zeke

Boards are finally here, passed the smoke test. Will do some serial mode tests before mounting the control board.
Now I need to find a nice box for it, probably some junction box.
 


 
Optional 595 mounted on the bottom, used for serial mode.

 
And here it is with the control board

Oh, really?

Yikes! Texas Instruments fixes a wrong and we complain? I applaud TI for fixing the problems with the first LP version.
TI, please don't even think about reversing your decision. You have it right now!
 
o New chips, Yay! The msp430g2553 and msp4302452 are much better chips for the first time msp430 user. More memory, more pins, real UART, more more more. Why would TI want the first impressions of the 430 to be small, small, small. Too bad the first version shipped with those cost sensitive chips. It is hard to change first impressions. How many potential users did they alienate with the first version?
 
o Fixed the TX/RX problem! I like the elegant solution that lets you use either chip without having to supply any F-F jumpers.
 
o Standard Launchpad device configuration! A standard device configuration means booster boards can ship with headers already mounted. No more wondering what the user might have. I don't have a problem with pre-soldered headers. I haven't run with the chips in my Launchpad socket since about day 4. I put my msp430 chips on a breadboard and makes it a lot easier to prototype.
 
Good Job TI!
 
-rick

Another sleepless weekend ahead New boards are here.
 

Whilst we're waiting, http://tiedeals.com apparently has 45%-75% off first quality brand name silk neckwear.
 
I must type more carefully.

New boards came in. Passed smoke test. This version has two input switches and has support for USCI and USI hardware, selectable via solder jumpers.
 

Usually, replacing the msp430 is the quickest way of determining if there's a hardware issue.
 
If you want to do a complete root cause analysis then you have to start fresh with code that you know will work.
 
In this case, you want to exercise the DCO to make certain that it is operating fully and properly. I recommend that you try out the TI sample C program "clks". This is it:
 

//****************************************************************************** // MSP430x26x Demo - Basic Clock, Output Buffered SMCLK, ACLK and MCLK/10 // // Description: Buffer ACLK on P5.6, SMCLK(DCO) on P5.5, MCLK on P5.4 and // MCLK/10 on P5.3. // ACLK = LFXT1 = 32768Hz, MCLK = SMCLK = CALxxx_8MHZ = 8MHz // //* External watch crystal on XIN XOUT is required for ACLK *// // // MSP430F261x/241x // ----------------- // /|\| XIN|- // | | | 32kHz // --|RST XOUT|- // | | // | P5.6|-->ACLK = 32kHz // | P5.5|-->SMCLK = 8MHz // | P5.4|-->MCLK = DCO // | P5.3|-->MCLK/10 // // B. Nisarga // Texas Instruments Inc. // September 2007 // Built with CCE Version: 3.2.0 and IAR Embedded Workbench Version: 3.42A //****************************************************************************** #include "msp430x26x.h" void main(void) { WDTCTL = WDTPW + WDTHOLD; // Stop Watchdog Timer if (CALBC1_8MHZ ==0xFF || CALDCO_8MHZ == 0xFF) { while(1); // If calibration constants erased // do not load, trap CPU!! } BCSCTL1 = CALBC1_8MHZ; // Set DCO to 8MHz DCOCTL = CALDCO_8MHZ; P5DIR |= 0x78; // P5.6,5,4,3 outputs P5SEL |= 0x70; // P5.6,5,4 options while (1) // 10 MCLK cycle loop { P5OUT |= 0x08; // P5.3 = 1 P5OUT &= ~0x08; // P5.3 = 0 } }
 
Bust out your oscilloscope and measure the signals on pins P5:3,4,5 & 6.
 
Make sure that they are what they ought to be.
 
If they are then you can conclude that your program is doing something not quite right.
 
If they are not doing what they ought to be then replace the chip and try again.
 
Let us know how it goes.

This weekend, I've been routing a pcb.
 

 

 
What do you think?

I came across an article at EE Times titled "Evaluating PCB layout tools: A board developer's perspective".
 
It compares Cadence Allegro, Mentor Graphics PADs and Altium Designer.
 
It's a good, short read that should enlighten anyone who is contemplating these professional level CAD tools.
 
Here's a pdf of the article:
http___www.eetimes.com_General_PrintView_4230951.pdf

Sure.
 
Finished routing:

this is my entry to 2011 Nov/Dec POTM.
 
been a while since my last project. the "bad apple" sound and sight reminds me of days when i spend afternoons in video arcade shop/parlor/institute? wasting my time/life. hope u enjoy.
 
original project thread http://43oh.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1961
 


 
description
 
. reproduction of the internet meme "bad apple" sound and sight, in a self contained device
. ti launchpad / msp430 low end device demo
. msp430 spi usage, bit-bang style, on two devices
. lcd module access demonstrated
. sd / mmc low level access demonstrated
. polyphonic tone generation via pwm demonstrated
 
Please post comments / suggestions in the project thread.
 
http://43oh.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1961
 
EDIT: btw, the powered speaker in the video is the "pringle's speaker" that u can get for free (almost). unfortunately the offer expired yesterday (in US), fortunately in Canada there is another month before the offer expires.

