The reason I suggested adding a 1mb SPI flash chip is so that this new board could run large C programs (Catalina or PropGCC) out of the box without having to add any extra hardware. It wasn't intended to be a general purpose SPI bus which is why I thought sharing pins with the SD card wouldn't be a problem and would allow more pins for other hardware to be connected like the ones listed above. If you just provide a DIP8 footprint the board won't be able to run these larger programs without having that footprint populated. Also, the QuadSPI chips take up even more pins than the single SPI chips. Maybe it would be best to just forget the SPI flash entirely.
By adding a DIP8 as I described, you get both the ability to add some SPI chip only if you want it and without a special shield or the flexibility of adding one of dozens of SPI devices. This should not be difficult.
By adding a DIP8 as I described, you get both the ability to add some SPI chip only if you want it and without a special shield or the flexibility of adding one of dozens of SPI devices. This should not be difficult.
Yes but it defeats the entire purpose of the proposal to add the SPI flash chip. The idea was to make the new PP-USB board capable of running reasonable-sized C programs out of the box. With your solution you still have to add another component and different people may use that socket for different things. It won't be possible to assume that all PP-USB boards are XMM capable.
Board can now be powered from USB (500mA polyfuse protected).
Implemented the #RESET driver from the FT232 datasheet. (see next two entries)
Confirmed FT232 no longer resets Prop when P30-31 are driven high.
Confirmed there is no oscillation when P30 left floating.
Added DIP-8 footprint (U9 near SD card slot) for optional SPI Flash. Shares SD data/clock lines.
U9 chip select line configurable to P4 or P20.
Added DIP-8 footprint (U12 above crystal) for general purpose chip.
U12 connections
P27
P25
P23
GND
P22
P24
P26
VCC
U12 is a bit of a wild card. As Jazzed mentioned you can plug a myriad of chips into this socket. For example, the 8M-Bit QuadSPI flash linked to in Jazzed's post could be plugged into U9 for out-of-the-box, single SPI, GCC/Catalina enhancement. The same chip could be plugged into U12 and, with special drivers, used as QuadSPI. That is the theory anyway.
Board can now be powered from USB (500mA polyfuse protected).
Implemented the #RESET driver from the FT232 datasheet. (see next two entries)
Confirmed FT232 no longer resets Prop when P30-31 are driven high.
Confirmed there is no oscillation when P30 left floating.
Added DIP-8 footprint (U9 near SD card slot) for optional SPI Flash. Shares SD data/clock lines.
U9 chip select line configurable to P4 or P20.
Added DIP-8 footprint (U12 above crystal) for general purpose chip.
U12 connections
P27
P25
P23
GND
P22
P24
P26
VCC
U12 is a bit of a wild card. As Jazzed mentioned you can plug a myriad of chips into this socket. For example, the 8M-Bit QuadSPI flash linked to in Jazzed's post could be plugged into U9 for out-of-the-box, single SPI, GCC/Catalina enhancement. The same chip could be plugged into U12 and, with special drivers, used as QuadSPI. That is the theory anyway.
Sorry again for the delay. I'm going one more round of prototype but I think we're getting close. I can now project there will be units ready this summer at a slightly higher price than GG's version. That's as specific as I can get at this time. Posted below is the finalized circuit.
I had to take a huge amount of time to "back annotate" a schematic by hand, refDes by refDes, in Dip Trace. This is one area where Eagle FAR outshines Dip Trace!
@donM The design is locked down. Mindrobots has generously given a lot of his time to help beta test a prototype, Thanks man. Parts and PCB will be ordered tomorrow (6/25/12). It should be about two weeks until units are ready to ship.
@photomankc The mounting holes are exactly the same as the original PP design. (2500 x 2200 mil o/c)
A basic unit with no RTC parts will be $59.99. With RTC, $74.99. The Winbond 8-Mbit DIP8 flash will be sold separately.
All through-hole parts will be included, but not soldered.
I'm calling this board "Propeller DNA" (free board to the first person who can guess what "DNA" stands for!)
@donM The design is locked down. Mindrobots has generously given a lot of his time to help beta test a prototype, Thanks man. Parts and PCB will be ordered tomorrow (6/25/12). It should be about two weeks until units are ready to ship.
@photomankc The mounting holes are exactly the same as the original PP design. (2500 x 2200 mil o/c)
A basic unit with no RTC parts will be $59.99. With RTC, $74.99. The Winbond 8-Mbit DIP8 flash will be sold separately.
