What dev. boards are you using for prototyping?

ELCouz · Joined: 18 Jul 2007 Posts: 427 Location: Montreal,Quebec

I find this little gem using PIC24FJ128GA010 (with ICSP headers) with onboard CP2102 Serial to USB bridge.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/StarterKit-PIC24FJ128GA010-PIC24-MEGA-Development-board-/161025455438

This is the perfect form factor, not too big not too small! Price is right (33$) Can't find the same for dsPIC and PIC18.

I find the ChipKIT UNO32 and MAX32 to have the same layout but I can't use CCS Compiler with that! (PIC32 based)

Just wondering what are you using for dev?
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Regards,
Laurent

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Here's my first visual theme for the CCS C Compiler. Enjoy!

jgschmidt · Joined: 03 Dec 2008 Posts: 184 Location: Gresham, OR USA

I still use mostly solderless prototyping boards and DIP versions of the processor. For larger pin-count or SMD-only chips I get or make my own breakout boards that I can plug into the prototyping boards. That leaves me with maximum flexibility - minimum cost.

I've tried various development boards but didn't like working around the designer's assumptions of what he or she thinks I needed.

I keep several prototype boards ready to go with my currently favorite processors, ICSP header, LED, inverted serial output, and prototyping power supply like this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/190954315282

Cheers,
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Jürgen
www.jgscraft.com

Mike Walne · Joined: 19 Feb 2004 Posts: 1785 Location: Boston Spa UK

ELCouz · Joined: 18 Jul 2007 Posts: 427 Location: Montreal,Quebec

ELCouz · Joined: 18 Jul 2007 Posts: 427 Location: Montreal,Quebec

jgschmidt · Joined: 03 Dec 2008 Posts: 184 Location: Gresham, OR USA

And if I have a design I want to keep around a while, I'll transfer the components and jumpers from the proto board to one of these:

http://www.adafruit.com/products/591

and add one of the power supplies. For the hardware and components I can't make my own dual-voltage power supply for that price, especially when I buy them in bulk.

I use these Adafruit boards to preserve the design, and they make a more solid prototype for customer demos before I commit to the circuit design and start making PCBs. I socket the processor and any modules so I can reuse them elsewhere.
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Jürgen
www.jgscraft.com

jgschmidt · Joined: 03 Dec 2008 Posts: 184 Location: Gresham, OR USA

Getting back on track, I have several of the CCS development kits. They're pretty reasonably priced, focus on a particular area such as TCP/IP, CAN, USB, etc., and walk you through creating the code for the application. Since they're from CCS, the sample code works with their compilers.

If you're into TCP/IP and web servers, Olimex makes some PIC development boards that I've used. I stick with the simple ones.

http://www.saelig.com is my source. They have a variety of PIC development boards.

Some dev board vendors publish their circuit designs and you can learn a lot from those without ever buying the board.

Cheers,
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Jürgen
www.jgscraft.com

temtronic · Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2015 6:03 am

re: proto work

OK, WHAT do you guys use for boxes to wrap the prototypes in ? I like those adafruit PCBs...do they sell a box for it? Even one for the standard sized board would be nice.
Surely someone sells a 'combo' package perf pcb/ box ? I've looked a few times but can't google the right keywords to find what I want.

Jay
BTW ebay let me see the 'i/o header' fine....

ELCouz · Joined: 18 Jul 2007 Posts: 427 Location: Montreal,Quebec

newguy · Joined: 24 Jun 2004 Posts: 1911

Ttelmah · Joined: 11 Mar 2010 Posts: 19559

I must admit I 3D print quite a few enclosures now. Or CNC cut from layers and bond up.
My casings always tend to be shapes that won't suit off the shelf boxes, for things like probes that need to go into plant. The 'controller' may well use a standard box, but the work is in the little sensor parts.