I have a few questions on the Beagleconnect Freedom board.
I am not interested at all in some remote code with the current approach but have my own optimized code in the board.
Is there any source code released that I could based on so I don’t have to start from scratch?
I have been coding micros since the mid 70s so coding for microcontrollers is not an issue with me
I want to use the device with some custom boards with CAN FD and RS485/J1708.
I would have a custom gui connecting to it kind of like Intrepidcs and their competitors do.
Can we use a regular JTAG debugger for does it require something like the XDS debuggers from TI?
Michel C
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The xds110 debug probe does not have adapters for the beagleplay boards jtag. So, I would assume it will not work without an adapter. My thoughts are to use the AM62EVM to get stuff running then move it over to the play board.
Beagleplay has the same wireless and a dedicated jtag connector for it. Now, what jtag is compatible is the question.
I didn’t think about that. It is like our design with a DRA726 for Yamaha where I work, I based my code on the yocto used on the Beagleboard X15.
Thanks, I will look it up
As far as the connector I have sockets for the debugger so I would just create an adapter board for it.
Michel
I answered a bit too quick. The info is interesting for my work on the BeaglePlay but that is not the one that I had a question about.
I will check to see if TI has something for the particular processor.
The board that I was refering to is the Beagleconnect Freedom.
It is a small board with a Cortex-R4F MCU. I would write barebone code in C, it would be nice if there were some libraries like we get with Renesas or ST. I would use JTAG to debug.
Technology sure involved a bit since my first design in 1976. In those days I did all my code in machine language. I used some nail polish to create the traces for etching my PC Boards. Now I just have to use Kicad an order the boards from Seeed
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I did some research and it looks like TI-RTOS supports the CC13xx
I used TI-RTOS with the DRA726 so that looks interesting to me.
This one would be simplier since it is a single processor.
Michel
Back then we also had an ICE, remember back when the chips were in sockets. We still have an ICE (in circuit emulator) the for 8051 and 68hc11 some where, might have been tossed, hope not it was very expensive back then.
Now that is how you build a system, the SoC is turning into a nightmare. Everything seems like it is stuck in the mud and behind every door is another issue. Did find the Pi Pico, they have a really cool SDK and a set up for using open OCD, it works nice. Pi and some other company is offering it with WiFi. It looks promising, just have not touched them since the project was dropped.
Considered using the H3 as a core and have some intelligent devices like the BBB tied to it. Or even the old 8051 that is getting our attention again, its simple, rock solid and has a UART.
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At work we have to redesign a lot of products. We were using parts from Cypress and Fujitsu. Infineon bought both and discontinued all the parts.
When I first search for a replacement all the major manufacturers could not provide parts until 2024 or late 2023.
We switched to Renesas RL78/G14 which is dirt cheap compare to the new price of over $200 for the Fujitsu parts (used to be around $3)
I no longer need to use the $15000 emulator for debugging but a $80 debugger. The RL78 is like a 16 bit Z80
During the pandemic when I couldn’t find the correct evaluation boards I created some boards with the 32 pin version. I use my Qinsi Reflow oven to do the boards. I use seeed to manufacture the pcboard. I use a silhouette to do the stencils.
I am 72 but it is unlikely that I will lose my job any time soon. I started programming in 1969 using punch cards.
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I was suppose to retire last year in March…
Remember using a VAX writing in Fortran then going to the “printer” room to get a hardcopy to turn in.
All the BS going on it is just not a good time to retire. Our rigger said the same thing, we were talking about it when he moved some new machines in. It looked like a senior convention, youngest on site was his helper that is in his 50’s. My neighbor that owned the bank is the only one I know of that was actually able to retire when they sold out. He is now all over the USA going to fly fishing tournaments. Me…well.
Remember the Z80, don’t believe I ever touched that one.
Not sure if the XDs110 probe is worth buying, reading the TRM for the 64x and 62x and with HS version it briefly boots on the R5 core then its lights out when it goes to the other core. GP version that is on the Beagleplay should be okay, have not gotten that far with it so it is only talk at this point.
I have a XDS110 here, we bought all the stuff to use the AM64X but the eval board arrived dead… Ti is giving me the run around on it, refused to exchange it for a working board and their apps guys are trying to bury me. Now the latest one says try to boot using UART, really, SD as stated in the quick start guide does not work. Same SD used to jump start the AM62 beagleplay and it does not work in the AM64…Glad our generation did not act like that.
Hoping that beagle play only needs an adapter to use XDS110 probe. According to the TRM it should work since it is the GP version not the security version.
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When I designed the Voice Recognition prototype for GM in 1984 I used a VAX to test the algorithm which was written in Fortran. I then converted that Fortran code to assembler for the TMS32010 I was using. For the voice Synthesis I was using a uPD7811 from NEC with a TI synthesis chip.
The boss didn’t have a sense of humor when we had a joke message during testing. If all 4 doors and trunk were open and you would be driving on the thruway it would say “The fucking doors are open”
As for the Z80 I didn’t do much with it as I was using an HD64180 for my CPM/80 Clone when I did the mail software at the World Trade Center.
The CPM/80 clone was called ZCPR. We got a board that was designed by some guy writing articles in the Byte Magazine.
