I teach high school robotics and our introductory course uses Arduinos as the microcontroller. While I do like the Arduino Web Editor as they have fixed some of the bugs over the last couple of years there is one problem to the free version. There is a daily limit on compiler time and sometimes students run up against that limit, usually as they are about done solving the problem they have. I like everything else about the IDE as we use Chromebooks at our school which precludes using the desktop software. I tried Codebender but it is limited to 30 lines in a sketch. Does anyone have another alternative they have found?

 

This isn't something I know anything about, but out of curiosity poked around the internet for a bit. It looks like you could download the chromeduino project and create your own local server / compiler. It will probably be harder to convince the right people to make it happen than to actually do it.

 

This isn't something I know anything about, but out of curiosity poked around the internet for a bit. It looks like you could download the chromeduino project and create your own local server / compiler. It will probably be harder to convince the right people to make it happen than to actually do it.

I have looked into that a little and you are right. Setting up a server like that is not a project that our IT department likes us to engage in. Thank you though for the suggestion.

 

I have looked into that a little and you are right. Setting up a server like that is not a project that our IT department likes us to engage in. Thank you though for the suggestion.

Perhaps you can get your IT department to become a part of the project. Assisting in educational technology is a feather in the cap sort of thing. It could be a good look to participate in a STEM effort, and to be helping in the academy.

Perhaps approach them for help rather than permission and pith it as a cooperative project between IT and instruction to increase STEM education efforts. I have an educational IT background, and I believe with the right approach you could gain an ally rather than an obstacle.

 

Welcome to AAC!

there is one problem to the free version

Does this mean that there's a paid version that your school won't purchase?

 

Setting up a server like that is not a project that our IT department likes us to engage in.

That was kind of what I was thinking.

The good thing about something like chromeduino is nobody would ever need access to the system itself. Just the person who set it up and is in charge of keeping things going. No login to setup, permissions to modify, or anything of that nature. It might take a dedicated PC (or maybe even a simple PI if it would be fast enough) depending on the OS the school servers are running. I'm sure there is someone in the IT department that would be willing to make a case for your class and have the knowledge to make it work with the security standards required.

 

Welcome to AAC!

Does this mean that there's a paid version that your school won't purchase?

It is not that we cannot purchase it. That would mean we need to sacrifice something else, like tools or equipment. I teach in a public school where funds are limited so we need to make these kinds of choices.

 

Perhaps you can get your IT department to become a part of the project. Assisting in educational technology is a feather in the cap sort of thing. It could be a good look to participate in a STEM effort, and to be helping in the academy.

Perhaps approach them for help rather than permission and pith it as a cooperative project between IT and instruction to increase STEM education efforts. I have an educational IT background, and I believe with the right approach you could gain an ally rather than an obstacle.

That is not as simple of a solution as one thinks. I have been working in this district for 18 years. Ten years ago I would suspect their would have been no problem. Attitudes within the growing IT department have changed over that time however. I like the Chromeduino concept and I am sure I could build it - it would be fun to build. It is a more complicated situation than just building it. I do appreciate the suggestions though.

 

That is not as simple of a solution as one thinks. I have been working in this district for 18 years. Ten years ago I would suspect their would have been no problem. Attitudes within the growing IT department have changed over that time however. I like the Chromeduino concept and I am sure I could build it - it would be fun to build. It is a more complicated situation than just building it. I do appreciate the suggestions though.

Sorry to hear that. Maybe you could set it up without connecting it to their network.