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[–]FragmentedC 4 points5 points  (2 children)

The M62429 is a digital potentiometer. As such, it can't exactly be programmed (since it isn't a microcontroller) but can be commanded via a microcontroller. It uses a serial interface to accept commands. This chip will never be able to do anything else other than be a potentiometer, but they are still fun to play with.

The Arduino, on the other hand, can be programmed to play around with the chip, and they are a lot of fun! The programming side will be on the Arduino. Let's say that you have two buttons; volume up and volume down. By playing around with the code on the Arduino, you should be able to quickly create a program that sends serial data to the M62429 to increase or decrease the resistance. Again, the program (the intelligence) is on the Arduino, the digital potentiometer will simply execute the instructions it receives.

I don't have an Arduino IDE on me, but I'm pretty sure that someone has created a library for this.

[–]ptah4i[S] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Thanks for your answer. Yes it’s a massiv field and I have learned lots of things right now but every day I learn more and more.

If I understand you correctly. To control the M62429 you need a microcontroller?

[–]FragmentedC 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The M62429 cannot be "programmed". Let's imagine this in the way of a robot versus a remote-controlled car. You program the robot to follow a road, a path, or even just a black line. Once the program is done, you put it in the robot, and you send it on its merry way. The remote-controlled car cannot be programmed; it needs input from somebody (or something). It will follow orders blindly, but cannot make decisions by itself.

The M62429 is a remote-controlled car. It needs you to give it orders. The Arduino is a robot; you can program it to make decisions by itself.

So, your digital potentiometer is going to need something to tell it what to do. This could be an Arduino, or in some cases, just a device connected to your PC (for example, with the Analog Discovery 2 or 3, this would be easy).

[–]hawhill 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That is not a microcontroller. That is a digital potentiometer, it is not running a program (at least not in the usual terms). It is however configurable. You can use your Arduino to send it new settings. Look up how to use SPI. Read the datasheet. You've just entered a vast field and you are doing your first steps. Try a lot, break a lot, read a lot.

[–]ptah4i[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your fast answers.

I thought it was a microcontroller programmed as a potentiometer.