First impressions on mBuino

Archive
21

@ Architect - Ha ha! Definitely one I would like to try on a few of the guys at work. :slight_smile:

22

@ Architect - As far as I know, he’ll be in today :slight_smile:

23

To use the SerialPC interface as described here: SerialPC - Handbook | Mbed requires no special drivers. You only need to have a Serial to PC connection and connect with a terminal like Teraterm. I have not tried on the mBuino to connect this way but I have with another device that uses the same mBuino processor by connecting our Serial to USB to the TX/RX of the device.

The Driver you are trying to install is, from my research, a special debug interface that needs to be incorporated into the program that you are making.

The mBuino is a target chip while I believe the Serial/Debug driver that you are trying to install was more meant for when the processor that we are using is being used as an interface to interact with another Target Processor. It may be possible to incorporate the Serial debug into the mBuino program but this has not been tried yet.

24

@ Aron -

The following is part of the cookbook article for SerialPC class:

I have been using another mBed board, and I had to installed the driver referenced in the SerialPC article.

I believe, without the ability to at least use SerialPC for debugging, the mBuino is just a key chain.

25

Which mbed board have you been using?

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@ Aron - It doesn’t show as a COM port. May be something is missing in the firmware?

27

Doh!

You are right no driver is needed. But you do need USB serial code running on the board.

Dropped that code on mBuino:


 #include "mbed.h"
 #include "USBSerial.h"
 
//Virtual serial port over USB
USBSerial serial;
 
int main(void) {
 
    while(1)
    {
        serial.printf("I am a virtual serial port\r\n");
        wait(1);
    }
}

And COM port appeared in Device Manager.

1 Like
28

@ Architect - I just discovered that code. I needed to instal the archived .inf file that was provided on this page: USBSerial - Handbook | Mbed

It is in the yellow caution window to get the .inf if needed.

29

Yeah in my case it picked up SmoothieBoard driver, so I didn’t have to install the inf file, but on a fresh system that step will be needed.

30

However, you could use the standard serial port to output the same messages if you are willing to hook an external USB to Serial connection to the device as this looks to take a lot of flash memory.

31

Yeah, it does. The second example from that page compiled is 20K :frowning:
USBDevice library bring a lot with it if you just need a Virtual Serial Port. There is a lightweight version of the library though.

32

NXP LPC1768

33

SerialPC is different than USBSerial. it has almost no overhead in terms of flash and ram.

34

@ Mike - The board you are using has an interface chip with a specific firmware to allow for direct programming of the Target chip of the LPC1768. That firmware is programmed to allow for a virtual COM port as well as probably a full debugging ability if you used Keil. I am not sure which chip they are using for the interface chip but it is probably the LPC11U35, a cousin of the LPC11U24 found on mBuino.

The LPC11U24 is the target on the mBuino. To program the mBuino, you need to activate the built it MSC that allows the LPC11U24 to be programmed. Straight off of the shelf, the mBuino’s processor would not have any software and it immediately ready to allow a binary file to be added.

To better illustrate the difference, if you look at the Seeedstudio Arch and the Arch Pro, they are basically the same things as the NXP versions. However, you will notice that the Arch Pro has two USB ports, one for debugging and programming the LPC1768 and one for the USB device to be used in your LPC1768’s application. On the Arch, there is one as the LPC11U24 is the only chip, the Target.

If you look at the mbed pinout of the NXP LPC1768, the USB is on the DIP headers.

mbed is an exciting new concept that will make programming boards easier in the future. Right now, we just need to catch up on how to properly debug them. :wink:

35

And it is part of the core mbed library which is already there.

36

@ Architect - I think Aron’s discussion of the interface chip on the LPC1768 is the key. The interface chip talks USB to the PC, and serial to the LPC1768 chip. The mBuino does not have an interface chip.

With the mBuino, a USB to serial module could be use for debugging.

For serious work, a LPC1768 could be used for development and debugging, and then when it work, change the pin designations and port to the mBuino.

37

I got my mDuino in the mail today – plugged it into my system and the LEDs are all blinky like :smiley:

But I don’t see it in my PC’s drive list. I use the same cable/port to connect up phone and that works for power and data.

Are there any drivers for Win 8.1 x64 that need to be installed first? I thought it should just show up as a storage device and appear as a drive letter.

My Device Mangler doesn’t show any unknown devices.

38

@ mhectorgato - hold the reset button for few seconds

39

Worked like a charm!

A drive with the name of “CRP DISABLD” showed up.

Thanks.

40

Not sure … but it worked!

Was able to import Aaron’s program, make some changes, compile, download the new bin and update my device.