Just Got My New Toy - A Real Microprocessor!
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It arrived this week - my shiny new Rabbit 2250 controller module! I screwed up on ordering, though - thought I was ordering the whole development kit, but I clicked on the module alone apparently. The rest of the kit is due next Wednesday, though, and then I'll be in nerd heaven! :-D This baby's got an Ethernet port and 4 serial ports, RTC, 4 interrupts, 512k of flash EEPROM, and 512k of static RAM onboard. The rest of the kit gives me a power supply, reset button, battery backup, indicator LEDs, and several square inches of prototyping space. The software includes a MODBUS Master package, TCP/IP stack, RTOS, a web server, serial port management routines, graphical interface package, and cooperative multitasking functions in the supplied Dynamic C IDE. Now that's what I call a programmer's wet dream! ;P My first project is going to be a MODBUS motor controller with timer and monitoring capability using RS-485 and Ethernet. That's going to need some new circuits to manage 480V, 20 hp motors. After that, who knows? Maybe a sprinkler controller on steroids; intrusion detector with tracking gun control; dove/pigeon discriminator/feeder/exterminator? The beauty of it is that I can replace the prototyping board for $79 and build a whole new device on it, and the programming can be changed in a few minutes. The EEPROM is good for 100,000 write cycles. So if you don't hear from me for a couple of weeks, don't schedule the wake. Or, if you do, send me an invite. I don't know how often I'll come up for air once all the parts arrive...:cool:
"A Journey of a Thousand Rest Stops Begins with a Single Movement"
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It arrived this week - my shiny new Rabbit 2250 controller module! I screwed up on ordering, though - thought I was ordering the whole development kit, but I clicked on the module alone apparently. The rest of the kit is due next Wednesday, though, and then I'll be in nerd heaven! :-D This baby's got an Ethernet port and 4 serial ports, RTC, 4 interrupts, 512k of flash EEPROM, and 512k of static RAM onboard. The rest of the kit gives me a power supply, reset button, battery backup, indicator LEDs, and several square inches of prototyping space. The software includes a MODBUS Master package, TCP/IP stack, RTOS, a web server, serial port management routines, graphical interface package, and cooperative multitasking functions in the supplied Dynamic C IDE. Now that's what I call a programmer's wet dream! ;P My first project is going to be a MODBUS motor controller with timer and monitoring capability using RS-485 and Ethernet. That's going to need some new circuits to manage 480V, 20 hp motors. After that, who knows? Maybe a sprinkler controller on steroids; intrusion detector with tracking gun control; dove/pigeon discriminator/feeder/exterminator? The beauty of it is that I can replace the prototyping board for $79 and build a whole new device on it, and the programming can be changed in a few minutes. The EEPROM is good for 100,000 write cycles. So if you don't hear from me for a couple of weeks, don't schedule the wake. Or, if you do, send me an invite. I don't know how often I'll come up for air once all the parts arrive...:cool:
"A Journey of a Thousand Rest Stops Begins with a Single Movement"
Link?
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It arrived this week - my shiny new Rabbit 2250 controller module! I screwed up on ordering, though - thought I was ordering the whole development kit, but I clicked on the module alone apparently. The rest of the kit is due next Wednesday, though, and then I'll be in nerd heaven! :-D This baby's got an Ethernet port and 4 serial ports, RTC, 4 interrupts, 512k of flash EEPROM, and 512k of static RAM onboard. The rest of the kit gives me a power supply, reset button, battery backup, indicator LEDs, and several square inches of prototyping space. The software includes a MODBUS Master package, TCP/IP stack, RTOS, a web server, serial port management routines, graphical interface package, and cooperative multitasking functions in the supplied Dynamic C IDE. Now that's what I call a programmer's wet dream! ;P My first project is going to be a MODBUS motor controller with timer and monitoring capability using RS-485 and Ethernet. That's going to need some new circuits to manage 480V, 20 hp motors. After that, who knows? Maybe a sprinkler controller on steroids; intrusion detector with tracking gun control; dove/pigeon discriminator/feeder/exterminator? The beauty of it is that I can replace the prototyping board for $79 and build a whole new device on it, and the programming can be changed in a few minutes. The EEPROM is good for 100,000 write cycles. So if you don't hear from me for a couple of weeks, don't schedule the wake. Or, if you do, send me an invite. I don't know how often I'll come up for air once all the parts arrive...:cool:
"A Journey of a Thousand Rest Stops Begins with a Single Movement"
Hey Roger, If you run into any problems/difficulties feel free to contact me on the weekends. I have been using the RabbitCore 22xx and RCM3700 modules since around 2007 and have completed quite a few hobby robotics projects. You should pick up a few servo motors for wheels and a wireless network adaptor and go completely mobile! Best Wishes, -David Delaune
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Link?
