Peter adds his input on our FTDI VNC2 Vinculum II toolchain issues post. He is having issues with the speed of the 1.4.2 toolchain, as well as issues with the debugger and compiler. His was most annoyed with being unable to get a keypad to work over the USB host mode, when a full PC keyboard worked.
It appears there is no support for this product from FTDI.
Toolchain 1.4.2 is SLOW, the debugger still does allow examination of data on several occasion, either when the data is complex or even if simple after a few steps in and out of functions. You still need to turn optimization off, my code is close to filling up the chip (on a Z80, or ’51 with known machine code – I have not tried, but sure – it would fit in 16K). Use of ROM data where it cannot be used gets compiled without error or warning but without CPU description it is hard to find out what is going on.
The fatal blow for me is that a peace of USB host code works with one device (full keyboard) and not with an other similar one (keypad). and I now would need a USB analyzer to figure out what is going on and frankly, even then not sure I could fix it.
Summary: USB made easy if it works, USB made impossible if it does not.
I got carried away with the nice little module size. I still do not know what other chip/module to use that is small, USB host *1, slave *1, >4K RAM, but could do with a LOT more and some way of persistent store (that was not supported by the FTDI, had to use external). Any ideas?
Via the comments.
What a FAIL board name (from an italian point of view ;)
How so? I always thought it sounded like a piece of medical equipment gone wrong :)
I also talked to these guys at Maker Fair in May. They promised updates and to get back to us about the issues. Crickets….
I only know the meaning of the latin word “vinculum”, its “rein” or “leash”. Stupid name IMHO, sounds limiting. What’s the meaning in italian?
Jan
Eheh, if you say “v’inculo” in italian you are saying this:
http://translate.google.com/#it|en|vi%20inculo
that can be also a vulgar expression to say “i’m cheating you”. As the vinculo board is showing many issues, i wonder if the name wasn’t a random choice… ;)
If you are serious about looking at alternatives, look for a device called a Fez Domino from GHI Electronics; USB host/client, great debugging, and a great support network (tinyclr.com). They have other devices, both larger and smaller, that can do the full gamut of what you’d want from a board including 10″ LCD displays. I haven’t fired up a C compiler since getting one !
Hey brett, the desaster about these Fez’s is the .NET framework.
– and the price – although the Domino seems to be no longer available, their USB host products are way too expensive
Domino is just out of stock; but there’s lots of changes coming. Domino isn’t the only one you can do USB Host on though, there’s a hack to allow Panda (and the other USBizi100 chip devices) to use the USB client port as a USB Host. And you can buy the chips for $20US and build your own from teh open design files.
one man’s disaster (I’m assuming that’s what you mean) is another man’s gold.
Really, it’s horses for courses. If your application isn’t suited to .Netmf, that’s ok. But USB Host for instance is so easy to manage under NetMF – need a keyboard and mouse? Easy.
brett wrote:
>> one man’s disaster (I’m assuming that’s what you mean) is another man’s gold.
It’s always save to say that :)
But nobody need a second Java, especially with respect to not that much complex systems that are on the verge to mundane electronics.
I agree with you that there are a whole bunch of advantages of it’s underlying structure if really complex systems come to one’s mind.
Otherwise, i think that the danger of such languages in the hobby (educational) scope is that you possibly loose your grounding and forget how the microcontroller “think”.
Just my two cents!
“i think that the danger of such languages in the hobby (educational) scope is that you possibly loose your grounding and forget how the microcontroller “think” ”
I definitively agree with you, you loose the focus (that is programming A MICROCONTROLLER, not programming) and learn less.
.NET, I feel bloated just thinking about it.
Just to confirm the product name Vinculo was changed to Vinco in early 2011. Furthermore the toolchain support has also been improved too.