emonTx Shield + Nanode RF - What about the ISP connector?

Hardware
1

I have a NanodeRF* and was thinking of getting a emonTx Shield to use with it, and then I noticed the shield has a 2x3 connector in the middle for ISP pins but the Nanode does not have ISP pins in the same place as other Arduinos.
Questions:

  1. The Nanode is listed as being compatible - does this mean the ISP connector is optional?
  2. Why is the ISP connector needed? From what I can tell, it looks like all the pins in the ISP cluster are already connected via the pins on the edges of the board.

Thanks for your help!

  • a kit that was sitting in a box for 10 years that I finally assembled today
2

Welcone, fae, to the OEM forum.

The ISP connector isn’t normally needed. As I understand it, it’s for the advanced Atmel programmer that allows in-circuit debugging and stuff like that - not the one from The Shop. You just need the FTDI connector and the ‘Shop’ programmer.

[Edit]
My NanodeRF has a right-angled FTDI header, so a Shield won’t mate with it - the a.c. connector is in the way. So I can’t prove that NanodeRF + emonTx Shield will work, but I don’t know of a reason why it won’t.

3

Thanks for the quick reply! Yea I also wondered about the AC barrel connector getting in the way, but I can likely make it fit somehow :slight_smile:

4

The only thing I can suggest is un-solder the 6-way FTDI header and put it on the ‘wrong’ side of the board.