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Please write your additional questions into the comment section!

Topics

  1. General
    a. What is the difference between DiveIno and another commercial dive computer?
    b. I would like to purchase a DiveIno. Where can I buy one?
    c. Can you build a DiveIno for me?
    d. What is the expected budget to get started?
    e. How much time is required to assemble a DiveIno?
  2. Hardware
    a. Which microcontroller boards are supported?
    b. Which waterproof case shall I choose?
    c. Do you plan to build your own custom case?
    d. Is the usage of Adafruit Bluefruit LE UART Friend optional?
    e. I am confused about the various board versions. Which one shall I use?
    f. Can I replace the recommended hardware components with something else?
  3. Software
    a. What is the purpose of Bluetooth in DiveIno?
    b. How can I find out on which software version DiveIno is running?
    c. Which IDE shall I use for DiveIno development?
    d. How can I compile DiveIno codebase?
    e. How can I upload the compiled DiveIno codebase to my Arduino microcontroller board?
    f. How shall I prepare my SD Card for DiveIno usage?
  4. Build
    a. How can I make sure that my DiveIno is waterproof?
  5. Other
    a. What is this weird teddy bear logo?

General

What is the difference between DiveIno and another commercial dive computer?

There are many differences. For instance:

  • You are not able to buy DiveIno dive computer in a store, instead you have to build your own!
  • All parts of the DiveIno project are Open Source. If you are interested, you can have a look how it works!

I would like to purchase a DiveIno. Where can I buy one?

DiveIno is not sold in any commercial store. It is more like a hardware construction kit. According to the DIY philosophy you have to buy the parts and build your own version.

Can you build a DiveIno for me?

Right now unfortunately not.

What is the expected budget to get started?

For a proper cost breakdown please refer to the Updated parts list. I would say that the construction budget must start from $200 USD. The maximum is about $400. It all depends whether you order original or after market parts.

How much time is required to assemble a DiveIno?

You have to have all parts available for construction. The DiveIno PCB board has to be fabricated. The on/off switch and the pressure sensor case have to be 3D printed. After that I would say to assemble the dry case, which takes about 2-3 hours. Soldering parts to the PCB also takes another 3 hours. Finally you have to upload the software and test your work.

I should say that one day is the minimum, but I would reserve a full weekend for it.

Hardware

Which microcontroller boards are supported?

DiveIno is based on the Arduino Open Source elecronics platform. Right now the Arduino Mega 2560 and the Arduino Due boards are supported.

Which waterproof case shall I choose?

Right now DiveIno only supports OtterBox Pursuit 40 case. You need the clear version. Don’t forget to put some silicone grease to the sealing O-ring before you use for DiveIno. The smaller OtterBox Pursuit 20 is not supported, because it leaks. You can read more about it in the Long Board - Partial success post.

Do you plan to build your own custom case?

Yes. I would like to build a 3D printed case for DiveIno, but it takes a lot of experiment and a smaller sized DiveIno to build such. Right now please use the OtterBox Pursuit 40 case.

Is the usage of Adafruit Bluefruit LE UART Friend optional?

Yes. It is. You can turn its support off in the DiveIno.ino file by setting BLUETOOTH_SUPPORTED to 0.

I am confused about the various board versions. Which one shall I use?

During DiveIno development I experienced with various hardware configurations. This is the reason why that many board version was developed. The recommended one is the latest DiveIno PCB version.

Can I replace the recommended hardware components with something else?

Yes and no. For instance instead of the original Arduino Mega 2560 with cheaper Chinese clones. The same goes for Real Time Clock parts. Recently I started to use the Adafruit DS3231 Precision RTC Breakout, because of its small size, but a similar DS3231 RTC module can be used as well.

Probably the most expensive part of DiveIno is the Sparkfun MS5803-14BA Pressure Sensor Breakout. I found a Chinese alternative on eBay. It works, but for some reason the built in temperature sensor shows 1 degree higher values than the original Sparkfun ones.

There is one component, which I don’t suggest to replace with a Chinese clone. It is the SparkFun LiPo Fuel Gauge. I wrote a post called LiPoTest about it on my personal blog.

Software

What is the purpose of Bluetooth in DiveIno?

Right now DiveIno optionally supports the Adafruit Bluefruit LE UART Friend hardware component. It enables other devices to connect to DiveIno through Bluetooth Low Energy. Smartphones (iPhone, Android, Windows Phone) and laptops supports Bluetooth Low Energy communication. This means that an application running on these devices can connect to DiveIno. The Serial API supports Bluetooth based communication. It means that once a DiveIno application gets released it can use Bluetooth LE to communicate with DiveIno.

How can I find out on which software version DiveIno is running?

You can navigate to the About page, where you can find the current version number printed on the screen. Besides that DiveIno.ino file contains a VERSION_NUMBER constant at the top.

Which IDE shall I use for DiveIno development?

I use Sloeber IDE also known as Arduino Eclipse Plugin. I find it much better than the standard Arduino IDE.

How can I compile DiveIno codebase?

You have to clone DiveIno codebase from the DiveIno GitHub repository. Obtain the necessary third party Arduino libraries. Import the code into Sloeber IDE. Select your Arduino board and compile the code.

How can I upload the compiled DiveIno codebase to my Arduino microcontroller board?

You have to compile the codebase as it was said in compile answer. The next step is to use the Upload Sketch button to upload it onto your Arduino microcontroller board.

How shall I prepare my SD Card for DiveIno usage?

First you have to format it to the FAT32 file system. The volume label can be anything. I suggest to use DiveIno. The next step is to copy the content of the Images folder to the SD Card. Make sure that all images are placed into the Images folder. The root directory can be empty. DiveIno will create all required files suring initialization.

Build

How can I make sure that my DiveIno is waterproof?

It is advised to test your DiveIno assembly before a real dive. I suggest the followings:

  • Test the empty case before the assembly
  • Once you applied the pressure sensor and the on/off switch to the case test it again
  • Remove all electronics from the case for the test

If you have a pressure chamber, you can do these tests without diving.

Other

What is this weird teddy bear logo?

It is a diver bear. I find him quite cute. My wife created it for DiveIno, so I love it!