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Hey Roger, If you run into any problems/difficulties feel free to contact me on the weekends. I have been using the RabbitCore 22xx and RCM3700 modules since around 2007 and have completed quite a few hobby robotics projects. You should pick up a few servo motors for wheels and a wireless network adaptor and go completely mobile! Best Wishes, -David Delaune
Thanks, Dave! :-D I'm wondering what the range might be for their wireless modules - those could be fun!
Will Rogers never met me.
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"Operating Temp. -40°C to +70°C " Ooooh... better be careful. :-D
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It arrived this week - my shiny new Rabbit 2250 controller module! I screwed up on ordering, though - thought I was ordering the whole development kit, but I clicked on the module alone apparently. The rest of the kit is due next Wednesday, though, and then I'll be in nerd heaven! :-D This baby's got an Ethernet port and 4 serial ports, RTC, 4 interrupts, 512k of flash EEPROM, and 512k of static RAM onboard. The rest of the kit gives me a power supply, reset button, battery backup, indicator LEDs, and several square inches of prototyping space. The software includes a MODBUS Master package, TCP/IP stack, RTOS, a web server, serial port management routines, graphical interface package, and cooperative multitasking functions in the supplied Dynamic C IDE. Now that's what I call a programmer's wet dream! ;P My first project is going to be a MODBUS motor controller with timer and monitoring capability using RS-485 and Ethernet. That's going to need some new circuits to manage 480V, 20 hp motors. After that, who knows? Maybe a sprinkler controller on steroids; intrusion detector with tracking gun control; dove/pigeon discriminator/feeder/exterminator? The beauty of it is that I can replace the prototyping board for $79 and build a whole new device on it, and the programming can be changed in a few minutes. The EEPROM is good for 100,000 write cycles. So if you don't hear from me for a couple of weeks, don't schedule the wake. Or, if you do, send me an invite. I don't know how often I'll come up for air once all the parts arrive...:cool:
"A Journey of a Thousand Rest Stops Begins with a Single Movement"
Kids! Bah! When I used to work on embedded systems we had to write our own serial port drivers, graphical interfaces and maintain the custom 1980's OS. 512K ROM was common but static RAM was too costly to have more than 16K - and this was between '95 and 2002 :) The most interesting part of the job was when you received the first ever board. It is guaranteed that it will not work, but what is broken? It could be your software, a hardware design fault (something that is fundamentally wrong), a hardware manufacturing fault (the schematic does not match the board) a misunderstanding of the data book for the various chips, a misunderstanding between the hardware and software designers, or finally the fact that the data books themselves contain mistakes. Oh yes, and the debug connection between your PC and the board is likely also to be flaky. A couple of weeks with an oscilloscope or at last resort a logic analyser usually sorts things out. A fully working board through the post sounds like missing out on half the fun :)
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Kids! Bah! When I used to work on embedded systems we had to write our own serial port drivers, graphical interfaces and maintain the custom 1980's OS. 512K ROM was common but static RAM was too costly to have more than 16K - and this was between '95 and 2002 :) The most interesting part of the job was when you received the first ever board. It is guaranteed that it will not work, but what is broken? It could be your software, a hardware design fault (something that is fundamentally wrong), a hardware manufacturing fault (the schematic does not match the board) a misunderstanding of the data book for the various chips, a misunderstanding between the hardware and software designers, or finally the fact that the data books themselves contain mistakes. Oh yes, and the debug connection between your PC and the board is likely also to be flaky. A couple of weeks with an oscilloscope or at last resort a logic analyser usually sorts things out. A fully working board through the post sounds like missing out on half the fun :)
Fun times I remember well! :-D Having had the pleasure of building my first computer from a kit, writing the operating system and assembler, designing and building the circuits to talk to a teletype (there were no PCs then), writing the drivers for everything, and programming it to communicate with a Varian computer emulating an IBM, I've had enough of that sort of fun. Now I want to play! ;P
Will Rogers never met me.
