The SwiftIO board
MadMachine‘s SwiftIO board is an Arduino-like system, however it may run Swift code natively on the {hardware}. Swift is a superb programming language for training functions, it’s a fashionable language with a JavaScript-like syntax that’s straightforward to be taught and perceive. Swift is protected and environment friendly, this mixture makes it an ideal candidate for embedded programs. The SwiftIO board allows us common Swift / iOS builders to construct IoT tasks utilizing our favourite programming language.
The board itself has a small footprint, it is nearly 1,57″ x 2,36″ (4cm x 6cm) large.
It is fairly a robust microcontroller. It’s undoubtedly essentially the most reasonably priced Swift language studying gadget. It may be splendid for STEM training functions for college kids who need to see construct digital circuits and get some fundamental Swift programming expertise on the identical time.
The Maker Package field incorporates each a 7 section and an LCD show, a servo and a DC motor with drivers, a humiture (temperature & humidity) sensor, a buzzer module a potentiometer and a light-weight sensor and plenty of extra different issues (breadboard, resistors, LEDs, buttons and cables, and many others.) that you should use to construct the starter tasks. You should have just about every part within the field that you just want as a newcomer to get began and have some enjoyable time utilizing SwiftIO. 📦
Sadly you will not discover a working GPS, WiFi or Bluetooth module for the SwiftIO board but, however hopefully these type of equipment are just some months away. There’s a new defend and a model new display module within the works. Oh by the best way a defend is one thing you could plug into your board and join exterior equipment utilizing “particular” colourful cables. 🌈
Shields are boards that may be plugged on high of the Arduino PCB extending its capabilities. The totally different shields observe the identical philosophy as the unique toolkit: they’re straightforward to mount, and low-cost to provide. – ArduinoShields
The board initially went on sale in July, 2020 and many individuals introduced it from all all over the world. New plug-ins, extensions and modules are nonetheless being developed by the makers, however you will need to emphasize that the SwiftIO board {hardware} is in a secure state. 💪
Technical specs:
- i.MX RT1052 Crossover Processor with Arm® Cortex®-M7 core @600MHz
- Micro SD card slot, supporting commonplace and excessive capability SD playing cards
- Micro USB connector for energy
- On-board USB to UART for serial communication
- 46 GPIO on left and proper edges
- On-board GRB LED
- 12x 12-bit analog to digital (ADC) converters
- 4 UART, 2 CAN, 2 IIC, and a pair of SPI
- 14 PWM pins
- Many further superior options to satisfy the wants of superior customers
Ports, communication, structure
You’ll be able to join the SwiftIO board to your laptop by way of a USB connector, the 2 units can talk via a serial port. The USB cable will present the mandatory energy assist, however alternatively you should use an adapter or an exterior battery via a defend.
You’ll be able to wire up further parts utilizing the Normal Function Enter/Output pins (GPIO). You’ll be able to see the precise specification on the image above, however actually I barely perceive this diagram.
Confession time: I do not know shit about electronics (but). 💩
The board can be utilized with a defend and happily the MakersKit arrives with a useful instruction handbook for absolute novices. I felt fortunate, as a result of I used to be capable of method this little gadget with my programmer mindset and I might focus extra on Swift as an alternative of constructing working circuits.
So what’s truly underneath the hood? How can I construct & run purposes for SwiftIO?
The grey space is the {hardware} itself, on high of that within the pink-ish/purple bins there may be this Zephyr layer which I’ve by no means heard earlier than. I am simply scratching the floor right here, however that is high-quality, since as a Swift developer we solely care concerning the orange stuff. Lengthy story brief, there’s a customized constructed Swift toolchain for this gadget that permits us to construct and run Swift purposes on the board. 😅
If there’s a toolchain, then we will run Swift binaries, however how can we talk with the ports and stuff like that? Thankfully the SwiftIO framework is right here for us. It offers an easy accessibility to speak with exterior {hardware} equipment. You’ll be able to learn or write digital and analog alerts utilizing the communication protocol. Are you prepared for some Swift code?
