January 2012
2 posts
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December 2011
6 posts
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6 tags
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November 2011
5 posts
First Taiko Cup Soon To Be Awarded
In about three weeks (16 December, 2011) our university competition will be drawing to a close, and winners will be selected. This is a contest where students get to create awesome projects using Tibbo products, and soon the time will come to see what they have produced, and pick the best of the best.
Our panel of judges consists of:
Professor Mao from China University of Science and...
3 tags
SSI Object Documentation Released!
Believe it or not, but the day has finally come! We have just released complete documentation for the SSI object!
Now you can read all about this powerful object, capable of implementing up to four serial synchronous interfaces on the general purpose I/O lines of your programmable module. We know many of you have been using this one for a while, but maybe the new docs will reveal something...
October 2011
3 posts
romfile Object Now Allows Accessing Files of Any...
It used to be that the .romfile object would only let you access files up to 64KB in size. With TiOS 3.29.01, this limitation has been lifted. You can now use the .romfile object to create and access files of any size, limited only by your Flash IC’s capacity!
Tibbo BASIC Projects Can Now Include Flash Files
Ever wanted to present a Flash-based user-interface when someone uses a browser to connect to your Tibbo device? Well, now you can!
TiOS 3.29.01 and TIDE 2.50.17 let you include SWF files as part of a project’s resource files, and you can then serve them within your Web pages, just like with any other Web server. Now, go create that cool Web interface you’ve always wanted to make!
August 2011
5 posts
1 tag
Downloadable Code Samples! Get'em here
With a tub of popcorn and a light beer, our manuals make for some fine late-night reading. And nobody can say it’s all theoretical, because we provide lots and lots of detailed code examples.
But half the fun is trying those examples out on your own, and who likes to copy/paste, really? So we’ve neatly zipped up all of the examples, and you can just grab them as ready-to-run Tibbo...
Roam Free!
Many wireless networks now have multiple access points to extend the network’s reach. Oftentimes, all access points have the same SSID (name). So how do you switch between access points as you walk (drive, fly) around with a Tibbo-enabled gadget in your pocket? This code example for our brand new WLN library shows the way!
On the wln. object level, we’ve made two key improvements:...
Work With Hidden SSIDs
Much has been said about the futility of hiding one’s wireless network (disabling SSID broadcasting). Yet, many networks still “protect” themselves in this way. “Hidden” access point can’t be found through passive scanning (wln.scan), so we added a new method — wln.activescan. This one will sniff out your hidden network (but, of course, you need to know...
Did Someone Say WPA?
Alrighty, our WPA/WPA2 support is finally complete! We know you’ve been waiting for this one to arrive!
WPA security comes wrapped in a new WLN library that also implements persistent association with a target access point. Call wln_start(), and the library will find the access point, connect using the specified security protocol, and try to stay connected.
To try this out, install...
July 2011
1 post
6 tags
TIDE 2.50.10 and TiOS 3.27 Now Out!
Heya, folks! New TIDE/TiOS release is out. It fixes a bunch of issues including the infamous “Firefox refresh issue”.
In addition, you now have AES128 and RC4 encryption working and properly documented (see aes128dec, aes128enc, rc4). Now you can easily write applications with secure comms!
There are also three other new functions — strand, stror, and strxor. These are often...
June 2011
7 posts
Project Tree Changes in TIDE V2.50
Folks, have you noticed that new TIDE shows your project tree slightly differently? You will see this if you use any of our official libraries. Your own files and library files used to be mixed together…
…Now all library files are on the new “Libraries” branch of the project tree. This creates a proper visual separation of what you code from what you use.
There is one...
New TiOS V3.25 supports PPPoE!
While your TiOS programmable device may not be able to dial a phone like the one in the picture (not without some servos, anyway), it can now easily dial an ADSL link (the kind that requires a username and password) using the new PPPoE library and pppoe. object. Just connect your device to the Ethernet port of the ADSL modem, and use PPPoE to access the Web. There is a sample application to show...
4 tags
Password Protection is Here
Yes, you are reading this right. Password Protection for firmware and Tibbo BASIC projects is finally here! Set the password, and the device is locked!
Passwords are set using the updated Device Explorer — install our new TIDE V2.50 to test this (don’t forget to upgrade your device’s firmware too). Your Tibbo BASIC application can also password-protect the device...
5 tags
EM500 Supports Wi-Fi, Here's How
We mentioned this in the June Newsflash, but some of you may have missed it: The EM500 now supports Wi-Fi! The image above comes from our manual, under Connecting GA1000, and shows how you can connect the GA1000 Wi-Fi modules to our EM500, using only three lines. Programmatically, Wi-Fi is supported using the .wln object, just like on all of our other platforms.
We're having a Tibbo BASIC coding school contest!
