Recommendation on embedded systems

M

Maxwell

Guest
I am considering buying a development system for chip level programming and
wonder what most experts recommend to someone in my position.



I have very little electronics experience other that understanding what the
basic components are <supposed> to do. But I have spent a little time
programming in C, as well as a entry level college coarse a few years ago,
and wrote a few custom Dos utilities with it. I have done a lot of
programming in dBase, and simply chose C for those few times when I needed
to get a little closer to the metal.



I don't plan to do enough projects for chip cost to become much of a factor,
just hobby stuff that will be used in my own manufacturing business. So I
have drifted away from the thought of something as complex as AVG, and am
considering the C-stamp, guessing it is superior to the Basic Stamp, and
more suitable to my past experience. It also seems future experience with
something like the C-stamp might be more useful to graduating up to
something like the AVG someday, than experience with the Basic stamp would,
but just a wag.



Just wondering about suggestions of the group, on these products, or any
others. At this point I'm not locked in to anything.



Thanks for you thoughts and taking time to write,

Max
 
Visit avrfreaks.net and look in the 'tools' area under 'dev boards' for
inexpensive boards with atmel AVR cpu.
 
On Wed, 24 Jan 2007 11:50:43 -0600, "Maxwell" <luv2fly99@cox.net> wrote:

I am considering buying a development system for chip level programming and
wonder what most experts recommend to someone in my position.



I have very little electronics experience other that understanding what the
basic components are <supposed> to do. But I have spent a little time
programming in C, as well as a entry level college coarse a few years ago,
and wrote a few custom Dos utilities with it. I have done a lot of
programming in dBase, and simply chose C for those few times when I needed
to get a little closer to the metal.



I don't plan to do enough projects for chip cost to become much of a factor,
just hobby stuff that will be used in my own manufacturing business. So I
have drifted away from the thought of something as complex as AVG, and am
considering the C-stamp, guessing it is superior to the Basic Stamp, and
more suitable to my past experience. It also seems future experience with
something like the C-stamp might be more useful to graduating up to
something like the AVG someday, than experience with the Basic stamp would,
but just a wag.



Just wondering about suggestions of the group, on these products, or any
others. At this point I'm not locked in to anything.



Thanks for you thoughts and taking time to write,

Max
Click to expand...
If you know C programming then I'd go with the TI msp430. I have the $20 usb
programmer eZ430-F2013 Development Tool in a USB Stick

http://www.ti.com/corp/docs/landing/ez430tool/index.htm
 
You want to make a living working with these things? Then maybe you
need to know which processor has most designs... not necessarily most
copies shipped (like washing machines, coffee pots). The nominees
are... Microchip PIC, Atmel AVR, Freescale HC12, Intel 8051s, TI MSP,
please complete the list. These are not DSPs or 32 bit desktop class
CPUs like ARMs and Power PCs. "The envelope please.... And the winner
is..... Atmel AVR! On behalf of all the AVR programmers in the world,
I'd like to accept this award and thank the embedded engineers of the
world for voting for AVR as the best and fastest embedded
microcontroller. Goodnight! Drive home safely!" I invite rebuttals
and anecdotal evidence to the contrary.
 
Don't buy atmel crap they are a bunch of crooks...
http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Story/Story.aspx?guid=%7bC65C5E7A-2D9E-443C-8106-882D7A541EE5%7d&siteid=yhoo&dist=yhoo
 
"maxfoo" <maxfoo@punkass.com> wrote in message
news:r3dhr21e4dumar1b1bfh182gjjidr88d1g@4ax.com...
If you know C programming then I'd go with the TI msp430. I have the $20
usb
programmer eZ430-F2013 Development Tool in a USB Stick

http://www.ti.com/corp/docs/landing/ez430tool/index.htm
Click to expand...
What do you feel the strengths of the TI MSP430 are when compared to one of
the stamps, or something like the AVR family of chips?
 
"BobG" <bobgardner@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1169742426.756383.246060@v33g2000cwv.googlegroups.com...
You want to make a living working with these things? Then maybe you
need to know which processor has most designs... not necessarily most
copies shipped (like washing machines, coffee pots). The nominees
are... Microchip PIC, Atmel AVR, Freescale HC12, Intel 8051s, TI MSP,
please complete the list. These are not DSPs or 32 bit desktop class
CPUs like ARMs and Power PCs. "The envelope please.... And the winner
is..... Atmel AVR! On behalf of all the AVR programmers in the world,
I'd like to accept this award and thank the embedded engineers of the
world for voting for AVR as the best and fastest embedded
microcontroller. Goodnight! Drive home safely!" I invite rebuttals
and anecdotal evidence to the contrary.
Click to expand...
I won't be making my living with these things, my interest is just for a
hobby. That's why I was considering the C-stamp. Considering the number of
projects I intend, which will be few, I was hoping the stamp would shorten
the learing curve. Would it not? And would it not be easy to tranition to
AVR later if I felt inclined?
 