Later on I used a HD647180 when I did a remote controlled microscope for Cambridge Instruments in Buffalo New York.
At the World Trade center back in 1985 we had a tunnel between the two towers. The mail system I created was for Merryl Lynch. It was fun stuff as I was using some small trains to carry the mail on each floor. There was no internet in those days. To go to different floors I used elevators.
I lost my job when the French owner sold the company which they moved to Denver and I didn’t want to move that far. I had 6 brothers and 6 sisters in Canada. I was on TV, the next day the boss told me “I heard that you don’t want to move to Denver”
The French owner was interesting, we were not allowed to eat to place like Mc Donald or Burger King, we had to eat at the finest restaurants in Manhattan. No one ever complained about that since the company was paying for our hotel and food.
I was staying in Hoboken during the week and taking the path train to go to the World Trade Center.
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I received both Beagleplay and BeagleConnect today. It looks a bit too much work to try to hack it and the Beagleplay board is cheap and can run Linux so I will put Gentoo on it with xorg and write my gui in Pascal with Lazarus. I don’t think that it would be very efficient in a remote way.
I have a MCP2518FD Click board I could try with the BeagleConnect.
I was going to create some boards with the device but I can’t get any until 2024
so I created boards with the MCP2517FD which I was able to get. Microchip advised not to design for those so that is why I was able to get some.
That chip is really nice. I didn’t see an overlay for it, do you know if there are any?
I was thinking of porting my code from my other boards to Linux. I first based my code on the one for the PIC32 but couldn’t fit it on the RL78 so I started again, that time from scratch.
Michel
Not sure what is up with the BP overlays. Been working on getting CCS and the XDS110 up and running on the AM62 board. Our plan is to start at the bare kernel and add on to it.
I do have yocto (kirkstone LTS) up and working for BBB so the BP will be next on the list. Not sure how far we will go with it, its kinda missing a key part for one or our projects. It does have RTC and that is a critical feature.
EoL is an issue, a while back we had a different vendors board to the point of being in a custom enclosure, guess what, they discontinued the model. That turned into a very expensive loss for us. My self, I like to test the stuff before it hits the road. Pretty sure the current trend is, if it boots it is done.
Is there an xorg driver for the Beagleplay and AI-64 or are you using wayland? I usually have mate on my gentoo, on my beagleboard x15 boards I was using the driver ported from IMX for the Vivante GPU. I don’t think that mate works with wayland yet.
I haven’t made a decision yet on installing funtoo or gentoo, I think that Funtoo might have more support for the 64 bit arm boards. I like their chroot work. I can compile almost everything just using chroot. On my pc I prefer gentoo because Funtoo dropped support for 32 bit. I guess I could use docker to go around that.
I will likely do a yocto eventually for the AI-64 since the device uses is similar to something we are likely to work on where I work. Has anyone done one yet for the AI-64?
Since I hate systemd, debian is not an interesting choice for me. I prefer gentoo, funtoo or yocto without systemd. I prefer OpenRC
Michel
Not sure, we had to disable it and run headless on the ai64. Plan to use the same strategy on the BP and build our own graphics optimized for the board.
Ran the fish eye demo on the AM62 demo board and when it was switched over to opengl instead of Qt, it is lame. Not sure if they are trying to push Qt, it sure does appear that way. I did not find that demo very “cute”.
I just looked Freedom board over a little more and that is the same chip that is on the BP board. Ti has a pretty good offering of support for that product. Reading the BF info and they show a 10 pin jtag on the board, so that might be worth looking into.
Going to order the evm boards for that chip and play around with it. Since I am going into CCS for the BP board this should be a much smother transition.
Some people not familiar with QT can come up with some crappy displays so I would not say that QT doesn’t have good display. QT makes you designs easier. I still prefer Delphi and Lazarus but that only works on xorg so far.
At work we use Embedded Wizard for our Yamaha boats and Global displays. This is only proprietary, the licence is around $5k to $6k per project. With QT you pay per unit, depending on the number of projects and quantities QT may be cheaper in some cases.
You can have QT for most small and bigger micros with or without linux. That support from Embedded Wizard is not as good as with QT.
As long as you use LGPL Qt (no GPL modules like QtCharts) and meet LGPL requirements you do not need the commercial license. You can sell your app, no problem there. Even the GPL does not forbid selling of stuff.
If you use GPL modules you must provide the source code to your clients under GPL.
Where I work we have several customers not interested in the Embedded Wizard licensing and would prefer QT, we might eventually switch. As to which is cheaper I am not sure. I think that many customers don’t realize that a project cannot be entirely proprietary if you use the free QT.
They do have additional libraries that are not available as GPL library, you need to write your own then and release them as LGPL or GPL.
Michel
I did that 20 or so years ago, problem now is I don’t remember much vector calculus. Did get a text book hopefully that will knock the cob webs off.
I have a question on the Beagleplay Mikrobus connector pins.
INT is listed has connected to GPIO1_9 which is on B18 on the processor
Many other choices are available beside that GPIO
Can EHRPWM1_A be set to 16, 20 or 40Mhz?
Since there is only one CAN port and I need two I want to connect a MCP2517FD to the SPI port, having a high freq signal I could go without the xtal.
The CAN port shares pins with E15 and C15 which are labeled TX and RX
Michel