dubnet

For a long time, I have had an interest in FPGA development. You can find boards that come with a JTAG programmer on ebay for less than $20. The following ebay link shows a board similar to the one I had purchased http://www.ebay.com/itm/361568712810  I experimented with it a lot for a while and then I probably got distracted by some new TI toy  Occasionally, I would pick it up and try different things with it. However, the cost and form factor of the chips discourages me from doing anything real with it.  For me these things are more of an educational plaything.
 
Yesterday, I noticed the neo430 project on opencores.org. It is an msp430 compatible processor implemented in VHDL. It didn't take me long to get it installed and it actually seems to work pretty well. There are some difference between the neo430 and the msp430. ( see list below for the details ) Using the Altera Cyclone II EP2C5 board I linked above I was able to use the example code to create an msp430 like device with 4K of ROM and 4K of RAM. It runs a serial bootloader over its UART peripheral and allows you to toggle the pins using its parallel port peripheral. It has a simple timer peripheral. It has its own custom peripherals and 'C' header files setup to access those. It comes all setup to use msp430-gcc as a development tool with the device you create.
 
The instructions are pretty complete neo430 instructions  , I just followed them to get started.  For my Altera chip, I used the free web edition of quartus II 13.0.1 sp1 to convert the VHDL code into a loadable bitstream. Once you load that on to the FPGA chip using the USB-Blaster, a serial terminal is used to interact with the bootloader and upload msp430-gcc compiled files.  The provided makefiles automate the msp430 code creation process.  I'm using this on linux and I had to make a few changes to point at the directory where my msp430-gcc is installed. If you are windows user it will probably just work out of the box for you.

I'll try and post more on my experiments.  In the meantime, I thought others might find it interesting.
 
Functional Diagram:

 
Memory Layout:

 

Welcome to the forum!

TI store is having another free shipping promotion through October 23 - https://store.ti.com.
 
No coupon required.

My grandson and I have been upgrading the airplane from last year.

 
In addition to the existing jet exhaust, spot light, and voice feature we have added lots more LEDs and changed the power supply to two C batteries.  Now that 1 watt spotlight on the nose can really shine.  There is a new G2553 to play a song and make space noises- we are calling it the radio - through a piezo crystal while a RGB LED provides synchronized visuals.

 
I designed a simple G2553 PCB for wearables which will be used for my granddaughter's costume.  It uses a coin cell for power and the plan is to blink LEDs.  The in thing for wearables seems to be a circular shape with gator holes but having made this one I think I'll try something different next time.

 
Last years post:  http://forum.43oh.com/topic/9004-potm-blue-angels-f-18-costume/
 

Starting point is you have an off by one eror on the loop counter: the test should be "<5", not "<6" as you are trying to do it.
 
But, I think the main issue is that A0, A1, etc are aliases for pin identities, not channel values. You might try:
const int analogpins[]={A0, A1, A2, A3, A4}; . . . . for (int i=0; i<5; i++) { sensorValue=analogRead(analogpins[i]); . . .

Hi @@morelius21
 
You are not reading A0, A1, etc. with your code.  You are reading pin numbers.  See the pin map at http://energia.nu/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/MSP430F5529.jpeg
 
In your loop, you are reading pin 0 first (doesn't exist), and then pin 1 (3.3V), etc.  What you should be doing is reading from pin 23 through 27.

It will look something like this:
> help Available commands: dm dump memory wm write to memory (32 bits) wm2 write to memory (16 bits) wm1 write to memory (8 bits) dw digitalWrite to pin dr digitalRead from pin aw analogWrite to pin ar analogRead from pin pri Set task priority spi SPI transfer stats Print CPU utlization info help Get information on commands. Usage: help [command] > > stats Total CPU Load: 0.1 Task info: task: Idle/0x200004ec, pri: 0, stack usage: 336/1024, mode: READY load: 99.8 task: mon_loop/0x200023b8, pri: 2, stack usage: 668/2048, mode: RUNNING load: 0.1 Hwi stack usage: 440/1024 Heap usage: 2312/56400

Time to upgrade my Nixie clock.
Here's what's new:
1. the number one complaint about my current version is battery, or lack of it, done. The new version will come with backup battery.
2. hour and minute divider (colon,) done. Added two INS-1 Nixie tubes. 
3. improved HV power supply, it is now more efficient and quieter.
Few other tiny improvements.
 
