I already finished my design with FEZ Spider, now I want to release it to production.
So I was wondering if I can use the USBizi100 to produce my project into a final and more economic product.
Thanks.
What modules are you using in your design?
and how much memory do you utilize?
The point everyone is saying is that the USBizi is a much smaller memory chip, that has none of the built-in features you get with EMX module on the Spider. The obvious one is networking, the networking capability in USBizi is all based on Wiznet5100 chip, where the EMX has onboard support and uses the netmf networking.
You could consider instead simply using the EMX module in your design, then there’s very little difficulty in moving code over. It then only becomes a challenge in board design for your required peripherals; the Cobra design files are probably a good place to start (they’re still available, check out the downloads on the Cobra page, http://www.ghielectronics.com/catalog/product/131 in the GHI shop)
The modules I am using are: extender module using two serial pins to connect my XBee and a Temperature & Humidity.
I am not sure how much memory, my program is 10Kb. It just collects Temperature and Humidity every certain time and sends using serial communication.
I like the idea of using the EMX module with very little difficulty in moving code over, could you elaborate more? Thanks.
Thanks for your responses.
Usbizi can handle it
Elaborating on your EMX question…
Spider has an EMX module as it’s “core”. The Spider layout is just a different way that the pins are offered to you to connect to them in comparison to say the Fez Cobra, which also hsa an EMX module. So you could, for instance, write your code for the Spider, test on the Spider, and then take your application and run it on a Cobra without changing it. You’d need to understand where the pins you use were presented on the Cobra, but that’d be the “hard” part, the software is transparent.
So if you didn’t use a Cobra but a board you designed that was based on the EMX module, you would then be able to do the same thing - again, you’d just need to think about what pins you use and where you lay them out on the board.
But as Gus says, you have a small enough set of modules that would be very simple to use with USBizi. Code wise you may have some small changes but you’re essentially not using the power the Spider has anyhow so you’ll be fine.
What would be the easiest way to upload the code to the USBizi?
Thanks again.
Ok, after doing a little research, I think I can use the FEZ Mini. right?
If it meets your pin count requirement, then Fez Mini is the smallest USBizi based module to date so meets your “smaller” requirement, and at the moment for $20 it also meets the “cost effective” piece, considering the USBizi100 chip itself is $17 in single units.