All through-hole parts will be included, but not soldered.
I'm calling this board "Propeller DNA" (free board to the first person who can guess what "DNA" stands for!)
I'm missing the gadget gangster USB platform more and more. I only have 1, and 2 more that potentially will work once some parts are replaced.
Are you intending to only develop these by request, or are you planning to keep some in stock?
The version without the RTC is definitely cheap enough to get a few for my lab, instead of moving the existing propeller platforms we have back and forth between projects.
@donM The design is locked down. Mindrobots has generously given a lot of his time to help beta test a prototype, Thanks man. Parts and PCB will be ordered tomorrow (6/25/12). It should be about two weeks until units are ready to ship.
@photomankc The mounting holes are exactly the same as the original PP design. (2500 x 2200 mil o/c)
A basic unit with no RTC parts will be $59.99. With RTC, $74.99. The Winbond 8-Mbit DIP8 flash will be sold separately.
All through-hole parts will be included, but not soldered.
I'm calling this board "Propeller DNA" (free board to the first person who can guess what "DNA" stands for!)
Sorry again for the delay. I'm going one more round of prototype but I think we're getting close. I can now project there will be units ready this summer at a slightly higher price than GG's version. That's as specific as I can get at this time. Posted below is the finalized circuit.
I had to take a huge amount of time to "back annotate" a schematic by hand, refDes by refDes, in Dip Trace. This is one area where Eagle FAR outshines Dip Trace!
Little bump to put the schematic up where it can be found.
Comments
By adding a DIP8 as I described, you get both the ability to add some SPI chip only if you want it and without a special shield or the flexibility of adding one of dozens of SPI devices. This should not be difficult.
I'm putting the Flash RAM issue to bed, I have enough info to make a decision. Thanks for everyone's input!
David, your suggestion is greatly appreciated. I'm going to do my best to get at least a footprint on the PCB for a SOIC-8 chip.
I said I was not going to be able to get a DIP-8 footprint on the board. And I was right... I was able to get TWO.
ppusb_rtc_rd.pdf
Changes from previous version:
- P27
- P25
- P23
- GND
- P22
- P24
- P26
- VCC
U12 is a bit of a wild card. As Jazzed mentioned you can plug a myriad of chips into this socket. For example, the 8M-Bit QuadSPI flash linked to in Jazzed's post could be plugged into U9 for out-of-the-box, single SPI, GCC/Catalina enhancement. The same chip could be plugged into U12 and, with special drivers, used as QuadSPI. That is the theory anyway.Thanks again!
Don
I had to take a huge amount of time to "back annotate" a schematic by hand, refDes by refDes, in Dip Trace. This is one area where Eagle FAR outshines Dip Trace!
I like your DIP8 socket! Look forward to getting one of these.
Don
@photomankc The mounting holes are exactly the same as the original PP design. (2500 x 2200 mil o/c)
A basic unit with no RTC parts will be $59.99. With RTC, $74.99. The Winbond 8-Mbit DIP8 flash will be sold separately.
All through-hole parts will be included, but not soldered.
I'm calling this board "Propeller DNA" (free board to the first person who can guess what "DNA" stands for!)
DNA = Do Not Alter
DNA? Hadn't heard that yet......
"Don't Need Arduino"
Are you intending to only develop these by request, or are you planning to keep some in stock?
The version without the RTC is definitely cheap enough to get a few for my lab, instead of moving the existing propeller platforms we have back and forth between projects.
Two please?
Where do we line up?
Order via web site?
@varnon, I will have a few in stock, and produce more as necessary.
Okay so the naming contest was a flop.
"DNA" stands for "DNA's Not Arduino"
DNA= did not assemble ?
Slight change on the $74.99 model; The Winbond 8-Mbit DIP8 flash will be included and all parts will be pre-soldered except for the main headers.
Be sure to let us know when we can start to order!! I've got my CC in hand and ready to go!
Ditto!!!
Little bump to put the schematic up where it can be found.
Beautiful work, Martin!
Thank you so much.
Richard
(edit -add link)
The Winbond serial flash memory data sheet...
http://www.winbond.com/NR/rdonlyres/4D2BF674-7427-4FC8-AEF0-1A534DF74F16/0/W25Q80BV.pdf
Seiko RTC data sheet
http://datasheet.sii-ic.com/en/real_time_clock/S35390A_E.pdf