Bitcoin Forum

I just wanted to open a thread to see if anyone out there would be interested in contributing to the developement of an Arduino library that would allow us to call the bitcoin network for confirmation of payment.  This would allow us to build such things as

Vending Machines
Fuel Pumps
Grain Dispensers
Carnival Rides
VoiP Payphones
Video Arcades
Intergalactic Rocket Ships
Soda Fountains

That would be wonderful, but it's a bit early for embedded systems.  We need to implement the protocals for the 'light cleint' before we would know how to proceed with interfacing an embedded system.  As far as I know, no one is currently working on the 'light client' protocals.

No one is working on them because it's not really necessary to write a new protocol for a lightweight client. Adding encryption to the JSON-RPC interface should be enough to allow a full featured but still lightweight client. It's possible right now to setup a simple PHP script that acts as a relay between the JSON-RPC service and a client connecting to your webserver using SSL.

There would need to be a concentration of bitcoiners for this to work. I suggest penetrating into a community that would be extremely receptive to bitcoins.

I don't think it would be that difficult.  I'm not saying I can do it.  I don't quite have the skills, but I think it could be something like this.

http://infinityexists.com/videos/arduino-arp-cop/

I have some experience with embedded systems and Arduino, and I see the need for a physical Bitcoin wallet.  So I will be looking into this over the next couple of weeks.

I'm just getting into Ardruino, let me know if I can help.

Not to rain on the parade, but you realize that the arduino in this vid does essentially Zero processing right?

Even if you don't do the ECDSA (which even on bare AVR is probably not possible due to memory restrictions) you still need to securely connect to something that does, which means running at least SSL(also probably impossible), and having a net connection etc.

Android is a much better platform, and thanks to the economy of scale if the cell phone market, not prohibitively expensive in an embedded application. You can pick up an unlocked older model unit to root for < $200, and once you have a working prototype, you can have a cell enabled embedded bitcoin module built for the application.

Is anybody working on this? I had a similar idea and would be interesting in helping. What about using Processing to create an app that could run on a web server, and then pipe info back in forth to the Arduino.

might be quicker to use nodejs.

I am selling the arduino's FOR bitcoins.  :) 

Since the Arduino doesn't have the processor or memory requirements to run a thin client you'd just be connecting to a bitcoind server via SSL, which seems simple enough. If that's all you need you don't even need an Arduino, why not code around something crazy cheap like the TI-MSP430? $5 for a dev board and 50 cents for the chip itself opens Bitcoin up to even lower-cost applications than the Arduino would.

Not that I'm discouraging development on Arduino, it's a great platform, I just think we need to encourage development on ALL of these platforms.

I sell Arduino for bitcoin if anyone is interested.

Don't think that'd even have enough RAM to speak TCP/IP, let alone be able to run SSL.

The idea of creating an embedded client is overkill and imo out of the question, however microcontroller integreation is undeniably important in the long run(as well as short run).  This maybe obvious to most and that's why no one has put any effort towards playing with it, but there are a lot of really cool things that could be done having an arduino rpc or serial to bitcoind to get info and then do....whatever.  I think the arduino platform is ideal because it has a large user base of open source manufacturers, hackers, tinkerers, makers etc.  with a lot of copy/paste code floating around.  A simple arduino to bitcoind or the open source bitcoin pos (https://github.com/javgh/greenaddress-pos-tools) demo could go a long way in getting some cool hardware projects going.  For starters, just to have arduino check bitcoind and look for payment and then "light up pin 13" (see video posted earlier in thread or the movie middle men  ;) ) or print "thank you for your payment 1DUW44" to 20x2 LED would be bad ass.  In fact I've got 5 btc on it to whoever can.

http://www.raspberrypi.org/

I think that a raspberry pi is a better platform for a dedicated wallet device.  Add wifi, Dash7, NFC and (maybe) a 3/4G radio to the device; a touchscreen, and a secured wallet.dat.  Allow it to use Dash7 continuously to locate both wifi hotspots to automaticly use by turning on and off the wifi radio at it's own need as well as locate other such devices to either sync blockchains with or to perform wireless transactions with in meatspace.

Even without the ability to use Bitcoin, a Raspberry Pi in a portable format with a Dash7 radio and either wifi or 3/4G would be a wicked mobile pc.  I can think of a half dozen things that I would do with it right now.

Using a wifi shield the arduino could easily interface with a central server which does the "thinking".  This would cover situations where you want multiple tiny lightweight point of sale systems in a generally small area.

+1

I'm glad to see that the Raspberry Pi might not be vaporware after all. Anyone know what the power consumption is like? Might be an awesome portable hack platform if it can run a good long time on a small LiPo cell...

after doing a little digging.  I think the best way is to have python script listen to bitcoind for payment sent to specific address and then python script posts http to arduino via ethernet shield.

so for example - you have a soda fountain with open source pos attached and you send sprite .3 bitcoins.  Python script interperets and sends aproval for .3 btcs worth of sprite.

http://bildr.org/2011/06/arduino-ethernet-pin-control/

Count me in, I have an Arduino Ethernet which was lying around until now which I think would be the ideal Platform to attempt this. I hope it has enough resources to run a client we will see :)

There already is a Json lib for it here:

http://arduino.cc/blog/2010/11/15/ajson-the-arduino-json-library-is-released-in-v1-0/

I'm not even thinking client at this point.  I think it is that, that has put people off of working on it as an interface for mechanical action.  What I mean is that I think people are over complicating what I think this project should be about.  We simply need bitcoind to verify payment and tell arduino to turn on motor/pump etc.

Think petrol pump........

Exactly!!!!

BUMP.

This would be incredibly useful in building redundant data collection and storage for IoT devices. An arduino based device would send a transaction containing sensor data, that would then be automatically stored in a p2p blockchain easily available for analysis.

Is arduino even technically capable of connecting to bitcoin network and sending transactions?

Hi Guys

Do we have any news on that? It is already almost 8 years since the subject created.
I would be interested in simple bitcoin library for Arduino. I just want to sign transactions so I can make my own hardware bitcoin wallet.

Thanks
P

That would be wonderful but it's a bit early for embedded system. And I had a similar idea and would be interesting in helping.