Ezblock Pi - programming without programming, this time for fans of Raspberry Pi
The idea of writing code, without writing code (yes, writing is a verbal adverb of the present tense of the verb, live with it now) has repeatedly occurred to smart people and just lazy people. The dream of a graphical interface, in which you can throw some cubes on others, draw mutual links and select properties of objects from cute drop-down lists, and then by pressing the magic button "Compile" to get a working code equivalent to the code of another (not so smart, of course) a programmer who uses an outdated method of manual printing has always smoldered in his head as corporate bosses who dream of introducing every student of yesterday, whose intelligence allowed him not to miss the toilet, so startups wishing for an adequate price to bring happiness to the whole world. Today, your attention is invited to:
Crowd funding project : Ezblock Pi.
The essence of the project : a graphical programming environment for the Raspberry Pi in tandem with an expansion card.
Platform : Kickstarter.
Project address : kickstarter.com/ezblock .
Authors : Georgen Chung, Reggie Lau.
Location : USA, Delaware, Wilmington.
')
Attempts to develop serious graphical programming environments have slowly faded away; even the top bosses realized that the programming process was too complicated for it to be put into the Procrustean bed of multi-colored cubes. Fortunately, there are still amateur programmers, in the case of the crowdfunding project under consideration - Raspberry Pi lovers. In order not to promote naked software, the authors complement the graphic development environment with an expansion card, which is designed to facilitate the process of connecting to external devices.
On the project page, in the title video, we are introduced to two robotics programmers, Robert and Emily. Robert, like every self-respecting carrier of a tie and glasses, kodits Python in the old manner, using a monitor and keyboard. Amy's caring hands, flown over the edge of the frame, carry the keyboard, the monitor, and even the mouse, replacing it with a beautiful white tablet. On the tablet, in turn, a program called Ezblock Studio is spinning, which allows you to write for the fashionable IoT in the style of Drag-n-Drop-n-be-happy.
Naturally, while Robert Failit attempted to try (perhaps because of using the gaming keyboard), Emily's robot successfully waters the plant with water from a cup, the girl herself receives notifications from the robot directly to the phone and even dictates response orders using voice control.
Since the squares still need to be glued together with some kind of logic, towards the end of the video, programming language support is finally announced, this is Python and Swift (the main character of the video, the tablet, has the apple logo). Only now, Amy has to hammer on the on-screen keyboard, since no one has returned her to normal. For Ezblock Studio claimed support for iOS, Android, Linux, Windows and macOS. Everyone is happy. Well, maybe, except for Robert, who disappeared in the middle of the video; may have gone into hard drinking or quit.
Well, I think, enough literary. Let's see what developers are offering us for $ 35 without a ban.
The Ezblock Pi project in a minimal configuration consists of three parts:
With the body and the instructions, I think everything is clear, let's take a closer look at the first three points.
The stuffing of the Ezblock Pi can be judged only by the mention of “supported by the STM32 controller” and by the fuzzy photo of the first prototype. Apparently, there is an STM32 microcontroller in the TQFP32 package on the board. The cheapest microcontroller in this package, STM32L010K4T6 (ARM Cortex-M0 +), costs € 0.737 in batches of 100 pieces; the most expensive, STM32F334K8T6 (ARM Cortex-M4) - € 2.79 (Mouser prices). The 3.3 V linear stabilizer in the SOT-223 package is responsible for the power supply, while the Bluetooth module is a ready-made module, judging by the appearance, something like ESP12E. For contact with the outside world are responsible two 20-pin connectors and a model field in the center of the board.
The composition of the basic set of 15 modules for me, to be honest, remained a mystery, even after closely looking at the illustrations to the project. If the bundle of modules for IoT is honestly photographed and named, then the basic kit, which is included in the initial bundle, is classified more often than the design of a new car before a major automobile exhibition. The basic set allows you to “create 15 different projects”, but there are 10 cardboard boxes in the illustrations, which seem to contain some electronic components, but the full composition of the basic set is not decrypted anywhere.
As for Ezblock Studio, I have already shared my skepticism at the beginning of the news. In my opinion, a system that really masters all voiced options (recall: (block programming + Python + Swift) * (iOS + macOS + Android + Linux + Windows)) may well be developed, but I would like to develop such software commercials of 5 person-years or one year of work of a team of five people (and how much would you give?), even when using any multitool, like Electron. Given that the developers claimed only $ 10,000 (the project looks very cheerful, so 400% of this amount has already been collected), it is completely unclear that this team will eat during the entire development period. To the credit of the authors, we must add that the first version of Ezblock Studio is already available on Google Play.
