The custom software needed for operation must be compiled and uploaded to your devices which can be accomplished using an interactive development environment (IDE). This guide provides the list of required libraries for compilation and outlines the changes needed to support each board.
Please refer to the table below for a list of devices and their supported software release.
| Controller Device | v1.x | v2.x | v3.x | v4.x | v5.x |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 GPStar Proton Pack PCB |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| GPStar Neutrona Wand PCB |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| d1 DIY Arduino Mega Proton Pack | Yes | Yes 2 | Yes 3 | Yes 3 | Yes 3 |
| d1 DIY Arduino Mega Neutrona Wand | Yes | Yes 2 | Yes 2 | Yes 2 | Yes 2 |
d1 These are now considered as "legacy" devices and have distinct end-of-life notes in later versions (see additional superscript notations).
2 Support for the Arduino Nano as a wand controller ended after the release of v2.2.0. That device must be replaced with a Mega 2560 Pro Mini to support the later software releases.
3 If paired with an Arduino Nano for the Neutrona Wand, this arrangement is deprecated. To continue using the DIY Arduino Mega you will need to upgrade the Neutrona Wand to use the GPStar Neutrona Wand PCB or a Mega 2560 Pro Mini.
Download and install the Arduino IDE. This will be used to compile and upload the code to your Proton Pack and Neutrona Wand.
The following libraries are required to be installed. All can be found within the Arduino Library Manager with the app. Go to Sketch -> Include Library -> Manage Libraries... to access the Library Manager. Search for the libraries by name and install the latest version available.
- ArduinoINA219 by Flavius Bindea (1.1.1+)
- CRC32 by Christopher Baker (2.0.0+)
- digitalWriteFast by Watterott and Armin Joachimsmeyer (1.2.0+)
- ezButton by ArduinoGetStarted.com (1.0.6+)
- FastLED by Daniel Garcia (3.7.0+)
- Ramp by Sylvain Garnavault (0.6.1+)
- SafeString by Matthew Ford (4.1.33+)
- SerialTransfer by PowerBroker2 (3.1.3+)
- Simple ht16k33 Library by Ipaseen (1.0.2+)
- Switch by Albert van Dalen (1.2.4+)
- GPStar Audio Serial Library by Michael Rajotte (1.2.0+)
You will also need some basic Boards libraries:
- Arduino AVR Boards by Arduino (1.8.6+)
- Arduino megaAVR Boards by Arduino (1.8.8+)
If you are flashing updates to your existing setup, make sure that both your Proton Pack and Neutrona Wand Micro SD Cards have all the latest sound effects from this repository.
Use the included FTDI to USB programming cable that comes with your GPStar kit or use any other suitable FTDI 5V basic serial connector. The UART Pins on the PCB should align with with the standard wire order for FTDI-to-USB cables which use a single Dupont 6-pin connector. Observe these common colours and notes to ensure proper orientation:
- The ground pin will typically be a black wire, while VCC will typically be red.
- The DTR pin on the PCB will connect to a wire labelled either DTR or RTS.
- Any wire labelled CTS will be connected to the 2nd pin labelled GND on the PCB.
- Be careful to not reverse the connector!
Once your have connected your GPStar board to your computer via the FTDI to USB cable, you will need to select it from your devices in the Arduino IDE and search for "2560" as these use the "Mega 2560" microcontroller.
Next click on the UPLOAD button (arrow pointing to the right) and wait for it to complete.
Firmware Flashing Instructional Video (YouTube)
To modify defaults within the software, please see the Advanced Configuration guide.