EMX dev board obsolete - G120 dev board int he pipe line?

NETMF & Gadgeteer
1

I noticed the EMX dev board has gone to obsolete state after the G120 was born.
Are there plans to release a dev board for the G120 instead?

Why do i ask? We use EMX dev boards for proto typing at the moment because it’s freaking easy…
But because it’s obsolete we have to desing our own board around the EMX module OR around the G120 (witch is more power AND cheaper)
BUT if there is a new dev board on the drawing table then we maybe dont have design our own board (we are so lazy…)
Or is the FEZ spider used as surrogate dev board for the EMX? And one last thing, how long will the EMX module be availible?

Thanks

2

Have a look at Cobra II who is based on G120 … http://www.tinyclr.com/forum/topic?id=9457

3

Yes, verry nice but still missing to much, extending the Cobra board would be almost the same work as making a board around the G120.
We need the 2 CAN ports / COM / Ethernet / PWM some IO’s / analog in / SD and USB but not the WIFI thats on Cobra
With the EMX dev board we have just 1 flat cable between the EMX and our extension board for all connections.

4

If you use gadgeteer connectors in your design then you can plug any gadgeteer mainboard, now and in future.

5

I dont like (to many) connectors, these proto’s go in automotive applications for live testing and homoligation and have to be “potted” as much as possible.
If no dev board is planned for G120 then a new custom pcb for G120 with all connectivity we need would be the best long term solution.
I think in our situation the fasted port from EMX will be using the G120HDR Module for dev with some gadgeteer components and then design the extension board around the G120?

6

There is no dev board today as Cobra and G120HDR are plenty to develop and evaluate G120. Maybe a custom board for G120 is perfect for your needs.

7

Yep, i believe this is the way to go, thx for the feedback, and i must say i love NETMF and the GHI premium libs and support :slight_smile: TY !

8

I have been arround here for a long time, and I think:

  1. Boards is in general killed to fast.

  2. New boards is release as an replacement long before they are a bug free replacement.

  3. Many old projects needs to be maintenanced for along time - so, please keep tools and main modules on stock.

:wink:

9

core products, like chipsets and SoMs stay for very long time with no changes or a direct replacement. As for evaluation kits or demo boards that maybe different. Those are improved to give the user a better experience.

Examples? Embedded Master, EMX, USBizi, USBwiz, uALFAT, ChipworkX…all have been around for long years.

10

My other comment for anyone doing commercial dev work, you want to take control of your SDK versioning - if you HAVE to maintain a product with a single tested firmware version, take steps to make sure you have that firmware version locked away with your code.

11

I totally agree and have no problem with this approach.

12

Maybe a bit off-topic but absolutely right, at our company for each major version we build a complete archive with all dev components, even Visual studio in this case and the correct procedures to setup a dev environment from scratch and to build or modify that release.