freeSim hardware: development log

[GartnerProspect]

I've used laser-printer press-and-peel method with good luck, but it takes a little practice if you don't have a temp controlled iron press.

I hear the water soluble backing paper solution is a little easier though...

The worst part of the whole process I think is drilling a bunch of holes. Going mostly SMD would help that, but I'm not sure just how good of results you'd get with any fine pitch ICs.

Either way, I've been looking at advancedcircuits.com for my prototyping from now-on. I work on the road and frankly don't have the time or care to mess with the etching chemicals and hand drilling all those little holes so it's worth it to me to spend a few bucks to have somebody else do it (frankly, I'm not sure it's even that much more expensive if you need more than just one of something). Their Barebones service is rather cheap I hear, with supposedly one day turn around. And their software is actually pretty decent for a novice, includes a schematic designer that will verify trace routes and such.

Actual board construction should be fairly trivial once you get the thing designed.

[ababkin]

update:

Got the hardware. This is the platform i am using: http://www.silabs.com/tgwWebApp/public/ ... F120DK.htm
Also got bunch of chips needed for the sim like digipots, PGAs, sample&holds, port expanders, etc.

Learning to program the 8051 now.

[ababkin]

update:

- Got the UARTs working (talks to PC, and VFD panel).
- Got the SPI interface working, communicating with MCP23S08 (port expander with hw interrupt generation)

Next step is to generate the tach pulses and hook everything up to MS to be able to snoop on the phases and pulse widths of MS-generated inj and ign pulses.
Write a convenient visual interface (to be run on linux PC connected to the freeSim with a serial cable) to display the pulse data in relation to the tachs generated, and change tach rate (simulated RPMs)