Tag Archives: software project

Added Write Protection Pin to FatFsMemSDHC

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What was missing in the FatFsMemSDHC component presented here is support for a ‘write protection’ pin. Well, that write protection is not present on micro-SD cards, and on normal SD cards it is a simple plastic thing with no real hardware meaning: it is all up to the software to respect it. While my other SD card components have support for such a write protection detection, it was lacking for the FatFsMemSDHC (for Kinetis) component. Time to fix this!

SD Card Lock

SD Card Lock: an SD-Card, a micro-SD Card and a micro-SD card adapter, both with write-enabled

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Serial Bootloader for the Freedom Board with Processor Expert

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Bootloaders are a very useful thing: it allows programming an application file without a debugger. This makes it ideal for upgrading a system in the field.

Usually, there are application notes and examples from silicon vendors available. But typically they are for a certain microcontroller, and hard to change it to another system without a lot knowledge about its implementation. What I need for a project based on the FRDM-KL25Z is a bootloader which shall be small and portable. As I’m using Processor Expert to keep my applications portable across different microcontroller families: why not create a bootloader with Processor Expert components?  With the Processor Expert drivers available, things can get a lot simpler compared to the ‘traditional’ approach. With less than 10 KByte footprint?

Serial Bootloader made with Processor Expert

Serial Bootloader made with Processor Expert

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USB CDC with the FRDM-K20D50M

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Good news for everyone owning the FRDM-K20D50M board: I have extended the FSL_USB_Stack with USB CDC device class support for the K20D50M :-).

USB CDC Test Application with the FRDM-K20D50M

USB CDC Test Application with the FRDM-K20D50M

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printf() with the FRDM-KL25Z Board and without Processor Expert

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In this tutorial I explored how to use printf(), and this tutorial is so generic that it works for any processor/microcontroller. That flexibility is because I’m using Processor Expert. In case Processor Expert shall not be used, then some tweaks are needed. Here I show what is needed to have printf() working with the FRDM-KL25Z board. I use the UART0 connected to OpenSDA USB CDC for this.

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A new Freedom Board: FRDM-K20D50M with ARM Cortex M4

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Freescale/Farnell/Element14 announced last week a new Freedom Board: the FRDM-K20D50M :-). As you can expect, I was not able to resist, and ordered one from my local Farnell store right away. So I did my first steps with it on this sunny and wonderful weekend (yes! we skipped Spring Time and entered Summer Time right away!).

I do not need to compare the board with the previous Freedom boards, as I have found an article here. I a nutshell: I get pretty much the same as with the FRDM-KL25Z, but instead of an ARM Cortex-M0+, it has an ARM Cortex-M4!

The new FRDM-K20D50M Board

The new FRDM-K20D50M Board

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text, data and bss: Code and Data Size Explained

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In “Code Size Information with gcc for ARM/Kinetis” I use an option in the ARM gcc tool chain for Eclipse to show me the code size:

   text       data        bss        dec        hex    filename
 0x1408       0x18      0x81c       7228       1c3c    size.elf

I have been asked by a reader of this blog what these item numbers really mean. Especially: what the heck is ‘bss’???? 🙂

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Extended Driver for the MMA8451Q Accelerometer

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In “Tutorial: Accelerating the KL25Z Freedom Board” I used the MMA8451Q accelerometer on the FRDM-KL25Z board in a very primitive way: I’m reading directly some low-level registers from the device through an I2C low-level component. No calibrating, no special device feature setting, only raw values. Since then, things have been evolved: In “Tutorial: Creating a Processor Expert Component for an Accelerometer” I started to create a driver for this accelerometer, and since then a lot more functionality has been added.

Tracing Accelerometer Values to the Shell

Traced Accelerometer Values to the Shell

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RFduino: Wireless Cortex Arduino to the Size of a Finger Tip

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How cool is this: combine ‘Arduino’, ‘Bluetooth’ and ‘Low Power’ with ‘small size’: an ARM Cortex-M0 board with low power Bluetooth 4.0, shrunk to size of a finger tip! 🙂

This Kickstarter project asked for $5k funding, and it has received over $245k! The video shows the prototype interacting with an iPhone:

It combines Arduino compatibility with the power of an ARM Cortex M0. Given the low-cost and versatility of that board, that would make that board an ideal base for many projects.

Adding an internet gateway, and I will have the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) 🙂

Happy RFing 🙂

Copy of Processor Expert Components

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Many times I have Processor Expert components carefully configured in one project, and then I want to have the same thing in another project. There is actually an easy way to carry out this: to copy components from one project to another.

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Version Control with Processor Expert Projects

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Using a version control system for software development is a standard procedure today. While things are pretty clear for ‘standard’ Eclipse projects, it is not that easy for Processor Expert projects. I’m using Processor Expert projects with Git and SVN (Subversion). I want to share here tips how to use Processor Expert projects with a version control system. Screenshots and vocabulary are for TortoiseGit and Git, but applicable to any other VCS (Version Control System).

Git Repositories View in Eclipse

Git Repositories View in Eclipse

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