AstroCAN Bridge

Connectors

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

AstroCAN Bridge Connectors
Hotspot	Function	Description
1	Dome Jumper	Set jumper, when bridge is placed in dome and receives commands from the body.
2	WIFI Jumper	Set jumper, if you like to control your dome mechanisms with the R2-Touch App. Only one module in your droid should have this jumper set.
3	Free GPIOs	reserved for future use
4	I2C Connector	I2C Port for connecting other dome modules.
5	Serial Connector	In DOME-Mode: – Connect RXD to MarcDuino MP3 pin – Connect TXD to MarcDuino Master RX In BODY-Mode: – Connect RXD to ATMEGA Serial2 TXD – Connect TXD to MP3 Trigger RX
6	CAN-Bus	CAN-Bus Pin Header
7	CAN-Bus Terminator	CAN-Bus Terminator. See CAN Termination for Details
8	CAN-Bus	Can-Bus Screw Terminal. Same as CAN-Bus Pin Header
9	AstroBus	6-pin connector for specific module mounts
10	Power Supply, 5.0V	Power Supply, 5.0V. Important: 5V ONLY! Otherwise you will damage your board.
11	USB-Connector	Connector for flashing and configuring your device
12	JTAG-Connector	Debugging Interface, Developers only
13	ESP32 Dev Kit V4	ESP32 Dev Kit V4 (in case you have to replace it…)
14	Pair / Boot Button	Hold for 3s to start ESP-Now-Pairing. Bridge module has to be connected to AstroCAN Shield / AstroCAN Brain via CAN-Bus to get paring information!
15	Reset Button	Press to restart module

JTAG

AstroBus (TOP VIEW!)

6	5	4	3	2	1
+5V	GND	n/c	CANL	CANH	n/c

Commands

Use serial terminal to connect via USB (see above) to AstroCAN-Bridge. If your browser supports “Web Serial”, you also can use the terminal available in the Firmware section. Communication speed ist 115200 baud. The following commands are available for configuration and management:

AstroCAN Bridge Commands
Command	Parameters	Description	Example
/HELP	–	shows usage	/HELP
/SETTINGS	–	shows all settings stored in EEPROM	/SETTINGS
/WIFIAPSSID	AP SSID	sets the access point SSID	/WIFIAPSSID R2TOCH
/WIFIAPPASSWORD	AP Password	sets the access point password	/WIFIAPPASSWORD R2TOUCH123
/WIFISSID	WIFI SSID	sets the WLAN SSID	/WIFISSID HOMELAN
/WIFIPASSWORD	WIFI Password	sets the WLAN Password	//WIFIPASSWORD HOMELAN123
/PAIR	–	auto pair module with ESP-NOW peer (connect both modules to CAN for pairing) Pairing mode depends on Dome jumper. When in dome mode, it looks for brain/shield module. When in body mode, it looks for bridge module.	/PAIR
/NOWLMK	16 byte key	sets the local master key for ESP-NOW communication. See -> ESP-NOW encryption for details.	/NOWLMK 0123456789ABCDEF
/NOWPMK	16 byte key	sets the primary master key for ESP-NOW communication. See -> ESP-NOW encryption for details.	/NOWPMK 0123456789ABCDEF
/NOWCHANNEL	Channel	sets the ESP-NOW channel number	/NOWCHANNEL 5
/NOWSETPEER	MAC Address in xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx format	set ESP-NOW communication peer MAC address	/NOWSETPEER 01:23:45:67:89:AB
/NOWCLEARPEERS	–	clear all ESP-NOW communication peers	/NOWCLEARPEERS
/NOWLISTPEERS	–	list all ESP-NOW communication peers	/NOWLISTPEERS
/RESTART	–	restart module	/RESTART
/FACTORY	–	set factory settings and restart module. All EEPROM settings will also be set to default.	/FACTORY
/ACTIVATE	CAN\|CAN1\|CAN2\|NOW\|WIFI\|ENC	acticate CAN-/NOW-/WIFI-Functionality or ESP-NOW encryption. CAN1/CAN2 only available on Dual-CAN-Boards.	/ACTIVATE CAN
/DEACTIVATE	CAN\|CAN1\|CAN2\|NOW\|WIFI\|ENC	deacticate CAN-/NOW-/WIFI-Functionality or ESP-NOW encryption. CAN1/CAN2 only available on Dual-CAN-Boards.	/DEACTIVATE CAN
/NOWSETDOME	MAC Address in xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx format	set ESP-NOW dome peer address (used, if bridge is in body mode)	/NOWSETDOME 01:23:45:67:89:AB
/NOWSETBODY	MAC Address in xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx format	set ESP-NOW body peer address (used, if bridge is in body mode)	/NOWSETBODY 01:23:45:67:89:AB

Settings

Use serial terminal to connect via USB (see above) to AstroCAN-Bridge. Communication speed ist 115200 baud. The following settings can be configured (see command set above):

