PADrINO = MSP430 with Arduino's footprint

[jim940 28]

The problem with the Arduino footprint is its use of a shifted by .06 header system.

 

So you cannot use cheap .100x.100 grid Prototype PCBs easily. Which doesn't matter if your only goal is to use shields or you fabricate a PCB for every design, but can be a drag when you look at the cost of Arduino compatible prototype boards.

 

Jim

[ohmselectronics 6]

I stand corrected, here is a Freescale processor with arduino's footprint

[ohmselectronics 6]

The problem with the Arduino footprint is its use of a shifted by .06 header system.

 

So you cannot use cheap .100x.100 grid Prototype PCBs easily. Which doesn't matter if your only goal is to use shields or you fabricate a PCB for every design, but can be a drag when you look at the cost of Arduino compatible prototype boards.

 

Jim

 

Hello, Ok i think there is a little missunderstanding, i am not trying to replace Launchpad nor Arduino, say if you had the need of doing some prototyping with standard headers and boards, i would use Launchpad, hey! $5 can't beat that, but let's imagine you wanted to have a CDMA or a phone capability on your embedded system, you could try developing one yourself then plug it into launchpad if you wanted to use MSP430, in the other hand you could just use PADrINO (MSP430) and the already existing shield from Arduino, same is true for motor controllers, LCD screens etc etc etc.

 

So in short, i am trying to give the MSP430 comunity access to the already existing Arduino's shields,

 

does that make sense?

 

regards

[Rickta59 589]

So in short, i am trying to give the MSP430 comunity access to the already existing Arduino's shields,

does that make sense?

 

Seems like we do. I think what others are unsuccessfully trying to suggest to you is that they might like your

board better if you added a second row of headers aligned on the standard .1" grid like the Olimex board.

 

Do the pins on your boards map to pins on the msp430 that have compatible functionality as the atmega pins?

I mean with regard to I2C, SPI, PWM, ADC, UART, etc.

 

Does the board take care of making the inputs and outputs 5 volts?

 

Are you going to create an Arduino API for the msp430f5172?

 

-rick

[jim940 28]

does that make sense?

 

Makes sense but Rick said it best ...

 

I think what others are unsuccessfully trying to suggest to you is that they might like your

board better if you added a second row of headers aligned on the standard .1" grid

 

Also these points are needed to truely make it work:

 

Do the pins on your boards map to pins on the msp430 that have compatible functionality as the atmega pins?

I mean with regard to I2C, SPI, PWM, ADC, UART, etc.

 

This is important, because the shields come as finished PCB's, and if the lines do not match, you cannot run the shield without modifications, then why use a shield in the first place?

 

Does the board take care of making the inputs and outputs 5 volts?

 

If it doesn't level shift by default, there will be a lot of dead boards floating around. Even the Arduino Pro's in 3.3V have been killed over time due to this over sight.

 

Are you going to create an Arduino API for the msp430f5172?

 

As Rick said, it needs a Arduino API (Wiring library) to make it work on the Arduino SketchPad otherwise all of the functions built for Arduino will not be compatible with your board. So the fact there will be shields available doesn't change much, since there are many break out boards of the same items already available that can already be used with the MSP430, and your at the same starting point due to lack of software libraries to "borrow" shield capability or not.

 

It really depends on your demographic, but Arduino and similar development tools are not targeting programmers, electrical engineers or designers, they target the hobby market that wants to make something work and "now".

 

For example, currently in this city, the post-secondary schools using Arduino, are in mainly programs that are not related to computer science, the largest is a Arts school that uses them in a digital arts course to make LED displays, second is architecture students at a local university, and the third is a mechanical design program at a college. The Electrical and Computer programming/science programs are all still using PIC or 8051 microcontrollers from the looks of things.

 

Jim

[ohmselectronics 6]

Hello, that is a lot of questions, let's go by pieces,

 

1.-PADrINO, is meant to mimic ARDUINO's form factor including pin assigments and voltages, hence 5V -done,

2.-We do not see the value on adding the standard header just because if you wanted to use standard headers and proto boards it would be recomended to use Launchpad, can not beat the $5 dls and the fact that you are developing the proto booster pack anyways.

3.-Where PADrINO comes into the picture is if you want to use and existing shield http://shieldlist.org/ using MSP430 and CCS giving you actual debug tools non existant on ARDUINO. look at our booter pack discution forum... very poor and scarce, we are wasting time developing booster packs that are already designed and proven out there. kind of reinventing the wheel or the boiled water.

4.-The libraries will need to be converted, processing is just another lenguaje working as interpreter/compiler for ARDUINO, the underlaying C/C++ libraries can be ported to any MCU platform, and i do not plan to do that but would expect the comunity to do it.