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It arrived this week - my shiny new Rabbit 2250 controller module! I screwed up on ordering, though - thought I was ordering the whole development kit, but I clicked on the module alone apparently. The rest of the kit is due next Wednesday, though, and then I'll be in nerd heaven! :-D This baby's got an Ethernet port and 4 serial ports, RTC, 4 interrupts, 512k of flash EEPROM, and 512k of static RAM onboard. The rest of the kit gives me a power supply, reset button, battery backup, indicator LEDs, and several square inches of prototyping space. The software includes a MODBUS Master package, TCP/IP stack, RTOS, a web server, serial port management routines, graphical interface package, and cooperative multitasking functions in the supplied Dynamic C IDE. Now that's what I call a programmer's wet dream! ;P My first project is going to be a MODBUS motor controller with timer and monitoring capability using RS-485 and Ethernet. That's going to need some new circuits to manage 480V, 20 hp motors. After that, who knows? Maybe a sprinkler controller on steroids; intrusion detector with tracking gun control; dove/pigeon discriminator/feeder/exterminator? The beauty of it is that I can replace the prototyping board for $79 and build a whole new device on it, and the programming can be changed in a few minutes. The EEPROM is good for 100,000 write cycles. So if you don't hear from me for a couple of weeks, don't schedule the wake. Or, if you do, send me an invite. I don't know how often I'll come up for air once all the parts arrive...:cool:
"A Journey of a Thousand Rest Stops Begins with a Single Movement"
I can understand your excitement... we programmers don't really grow up, yes? Would hate to be in any other profession. ~Najeeb www.codeminima.com, www.mnemonicfs.org
Najeeb Shaikh
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Fun times I remember well! :-D Having had the pleasure of building my first computer from a kit, writing the operating system and assembler, designing and building the circuits to talk to a teletype (there were no PCs then), writing the drivers for everything, and programming it to communicate with a Varian computer emulating an IBM, I've had enough of that sort of fun. Now I want to play! ;P
Will Rogers never met me.
Sounds very sensible to me. TBH without a huge pile of expensive work equipment, I wouldn't have a chance, so definitely not a task for a weekend at home. Though I did build and program a PIC based board once, the issue there being the incredibly restricted command set, so programming is more of a problem solving exercise than usual. I am guessing this new kit is a kind of more low level version of Lego mindstorms?
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Sounds very sensible to me. TBH without a huge pile of expensive work equipment, I wouldn't have a chance, so definitely not a task for a weekend at home. Though I did build and program a PIC based board once, the issue there being the incredibly restricted command set, so programming is more of a problem solving exercise than usual. I am guessing this new kit is a kind of more low level version of Lego mindstorms?
M Towler wrote:
a kind of more low level version of Lego mindstorms? Though I've never played with Mindstorm, I imagine this is what the brain would be like to work with. I expect it will keep me entertained for quite a while. The instruction set is rather large, and the manuals for the Dynamic C development language fill 3 large volumes; that's going to be a lot to learn! I don't know how long it will hold my interest, but I suspect that it may become a lifelong hobby, just discovering all the things I can build based upon it. :-D
Will Rogers never met me.