Status Lights: Datron vs Sienci and other questions

[phil-barrett]

Trying to use status lights on several boards (teensy and rp2350). The following is from my RP23U5XBB (RP2350B based board). I had similar issues on the Tennsy board (T41U5XBB). Basically, I am not able to make it work.

First off, the Sienci plugin appears to be a fork of the Datron plugin. Web Builder does not seem to actually include the Sienci plugin.

When I select the Datron plugin, it gets included:
[PLUGIN:Indicator Lights v2.1]

and $pins shows:

[PIN:36,Aux out 0,LED Red]
[PIN:37,Aux out 1,LED Green]
[PIN:38,Aux out 2,LED Blue]

However, I see no configuration setting (in Settings:Grbl) for the number of LEDs($665?). Sending $665=4 gets an error.

$665=4
error:53 - Setting is not available, possibly due to limited driver support.

The plugin seems to respond to M356 but doesn't work how I think it should work. Perhaps I am confused, please help me deconfuse...

M356
error:28 - G-code command is missing a required value word.
M356 P0
error:28 - G-code command is missing a required value word.
M356 P0 Q0
error:39 - Value out of range.

GSender does not show the LED configuration options, BTW.
For completeness, here is the full bootup output from grblHAL

[VER:1.1f.20251208:]
[OPT:VNMSL2,100,1024,3,0]
[AXS:3:XYZ]
[NEWOPT:ENUMS,RT+,ES,EXPR,TC,SED,ETH]
[FIRMWARE:grblHAL]
[SIGNALS:HSEP]
[NVS STORAGE:*FLASH 4K]
[FREE MEMORY:377K]
[DRIVER:RP2350]
[DRIVER VERSION:251128]
[DRIVER OPTIONS:SDK_2.1.0]
[BOARD:RP23U5XBB]
[AUX IO:6,0,0,0]
[PLUGIN:Bootloader Entry v0.01]
[WIZCHIP:W5500]
[MAC:00:08:dc:12:34:56]
[IP:]
[PLUGIN:Indicator Lights v2.1]
[PLUGIN:FS macro plugin v0.20]

[phil-barrett]

Quick update. I think I was confused by the Datron vs Sienci documentation. The following M codes seem to work with the Datron style plugin:

M356 Q1
M356 Q2

I have not verified if the outputs are working.

So the more extensive options (number of pixel config, M356 Px Qx Mcodes) are only part of the Sienci plugin.

The Datron Style plugin only supports RGB (separate LEDs, not WS2812). As such it doesn't need num pixels. The Sienci plugin supports WS2812 (NEOPixels?). I'd like to get the Sienci plug in working.

By the way, when I am done with this I will write up a "how to" on this topic.

Phil

[terjeio]

There are two options for driving LED's depending on the board configuration, either via 3 outputs for a single RGB LED (or 3 LED's/lamps) or via serially driven LED's (WS2812). The former does not need the $536 and $537 (for a second strip) settings for length so are disabled if the RGB plugin is enabled. $665 is not a LED related setting, it is a sienciHAL setting?

Serially driven LED's have tight timing requirements, they can be controlled via SPI, PWM, UART or bitbanged GPIO. Bitbanging requires all interrupts to be disabled while data is sent, for longish strips this means that they should not be set during motion. IMO this mode should not be used nor supported, currently the only driver that does is the STM32F4xx and I will not add this option to other drivers. This leaves SPI, PWM or UART control as the only viable options, which limits usable pins and requires rather complex code - especially if DMA transfer is to be used. I prefer DMA.
The RP2xxx processors can and do use PIO generated signalling so are in a different category...

Currently only UART mode transfer is available for the iMXRT1062 driver, and for a limited set of pins for a single strip.

Web Builder does not seem to actually include the Sienci plugin.

It does if the board supports LED strips. IIRC currently only the Sienci SLBs and RP23U5XBB does.

The Datron Style plugin only supports RGB (separate LEDs, not WS2812).

It supports strips when available.

Note that the strip length settings requires the RGB strips plugin. I have not moved this to the core yet, may to so later.

The RGB LED strip control plugin can be used independently or together with the status lights plugins, if with the status lights plugins the main use may be to control the intensity. Default intensity can be be set a startup by adding $N0 or $N1 command(s).