In the text of the presentation there are typos, familiar to Chinese manufacturers, in this case, the vibration motor included in the set of modules for IoT is called “Vabration Module” instead of “Vibration Module”. However, this time the real developers do not even think about hiding; Please, here is a group photo of the residents of the town of Wilmington, Delaware:
Understand me correctly, I do not drown at all for a negative attitude towards developers from the PRC. This is, in general, a fait accompli - first, Chinese programmers have eaten up a significant chunk of the Google Play and Apple App Store app stores, now they are winning their place in the sun with the help of crowdfunding platforms. Crowdfunding is just that good, which makes it possible for almost any earthling with internet and a bank card to tell the whole world about his development and sometimes earn good money from it. The negative can only be caused by an overly strong shift of emphasis from the technical component of the project towards rainbow marketing, when [possible] design flaws are silenced and the emotionally happy side is overly hypertrophied. Look at another illustration from the Ezblock Pi presentation:
Saved as a video blogger Evgeny Bazhenov, aka BadComedian, “author’s edited”. Do you have thoughts on how, being in a sober mind and sound memory, with the help of Raspberry Pi and the "Vibration Module" to construct IT? Or is it still a call to our collective unconscious: “Look how cool, buy faster!”?
To take or not to take? First of all, let me remind you that 509 people have already dropped in the amount of $ 41,000 (with the requested $ 10,000), and almost 3 weeks before the end of the campaign. People like it. Perhaps, if you are a fan of Raspberry Pi, you can also see in the proposed design the positive aspects that outweigh the reluctance to part with the amount from $ 35 to $ 179. Perhaps you, too, like Robert from a promotional video, are tired of “writing repeated lines of code.” Or maybe you just think that the guys are moving in the right direction and want to support them with your financial infusion. Just remember that for the equivalent amount of $ 35, the Raspberry Pi itself is sold (I’m not going to mention the Raspberry Pi Zero and Raspberry Pi Zero W prices), while creating it, the engineering team had to really visit, and on which ARM Cortex-A53 stands 1.4 GHz, 1000 Mbps Ethernet, Wi-Fi 802.11n and Bluetooth 4.2.
I keep a small blog from which I took this article. If you have in mind an interesting crowdfunding project from the field of DIY or Open source hardware, share a link, and discuss it too. Crowdfunding campaigns are fast-moving and strongly tied to community support, and perhaps even a small number of orders coming from Habra to some single enthusiast will help bring the campaign to the bitter end.
Crowd funding project : Ezblock Pi.
The essence of the project : a graphical programming environment for the Raspberry Pi in tandem with an expansion card.
Platform : Kickstarter.
Project address : kickstarter.com/ezblock .
Authors : Georgen Chung, Reggie Lau.
Location : USA, Delaware, Wilmington.
')
Attempts to develop serious graphical programming environments have slowly faded away; even the top bosses realized that the programming process was too complicated for it to be put into the Procrustean bed of multi-colored cubes. Fortunately, there are still amateur programmers, in the case of the crowdfunding project under consideration - Raspberry Pi lovers. In order not to promote naked software, the authors complement the graphic development environment with an expansion card, which is designed to facilitate the process of connecting to external devices.
On the project page, in the title video, we are introduced to two robotics programmers, Robert and Emily. Robert, like every self-respecting carrier of a tie and glasses, kodits Python in the old manner, using a monitor and keyboard. Amy's caring hands, flown over the edge of the frame, carry the keyboard, the monitor, and even the mouse, replacing it with a beautiful white tablet. On the tablet, in turn, a program called Ezblock Studio is spinning, which allows you to write for the fashionable IoT in the style of Drag-n-Drop-n-be-happy.
Naturally, while Robert Failit attempted to try (perhaps because of using the gaming keyboard), Emily's robot successfully waters the plant with water from a cup, the girl herself receives notifications from the robot directly to the phone and even dictates response orders using voice control.
Since the squares still need to be glued together with some kind of logic, towards the end of the video, programming language support is finally announced, this is Python and Swift (the main character of the video, the tablet, has the apple logo). Only now, Amy has to hammer on the on-screen keyboard, since no one has returned her to normal. For Ezblock Studio claimed support for iOS, Android, Linux, Windows and macOS. Everyone is happy. Well, maybe, except for Robert, who disappeared in the middle of the video; may have gone into hard drinking or quit.
Well, I think, enough literary. Let's see what developers are offering us for $ 35 without a ban.