Is your msp damaged?
 
Try swapping in another msp.

I'm not too keen on the Hackintosh. I've been there, tried that, got frustrated.
 
This is what I ended up getting: http://store.apple.com/ca/product/FC936LL/A
 
Geekbench give it a 32bit score of 8611 which is just below a Mac Pro (Mid 2010) [which has an Intel Xeon W3530 2.8 GHz (4 cores)].
 
I think it will be just fine.

You can find which wire belongs to which coil by shorting them (disconnected from the controller) and turning the roto.
With 1 pair of wire shorted, if the roto cannot be turned, they belong to the same coil.
 
Polarity can then be determined by hooking up to the controller.
 

I did a little research tonight and stumbled across an App Note from TI.
 
Check out MSP430 Stepper Motor Controller:
- App Note
- source code
 
There's tons of stepper motor discussions out there. The software on all of them seem to be similar but the driver hardware isn't consistently the same. So make sure you design your circuit to handle the current that your motor will require.

Jones stepper motor tutorials seems to be the goto source of info.

Just add isopropyl alcohol and it will liquefy again. Easy Peasy.

Jones stepper motor tutorials seems to be the goto source of info.

See Output section 6 in http://www.picaxe.com/docs/picaxe_manual3.pdf

You could liquefy the rosin with some isopropyl alcohol in a small bottle.
 
Use a Q-tip to dispense it.

I don't think that soldering iron is very powerful.
 
You would have a lot more success with a soldering iron like this or this.
 
I scored one of these at a company liquidation sale. Talk about sweeeeeeet!

Page 6 of the datasheet says:
 
Stability
The ZLDO1117 requires an output capacitor as part of the device frequency compensation. As part of its improved
performance over industry standard 1117 the ZLDO1117 is suitable for use with MLCC (Multi Layer Ceramic Chip) capacitors. A minimum of 4.7?F ceramic X7R, 4.7?F tantalum, or 47 ?F of aluminum electrolytic is required. The ESR of the output capacitor should be less than 0.5?. Surface mount tantalum capacitors, which have very low ESR, are available from several manufacturers. When using MLCC capacitors avoid the use of Y5V dielectrics.
 
For the output cap, you have some latitude: You could pick:
- a 1206 sized, X7R Ceramic cap - say 22uF/6.3V or,
- a 1206 sized, X5R Ceramic cap - say 47uF/10V
 
For the input cap, I would pick a 10uf ceramic with a voltage rating specific to your application. I think the reg can handle 18V maximum so you might want to accommodate that.
 
BTW, the datasheet says that the reg needs a 100uF output only under certain conditions. If you really think that you need 100uF then put two 47uF in parallel at the output and you'll be good.
 
Does that help?

After seeing a bunch of guys doing this over the last year, I finally gave it a try yesterday. I created a board in DipTrace with the precise dimensions for the little 1.8" by 2.8" Radio Shack prototype board and I printed the silkscreen layer as an XPS file. Then I printed it out onto paper while at school yesterday. Last night I put plastic tape on both sides, cut it out, and glued it onto the prototype board. Results don't look bad, even if I do say so myself (apologies for the poor quality picture).
 
Cheerful regards, Mike

Well I am Old.
 
Made an Oatmeal box crystal radio in the 1950's. Thought Popular Science was nuts (also IT&T) in the 1960's when they made a big old fuss about the possibility of actually seeing video of the person you were on the phone with.
 
Spent a lot of time scrounging elecro-mechanical parts at various city dumps and 'makin' stuff'. Now that my Luddite Season has passed, I have discovered that it might just be pretty cool to program a circuit as opposed to ripping out a few hundred components and starting over just because you want to change a single parameter in the project. Who'da thought it?
 
Oh, and I did a little exceedingly boring aviation wizardry in the meantime.
 
That all means: I am a breadboarding freak. Having tossed all my junk (wives define things differently) and having been away from my shop for several years, I am waiting for my launchpad, fixing to learn a lot about coding, I suspect. Be gentle with me.

http://www.ti.com/ww/en/more/solutions/ ... lessdc-bhp
 
"Order Sample Kit Now" red button below the schematic. Limited to 1 kit per person.
 
There is no stock at the estore now but it does say accept back order.. Honestly I have no idea what this is for, all i know is there are 3 parts that come with this kit (for controlling motor drive).