The Opal Development Kit has several I/O features to make prototyping applications easy. These include: 4 x protected digital inputs, 4 x 5V digital outputs, 2 push-buttons and 2 LEDs.
This video shows how easy it is to get developing with these features.
The source code for the Windows Embedded Compact 7 demo application is available here.
We are very pleased to announce an update to the Meridian CPU module. This new variant uses the Freescale i.MXL processor, increasing the speed to 192MHz and adding a second SPI port. We have also enabled this module and the original variant to be powered from 5V or 3.3V, and increased the flash to 8MBytes.
The new module provides a significant performance boost for any applications that have a lot of graphics, or number crunching.
The Meridian-MXL is pin-compatible with the original i.MXS version. Documentation is available on the web site.
Samples are available now and Sytech Designs will have a selection of development systems available shortly which include the new module.
Please contact us for samples and any questions.
It has been a pleasure to work with Pulsecor on their Cardiovascular products over the last few years, and nice to see some recognition for the work Richard Scott has put into the .NET Micro Framework recently. Check out what Colin Miller had to say, and watch a video of the product in action.
Richard built on our open-source Board Support Package (BSP) for the Meridian CPU which we provide free-of-charge. He added support in native C++ code for their heavy-duty algorithms, and then added more functionality including OneWire support and enhancements to the math libraries and SD card drivers. It is fantastic that he was able to contribute some of this work to the 4.2 codebase!
We have an ALPHA version of the .NET Micro Framework port for the Topaz i.MX25 Development Kit available for download. Features included in this release are:
– LCD
– Touch
– Serial ports
– GPIO
– SPI
– File System and Extended Weak References
– ADC and PWM
The help file and release notes have more information. There is no SDK installer, however there are libraries included for accessing GPIO, ADC, PWM and the LCD configuration routines.
This is an alpha release, which means you will most likely find bugs! Please report any issues to support<at>devicesolutions.net. We also want to hear from you as to which features you need. Ethernet will be the next major feature added.
Scott Hanselman has posted an interview with Colin Miller, Product Unit Manager for the .NET Micro Framework.
Colin talks about the history of the Micro Framework from the beginnings as part of the SPOT watch project, through to the decision to make it open source.
Innobedded have updated their Rich Media Extensions component suite to support v4.1 of the .NET Micro Framework.
The graphics and touch performance has improved in this version.
A demo is available for download, and they have pricing for commercial and non-commercial projects.
While the blog may have been quiet, we have been working away on getting the .NET Micro Framework running on the Topaz CPU module and Development kit. We have managed applications running with output on the LCD. Download and debug is via serial for now.
Before we get this out to anyone there is some more testing to be done and a couple more drivers to add to make it useful. This is our priority after returning from a short Christmas/Summer break!
If you would like to be added to the list to receive the alpha release, please contact us here.
It’s that time of the year again, and we will be at Embedded World in Nuremberg, Germany as part of the .NET Micro Framework Partners booth.
The trade show is open from Tuesday 1 March until Thursday 3 March. Come by and visit us on booth 11-F119 (in the foyer near the food) or contact us to arrange a meeting time.
The Freescale i.MX25 is at the heart of the Topaz CPU Module. This chip multiplexes it’s many features to a much smaller number of pins, which can give you a headache when trying to get the right combination for a design.
While all the information you need is in the data sheet, Freescale have a tool which makes this task a lot easier! The IOMux tool can be downloaded from the i.MX25 tools page on the Freescale web site. Go here and search for “pin mux tool”.
Once you have this downloaded and running, download and open the Topaz file from here. This defines all the pins used on the Topaz CPU module, so you know that any free signals are available for you to use. The IOMux tool looks like this:
To use the tool, just select the features you need in your design. The tool will show pins in use as yellow, and conflicts as orange. With a bit of trial and error you should be able to come up with a combination that works for your product.
We have found this a useful tool when communicating with customers about their exact requirements and it is an easy way to document your design.
GuruCE has released a new BSP which includes support for Windows Embedded Compact 7 on Topaz.
The release also includes an update to the Windows CE 6.0 R3 BSP and the Topaz Flasher application.
You can download a binary image and a binary BSP for free, with the source code available when you purchase support.
GuruCE has done a lot of work on the BSP and it now includes enhanced support for many of the devices on the i.MX25, including a comprehensive GPIO driver. For a small fee there are also a suite of managed wrappers making it very easy to access hardware from your Compact Framework application.
