Thanks again and look forward to tomorrow. I think that it may provide the most useful information on how to approach and decide among the wide variety of options out there.
Jon, have you looked at the newer Cortex M series development Kits yet?
if so which processors have you looked into?
I have worked with the TI Stellaris kits for the Cortex-M3 and have used an ARM mbed board with an NXP LPC1768. Very nice. I haven't worked with the NXP Expresso boards, but have them on my list. They look good.
START TIME: Shouldn't the conference become available a few minutes in advance, so we have time to settle the equipment, do the download, and cope with some of the tune up time?
Download of PowerPoint slides available quite some time before start of audio. Audio starts right on time for each session.
WHAT KIND OF ADDRESS: is that one on the temperature display?
That is the MAC (Media Access Control) address unique to each communication device. This dev kit displays the three least-significant bytes of the address in hexadecimal format.
Was hoping this would have more on the Wireless Protocol
The prorocol is usually transparent. You use the API functions to control network setup and control. The documentation information shown in the slides will get you off to a good start.
Another choice worth a look. I cannot recall the names of every protocol TI makes available, but they have their own SimpliciTI, 802.15.4, ZigBee, RF4CE, etc...
@Jon - still confused about costs and your demo. It seems you needed two systems for demo, one to send, the other to receive. each system consisted of four boards. therefore, the cost of each system would be $150?
Sorry for the confusion. The $300 kit includes two MCU cards, two wireless PICtail cards, two LCD cards, and two serial-port cards. Also, 2 USB cables, and 2 RS-232 cables. You don't need anything else. If you want to add additional nodes to a network, you could but an extra PIC18 Wireless Development Board and an extra MRF24J40 PICtail for each extra node. I assume any extra nodes would not need an LCD or a serial card. MRF24J40 PICtail card, $US 25. I could not quickly find the "8-bit Wireless Development Board" so contact the company for a price on this board.
@jl: I assume MPLAB X is fully backward compatible. The IDE should not impact the code. Of course it really depends on the compiler used. You'd need to visit Microchip site to see details of compiler choices.
@drw36 - is MPLAB X backward compatible. that is, I already have projects built in MPLAB 8.0 and 8.41. can I simply upgrade (install) MPLAB X and then be able to access and built my existing projects?
MazianLab asks Is this kit compatible with all types of Microchip MCUs?
The kit is stand alone. I suppose you could use other Microchip MCUs to control the MiWi protocol, but you would have to ask Microchip. The wireless PICtail card should work with other MCUs and MCU boards, but check Microchip's information to be sure.
@Jon - still confused about costs and your demo. It seems you needed two systems for demo, one to send, the other to receive. each system consisted of four boards. therefore, the cost of each system would be $150?
Popular with people who use Microchip products. Although the MiWi protocol code is free, you cannot use it with devices from other vendors, per Microchip's license arrangements.
Jl asks: What is the complexity to communicate to another node rather than another Microchip wireless system. that is communicating with a PC or internet web site?
what is the complexity to communicate to another node rather than another Microchip wireless system. that is communicating with a PC or internet web site?
You wouldn't use the MiWi protocol or an 802.15.4 transceiver module to communicate information to a PC or an Internet connection for general-purpose use. The transceivers have a range of about 100 feet indoors, perhaps as far as 300 feet outdoors (clear field). Data rates are about 250 kbits/second. You would use these modules in sensor networks, for security systems, building monitors, etc. You CAN connect them to a PC to report this information, but you wouldn't use them for Web browsing or email communications. For those apps, use WiFi.
No, simplex only. The 802.15.4 has a collision avoidance "mechanism" to prevent crashes, but it operates simplex on one channel. The 802.15.4 spec includes the means to detect busy channels and find low-energy channels when modules set up a PAN.
Don't know. I believe some of the underlying C code is available, but not sure if you have access to everything. You could download the sample software and take a look.
No, simplex, receive only. It simply monitors traffic and breaks communications into the bits and bytes for the MiWi protocol. Look at Microchip's specs to find out if it can handle "bare" 802.15.4 communications or ZigBee. I suspect the receiver chip can, but not sure about the PC-based interpreting software MC supplies
No, simplex, receive only. It simply monitors traffic and breaks communications into the bits and bytes for the MiWi protocol. Look at Microchip's specs to find out if it can handle "bare" 802.15.4 communications or ZigBee. I suspect the receiver chip can, but not sure about the PC-based interpreting software MC supplies.
Does MiWi include excryption and compression that can be modified?
You can turn security on or off, as needed, via the API: #define ENABLE_SECURITY. I don't know about any compression techniques and don't see anything related in the API documents.
The prices are there for the kits in each day's slides. For today's slides: The Microchip Zena sniffer costs about $US 50. The PICkit3 costs about $US 45.
Jon: Can the Microchip hardware be used to support the widely used WiFi or other wireless standards, and how hard is it to do (is there support software available)?
Yes, it takes place via the USB connection to your host PC and via the ICSP pins on the MCU module. It's an expensive device unless you need all its capabilities.
The development kit reviews with the summary of likes/dislikes at the end are usefull. I like ones combining a technology like RF. TI and Cypress reviews would be good.
Jon: Can the Microchip hardware be used to support the widely used WiFi or other wireless standards, and how hard is it to do (is there support software available)?
Microchip has a WiFi card: MRF24WB0MA Wi-Fi PICtail/PICtail Plus Daughter Board. Search Goolde for microchip for wifi pictail.
I've attended every week of the presentations since the beginning of this year, save 1 week. This week, so far, has been the most practical of all of them. I also feel that Jon did a superb job of presentation. The photos were excellent, and the delivery was logical and easily followed. Bravo and thanks to Jon and to Digikey. If I may be so bold to speak for all the attendies over the past months, thank you very much Digikey and Design news.
These reviews have been helpful by looking at the kits from different vendors. Since I have used only Microchip systems, this is a convenient way to learn how other vendors do things.
I like the reviews - gives a good overview of different aproaches from different vendors. I would like to see the BeagleBone reviewed as well as a 8051 kit and/or a MSP430 kit...
Jon: Can the Microchip hardware be used to support the widely used WiFi or other wireless standards, and how hard is it to do (is there support software available)?
what is the complexity to communicate to another node rather than another Microchip wireless system. that is communicating with a PC or internet web site?
Almost always take a simple example program as a start for a new project unless I am pretty familiar with the system and it has a good wizard for generating the boilerplate code.
WHERE TO START: It dfepends on the level of expertise: I may start from an example, every time I'm dealing with totally different field of knowledge. Esample: If I'm dealing with a problem involving permutations of a string, I may go find a C sample code that I ike and study.
Don't use 3rd party for demo kits, but have used when we select uC for products. Nice feature to select among various revisions of compilers. Easy to support legacy products and keep with original compiler.
Sometimes we have to go out for a third party program, Normally it seems there is a disconnect between the Code Editor/compiler and the Programming/downloading tools.
since there are several boards presented, it would have been good to get costs as they are presented. at the end of session will have to dig back thru presentation to figure it all out
START TIME: Shouldn't the conference become available a few minutes in advance, so we have time to settle the equipment, do the download, and cope with some of the tune up time?
-The streaming audio player will appear on this web page when the show starts at 2pm eastern today. Note however that some companies block live audio streams. If when the show starts you don't hear any audio, try refreshing your browser.
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