Skip to main content

Grove - Node

Grove - Node is a simple and flexible electronic module to connect physical objects. It's based on the idea of IFTTT (IF-This-Then-That). It has two Grove connectors to access a variety of Grove modules. With pre-programming IFTTT firmware, it's easy to create physical objects with analog sensors and 0/1 actuators.

It integrates Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) which makes it extremely easy to interact with phones and tablets. To extend its usability, a DFU bootloader is built in to reprogram it Over-The-Air through BLE. It supports ARM mbed platform to write new firmware with hundreds of libraries.

Features

  • IFTTT pattern to use

  • Two Grove connectors for sensors and actuators

    • Plug-Play with analog sensors and high/low actuators

      • Flexible 4 GPIOs, all can be used for PWM, ADC, I2C and UART
  • Nordic nRF51822 Multi-protocol Bluetooth® 4.0 low energy/2.4GHz RF SoC

    • ARM Cortex-M0 processor

      • 256kB flash, 16kB RAM
  • On board battery charge circuit

  • OTA firmware

  • mbed enabled

    • Online IDE

      • Easy to use C/C++ SDK

      • Handy libraries

Specifications

  • Operating voltage: 3.3Vdc

  • Battery capacity: 80mAH

  • Maximum charge current: 100mA

  • Grove Interface supply Voltage:3.3V

  • Grove Interface supply Current: 100mA max

  • Grove Interface input Voltage:0~3.3V

Pinout

Get Started

  • Turn On Grove Node

Connect Grove Node with a battery or a USB cable and then press its button, it will run.

  • Double Clicks - run its bootloader, the red LED will be on.

  • Otherwise - run its application, the green LED will blink.

  • Turn Off Grove Node
  • In bootloader mode - wait for a while to run into the application.

  • In application mode - long press the button wait until all LEDs are off

Get Started with Pre-programmed Firmware

First, we need an Input Grove module to sense the physical world. Pre-programmed firmware only supports an analog input sensor or 0/1 digital input sensor. The following Grove modules from Seeedstudio can be used as an Input:

Module nameParameter to measure
Grove - 80cm Infrared Proximity Sensor Distance
Grove - ButtonOn/Off
Grove - Electricity Sensor Electricity
Grove - Gas Sensor(MQ2&MQ5) Gas Quality
Grove - Light Sensor Light
Grove - Magnetic Switch Magnetic
Grove - Moisture Sensor Moisture
Grove - PIR Motion Sensor PIR Motion
Grove - Rotary Angle Sensor Rotary Angle
Grove - Tilt Switch Object Position
Grove - Sound Sensor Sound
Grove - Temperature Sensor Temperature
Grove - Touch Sensor Human touch
Grove - Water Sensor Water

Other analog sensors which is not Grove-compatible need a little small adjustment. Just connect your signal output to pin4 of Grove connector and then the VCC and GND. Note that only sensors that output an analog or digital 1/0 value can be used with the pre-programmed firmware

Second, we need an output Grove module as an actuator. The following Grove modules can be used:

Module nameAction when triggered
Grove - Buzzer Buzzer enabled
Grove - LEDLED On
Grove - Vibrator Vibrate
Grove - Relay Swith On/Off other circuits

For example, we intend to create a light which automatically turns on if the environment is dark and turns off if otherwise, then we select a Grove-Light_Sensor and a Grove-Red_LED.

Third, teach the Grove Node a logic.

Connect the light sensor as an input and the LED as an output, and then turn on the Grove Node.

  • In a normal environment, do a single-click on the Grove Node's button

  • Cover the light sensor with a hand to simulate a dark environment, and then do a double-clicks, the Grove - LED will be on.

  • Release the light sensor, the Grove - LED will be off.

Over-The-Air

The Grove Node has a pre-programmed OTA bootloader. To run into the bootloader:

  1. power off the Grove Node

  2. do a double-clicks on the Grove Node's button

  3. the red LED will be on and a BLE device named SD7DFU can be scaned

  4. use nRF Master Control Panel to upgrade the BLE app

More information can be found at mbed.org.

Develop New Application

See ble on mbed.org

Schematic Online Viewer

Resources

Tech Support

Please submit any technical issue into our forum.

Loading Comments...