FP01 control board
- FP01 board (dual MCU: Arduino UNO R4 compatible RA4M1 + PSoC 4)
- Arduino sketch
- PSoC 4 and SAIence driver
- Case (on request)
FP01 REFERENCE MAIN BOARD / RS485X REV 1.0
4 RS485 ports
Reference board RS485X
RS485X is a reference board that carries SAIence's common control board FP01. Four Arduino UNO R3 (ATmega328P) sit in IC sockets on the board, each with its own RS485 port. They connect directly to the Arduino UNO R4 on FP01 over I²C and, depending on the sketch, work as a DMX master or as an RS485 router.
Sold: FP01Supplied: evaluation test boardBuilt by: customer
- MCU
- 4 × UNO R3
- RS485 PORTS
- 4
- DMX MASTER
- 128 ch / UNO R3
- BOARD (3D)
- — mm
LOADING 3D MODEL…
INTERACTIVE 3DRS485X Rev1.0
DRAG ROTATE · WHEEL ZOOM
01 — HOW IT WORKS
SAIence sells FP01
The customer designs the main board
SAIence sells the common control board FP01 and the software that runs on it. RS485X is a reference board verified in combination with FP01. After confirming operation with the evaluation test board, the customer builds the production main board to suit the application and enclosure.
RS485X test board
- For verification and evaluation in combination with FP01
- Verify DMX output and RS485 relaying of the 4 UNO R3 on real hardware
- Not sold as a production product
Main board
- Design and manufacture your own main board with RS485X as a reference
- Change the number of ports, connectors and UNO R3 sketches to suit the application
- Mount FP01 to complete a DMX / RS485 communication module
NOTEThis page presents RS485X as one example of a main board used with FP01. For FP01 itself, see the FP01 product page →.
02 — SYSTEM
Connection between FP01 and the 4 UNO R3
The PSoC 4 on FP01 is not involved in communication between RS485X and FP01. The Arduino UNO R4 (RA4M1) on FP01 sends instructions directly to the 4 UNO R3 over I²C, and each UNO R3 handles its own RS485 port. The ATmega328P chips sit in IC sockets, so they can be swapped for chips with a rewritten sketch.
RS485
Receives 12-byte commands from the higher-level controller. For each circuit address, FP01 stores the destination UNO R3 (dmxd) and channel (dmxc).
Host → FP01UART→
Arduino UNO R4 compatible
The RA4M1 on FP01 interprets commands and manages 32 circuit addresses, groups and dimming levels. The PSoC 4 is not used.
FP01I²C
0x0A–0x0D→
0x0A–0x0D→
Arduino UNO R3 ×4
ATmega328P in an IC socket. Receives a 4-byte instruction (channel 2, level 1, fade 1) and operates according to its sketch.
RS485XRS485→
RS485 port ×4
One port per UNO R3. Usable for DMX512 output or for RS485 relaying.
RS485X03 — DMX MASTER / RS485 ROUTER
Function selection by sketch
Depending on the sketch written to them, the 4 UNO R3 work as a DMX master or as an RS485 router. As a DMX master, one UNO R3 handles up to 128 channels (a UNO R3 limitation). On sites where poor installation conditions add noise to RS485 communication, using them as RS485 routers to bundle the communication, split the wiring into segments and relay between them stabilizes communication. All four UNO R3 run the same sketch, so the four ports always have the same role. Use the switch below to change the role of all four ports at once.
* The I²C frame is the 4 bytes that FP01 firmware Rev13 sends for DMX (DMX channel high/low byte / level 0–250 / fade time). Router behavior depends on the sketch (waveforms are for illustration).
04 — SERIES
Main boards for FP01
The FP01 firmware identifies the main board by its module type ID and switches the number of local addresses and the control method. RS485X is type ID 7 with 32 local addresses. For every type, the customer builds the main board; SAIence provides reference boards verified in combination with FP01 for evaluation.
ID 1
ID 2 · REFERENCEIGBTX4
IGBT phase dimming 4ch
DIMX4
Power semiconductor phase dimming, 4 circuits
View page → ID 3 · REFERENCEPWMX4
PWM dimming signal, 4 circuits
View page → ID 4 · REFERENCERELAYX8
Relay, 8 circuits
View page →ID 5
RRX8
Relay 8ch series
ID 6
CTRL1
Control
ID 7 · THIS BOARD
RS485X
UNO R3 ×4 / 4 RS485 ports (DMX, router)
05 — SPECIFICATIONS
Specifications
Specifications as a reference board (evaluation test board). A main board built by the customer can be changed to suit the application.
| Model / revision | RS485X Rev1.0 |
|---|---|
| Category | Reference board for FP01 (module type ID 7, 32 local addresses) Supplied as an evaluation test board. Production boards are built by the customer |
| Control board | FP01 (dual MCU: Arduino UNO R4 compatible RA4M1 + PSoC 4) Sold by SAIence. The PSoC 4 is not involved in communication with RS485X |
| MCUs | Arduino UNO R3 (ATmega328P, DIP-28) × 4 Mounted in 4 IC sockets on the board; each chip can be replaced |
| Connection to FP01 | I²C (UNO R4 on FP01 → each UNO R3, slave addresses 0x0A / 0x0B / 0x0C / 0x0D) DMX frame, 4 bytes: DMX channel (2 bytes), level (1 byte, 0–250), fade time (1 byte) |
| RS485 ports | 4 (one per UNO R3) |
| Operating mode | Selected by the UNO R3 sketch (the same mode on all four) DMX master: up to 128 channels per UNO R3 (a UNO R3 limitation) RS485 router: bundles RS485 communication and relays it, splitting off noisy wiring sections |
| Host communication | RS485 (12-byte commands / 8-byte v command) Destination UNO R3 (dmxd) and channel (dmxc) set per circuit address |
| Terminal blocks | 4 plug-in type (2 poles × 1, 8 poles × 3) Pole counts determined from the 3D model shape. Terminal assignments TBC |
| Heat sink / fuse | None |
| Dimensions (measured from 3D model) | — |
CONTACT
Contact
The FP01 board, Arduino sketch and PSoC driver are sold as a set. Contact us about evaluation with the RS485X test board, UNO R3 sketches (DMX master / RS485 router) or main board design. Configurations including the case are also available.
Ask about FP01 ↗