If you’re a Taiwanese college student, you’re in luck! The first ever Taiko Cup is being held in Taiwan, hosted by the Electronics Engineering Department of China University of Science and Technology and co-hosted by A-Medi Technology Co., Ltd, Tibbo Technology Inc. and Chienkuo Technology University, Department of Information Management.
Students participating will try to develop...
May 2011
9 posts
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Fd. comes to our MiniMo EM500
At long last! Upgrade to TiOS 3.24.04 (plus corresponding platforms) and use flash disk on the EM500.
Being a minimalistic and economical device, the EM500 does not have the flash storage for the fd. object built-in — you need to connect an external flash IC (ATMEL AT45DB41).
Here is the schematic diagram:
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Testing fd. transactions -- part 2
Here at Tibbo we use our own devices to test other devices. Here is a good example of how you can use the DS1005 in the lab.
Remember how we tested the robustness of disk transactions by power-cycling the EM1206EV that runs an app that constantly adds data to a file?
We used the DS1005 for this. It has relays, and we wired one of them into the power line of the EM1206EV! Here is the (very...
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Testing fd. transactions -- part 1
Here is how we tested our new cool disk transactions. We created a small app published below. This one keeps adding data to a file, in a loop. We then power-cycle the device (we tested on the EM1206EV) thousands of times.
Without transactions, you can break the disk and cause errors in about 100 attempts. With transactions enabled, we haven’t been able to break the disk!
Don’t forget...
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Flash Disk, Fortified
Everyone knows that flash memory hates abrupt power interrupts. Turn the power off in the wrong (right?) moment, and you may have to do fd.format again!
Well, not anymore! We’ve just extended our fd. object to support transactions (journaling).
First, format the disk with the new fd.formatj (“j” stands for “journaling”)...
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April 2011
3 posts
4 tags
Two expos coming up!
Hi there, Internet!
Don’t you ever get tired of the impersonal touch of the Web? You know, just looking at text on the screen, or maybe catching us on the website chat or email every now and then?
If the answer is yes, you’re in luck! We’ve got two expos coming up, where you will be able to meet us, talk to us in person, and check out our devices in the real world.
The first...
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Serial over Wi-Fi is Here! With a host of other...
Heya, folks, check our our new new version of the Serial-over-IP application! Key improvements:
Dual interface: The application works with Ethernet and Wi-Fi. The switchover is seamless: as soon as you unplug the Ethernet cable, the device starts working over Wi-Fi (if it is enabled).
WPA/WPA2 for Wi-Fi: This app is built on an as-yet unpublished WLN library that supports these advanced security...
4 tags
What's shiny, powerful and could be yours for...
This beautiful device, that’s what. This is a DS1000 programmable controller, and we’re giving a couple of them away for free. Want to get your hands on one? Read on and see how.
We’re looking for talented coders and hackers who have an idea for a cool robotics project, and just need a device to play with. Read the DS1000 product page (or the DS1004 or DS1005, too) to get an...
February 2011
3 posts
5 tags
New Settings library saves you a ton of time
Another useful library for you to explore. Every project has settings; even if it’s just the device’s IP address, you still have to save it somewhere, make sure it’s valid, etc. And complex projects may have dozens of different settings — LED blink patterns, port lists and more.
Every time you start a new project, you need to figure out how you’re going to handle...
4 tags
Introducing the DHCP Library!
Tibbo BASIC development is about to get faster! We’ve started publishing official code libraries.
One of these new libraries is the DHCP Library, which makes your life easy when trying to acquire an IP address for your device. Instead of working directly with the DHCP server, you now just need a few lines of code. The library deals with the server, lets you handle errors gracefully, and...
November 2010
3 posts
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Victor Shen's debut: Unlimited Math and...
We wish to warmly welcome our new and promising Tibbo BASIC developer, Mr. Victor Shen! Victor (or Vic, as we call him) has just made his first contribution to our resources page: a library for performing math operations and base conversions on huge numbers (up to 254 characters in length). Be sure to check it out and tell us what you think!
October 2010
2 posts
3 tags
Italian company Pegaso Technologies joins...
Keys help companies and people safeguard their possessions — but how do you safeguard the keys?
This is where Pegaso Technologies comes in. This Italian company makes beautiful systems for managing physical access to keys, all around our EM1000. The system is a study in integration: RFID reader, magstripe reader, LCD, LAN, WiFi, solenoids, it has everything! Plus, it looks quite nice...
September 2010
3 posts
3 tags
Solutions Showcase is growing: Introducing ATech!
The Tibbo Solutions Showcase keeps growing: We’ve just added a Slovenian company, ATech, that makes advanced controllers for pellet boilers, stoves, and other things that burn and sound generally dangerous. ATech created an accessory for remotely controlling their equipment, based on our EM1000. Read all about it!