Feedback and a suggestion on TinyML workshop

Feedback
1

Last Explanation

I wrote this post firmly convinced that I am supposed to use the PLATFORMIO VSCode extension, as the development tool for this exercise. Only a few hour later, after writing this article under the false impression that the PLATFORMIO VSCode extension UI changed a lot since this documentation was written, instead of grasping that Blues document wants me to use the note-arduino library as the project setup tool. I am too “green” to start the discussion about development tools, so my message here is to post a clear warning about using multiple tools and why

Explanation

The purpose of a shared live presentation like this TinyML workshop is to dramatically enhance the Blues tools adoption - as there are more moving parts than almost anywhere else, covering the span from the cloud of sensors, all the way up to the cloud of web applications. It is very important to prevent the confusion like this one I am documenting here.

ISSUE 1

The context is TinyML workshop - more specifically Configure your Notecard section (time stamp 1:26:47 in the recorded tutorial).

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This button ought to be “owned” by VSCode and it is not present in my case. Most likely the above screenshot was taken using the older version of the PLATFORMIO VSCode extension - here is what I see using the current version 3.1.1.:

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I do not need to point out the minute details of this UI change - it seems rather obvious.

ISSUE 2

Section Configure your Notecard item 4 suggests

Create a new sketch and select the Sketch > Include Library > Contributed Libraries > Blues Wireless Notecard menu option.

I could not find any information on how to create a new sketch using the current IDE.

Note that the nearly identical section Creating a PlatformIO Project for Swan, does not use the term “sketch” - it rather uses the Arduino Wizard to create the minimal C++ project skeleton including the src/main.cpp file (sketch in the terminology of this project creation.

1 Like
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Hi @adriatic,

This tutorial is referring to Arduino IDE, not VS Code w/ PlatformIO. I’ll make a note to update this doc to provide PlatformIO specific instructions in the future.

But for now, to add a new library to a PlatformIO project, go to PIO Home > Libraries and type in the name of the library you want to add.

Hope that helps,
Rob

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Thanks - your tip

PIO Home > Libraries and type in the name of the library you want to add.
shows the direct path to creation of the TinyML workshop project.

This begs a question though. Why did you chose the Arduino IDE for this specific exercise? To show a balanced approach, when the blinking led exercise already used PlatformIO IDE?

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The sensor tutorial was written some time ago, when Arduino IDE was effectively the standard in dev environments for Arduino programming.