5.-there is the EasyMSP or something like that, and there are plans to develop an interpreter of arduino's programs and run them on MSP, but i did not say that (this conversation never happened )

 

thanks all for your inputs we will be glad to pick all of them and develop a board to fit our needs.

regards

[Rickta59 589]

2.-We do not see the value on adding the standard header just because if you wanted to use standard headers and proto boards it would be recomended to use Launchpad, can not beat the $5 dls and the fact that you are developing the proto booster pack anyways.

 

My gut feeling is that most people would like the option of using a more powerful msp430 chip in a prefabricated form that doesn't cost as much as the TI experimenter boards. The launchpad is nice and yes does have .1" headers. What it doesn't have is 2k of RAM and 32k of Flash. Your board fits that niche. It doesn't really cost you anything to add a second row of headers. I'm not sure if you are just advertising here or actually looking for input. If you want input, I think most people would say that a .1" standard grid header option is a nice feature.

 

-rick

[ohmselectronics 6]

Hello Rick, point taken, we have room to put the headers in there and actually yes i am doing both looking for inputs and advertising (nothing wrong with that, right? )

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Luis

[jim940 28]

4.-The libraries will need to be converted, processing is just another lenguaje working as interpreter/compiler for ARDUINO, the underlaying C/C++ libraries can be ported to any MCU platform, and i do not plan to do that

 

Then I really have to ask what is the point?

 

If you can not leverage the software libraries that shield producers make for Arduino by using a Arduino IDE that has your cross linking library for your specific board (such as the chipKIT or the Maple), there is not much advantage of using a Arduino shield over a break out board (which for the most part can be had at a fraction of the cost of the comparable Arduino shield). Since the same amount of effort is required to use both of them.

 

Jim

[ohmselectronics 6]

Hello Jim, good point, the goal would be to develop/translate the libraries so other folks coming behind can use them (ie spent the efort once), there are a lot of shields that do not need an extensive development, let's take for example the Audio Analyzer "Spectrum Shield" http://www.sparkfun.com/products/10306, the same chip http://www.sparkfun.com/products/10468 was used by RobG on a proto board etc http://www.43oh.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1442&p=9891&hilit=spectrum+analyzer#p9891, if we had developed the library for MSP430, which is not more that 30-40 code lines would be available to the MSP430 comunity and the shield ~$24. yes you can buy the chip from sparkfun for $5 then develop you proto board and or pcb... jacks, headers, board, etc. do the math...

 

and as i said, there are efforts to develop an interpreter to run arduino's programs on MSP430 just that is not oficial hence i did not say it, i have not recollection what so ever...

 

regards

Luis

[jim940 28]

But what I am saying is, we now have a library, that Rob gave us, and the MSGEQ7 chip can be had for as low as $2 so the need to spend 12 times that for a shield is in my opinion a little silly.

 

Other boards, such as Ethernet, wireless etc that would involve more "work" to interface, due to SMD could in a sense be a good reason to go with Arduino shields, but without software support, the premium price of anything labelled "Arduino" wouldn't really make it worth getting a shield when cheap break out boards already exist and are generally smaller then the shield.

 

Jim

[gordon 229]

and as i said, there are efforts to develop an interpreter to run arduino's programs on MSP430

Out of curiosity, can you give some pointers?

[MattTheGeek 99]

and as i said, there are efforts to develop an interpreter to run arduino's programs on MSP430

Out of curiosity, can you give some pointers?

 

Wait... A interpreter?

[ohmselectronics 6]

But what I am saying is, we now have a library, that Rob gave us, and the MSGEQ7 chip can be had for as low as $2 so the need to spend 12 times that for a shield is in my opinion a little silly.

 

Other boards, such as Ethernet, wireless etc that would involve more "work" to interface, due to SMD could in a sense be a good reason to go with Arduino shields, but without software support, the premium price of anything labelled "Arduino" wouldn't really make it worth getting a shield when cheap break out boards already exist and are generally smaller then the shield.

 

Jim

 

Hello Jim, not even close not even at bulk quantities since we contacter the manufacturer because we were going to build a booster pack for the lauchpad. but will give you the benefit of the doubt, please point me to were i can buy them that cheap and also the jacks etc.

 

But that is not the point, this will be another system out there available to whomever be interested cna't force you to use it , and time will tell, there are a lot of boards and different people like different MCUs, beautiful world. ain't?

 

regards and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

[ohmselectronics 6]

and as i said, there are efforts to develop an interpreter to run arduino's programs on MSP430

Out of curiosity, can you give some pointers?

 

Never heard of it...