[TriEmbed] ChainDuino (on Kickstater)

[Rodney Radford]

Very nice, but I am a little confused on the connection topology.  This
device shows 2 ethernet jacks where the boards are connected in series (A
-> B -> C -> D...) which would be very limiting when it comes to running
boards around the house.  They also mention a 6 pin header and a 6 wire IDC
option on board.

I looked for a schematic, but don't see one (if I missed it, please point
it out as that would answer most of my next questions).

* I have used RS485 at work before and I remember simply stringing two
pairs (with a ground jacket) for full duplex or one pair (with ground
jacket) for half duplex.  These boards are listed as half duplex, so why
are 6x wires needed?

* I see the 6 pin header, but not the 6 wire pushdown IDC mentioned in the
comments - is that the black box on the right side near the two caps?

* The page mentions that the 6 wire header and IDC are simpler than the
Ethernet cabling as does not require splicing and inserting mid cable, but
is that really necessary?  Wouldn't it be possible to build a 'hub' that
simply connects the boards together in s star like configuration if that is
easier to wire for your home?  I know it would involve building something
they don't sell, but seems like that would be easier than sneaking a cable
in, and then out, of every location where a board is needed.

I personally love the idea and will probably contribute, but just trying to
answer a few questions first.  The idea of having a single power location
means I could easily provide a battery backup at that one location for all
the sensor boards in case of a power outage.  I already have multiple CAT5s
around my house that aren't currently being used, so being able to attach
it to that and bring all the wires back to a single closet would make setup
much easier.

So what am I missing (or misunderstanding)?



On Fri, Aug 22, 2014 at 1:24 PM, Bill Farrow <bill at arrowsreach.com> wrote:

> Here is an interesting Arduino project that combines PoE and RS485
> onto an Arduino compatible board. This would be useful if you wanted
> to have a wired network of arduino boards for home automation for
> example.
>
> https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1370454848/chainduino
>
> Bill
>
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