MSP430 has 16 bit regs, so it might do certain apps needing 16 bit ops
better than an AVR, which has 8 bit regs. I guess some artificial
benchmark that added up lots of 8 bit numbers would run at 20 mips on a
20 mhz avr, but the same app adding up 16 bit numbers would slow down
by half, and the MSP430 might actually beat it. Does the MSP430 run at
20 mhz?
 
On Thu, 25 Jan 2007 13:13:18 -0600, "Maxwell" <luv2fly99@cox.net> wrote:

"maxfoo" <maxfoo@punkass.com> wrote in message
news:r3dhr21e4dumar1b1bfh182gjjidr88d1g@4ax.com...

If you know C programming then I'd go with the TI msp430. I have the $20
usb
programmer eZ430-F2013 Development Tool in a USB Stick

http://www.ti.com/corp/docs/landing/ez430tool/index.htm


What do you feel the strengths of the TI MSP430 are when compared to one of
the stamps, or something like the AVR family of chips?
Click to expand...
Can't compare cuz I never used a stamp.
For $20 the Ez430 development kit is well worth it. It comes with a limited
IAR-C compiler. If $20 is too much, then go to one of TI's free seminars. They
give the development kits free to all the attendees.
 
"maxfoo" <maxfoo@punkass.com> wrote in message
news:uf4jr2lvju4d4783bg7mumj2phfvlu8tmq@4ax.com...
What do you feel the strengths of the TI MSP430 are when compared to one
of
the stamps, or something like the AVR family of chips?


Can't compare cuz I never used a stamp.
For $20 the Ez430 development kit is well worth it. It comes with a
limited
IAR-C compiler. If $20 is too much, then go to one of TI's free seminars.
They
give the development kits free to all the attendees.


Sounds like an excellent deal from a cost stand point, but if investing $100
Click to expand...
to $200 for an education package will get me in to something with a shorter
learing curve, I probably have to consider it worth it. So within reason,
cost really isn't part of my selection criteria.
 
On 2007-01-25, BobG <bobgardner@aol.com> wrote:
MSP430 has 16 bit regs, so it might do certain apps needing 16 bit ops
better than an AVR, which has 8 bit regs.
Click to expand...
It has 3 16-bit regs. (in addition to stack poinnter and PC)
but yeah 16 bit operations take 2 cycles (vs 1 for 8 bit.)

I guess some artificial
benchmark that added up lots of 8 bit numbers would run at 20 mips on a
20 mhz avr, but the same app adding up 16 bit numbers would slow down
by half, and the MSP430 might actually beat it. Does the MSP430 run at
20 mhz?
Click to expand...
some will do 16.


--

Bye.
Jasen
 
On Jan 25, 3:50 am, "Maxwell" <luv2fl...@cox.net> wrote:
I am considering buying a development system for chip level programming and
wonder what most experts recommend to someone in my position.

I have very little electronics experience other that understanding what the
basic components are <supposed> to do. But I have spent a little time
programming in C, as well as a entry level college coarse a few years ago,
and wrote a few custom Dos utilities with it. I have done a lot of
programming in dBase, and simply chose C for those few times when I needed
to get a little closer to the metal.

I don't plan to do enough projects for chip cost to become much of a factor,
just hobby stuff that will be used in my own manufacturing business. So I
have drifted away from the thought of something as complex as AVG, and am
considering the C-stamp, guessing it is superior to the Basic Stamp, and
more suitable to my past experience. It also seems future experience with
something like the C-stamp might be more useful to graduating up to
something like the AVG someday, than experience with the Basic stamp would,
but just a wag.

Just wondering about suggestions of the group, on these products, or any
others. At this point I'm not locked in to anything.