Should be ready for holiday season.
 

 

Doesn't DS1307 require 5V? The TM4C operates at 3.3V.
 
See 
RTC DS1307 interfacing with TM4C123GH6PM - New users say Hi ...,  Problem with I2C RTC DS1307 Module - Energia - MSP - 43oh, ... and perform a search with DS1307.

You may be overrunning your serial buffer. To test this, insert some 100-200ms delays between the serial.print statements and see of the output looks more like you expect.  If that fixes things you can reduce the delays experimentally until you start seeing errors in the output. This will  help determine the smallest delays that will work. 

There are plenty of 3G USB dongles on AliExpress. E.g. this one:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/beautiful-white-3g-sim-card-modem/520949234.html
 
The question is of course, if there are Linux drivers for it. But at least Windows 2000 is supported :-)

No you can't, since your SPI device can send data through P1.6 to your MSP430, you can't make certain that no accidental START token is present on the pins during SPI mode.
Also, I2C pins are common-collector; they use a pull up resistor and only pull the line down. While SPI is push-pull; it driver the line either high or low. Driving the line high while your I2C device (accidentally, after interpreting a START token) pulls it low might cause damage to the driver on either side of the line.
A way to maybe make it possible is by having some external hardware to disable SCL while in SPI mode. Since in SPI mode you'd have your CS# line low, you could use a single transistor to have P1.6 disconnect from your SCL net during SPI mode.
+3v3 | | +-+ |2| |k| |2| +-+ | +-+----------> to device SCL pin | |/ C MSP430 CS# pin--| NPN-transistor |\ E | | MSP430 P1.6 ------+------------< to device MISO pin

[NOTE]
Before you bother trying to find this deal,  read this post:
http://forum.43oh.com/topic/10050-ccs-70-will-be-available-without-license-requiremens/
 
and this TI web page:
http://processors.wiki.ti.com/index.php/CCSv7_Changes
"Licensing
With the release of Code Composer Studio v7 TI is no longer charging for licenses. You can simply download the tool and start using it. Along with this the end user license agreement has changed to a simple TSPA compatible license."
 
[/NOTE]
 
I didn't see anyone else mention this offer so here it is. Use the link below to buy the promo version of a G2 launchpad bundled with a node locked full version of CCS for only *$9.99:

https://store.ti.com/MSP430G2-LaunchPad-Development-Kit-With-Code-Composer-Studio-Promotion-P50861.aspx

-rick
 
[Edit]
* price is $9.99 + plus shipping
[/Edit]

I don't have a BeagleBone, but found these two articles from Ken Shirriff very insightful.
 
The BeagleBone's I/O pins: inside the software stack that makes them work
http://www.righto.com/2016/08/the-beaglebones-io-pins-inside-software.html
 
PRU tips: Understanding the BeagleBone's built-in microcontrollers
http://www.righto.com/2016/08/pru-tips-understanding-beaglebones.html
 
Like all his articles, these are long and VERY detailed. Solidly in the "all you ever wanted to know about.."  category.
 
I suspect (hope) there are more BeagleBone articles coming.