Edit: fixed link.

[phil-barrett]

I get the issue with bit banging. On the iMXRT1062 for the T41U5XBB, it looks like TX6 (on the I2C header) and TX7 (Door) could be used. I assume the RX pin is not needed. I would suggest TX7 before TX6.

Web Builder does not seem to actually include the Sienci plugin.

It does if the board supports LED strips. IIRC currently only the Sienci SLBs and RP23U5XBB does.

I did not see the sienci plugin listed when I built for the RP23U5XBB. Do I need to enable or disable anything else to get it load? Here's the full output of the grblHAL Boot process:

[VER:1.1f.20251208:]
[OPT:VNMSL2,100,1024,4,0]
[AXS:4:XYZA]
[NEWOPT:ENUMS,RT+,ES,EXPR,TC,SED,ETH]
[FIRMWARE:grblHAL]
[SIGNALS:HSEP]
[NVS STORAGE:*FLASH 4K]
[FREE MEMORY:376K]
[DRIVER:RP2350]
[DRIVER VERSION:251128]
[DRIVER OPTIONS:SDK_2.1.0]
[BOARD:RP23U5XBB]
[AUX IO:5,3,0,0]
[PLUGIN:Bootloader Entry v0.01]
[WIZCHIP:W5500]
[MAC:00:08:dc:12:34:56]
[IP:]
[PLUGIN:FS macro plugin v0.20]
[G54:0.000,0.000,0.000,0.000]
[G55:0.000,0.000,0.000,0.000]
[G56:0.000,0.000,0.000,0.000]
[G57:0.000,0.000,0.000,0.000]
[G58:0.000,0.000,0.000,0.000]
[G59:0.000,0.000,0.000,0.000]
[G59.1:0.000,0.000,0.000,0.000]
[G59.2:0.000,0.000,0.000,0.000]
[G59.3:0.000,0.000,0.000,0.000]
[G28:0.000,0.000,0.000,0.000]
[G30:0.000,0.000,0.000,0.000]
[G92:0.000,0.000,0.000,0.000]
[TLO:0.000,0.000,0.000,0.000]
[PRB:0.000,0.000,0.000,0.000:0]
[SPINDLE:0|0|0|*DIRV|PWM|0.0,1000.0]

[terjeio]

I assume the RX pin is not needed.

Correct, it is not.

I would suggest TX7 before TX6.

You want me to add it as an option in the board map?
A big problem is how to handle multiple use pins in the Web Builder - IMO the only sane way is to have separate entries in driver.json, one for I2C ("standard" option?) and one for RGB LEDs...

I did not see the sienci plugin listed when I built for the RP23U5XBB.

It is available for me, perhaps you have an older cached version of the WebBuilder? I occasionally have issues when changing it.
Try with a private browser window?

Do I need to enable or disable anything else to get it load?

IIRC you would need to enable one of the RGB LEDs plugins. I should move handling of strip length settings to the core, I believe it is possible now...

[phil-barrett]

You want me to add it as an option in the board map?

since you ask! yes.

A big problem is how to handle multiple use pins in the Web Builder - IMO the only sane way is to have separate entries in driver.json, one for I2C ("standard" option?) and one for RGB LEDs...

I defer to your superior skill and knowledge. Though, I would prefer to use/lose Door (TX7).

I did not see the sienci plugin listed when I built for the RP23U5XBB.

It is available for me, perhaps you have an older cached version of the WebBuilder? I occasionally have issues when changing it.
Try with a private browser window?

I see the plugin and select it but nothing shows up in the boot output. That is why I think there is something that needs to be removed or added.

[terjeio]

I see the plugin and select it but nothing shows up in the boot output. That is why I think there is something that needs to be removed or added.

This: IIRC you would need to enable one of the RGB LEDs plugins. I have to add that as an automatically enabled option for the lights plugins. Use the $pins command to check that the output is assigned.

Though, I would prefer to use/lose Door (TX7).

That would require soldering a cable to the board (and possibly removal of the optocoupler) since Door is an input? Or would this be for the next board revision?
BTW perhaps the Door input should be repurposed as the toolsetter input if not used?.

[phil-barrett]

Yeah, brain fart. Looks like TX6/I2C is it.