Thanks for you thoughts and taking time to write,

Max
Click to expand...
The PIC-AXE is by far the easiest introduction, and the easiest way to
get a "no-fuss" project working. You don't even need to write code if
you don't want to, you can use flowcharts.
PICAXE killed the BASIC Stamp's market.
http://www.rev-ed.co.uk/picaxe/
http://www.picaxe.org/

Dave :)
 
"David L. Jones" <altzone@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1170043449.176099.31210@l53g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
On Jan 25, 3:50 am, "Maxwell" <luv2fl...@cox.net> wrote:
I am considering buying a development system for chip level programming
and
wonder what most experts recommend to someone in my position.

I have very little electronics experience other that understanding what
the
basic components are <supposed> to do. But I have spent a little time
programming in C, as well as a entry level college coarse a few years
ago,
and wrote a few custom Dos utilities with it. I have done a lot of
programming in dBase, and simply chose C for those few times when I
needed
to get a little closer to the metal.

I don't plan to do enough projects for chip cost to become much of a
factor,
just hobby stuff that will be used in my own manufacturing business. So I
have drifted away from the thought of something as complex as AVG, and am
considering the C-stamp, guessing it is superior to the Basic Stamp, and
more suitable to my past experience. It also seems future experience with
something like the C-stamp might be more useful to graduating up to
something like the AVG someday, than experience with the Basic stamp
would,
but just a wag.

Just wondering about suggestions of the group, on these products, or any
others. At this point I'm not locked in to anything.

Thanks for you thoughts and taking time to write,

Max

The PIC-AXE is by far the easiest introduction, and the easiest way to
get a "no-fuss" project working. You don't even need to write code if
you don't want to, you can use flowcharts.
PICAXE killed the BASIC Stamp's market.
http://www.rev-ed.co.uk/picaxe/
http://www.picaxe.org/

Dave :)
Click to expand...
Do they have a US distributor for their products, or would I have to order
from the UK or NZ? And if so, how much expense and lead time does that add
to most UPS orders?
 
On Feb 1, 3:09 am, "Maxwell" <luv2fl...@cox.net> wrote:
"David L. Jones" <altz...@gmail.com> wrote in messagenews:1170043449.176099.31210@l53g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...



On Jan 25, 3:50 am, "Maxwell" <luv2fl...@cox.net> wrote:
I am considering buying a development system for chip level programming
and
wonder what most experts recommend to someone in my position.

I have very little electronics experience other that understanding what
the
basic components are <supposed> to do. But I have spent a little time
programming in C, as well as a entry level college coarse a few years
ago,
and wrote a few custom Dos utilities with it. I have done a lot of
programming in dBase, and simply chose C for those few times when I
needed
to get a little closer to the metal.

I don't plan to do enough projects for chip cost to become much of a
factor,
just hobby stuff that will be used in my own manufacturing business. So I
have drifted away from the thought of something as complex as AVG, and am
considering the C-stamp, guessing it is superior to the Basic Stamp, and
more suitable to my past experience. It also seems future experience with
something like the C-stamp might be more useful to graduating up to
something like the AVG someday, than experience with the Basic stamp
would,
but just a wag.

Just wondering about suggestions of the group, on these products, or any
others. At this point I'm not locked in to anything.

Thanks for you thoughts and taking time to write,

Max

The PIC-AXE is by far the easiest introduction, and the easiest way to
get a "no-fuss" project working. You don't even need to write code if
you don't want to, you can use flowcharts.
PICAXE killed the BASIC Stamp's market.
http://www.rev-ed.co.uk/picaxe/
http://www.picaxe.org/

Dave :)

Do they have a US distributor for their products, or would I have to order
from the UK or NZ? And if so, how much expense and lead time does that add
to most UPS orders?
Click to expand...
From:
http://www.rev-ed.co.uk/picaxe/distributors.htm
Gives:
http://www.world-educational-services.net/cart/
as the official US distributor.

Dave :)
 
In article <U%Mth.76668$Yu6.66556@newsfe16.lga>,
Maxwell <luv2fly99@cox.net> wrote:
I don't plan to do enough projects for chip cost to become much of a factor,
just hobby stuff that will be used in my own manufacturing business. So I
have drifted away from the thought of something as complex as AVG, and am
considering the C-stamp, guessing it is superior to the Basic Stamp, and
more suitable to my past experience.
Click to expand...
Another thing you might look at is the Arduino. Like the Stamp, it's a
common microcontroller (in this case an Atmel ATmega8) on a carrier board,
plus a development environment. The Arduino's language is C with some
preprocessing to make some tasks easier.

--
Wim Lewis <wiml@hhhh.org>, Seattle, WA, USA. PGP keyID 27F772C1
 
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