What is a better choice for ADC/DAC processor

Question

I have had fun playing with Raspberry Pi and Pi 2 now. But I am ready to move up to analog and digital processing. Question is where to go next? I like Cypress PSoC series especially 5 LP. But are there better choices?

Thanks,

Clem

DAB · Accepted Answer

The DSP can be used for a lot of different applications. Audio is a common use, but by no means the only application. DSP's are used in image processing, sensor data analysis, and a host of other applications where complex mathematics are needed to help understand analog signals. The generic DAC (digital to analog converter) is used to create analog signals. They come in all types of accuracy ranges from 4 bit, 8, 16, 24, 32, bits etc. The key selection requirement depends upon the signal you need to create and the environment you have around your signal generation. Usually, 16 bits is plenty and many applications use just 8 or 12 bits. Once you look at all of the factors, you usually find you cannot use all of the bits effectively. DAB

johnbeetem · Answer

PSoC5 5LP is a wonderful part (I'm speaking of the silicon) with great capabilities, and when the US$10 Prototyping Kit shows up it's well worth checking out.

http://www.element14.com/community/roadTests/1414

http://www.cypress.com/?rid=108038

My only problem with the part is that you can only program it using PSoC Creator, and that only runs on Windows. A lot of people say nice things about PSoC Creator and I've used it myself a bit, but I far prefer developing on GNU/Linux using my own software. So I'm still waiting for Cypress to realize that documenting the PSoC5 digital routing resources would be the smartest thing that company ever did

So while you're waiting for the PSoC 5LP prototyping kit, you could download PSoC Creator (or order a CD ROM) and see what you think. You could also get a US$4 PSoC 4 prototyping kit if you want hardware to play with.

I'd also check out STM Discovery boards, especially one with an ARM Cortex-M4 with floating-point, such as this one: http://www.element14.com/community/docs/DOC-67669

Working with a microcontroller like PSoC 5LP or the STM parts is very different from RasPi. Like a modern PC, RasPi is basically a small mainframe with a big operating system and lots of memory to support it and large applications. A microcontroller has limited memory and computing power, but you have far more control over program operation and timing. If you're only used to programming on Windows or GNU/Linux, it will be a learning experience

DAB · Answer

Hi @Clem,

Which differences are confusing you?

It is easy to read analog signals on the Psoc boards and look at them on an oscilloscope.

If your Psoc has a DAC, then you can setup different waveforms using software and send them to the output.

If you want to import raw audio or analog signals and analyze the data, then you want to go to DSP power.

I would suggest that you get a free analog signal analysis package and play with that on the PC first.

Lots of options, you just need to decide what you want to do.

DAB

Former Member · Answer

Hi DAB, My first machine was in 1967 (as a student), a General Electric 225 ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GE-200_series ) where I used the Valley Forge Assembly Program (VFAP). Assemble and Go process: Write out your code with a pencil on a coding sheet. Take the sheet into the the data processing center. Use an IBM 026 key punch to "engrave" your source code onto white cards. Early on, I learned to use a VFAP "drum" card for easy tabbing. Grab an available green-colored VFAP binary deck and prepend it to the front of the source cards. In front of the whole deck, prepend your job card containing the student ID. Carefully wrap the whole thing with a rubber band. Don't drop it! Hand the deck to the computer clerk. Wait 1-2 hours. Assuming no syntax errors, get back an assembler listing, your source card deck wrapped with a rubber band, and a blue punched-card binary output of your program wrapped with a rubber band. Don't drop either deck! Get a yellow binary loader deck and prepend to the front of your blue deck. In front of the whole deck, prepend your job card containing the student ID. Carefully wrap the whole thing with a rubber band. Don't drop it! Hand the new deck to the computer clerk. Wait 1-2 hours. Get an execution listing plus your blue card deck back wrapped with a rubber band. I learned quickly how to patch binary decks to avoid waiting for re-assembly after a trivial logic error. In 1969, at my first job (Hughes Aircraft in Culver City, CA, USA), we started using paper tape!! No more fear of dropped decks. Faster computers too: GE 645!!

Former Member · Answer

The installation of PSoC Creator fails under wine. This is apparently not wine's fault but it is hard to tell because nobody (wine, mono, Cypress, or Cypress' unnamed 3rd-party developer) wants to research this issue: Wine [Bug 33421] Cypress PSoCCreator Installer fails with "You have insufficient privileges to run CyInstaller..." According to Scott Atkins (Creator developer) in 2014: "I won't go into percentages, but a majority of the Cypress code is .Net based. That said, last time I checked, a good portion of the UI just refuses to run under mono. Part of that is the third party framework Creator uses, which is unfortunate." So, these seem to be the choices (no soapbox intended): You're a Windows user. You're good. You're a Mac/Unix/Linux user who has a copy of Windows that is running under some 'nix-ish VM. You should be good (people are reporting that it works). You're a Mac/Unix/Linux user who "will not let any form of Windows in the house!". You're S.O.L.

What is a better choice for ADC/DAC processor

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