Hooleygan,
 
Sorry to say, but you've got multiple, steep, learning curves ahead.
First, regarding your loop code (the while() statements). 
...while (Run_value = 1)...
You are assigning the value of 1 to Run_value, not testing it. Same with the following statement intended to test for zero.
To test for equality you need to use the "==" operator, not the "=" operator.  This can happen to experienced programmers too, as a typo.
Some use the following syntax so the compiler will generate an error:  while(1== Run_value), if you inadvertently attempt to assign with while( 1 = Run_value), the compiler will stop and tell you that you can't assign to a constant.
As to your bigger problem, a beginning micro class where the professor is either unaware of, or choosing to ignore your lack of prior programming skills, you really do need to sit down with him/her and sort out a plan. Further, in most institutions, the course catalog and syllabus are the "contract" regarding requirements for a course.  If your instructor is basically running a course that does not adhere to the "contract" you might have grounds to have a more assertive conversation - though that may have unwanted consequences. 
Ultimately, you are at such a tremendous disadvantage if the course continues as you've described, your best bet may be to cut your losses and postpone the course.
FWIW, in real life I'm an asst. professor of nursing in an accelerated program, so I see the "deer in the headlights" look with some frequency.  You have to decide how best to handle your situation, whether it's a quick exit, or planning to do a long stretch of 20-hr days.  If you decide to proceed, find the smartest, sympathetic classmate to buddy-up with.  My nursing students employ that technique on a regular basis, and it is a strategy with a high success rate.
Best of luck!
Bob

Hi,
 
As it seems to work on MSP430 device like MSP430F5529, I share it here too :
 
http://forum.43oh.com/topic/9858-energia-library-wiznet-w5100w5200w5500/
 
Ethernet_Wiznet.zip

Hi all,
 
It was a real pain in the ass to find information about interfacing LP + Wiznet ethernet chip with energia so I'm here to share my work.
 
I was looking for a library for ethernet chips from Wiznet (W5100,W5200,W5500) for TivaC series LP. The first problem I met was that as TM4C129 LP already has an ethernet.h library, I simply could not copy a new ethernet.h library for non-ethernet
Ethernet_Wiznet.zip

I like the boosterPack concept, but for my current project I needed access to all the pins on an F5529 as well as an F2013.  So, I constructed a couple of boards to plug into an MSP-TS430PN80USB in a boosterpack fashion. As is  probably obvious, I missed a couple of traces (GND lines), for which I had to add the little green wires. The top board has all my sensors, and the bottom is basically battery management and a sx1509 port expander to manage a number of LEDs.  I don't actually need the extra ports, but I wanted the sx1509's built-in LED "breathe" capability. Saves coding... -lazy programmer
I was a happy camper when I fired-up the system and was able to access and program both MCUs.
I've found that I can choose between running two instances of IAR (or CCS) and debug both micros simulaneously.  Handy for the comms and interrupt handing.
So, let the fun begin...
 
BTW - the TFT LCD is from buydisplay.com - 2.8" TFT with Cap touch (about $15.00 U.S.).  It's using the ILI9341 controller for the LCD and the FT6206 controller for the cap touch.  For proof of concept I was able to use the Adafruit sketches to connect with both, and the edits were limited to pin assignments, if I remember correctly.

I think we're currently in the AOL and CompuServe stage of IoT. Here's hope that there's an equivalent of Tim Berners-Lee out there who will invent an open and simple but good-enough way to integrate all these devices.
 
There will always be the Facebooks and Apples that try to capture their users in a closed system, but eventually the system that gives customers the right balance of simplicity and interoperability will dominate. Think HTML and REST over HTTP vs. Corba, J2EE, SOAP and many other dead sophisticated technologies that were supposed to take over the computer-to-computer communication.
 
On the "widget tied to cloud services" tangent: Today, most hardware startups are pressured by their VCs to come up with a business model with recurring revenue. See the many blog posts about hardware business on Bolt.io to get a taste of it, e.g. this one.
 
I doubt that this model is sustainable in the long run for applications where there's no real benefit for the customer to be tied to a vendor's internet service (locks, lights, litter box, fridge, ...). Having to develop and sustain an internet service adds a significant complexity, cost and time-to-market handicap. There will be hardware companies that copy the good idea (automated odor control for the litter box) without the baggage (vendor lock-in for refills, stink when the internet is down, ..), and probably they will be able to sell it to you for less money.

Money is essentially power when you simplify the concepts a bit.  Finite amounts of money usually beget finite amounts of resources, but humans require a steady stream of resources over time to achieve life, indeed death is the cessation of the continual resource train we require.
 
