We’ve added a folder to the SVN with a few user-contributed scripts for the #twatch in Python, Perl, etc. If you come up with a script for the #twatch, please share it in the #twatch forum.
Author Archives: Ian
Bounty: Add Bus Pirate support to OpenOCD JTAG programmer
We’re offering a bounty on the most-requested Bus Pirate features. The developer of each feature can have their choice of a Bus Pirate probe cable kit or our next monthly project. Today we’re highlighting JTAG. It would be ideal to have Bus Pirate support in the popular open source JTAG programmer OpenOCD, but other solutions […]
Bus Pirate v3 unboxing
Bus Pirate v3 preorder 1 is starting to be delivered worldwide. There’s a discussion in this thread of the forum. Learn about connecting the Bus Pirate for the first time in the Bus Pirate 101 tutorial. BPv3 shipped with a special firmware (v2.4-Seeed) that includes a manufacturer’s self-test mode. It’s a good idea to upgrade […]
SMD parts in a kit?
How comfortable are you with surface mount parts? Would you build a kit that included some or all surface mount components? Seeed Studio will stock our next few projects as both a kit and assembled hardware. Some kits will include all SMD parts in 0805, SSOP, and other small packages, like the Bus Pirate and […]
Creative #twatch holder
Another #twatch picture from Twitter user andrewholmes.
Bus Pirate v3 unboxing?
It sounds like Bus Pirate v3 preorder 1 is arriving now. If you received your BPv3, would you please post an unboxing picture and send us a link? We haven’t seen the new version yet and we’ll use the pic in an unboxing post.
Ping the #twatch
The #twatch has a simple ICMP (ping) server that shows if the #twatch is alive and kicking on your network, and how long it takes to respond. First, get the #twatch IP address from the LCD screen or the announcement packet. Next, start a ping client and ping the #twatch IP address. Windows has a […]
Another #twatch unboxing
Twitter user andrewholmes posted a #twatch unboxing pic.
Centipede MCP23017 I2C IO expander
Macetech’s Centipede Shield adds 64 IO pins to an Arduino. It’s got four Microchip MCP23017 I2C IO expanders, with I2C speeds up to 1.7MHz. Macetech will give you one if you’ve got a project that promotes the new hardware. Thanks for the tip, also via Hack a Day.
Bus Pirate firmware v3.0 released
Bus Pirate firmware v3.0 is available for download. This release has a new logic analyzer function, improvements to the SPI and I2C bus sniffers, and many bug fixes. See the commit log for a complete list of updates. The download includes English, Spanish, and Italian language firmware for hardware v3, v2go, and v1a. We’ve stopped […]
Free PCB Sunday: #twatch v1b
We go through a lot of prototype PCBs, and end up with lots of extras that we’ll never use. Every Sunday we give away a few professionally-made PCBs from one of our past or future projects, or a related prototype. Earlier we gave away a v1a #twatch PCB, now we’re giving away one of two […]
Free PCB Sunday: #twatch v1a
We go through a lot of prototype PCBs, and end up with lots of extras that we’ll never use. Every Sunday we give away a few professionally-made PCBs from one of our past or future projects, or a related prototype. This week we’re giving away one PCB for the 24FJ64GA002-based v1a #twatch development board. We’d […]
#twatch forum
If you have questions or comments about the #twatch, the forum is a great place to post them. We get notified of new questions right away, and it’s easy to aggregate the posts into a helpful FAQ later.
#twatch network firmware upgrades
See the latest version on the documentation wiki. The #twatch can be updated from a PC on the local network thanks to Microchip’s network bootloader. Bug fix updates, new features, and alternate functions can be programmed into the #twatch using the bootloader. The 18F ethernet PICs can only be programmed an average of 100 times, […]
Compile the #twatch firmware
See the latest version on the documentation wiki. You don’t need a Microchip programmer to develop firmware for the #twatch. You can use Microchip’s free development tools and upload code through the network bootloader. It’s a mini PIC 18F67J60 development board, but remember that the chip is only rated for 100 program cycles. Compile instructions […]
View the #twatch IP announcement
The #twatch acquires an IP address automatically using the DHCP server on your network. It displays the IP address on the LCD screen, but it also sends an announcement packet to every computer on the network. The packet is directed to port 30303 at the broadcast address. Microchip provides a small Windows utility called MCHPDetect […]
#twatch unboxing
Twitter user Tinyblob tweeted these pictures of a #twatch unboxing.
Bus Pirate I2C, SPI sniffer updates
See the latest version in the documentation wiki. With aphoticjezter’s confirmation that the undocumented I2C sniffer actually works, we tweaked the code to help get around the UART speed limitations. These updates are in the latest nightly build. The I2C and SPI sniffers now use a 4096byte output ring buffer. Sniffer output goes into the […]
#twatch backlight control from Python
It looks like the #twatch is starting to arrive worldwide. WA5ZNU received a #twatch and wrote a Python script to control the backlight. You can use this thread to discuss your #twatch unboxing experience. There’s still a few #twatches at Seeed Studio for immediate delivery, $45 including LCD and worldwide shipping.
Bus Pirate I2C sniffer working?
It appears the I2C bus sniffer, macro (2) in the I2C library, may have been working all along. aphoticjezter writes in the forum: I hacked the binary file to change the bitrate for one of the speeds to 230400, and I also used RAW mode as suggested. So far I seem to be reliably sniffing […]