EEZ's Bench Box 3 to Support Full Control From an Arduino or Other Microcontroller in Firmware 1.7
Arriving in the next firmware update, the new feature allows for control of all functions over UART — and comes with an Arduino sketch.
Envox Experimental Zone (EEZ)'s Bench Box 3 modular, programmable supply system is set to get a shiny new feature in its next update: remote control via Arduino or other microcontroller, over UART.
Unveiled two years ago, the Bench Box 3 was a successor to EEZ's earlier DIY Instrument Bus design — which, in turn, built atop the company's H24005 programmable power supply platform. Designed with modularity in mind, the STM32F7 Arm Cortex-M7 powered supply launched on crowdfunding site Crowd Supply to considerable enthusiasm.
Raising nearly double its target funding didn't mean EEZ was done with the project, though: The company has been working on updates and upgrades ever since, most recently release a new firmware designed to fix a range of bugs and improve selected functions.
The next firmware release, though, is set to be something special: It adds support for remotely controlling the Bench Box 3 using an Arduino or other microcontroller over a UART bus.
In a short demonstration video, EEZ shows an Arduino Uno compatible connected to the Bench Box 3's front panel running through a pre-programmed macro operation: Capturing control of the device, initiating a DLOG session, changing the output voltage three times, then adding three bookmarks — all without human interaction.
The new feature will arrive in version 1.7 of the firmware, the company has confirmed, with no release date yet available. Bench Box 3 owners looking to get ahead of the game, though, can find the source code for the example Arduino sketch on the company's GitHub repository.