» Development Tool</h1> <article> <h1>USB Development Board</h1> <p>jer — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 11:57:41 +0000</p> <p style="text-align: center;"></p> <p>USB has established itself as the new standard for connectivity. That is why USB connectivity has become the “holy grail” of most embedded applications.</p> <p>Well, let me get straight to the point. If you want to start developing projects with USB interface, you want to have the proper development tools. To have the tools that you need, you either have to buy or to do-it-yourself.</p> <p>If you want to build a USB development board yourself, here is one for you.<span id="more-176"></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"></p> <p style="text-align: center;"></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><script type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"></script> </p> <p> This development board features Microchip’s PIC18F4550. This development board is a simplified version of <a href="http://www.microchip.com/stellent/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=1406&dDocName=en021940">Microchip’s PICDEM Full Speed USB</a>. It has one trimmer for ADC, LEDs, push buttons, and USB connector. Most of the pins of PIC18F4550 are brought out to header connectors. It is powered by USB port. Lastly, it is compatible with <a href="http://www.microchip.com/stellent/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=2680&dDocName=en537044">Microchip’s MCHPFSUSB USB Framework</a>.</p> <p>Since this development board is a simplified PICDEM FS USB board, hex files can be loaded to PIC18F4550 using the USB bootloader provided by Microchip. Microchip also provided a software tool to download hex files to PIC18F4550.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"></p> <p style="text-align: center;"> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <script type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"></script> </p> <p style="text-align: left;">Here is a video of my development board in action.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RYEouDEhILg" /> </embed></object></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><script type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"></script> </p> <p>Aside from the software tool, Microchip also provides a lot of application notes, sample codes, and libraries to help developers in developing USB embedded applications.</p> <p>I tried writing a simple code using CDC and here is the video.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lAA58gHTYWc" /></object></p> <p style="text-align: left;"> </p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Download</strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;">The schematic of the board can be downloaded <a href="http://voltsandbytes.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/pic18f4550-board.zip">here</a>. You will need Eagle CAD to open the schematic file.</p> </article> <article> <h1>Handy FPGA Laboratory</h1> <p>jer — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:12:15 +0000</p> <p style="text-align: left;">Want to learn real digital hardware design? You might want to consider <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field-programmable_gate_array">Field Programmable Grid Arrays or FPGAs</a>. There are a lot of FPGA learning kits available today. Some are specially designed to target developments of commercial projects which are, of course, very expensive. Some are a little bit price friendly specially for students and FPGA newbies (like me).</p> <p style="text-align: center;"></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span id="more-167"></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><script type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"></script> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><script type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"></script> </p> <p style="text-align: left;">I got one FPGA development board designed by <a href="http://www.digilentinc.com/">Digilent</a> which is the <a href="http://www.digilentinc.com/Products/Detail.cfm?Prod=BASYS&Nav1=Products&Nav2=Programmable">Basys FPGA board</a> (there is already a newer version – <a href="http://www.digilentinc.com/Products/Detail.cfm?NavPath=2,400,790&Prod=BASYS2">Basys2</a>). The regular price is USD79 and the academic price is USD59. I got mine from <a href="http://www.ebay.com/">ebay</a> for USD49 – of course, it is already used.</p> <p>So, what does this FPGA board feature?</p> <ul> <li>The on-board FPGA is from the Spartan 3-E FPGA family of <a href="http://www.xilinx.com/">Xilinx</a>.</li> <li>It has on board I/O devices – 7-segment displays, LEDs, slide, switches, and push buttons.</li> <li>It has one VGA port and one PS/2 port.</li> <li>It has external I/O connectors.</li> <li>It can be powered by USB or wall DC adaptor.</li> <li>It has on-board oscillator – 25, 50, and 100MHz.</li> <li>It has on-board flash configuration ROM.</li> <li>It can be configured using the on-board USB board!</li> </ul> <p>Pretty complete, isn’t it?</p> <p>Indeed, it is a handy FPGA laboratory…</p> <p style="text-align: center;"></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><script type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"></script> </p> </article> <article> <h1>All-in-One AVR Development Tool</h1> <p>jer — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:35:22 +0000</p> <p>If you are an <a href="http://www.atmel.com/products/avr/default.asp?family_id=607">AVR</a> fan, you must be familiar with most of <a href="http://www.atmel.com/dyn/products/tools.asp?family_id=607">Atmel’s AVR development tools</a>:<strong> STK500</strong>, <strong>AVR Studio</strong>, <strong>AVRISP</strong>, <strong>AVR TJAGICE</strong>, <strong>AVR JTAGICE mkII</strong>, <strong>AVRISP mkII</strong>, <strong>STK600</strong>, etc. But there is one Atmel AVR development tool that provides ISP programming, High Voltage Programming, and debugging which comes in small form, beautiful box, and cheap price. </p> <p>The development tool that I am talking about is the <strong>AVR Dragon</strong>.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><script type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"></script> </p> <p><span id="more-152"></span>AVR Dragon is highlighting <strong>In-System-Programming</strong>, <strong>High Voltage Serial</strong> and <strong>Parallel Programming</strong>,<strong> JTAG</strong>, and <strong>debugWire</strong>. You can almost do all kinds of programming and debugging methods with those features. Aside from that, the PC communication and power is provided by USB. It is fully supported by the free AVR Studio IDE which makes developing AVR projects very fast.</p> <p>Using the AVR Dragon requires some hardware setup first. Each target AVR MCU must be connected to the proper header pins provided with the board. However, the user must provide and solder the other remaining header pins to fully use it. Also, one major drawback of the AVR dragon is that it does not come with wire connectors and USB cable.</p> <p>All in all, I am a very satisfied user of AVR Dragon and it saved me from a lot of hassles. For a retail price of USD49, it gives me the comfort that i deserve when it comes to developing projects using my favorite AVR microcontrollers.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><script type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"></script> </p> </article> </main></body></html>