Help us select RoadTest kits

I would like to vote for 4), 7) and 8).

Reason: I am intrested in sensing of accelerations (vibrations, tracking), capacitive user interface and amplifying sensor signals.

Hi,

I woud tip in preference order for Hawkboard, ST's STM3210E-SK/HT and for the Freescale one.

Murat

Hi Alistair,

My top 3 choices are:

1) Innovate Software Solutions Hawkboard  is an open community board with a  feature set based on the TI OMAP L138  processor.- This board looks very promising. I would like to try it as a central unit of an autonomous measurement control and data acquisition system in our electron spectroscopy laboratory.

2) Microchip’s DM183026 mTouch capacitive  evaluation kit helps develop  touch sense applications using PIC16F or  PIC24F MCUs.- I am especially interested in this development kit of Microchip, because it is based on the MCUs I am working with presently. Touch sensing could help me to extend my applications with better human interface.

3) ST's STM3210E-SK/HT helps start  development for the company's ARM  core-based microcontrollers. - ARM microcontrollers could be the next step toward the more CPU demanding applications, when the 8 or 16 bit MCU-s (which I am presently using) are insufficient. 

Best regards,

István Cserny

Debrecen, Hungary

Hi Alistair,

my all time favorite would be a small Kit for developing with FPGAs... one of the areas in electronics that you are not able to just solder together quickly a running solution. A device for the upper Low-segment would be great to be able to check out alot of different solutions (so most of the examples eg on opencores.com would run sufficiently... up to a little, self-implemented ARM-Core ).

Second the mentioned International Rectifier's IRS2540  IRS2540/1 board would be great... as HB LEDs will be the future in Lighting and some new solutions are outstanding. Here I also would suggest an old device But in my opinion one of the most flexible ones and great to "play with" and to collect experience: National Semiconductor LM3445.... offline solution with the capability to be controlled over PWM or the integrated dim decoder (triac).

Also the Microchip’s DM183026 mTouch capacitive  evaluation kit sounds very interesting... and would be useful as the PICs are very easily available and used in almost all devices anyways.

One more device I would love to see a Kit of (not included in your list) would be for Ethernet over Plastic Optical Fiber (POF) like AVAGO AFBR 5978Z.

Happy Easter to all

Hi all,

Personnaly, I'll prefer :

9. Innovate Software Solutions Hawkboard  is an open community board with a  feature set based on the TI OMAP L138  processor.

7. Freescale's RD1986MMA2260DRD1986MMA2260D TRIAX  3-axis acceleration sensing demo  board combines demos available for  accelerometer applications.

and last

6. Avago's HFBR-0410HFBR-0410 fiber optics  evaluation kit allows first hand  experience with simple DC to 5MBd TTL  compatible components.

Is it possible to have test on Miwi/Zigbee ?

Regards

Hello,

as was previously mentioned FPGA is the technology we would like to evaluate, but it is not so easy to do some board by yourself. Mainly because of FPGA manufacturer  obsession of GPIO pin number. Almost all devices are in BGA case style.

I see a big potential with a connection FPGA core together with MCU core (Cortex-M3 as a best choice).

There are two devices I would like to see in Road Test:

1) Actel's SmartFusion Evaluation Kit

http://www.actel.com/products/hardware/devkits_boards/smartfusion_eval.aspx

2) Cypress PSoC 5 (when it will be released)

http://www.cypress.com/?id=2233

I know PSoC isn't exactly the same thing as I've described above, but it is similar and also interesting.

W.

Hello!

I think that this kit would be really usefull for everybody, who want to develop really modern devices:

8. Microchip’s DM183026 mTouch capacitive evaluation kit helps develop  touch sense applications using PIC16F or PIC24F MCUs.

I think, that it is time to forget about custom buttons and try to implement in our applications touch screens and touch buttons! I would be really happy to get this kit and understand the principles of mTouch.

Hi Allistair,

for me the choice would be :

#9: it is an open source based development and I would kill for it ...(hawkboard.org)  : i just had a look and already have the idea to add a LCD and can bus to extension port for a dashboard application for a plane ...

#7: i really like sensor and would love to add some features to a RC helicopter...

#3: ST is one leader of micro electronics and its product are really interresting (also they have good sensors ...)

I have a look if i could help you to add some dev kits to the list.

Thank you again for giving us these opportunities !!!

Xavier

PS: i read others proposals and i thought about a fantastic product from actel :

Smartfusion (in one chip !!!):

- FPGA

- ANALOG

- ARM M3

they got a "low cost" (but not low features) eval kit A2F-EVAL-KIT (http://www.actel.com/products/hardware/devkits_boards/smartfusion_eval.aspx) with a A2F200M3F-FGG484  with ethernet, rs232, oled display, analog inputs and a big extension port ...

Alistair,

It would be great to have some Microsoft .NET Micro Framework eval boards ( easy development language with many libraries + powerful 32 bits processor).

This one from GHI electronics is my best:

http://www.ghielectronics.com/product/128

In the near future, how about a ...

10) PICkit 2 Development Programmer/Debugger with Flowcode

Oh wait, that's coming up this Sunday!   8^)

Have a Happy Easter

Gordon Margulieux

Salem, OR USA