Distance - Color RGBLED + Distance sensor HC-SR04 (having strange results)

@Gordon @allObjects I was hoping to borrow some more of your knowledge.

I have finally received my DMX shield, it got caught in customs it seems.

I may need a push in the right direction on how to wire it up to my project. I have decided to use a pico instead now because of size in the enclosure I have (assuming it is up to the job).

As far as I can see I should be able to use mostly the same pins on the pico as the full size espruino:

For HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Sensor x3

Espr --- Pico
A0 ---> A0 (trig)
A1 ---> A1 (echo)
A2 ---> A2 (trig)
A3 ---> A3 (echo)
A4 ---> A4 (trig)
A5 ---> A5 (echo)

Now I need to replace the Serial port which I was using for the RGB strip with USART_RX & USART_TX:

PICO
B6 --- Transmit
B7 --- Receive

These need to be hooked up to the DMX shield, I assume like so:

PICO --- DMX

B6 --- RX 0
B7 --- TX 1
(assuming RX on PICO goes to TX on the shield and vice versa, or do I have that backwards)

I then need to work out how to send the data as Uint8Array(512) instead of send4bit, I am not sure on this part.

And then finally, there is the power. I have a 5v 3a power supply, I assume that this should be able to power the pico and the shield together (though I am unsure of the current pulled by the DMX shield). The shield has a 5v pin, so that should be easy, however I am not certain I can put 5v straight to the pico without blowing things up, am I save to plug 5v into the pico 3.3 pin or do I need to step it down first?

Finally I can connect all of the grounds together and cross my fingers she works.

Can one of you guys confirm I am on the right track, I appreciate your time.

Summary:

• Will A0 to A5 on pico work the same as A0 to A5 on Espruino?
  
• Will RX on pico goes to TX on the shield, or does RX on pico go to RX on shield
  
• How do I send Uint8Array(512) RGB data to a specific DMX channel
  
• Can I safely put 5v 3a direct to pico?
  
  

Reference:

DMX Shield: https://www.tindie.com/products/Conceptinetics/dmx-shield-for-arduino-remote-device-management-capable/ - I cant seem to find any diagrams docs on the shiend
PICO: http://www.espruino.com/Pico
ESPRUINO: http://www.espruino.com/EspruinoBoard

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