The SwiftIO atmosphere
Though the {hardware} is secure, the software program just isn’t completed but. There are two choices obtainable, however if you’re on a Home windows machine, you must seize the official MadMachine IDE and use that. The reason being that the Swift Bundle Supervisor just isn’t prepared for that platform but, so you will not be capable of work with the instruments that I will present you subsequent. Sorry Home windows, no offense. 😅
So choice A, is to go together with the IDE, it is very easy to make use of and offers an amazing DX. Possibility B, be taught a bit extra concerning the underlying toolkit and observe my information, it’s kind of extra difficult, however you will know extra concerning the technical infrastructure in case you select this path. 🤔
Putting in the MadMachine SDK & CLI
As a macOS or Linux person you must know you could set up the unofficial MadMachine SDK alongside a command line software known as mm. As you may see this MadMachine SDK is written in Swift, however you must know that I ported a python script from the unique mm-sdk venture with the assistance of Marcus Kida. First, he made an Xcode template by invoking the unique script contained in the official MadMachine IDE, then I believed, it will be cool to eliminate the IDE for good, and now, right here we go, we have now a standalone Swift model of the mandatory construct instruments. You’ll be able to set up it like this:
git clone https://github.com/EmbeddedSwift/MadMachine.git
cd MadMachine
make set up
Now you need to be prepared to make use of the mm cli app, you may examine the obtainable instructions contained in the README file on GitHub. I’ve not examined this on Linux but, so in case you discover any points, please do not hesitate to report or submit a PR. That is an experimental venture, so hold this in thoughts. 😅
The MadMachine toolchain
With the intention to use the MadMachine SDK you will want a working toolchain put in in your laptop. You’ll be able to seize the most recent one by working the next command:
mm toolchain --upgrade
This may seize the most recent launch from the unofficial MadMachine toolchain repository, and place it underneath your own home folder contained in the .MadMachine listing. There’s one further factor that now you need to do earlier than you possibly can begin constructing SwiftIO apps. Presently there may be one further python script that was not ported but, as a result of it will likely be utterly eradicated sooner or later. For now you continue to must obtain the official MadMachine SDK from the GitHub releases web page and place all the contents of the mm-sdk/tools_[platform]/scripts/dist/gen_isr_tables folder into the ~/.MadMachine/legacy listing. You might need to create a legacy folder. 🙈
The SwiftIO framework
The SwiftIO framework goes to be linked with the applying binary, we have now to put in it (with the assistance of the mm-cli software) as a system library first. There’s an unofficial repo with a makefile for this:
git clone https://github.com/EmbeddedSwift/SwiftIO
cd SwiftIO
make set up
You will discover the library reference for the SwiftIO framework, however we’ll see you can also make it work, in just some moments. Earlier than we go additional you must be aware that the customized MadMachine toolchain is a modified model of the Swift 5.1 toolchain. This implies you could’t use Swift 5.3 on the board but, however hopefully the creators of SwiftIO will launch new software program parts actual quickly. 🤞
Utilizing Xcode
The SwiftIO framework may be compiled in your native machine with the native Swift toolchain (utilizing Xcode), so it’s doable to construct purposes with out focusing on the board, and afterward you may re-compile the supply information with the mm-cli command, signal the ultimate binary and deploy it to the SwiftIO board after you’ve got pressed the obtain button. That is the present workflow in a nutshell.
There’s an current Xcode template created by @kidmar that you should use as a place to begin.
