound quality may not be that great.

David

Great idea! Does the S-brick do this already?

[djm]

38 minutes ago, sed6 said:

Great idea! Does the S-brick do this already?

Not that I'm aware of. It would be a capability of the device on which the app is running to connect by bluetooth to an external speaker rather than the SBrick.

For example, this weekend for a display my LUG was giving I was running the LEGO Boost app on my Windows 10 laptop. I has the laptop connected to an external Bluetooth speaker positioned by "Frankie the cat", so when the public interacted with Frankie, the sound came out of the speaker rather than my laptop's speaker.

To achieve something similar, the SBrick app would need to be able to play a sound clip on the controlling device. I don't think it currently has this capability, though I may be wrong about that.

David

[cptkent]

https://www.fxbricks.com/

[sed6]

5 hours ago, cptkent said:

https://www.fxbricks.com/

That's the one, thanks!

[JopieK]

Here is an update: I created an app for it:

I will also upload the source to GitHub, the app is now in the review process of Apple, so fingers crossed. 

This is how the app works:

(There is something weird going on with how the forum scales the video image).

What I learned from it: it is a very stable communication between the train and a control device. You have quite some freedom to give things your own twist.

Now hope someone will also create an Android version for those that have Android devices instead of iOS of course. 

[Jetro]

I love the fact that you've been able to create your own app. 

What's the advantage of your app at this moment? Can you connect to more than one hub?

[JopieK]

1 minute ago, Jetro said:

I love the fact that you've been able to create your own app. 

What's the advantage of your app at this moment? Can you connect to more than one hub?

If I would have two trains... So I will add that option of controlling more hubs of course. There are few advantages now already including the fact that you can control it much more smoothly.

[Phoxtane]

A thought about your app (even though I don't have an Apple phone) - I would like to see a numerical value associated with the speed (say, "Speed: 1"). That way, you don't have to count button presses. A "cruise control" feature may be useful as well; engage this function and the speed value is saved. You could have a train running at a certain speed, then slow it down and bring it to a stop at a station. Upon re-engaging the cruise control, the train smoothly ramps back up to the saved speed!

[JopieK]

Good ideas already! If I obtain a second train I'll also try to implement more options for control, you mean like a slider that allows you to set it between 0..127 (forward) or 255..128 (reverse).

B.t.w. I also tested it on an iPod Touch they are very affordable compared to iPhones. Of course it would be doable to implement it for Android as well, but apart from one Google Glass App I'm not very affluent with Android (although their Kotlin language resembles Swift somewhat).

Here is the link to the GitHub:
https://github.com/jakorten/UpControl

[zephyr1934]

Noah_PL, thanks for posting the link to the video. Looks like they have worked hard to reproduce the functionality of the RC train controller, only now with 5 extra sounds... ugh... wish they had the option to put the control buttons on the right side too

 

On 6/17/2018 at 7:23 PM, djm said:

That would be possible using a mini Bluetooth speaker in the train which was paired to your device. Though the sound quality may not be that great.

David

Um, excuse me, your train is ringing. (grin)

 

On 6/18/2018 at 1:34 PM, JopieK said:

Here is an update: I created an app for it:

I will also upload the source to GitHub, the app is now in the review process of Apple, so fingers crossed. 

This is how the app works:

(There is something weird going on with how the forum scales the video image).

What I learned from it: it is a very stable communication between the train and a control device. You have quite some freedom to give things your own twist.

Now hope someone will also create an Android version for those that have Android devices instead of iOS of course. 

Wow, you're good and you're fast! They definitely gave the review set to the right person.

 

 

On 6/18/2018 at 3:19 PM, JopieK said:

Good ideas already! If I obtain a second train I'll also try to implement more options for control, you mean like a slider that allows you to set it between 0..127 (forward) or 255..128 (reverse).

B.t.w. I also tested it on an iPod Touch they are very affordable compared to iPhones. Of course it would be doable to implement it for Android as well, but apart from one Google Glass App I'm not very affluent with Android (although their Kotlin language resembles Swift somewhat).

Here is the link to the GitHub:
https://github.com/jakorten/UpControl

Might I suggest a new thread for your controller? Which is already shaping up to be quite beneficial. But before you go and do that, here are a few more suggestions to consider: Having a variety of user interfaces would be great (slider, push button, dial, etc.), having the ability to set a few variables would be great (max speed/power level, how many button presses it takes to go from zero to full, how quickly should the "slow to a stop" take, etc.)

[technic70s]

7 hours ago, zephyr1934 said:

 having the ability to set a few variables would be great (max speed/power level, how many button presses it takes to go from zero to full, how quickly should the "slow to a stop" take, etc.)

I would love to see a way to set a max speed so that when we let children at a show drive our trains, they cant drive them to derail. 

[LegoDad01]

^^^^^ Yes! This please. ^^^^^ The top speed is too high and can frequently send engines off on a trip across the floor to smash town.

[JopieK]

Apple first wanted me to send them Powered Up so they could test it, but in the end the videos (that they probably overlooked in first instance) were enough: 
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/up-control-pro/id1400229169?mt=8

I implemented the maximum power option in settings (v1.1), also a new option to set direction for each motor, the motors should now also move at the same pace. Now I need to wait till July so I can get a second set :)

[zephyr1934]

On 6/21/2018 at 1:08 AM, JopieK said:

I implemented the maximum power option in settings (v1.1), also a new option to set direction for each motor, the motors should now also move at the same pace. Now I need to wait till July so I can get a second set :)

In the text under one of the HispaBricks videos they thanked someone at TLG for providing a second set to allow them to continue their experiments, perhaps they would do likewise for you...

[JopieK]

Well, only one week left, so that would have been great but I think I will manage. Very busy at work and with graduation apart from that so a good thing we have summer vacation in about three weeks!