The Ezblock Pi project in a minimal configuration consists of three parts:- the Ezblock Pi itself, used as an expansion card for the Raspberry Pi;
- a basic set of 15 modules (there is also a set of modules for IoT, sold in a more expensive set for $ 74, about it just below);
- access to Ezblock Studio, which allows you to write software for Raspberry Pi by drag-n-drop manipulations;
- plastic case for assembling Raspberry Pi + Ezblock Pi;
- instruction.
With the body and the instructions, I think everything is clear, let's take a closer look at the first three points.
The stuffing of the Ezblock Pi can be judged only by the mention of “supported by the STM32 controller” and by the fuzzy photo of the first prototype. Apparently, there is an STM32 microcontroller in the TQFP32 package on the board. The cheapest microcontroller in this package, STM32L010K4T6 (ARM Cortex-M0 +), costs € 0.737 in batches of 100 pieces; the most expensive, STM32F334K8T6 (ARM Cortex-M4) - € 2.79 (Mouser prices). The 3.3 V linear stabilizer in the SOT-223 package is responsible for the power supply, while the Bluetooth module is a ready-made module, judging by the appearance, something like ESP12E. For contact with the outside world are responsible two 20-pin connectors and a model field in the center of the board.
The composition of the basic set of 15 modules for me, to be honest, remained a mystery, even after closely looking at the illustrations to the project. If the bundle of modules for IoT is honestly photographed and named, then the basic kit, which is included in the initial bundle, is classified more often than the design of a new car before a major automobile exhibition. The basic set allows you to “create 15 different projects”, but there are 10 cardboard boxes in the illustrations, which seem to contain some electronic components, but the full composition of the basic set is not decrypted anywhere.
As for Ezblock Studio, I have already shared my skepticism at the beginning of the news. In my opinion, a system that really masters all voiced options (recall: (block programming + Python + Swift) * (iOS + macOS + Android + Linux + Windows)) may well be developed, but I would like to develop such software commercials of 5 person-years or one year of work of a team of five people (and how much would you give?), even when using any multitool, like Electron. Given that the developers claimed only $ 10,000 (the project looks very cheerful, so 400% of this amount has already been collected), it is completely unclear that this team will eat during the entire development period. To the credit of the authors, we must add that the first version of Ezblock Studio is already available on Google Play.
In the text of the presentation there are typos, familiar to Chinese manufacturers, in this case, the vibration motor included in the set of modules for IoT is called “Vabration Module” instead of “Vibration Module”. However, this time the real developers do not even think about hiding; Please, here is a group photo of the residents of the town of Wilmington, Delaware:
Understand me correctly, I do not drown at all for a negative attitude towards developers from the PRC. This is, in general, a fait accompli - first, Chinese programmers have eaten up a significant chunk of the Google Play and Apple App Store app stores, now they are winning their place in the sun with the help of crowdfunding platforms. Crowdfunding is just that good, which makes it possible for almost any earthling with internet and a bank card to tell the whole world about his development and sometimes earn good money from it. The negative can only be caused by an overly strong shift of emphasis from the technical component of the project towards rainbow marketing, when [possible] design flaws are silenced and the emotionally happy side is overly hypertrophied. Look at another illustration from the Ezblock Pi presentation:
Saved as a video blogger Evgeny Bazhenov, aka BadComedian, “author’s edited”. Do you have thoughts on how, being in a sober mind and sound memory, with the help of Raspberry Pi and the "Vibration Module" to construct IT? Or is it still a call to our collective unconscious: “Look how cool, buy faster!”?
To take or not to take? First of all, let me remind you that 509 people have already dropped in the amount of $ 41,000 (with the requested $ 10,000), and almost 3 weeks before the end of the campaign. People like it. Perhaps, if you are a fan of Raspberry Pi, you can also see in the proposed design the positive aspects that outweigh the reluctance to part with the amount from $ 35 to $ 179. Perhaps you, too, like Robert from a promotional video, are tired of “writing repeated lines of code.” Or maybe you just think that the guys are moving in the right direction and want to support them with your financial infusion. Just remember that for the equivalent amount of $ 35, the Raspberry Pi itself is sold (I’m not going to mention the Raspberry Pi Zero and Raspberry Pi Zero W prices), while creating it, the engineering team had to really visit, and on which ARM Cortex-A53 stands 1.4 GHz, 1000 Mbps Ethernet, Wi-Fi 802.11n and Bluetooth 4.2.
I keep a small blog from which I took this article. If you have in mind an interesting crowdfunding project from the field of DIY or Open source hardware, share a link, and discuss it too. Crowdfunding campaigns are fast-moving and strongly tied to community support, and perhaps even a small number of orders coming from Habra to some single enthusiast will help bring the campaign to the bitter end.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/456104/
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