I was having a look at your Web IDE but immerdiately felt the urge to use the normal Arduino IDE. I couldn't find an easy tutorial how to achieve that but maybe I haven't found it. One of the reasons why I wanted to use the Arduino IDE was the lack of importing libraries and after some more research and I try to understand how this:
"...That's why we've designed the Core to run Wiring, the same simple code as the entire Arduino platform. If you're like us, the last thing you want to do is learn a new programming language or change your existing sketches." (your Kickstarter description)
stands up to what I just found in another forum thread:
"The Spark Core can run Arduino sketches out of the box. However, Arduino libraries are written to interface directly with the ATmega chip, and have to be ported over to the Core's microcontroller (which is an STM32). We're porting all of the standard Arduino libraries, but any third party libraries like OneWire would need to be ported as well." Can I use 1-Wire devices with Spark Core? - #12 by tidwelltimj - General - Particle
I had the assumption that I can in fact run all my existing sketches according to your Kickstarter statement while it now doesn't seem to be the case. Don't get me wrong, I'm very excited about the Spark Core but in effect that means I now have to wait until someone translated all 3rd party libraries (I can't do it) and I can't make use of many wonderful libraries that the Arduino community has brought to life so far.
That's a big thing to me...and I feel a bit mislead to be honest. Working projects that I wanted tot ake to a wireless level are basically on halt until someone ports a library...if ever.
Are you having some 3rd party library roadmap or an official request page so someone actually knows that he can keep on using his existing sketches?
Hi @exposure - I’m sorry that our communication during the Kickstarter campaign wasn’t clear enough, but when we said that it runs Wiring, that is 100% true. Unfortunately we were perhaps not clear enough that libraries and applications that don’t use Wiring, but access the microcontroller at a lower level, are not a simple copy-paste port. We are working on porting the top priority libraries, and the community is doing a lot more. But there is nothing that we can do to make this go faster, because the STM32 micro-controller is different than the ATmegas that Arduino uses.
If you have a request, this forum is the best place for it; our roadmap is constantly shifting and is driven by the feedback that we receive here! One of the things that we are working on is a good method for incorporating community-generated libraries.
I second the notion. It would be nice to have something like Get Satisfaction for posting bugs and requests that can be upvoted and/or monitored for us users. The forums have worked so far, but it seems difficult to filter the requests, ideas, and bugs from the chatter.
@zach, Your reply came in just before I was going to hit "Reply" on this one. Keep up the good work. We wouldn't be posting as much if you guys weren't so awesome.
@zach: I totally agree with @wgbartley that you are doing an awesome job with your product and even more with your community interaction - I have hardly ever seen another .com being that quick/responsive and open for suggestions.
Keep that up!!!
As for compatibility with Arduino IDE and libraries, maybe it would be good - if possible - to actively approach people that have already gone some of your way before.
As I already pointed out in another thread about Arduino compatibility and IDE support, Paul Stoffregen from pjrc.com (ARM Cortex M4 Teensy 3.0 & 3.1) for example might be able and hopefully willing to throw in some of his done and dusted libs and tools (e. g. Teensyduino IDE enhancemet for Arduino IDE) to get up to speed with some libs, rather than having to build them from scratch.
At least when I had contact to him, he also was quick and willing to help.
