Netduino Plus 1

by Secret Labs

• Netduino Plus is an open source electronics platform using the .NET Micro Framework.
• Netduino Plus offers 20 GPIOs combined with SPI, I2C, 2 UARTs (1 RTS/CTS), 4 PWM channels and 6 ADC channels. Plus MicroSD storage and Ethernet IP networking.
• .NET Micro Framework combines the ease of high-level coding and the raw features of microcontrollers.
• 3rd-party accessories offer pre-built functionality like GPS location, servo control and battery power.
• Design files and source code are included. MicroUSB cable included for a limited time.

Product Details

• Item Weight: 1 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B004FRZ4E6
• Item model number: Netduino Plus
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: December 9, 2010

Product Description

Netduino is an open source electronics platform using the .NET Micro Framework. Featuring a 32-bit microcontroller and a rich development environment. Suitable for engineers and hobbyists alike. Input. Output. Interface with switches, sensors, LEDs, serial devices, and more. Netduino offers 20 GPIOs combined with SPI, I2C, 2 UARTs (1 RTS/CTS), 4 PWM channels and 6 ADC channels. Code. Debug. Repeat. .NET Micro Framework combines the ease of high-level coding and the raw features of microcontrollers. Enjoy event-based programming, multi-threading, line-by-line debugging, breakpoints and more. Very expandable. 3rd-party accessories offer pre-built functionality like GPS location, servo control and battery power. Netduino is also pin-compatible with Arduino shields. 3rd-party drivers are required for some Arduino shields. Design files included. Netduino is an open source electronics platform. All design files and source code are included. Learn from the designs. Remix. Enjoy the freedom of open source. Netduino Plus includes all hardware features of the Netduino--plus MicroSD storage capabilities and an Ethernet jack for fast integrated IP networking.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Up and running fast. April 27, 2011

By Jeremy W. Murray

Amazon Verified Purchase

I received the kit and spent 15 minutes downloading and installing C# Express, the .NET Micro Framework, the Netduino SDK, and the Netduino Getting Started Guide. I connected the board by USB, opened up a new C# project, and had a blinking LED in about 5 minutes. After making code changes, I was able to compile, deploy, and have it running in under 10 seconds. Another hour playing around and I have the Netduino hosting a webpage from a micro SD card and turning LEDs on and off via specific web addresses. This is one of the best out of the box experiences I've had with a development kit.

The kit I received came with the board, four sticky feet, a USB micro cable, and an ID sticker. There were no drivers or documentation included - they must be downloaded from the Netduino website. The board is also pretty small - the base is about 3/4 of a credit card and it is about a centimeter thick. It has a sticker with the MAC Address on the back.

There is an active community on the Netduino forums and lots of discussion around using various Arduino shields. I ran into some issues getting the board to use DHCP, but a download of the latest firmware from the forum mostly fixed them.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars NetDuino Plus - first thoughts May 9, 2011

By Steven E. White

Amazon Verified Purchase

The Netduino Plus gives you a fantastic starting point for embedded electronics.
The built in memory card slot and Ethernet interface makes this a much less expensive alternative to an Arduino with an Ethernet shield.

Pros:
You can use the full MS Visual Studio suite with all of it's debugging goodness
The online forums are very helpful and the user base are quite friendly.
Manufacturer appears to really listen to the user's needs and tries work with private developers for the greater good of the community! (big kudos!)
Most Arduino shields should be compatible with the Netduino and Netduino Plus!!

Cons:
The vast majority of work has been done for the Arduino and you'll need to learn how to convert the Arduino 'sketches' into VB C# Project code. (not too hard)
Secret Labs (the manufacturer) is working on 1-wire support and it's relatively easy to upgrade the Netduino's firmware.
Have not been able to connect a humidity sensor to the Netduino Plus yet, but I think it will be possible with a little more effort on my part.

Overall, it's a great price for a compact webserver interface type device!

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than an Arduino! May 24, 2011

By Gavin Scott

Amazon Verified Purchase

The Netduino Plus is mostly hardware-compatible with the popular Arduino mictrocontrollers, and can interface with most Arduino "shields" etc.

The difference is that rather than using the C/C++-based Arduino development environment, this board runs the .Net Micro Edition which means that you program it using the C# language (people are working on Visual Basic.Net support I believe as well).

This is actually incredibly cool, as the C# language is much nicer than C/C++ (regardless of what you think of Microsoft), and you get to use the very professional (yet free) Visual Studio Express tools from Microsoft to write and debug programs.

You can use the Visual Studio Express Debugger to debug the code running *on* the Netduino. Set breakpoints, evaluate expression in the context of the Netduino, etc. MUCH nicer than trying to debug an Arduino application!

Downsides, such as they are, include: You won't be able to use code from any of the now many Arduino books out there. As a very basic starter guide however, you may want to pick up a copy of Getting Started with the Internet of Things: Connecting Sensors and Microcontrollers to the Cloud which is a book specifically about starting out with an Arduino Plus!

Also the performance of .Net code will be slower than native C code on an Arduino. This is only relevant if you want to do low-level real-time interrupt handling etc. In general the Netduino's .Net runtime will be fast enough for most applications....

I believe the chip used in the Netduino cannot drive quite as much power through its I/O pins, but in practice this doesn't seem to be a big issue and people have been able to use most Arduino-compatible shields (add-on boards) with the Netduino.

The "Plus" version of the Netduino includes a networking stack and an RJ-45 Ethernet connector. This version has less memory available than the basic Netduino, so if you don't need the Ethernet functionality then an ordinary Netduino might be better for you. But being able to write web client/server code in standard C# ais awfully nice, and significantly expands the potential of this device.

So, if you're interested in an Arduino compatible controller, and you like the idea of high-level programming and debugging in the C# language (and especially if you're a Windows user, though Mac and Linux people can still play here though without quite so many bells and whistles), then the Netduino and Netduino Plus are inexpensive devices that offer a much more pleasant experience than the basic Arduino controllers.

I really love this device, and will use it in preference to the Arduino whenever possible.

G. Read more ›

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Netduino Review October 8, 2011

By DRRD

Nice board, with a lot of nice features. Small problem reading analog ports. Solution found on the Netduino forum. Did not contact seller as I considered this a minor problem.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A+ System for Hobbying Engineers and Programmers September 23, 2012

By treborTAMU

Amazon Verified Purchase

I have heard great things about the Arduino and decided last week to look into getting one to hopefully start a hobby. That's when I found the Netduino. When I heard that the Netduino came with out-of-the-box .NET Micro Framework compatibility the decision was a no brainer. I purchased the Netduino Plus along with a 9V power supply, a SainSoft mechanical relay, and the book "Getting Started with Netduino". From the moment it arrived I had a blinking LED program running within 30 minutes. Within the next hour I had my relays hooked up and switching on my push button command. By the end of the next day I was executing commands and viewing button statuses using an HTTP link in my web browser over ethernet.

Never in my life would I have thought I would catch on this quickly. I've tried bragging to my wife, father-in-law, and then my dog, but none of them seem to care as much as I do about a blinking LED. So now I'm here bragging to the Amazon community. For anyone who can get excited about an LED, this is the purchase for you. I hope that you can share my excitement and that you have the experience I have had.