Utilizing SPM
These days I favor to create a Swift package deal for nearly every part. You should use SPM with a Makefile and your favourite editor to create SwiftIO apps. You simply must initialize a brand new executable package deal with the mandatory dependencies, for instance:
import PackageDescription
let package deal = Bundle(
identify: "myProject",
merchandise: [
.executable(name: "myProject", targets: ["myProject"]),
],
dependencies: [
.package(url: "https://github.com/EmbeddedSwift/SwiftIO", .branch("main")),
.package(url: "https://github.com/EmbeddedSwift/SHT3x", .branch("main")),
.package(url: "https://github.com/EmbeddedSwift/LCD1602", .branch("main")),
],
targets: [
.target(name: "myProject", dependencies: [
.product(name: "SwiftIO", package: "SwiftIO"),
.product(name: "SHT3x", package: "SHT3x"),
.product(name: "LCD1602", package: "LCD1602"),
]),
]
)Contained in the fundamental.swift file now you may write a easy Humiture sensor app that shows the present humidity & temperature on a 16×2 LCD show like this:
import SwiftIO
import SHT3x
import LCD1602
extension Float {
func format(_ f: Int) -> Float {
guard f > 0 else {return self}
var mul = 10
for _ in 1..10
}
let information = Int(self * Float(mul))
return Float(information) / Float(mul)
}
}
let i2c = I2C(Id.I2C0)
let liquid crystal display = LCD1602(i2c)
let sht = SHT3x(i2c)
whereas true{
let temp = sht.readTemperature()
liquid crystal display.write(x: 0, y: 0, "Temperature:")
liquid crystal display.write(x: 0, y: 1, String(temp.format(1)))
liquid crystal display.write(x: 4, y: 1, " ")
liquid crystal display.write(x: 5, y: 1, "C")
sleep(ms: 1000)
} Now in case you open the Bundle.swift file utilizing Xcode you may even construct the venture domestically utilizing the CMD+B shortcut, however do not attempt to run it, since your Mac just isn’t a SwiftIO board… 😅
If you wish to construct and run this venture you need to goal the SwiftIO board. The mm-cli cannot resolve package deal dependencies (but) so you need to set up the mandatory dependencies (SHT3x, LCD1602) the identical means as we did with the SwiftIO library. It’s important to clone each repositories and use the makefile to put in them as native MadMachine system libraries. This may transfer the required information underneath the ~/.MadMachine/libraries folder, all of the obtainable libraries “stay” there. 🔨
After you’ve got put in the libraries, you should use the next Makefile for the precise binary builds:
construct:
mm construct --name myProject --binary-type executable --input . --output ./myProject
run: construct
mm board --run ./myProject/swiftio.bin
clear:
rm -r ./myProject
The mm construct command invokes the swiftc compiler from the SwiftIO toolchain with the fitting search paths and library search paths. The mm board --run [binary] command will merely copy the mandatory information to the MadMachine board whether it is in obtain mode. It’s important to press the obtain button on the board earlier than you run this command. Urgent the obtain button will mount the SD card so we will deploy the signed binary to the gadget, then eject the storage, which is able to restart the board and the brand new utility will probably be loaded & executed immediately. 🚀
The MadMachine IDE
In the event you do not wish to play with command line utilities, you may at all times use the MadMachine IDE to construct and ship your tasks. It makes use of a mmp file to explain dependencies, so it may resolve them on the fly, however I do not like the truth that I’ve to make use of a brand new package deal supervisor and editor to work with Swift. I am in a love and hate relationship with Xcode (plus I am an old-school Chic Textual content fan). ❤️
Anyway, you could find actually nice examples with a devoted GitHub repository and plenty of video tutorials on the official YouTube channel. You’ll be able to entry all of the MakerKit pattern codes, they’re each on GitHub and you’ll clone a template with a click on utilizing the MadMachine IDE.
Conclusion
For me, the SwiftIO board was a pleasing shock. I at all times wished to play with embedded programs, know just a little extra about {hardware} and low degree stuff, however the Raspberry PI and the Arduino felt like alien planet. As soon as I’ve tried to construct an app for a Raspberry PI at a hackaton, nevertheless it was a whole catastrophe, I used to be dissatisfied, as a result of the instruments and the developer expertise was actually dangerous.
The promise of MadMachine is you could simply use Swift on such a tool and I imagine that Andy Liu created one thing that may have a vibrant future on the long run. I felt in love with SwiftIO proper after I’ve assembled my first circuit and deployed my very first Swift supply. It was a seamless (ache free) expertise and I imagine that is a very vital issue for builders who by no means used such units earlier than. This may be the start and the way forward for Swift on embedded programs. 😍
You’ll be able to construct some actually enjoyable stuff with SwiftIO, it is an ideal software for studying how electrical circuits work. I can not wait to see an increasing number of sensors and libraries obtainable for MadMachine. When you’ve got an concept or a query be happy to affix the official Discord server.