AstroCAN Bridge Settings
Setting	Description	Example	Config Command
MAC	MAC Address of ESP32	12:34:56:78:9A:BC	fix, not configurable
AP_SSID	Name of the access point network, the AstroCAN module opens up to get connected by apps like R2-Touch	R2TOUCH	/WIFIAPSSID
AP_Password	Password of the Access point network.	R2TOUCH123	/WIFIAPPASSWORD
WLAN_SSID	Name of the WLAN the AstroCAN module can connect to, to be controlled by other systems within that network	HOMELAN	/WIFISSID
WLAN_Password	Password of the WLAN the AstroCAN module can connect to.	HOMELAN123	/WIFIPASSWORD
NOW_PMK	ESP-NOW encryption parameter: Primary Master Key. See -> ESP-NOW encryption for details. Only change, if you exactly know, what you are doing!	0123456789ABCDEF	/NOWPMK
NOW_LMK	ESP-NOW encryption parameter: Local Master Key. See -> ESP-NOW encryption for details. Only change, if you exactly know, what you are doing!	0123456789ABCDEF	/NOWLMK
NOW_Channel	WIFI channel to be used for ESP-NOW communication. All ESP-NOW peers have to communicate over the same channel number	5	/NOWCHANNEL
CAN1_Active	Shows, if main CAN bus is active	true – activated false – deactivated	/ACTIVATE CAN /ACTIVATE CAN1 /DEACTIVATE CAN /DEACTIVATE CAN1
CAN2_Active	Shows, if secondary CAN bus is active	true – activated false – deactivated	/ACTIVATE CAN2 /DEACTIVATE CAN2
NOW_Active	Shows, if ESP-NOW is active	true – activated false – deactivated	/ACTIVATE NOW /DEACTIVATE NOW
WIFI_Active	Shows, if WIFI is active	true – activated false – deactivated	/ACTIVATE WIFI /DEACTIVATE WIFI or WIFI jumper
NOW_Encryption	Shows, if ESP-NOW encryption is active. See -> ESP-NOW encryption for details.	true – activated false – deactivated	/ACTIVATE ENC /DEACTIVATE ENC
Jumpers	Description	Example	Configuration
Dome/Body Mode			DOME jumper set: Dome Mode DOME jumper removed: Body Mode
WIFI_Active	Shows, if WIFI is active	true – activated false – deactivated	WIFI jumper set: WIFI activated WIFI jumper removed: WIFI deactivated
Peers	Description	Example	Configuration
Peer	MAC-Adress of ESP-NOW communication partner, not used in bridge module	12:34:56:78:9A:BC	/NOWSETPEER
Dome	MAC-Adress of ESP-NOW communication partner place in dome	12:34:56:78:9A:BC	/NOWSETDOME
Body	MAC-Adress of ESP-NOW communication partner place in body	12:34:56:78:9A:BC	/NOWSETBODY

F.A.Q – AstroCAN Bridge

What is it?

The AstroCan Bridge serves as the receiver module for the AstroCAN Pro Dual Shield, enabling wireless connectivity to the main controller. With this module, you can wirelessly transmit serial commands and communicate via the CANbus protocol.

Additionally, it can function as a transmitter for an already established system, providing wireless connectivity for body/dome connections.

Features

ESP-NOW Wireless Dome<->Body Comm (serial, Canbus, I2C)
Support for Benduinos & classic MarcDuinos via Serial
CAN-Bus for upcoming CAN-enabled Astromech Devices
JTAG-Live Debugging
R2TOUCH-Support (optional, no need for XBEE)
Status Leds for serial & CanBus transmission

The ESPNow system is exclusively utilized for connecting the body and dome. It efficiently transfers all CAN signals and one serial interface between the dome and body through ESPNow. Consequently, only a 2-wire slipring is necessary to power the dome, as all signals are transmitted via the ESPNow interface.

All modules adhere to a standardized size and possess an identical “Astrobus” interface. This uniformity enables secure mounting onto the electronics board without the need for extensive wiring. However, the use of the Astrobus is not mandatory, and traditional free-floating wiring can be used if preferred.

Best Practice – Wiring

Best Practice – Instructions (Dome installation)

Do you already have a ShadowMD-based droid?
- Yes -> Remove the connections between your dome controller and your body (mostly via slipring)
- No -> Proceed
Check all on-board jumpers. It is assumed, that the Bridge is the last module at the CAN bus (see AstroCAN Tech FAQ for details about CAN-bus termination). When not sure, what we are talking about, check the hotspot picture above:
- Dome: set
- Wifi: not set (set only, if you deactivated WIFI on Shield in body)
- CAN-Bus J: set (unset, if bridge is not the last module on the bus)
Check again, that only the 3 jumpers are set and all pin headers are free and accessable
Connect 5V to the 5V power connector. !CHECK POLARITY AND VOLTAGE TWICE!
Be sure, the bridge is properly paired with your shield (see AstroCAN Tech FAQ and HowTo – Pair for details about ESP-NOW pairing).
Connect TXD to your dome master controller Interconnect/Serial IN RX (e.g. MarcDuino Master with Dome firmware, see MarcDuino Support Thread)
Connect RXD to your dome master controller MP3 signal pin (e.g. MarcDuino Master with Dome firmware, see MarcDuino Support Thread)
(optional, recommended): Connect CAN-bus #1 to your primary CAN-wiring.

Firmware Installer

To install most recent firmware V1.5.3 connect the AstroCAN module via USB to your computer and click on “Connect” button.

Revision History

Version 1.5.3 (30. July 2024)

Bugfixes

serial dispatcher fixed (dome/body routing)
invalid preferences namespace fixed
upgrade to recent AstroCAN toolkit
fixed crash on startup with invalid settings

Features

new /SETTINGS command
improved logging
separate CAN channel handling
preparation for triple serial board

Version 1.5.1 (3. May 2024)

Bugfixes

fixed WIFI-Pin on Printed Droid Boards

Version 1.5.0 (17. May 2024)

First official Release

AstroCAN Bridge

Connectors

Dome Jumper

WIFI Jumper

Free GPIOs

I2C Connector

Serial Connector

CAN-Bus

CAN-Bus Terminator

CAN-Bus

AstroBus

Power Supply

USB-Connector

JTAG-Connector

ESP32 Dev Kit V4

Pair / Boot Button

Reset Button

WIFI/NOW-Antenna