Thus, those who control the money flow, control life.  That is true "power".
 
And the companies vying for control over the IoT technologies know that their influence could give them structural insight & control over the development of this technology in the future, and they are betting this tech will be disruptive enough that it will become desirable-and eventually necessary for modern society (much as the cellphone has crossed this threshold I would argue), so it's a competition to see who can capture the most converts and followers and convince them to use their products.  Beware the embodied marketing behind most connected technology these days, it's all laced with puppet strings from competing companies just waiting for the right time to "pull" and orchestrate their self-serving surreptitous agenda (that is, of course, not so secret - it's the continual maximization of margin, of having the true structural capability to charge you more money for less so their rich shareholders receive ever more increasing levels of profit).
 
The value of open standards, and of open source, in this arena lies in the power of choice- when technology is based on open standards agreed upon by most, each provider and player can be kept honest by the manner in which their customers can "choose" another vendor without significant pain.  The "IoT" crap we've seen so far is anything BUT open, and open standards may still be a long ways out... initiatives like OpenThread sound promising but, when backed by a zillion companies, beware the politics of sharks when you are nothing but a clownfish.
 
However all this scary capitalism overshadows the real value of connecting things - the "emergent sum" concept, when interconnected and interrelated processes (the promise of IoT, I think?) can create qualities not otherwise intuitive or obvious.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergence
Base the tech on open standards, and we may all benefit in some form that might not be totally obvious to us until 10-20 years into the future.

Excellent project and I really like the overall design (features, board design, etc.)
 
Regarding the strange curve after transmit.  Is it possible that the RF itself may be interfering with the current measurement by inducing a small charge into the measurement circuit itself?

Wait... Cloud is so has-been! Last fad of the day is Fog computing.
 
Yes, seriously.
 
Read this Wall Street Journal's article Forget 'the Cloud'; 'the Fog' Is Tech's Future.

Hi everyone, this is my credit card size wireless sensor node,
with a 7-seg LCD display showing temperature & humidity, update every second.
using MSP430FR4133 with HDC1080,BMP180 and OPT3002, 
transmit by nRF24l01, which sends out temp,humid,pressure,luminosity and also battery voltage per minute.
 

 
It is all power by a CR2032, and thanks to MSP430FR4133, I can manage to have half an year battery life.

also thanks to MSP430RF4133 Launchpad with build-in energyTrace, I can estimate battery life with a click(no more oscilloscope  )

note that I've actually put an RF430 on the down left ot the board(there is an antenna for that),
which will act as a NFC tag, but it draws too much current (~15uA), so I took it off
and at the down right is the battery voltage measurement with a mosfet to cut the power,
but I found out that I can just measure internal voltage reference to calculate its supply voltage, so I've also remove that. 

 
although I'm pretty much satisfy with this power consumption, but I still think that 16.5uA is a little bit too far from estimating from datasheet
and I am still trying to figure that out

Polyurethane parts have come up nicely.
 

 
Main advantages of this method of rapid prototyping
Part cost is low these use about $0.05 of polyurethane resin. Parts can easily be coloured using dyes. (as demonstrated) Very little time needed for each cast (about 5 minutes) 1-2 Hour cure time 1-1 replica to original part. Of course you need to invest the time and money to make the silicone molds to begin with. So for a single part 3d printing is often the preferred approach.
 


 
The parts are a perfect fit over the button and LEDs.
 

 
 

Thanks, But don't be fooled. My setup takes quite awhile to setup. And I'm still learning all the time, The first pass I made on this cutout skipped steps somehow, ruining this enclosure.
I'd love to own some better tools But I'm going to make use of what I have right now.
 
But I took the opportunity to try some cool stuff. (note the mis-aligned cutouts at the bottom and the duplicates on the far side.)

 
Infill on my engravings and engraved pixel fonts!

 
Getting the hang of F360, slowly.


 
Working on some custom parts now. Using a molding technique using milled ren-shape, silicone and polyurethane.
Mold model

 
Blank ren-shape

 
Mid milling