Here’s a few upcoming Bus Pirate chip demonstrations:
We’re always open to requests, and we’ll send you a free PCB if we use your chip suggestion for a demo.
Today we played with a few open source logic analyzer clients in preparation for an upcoming prototype. The best we found is SUMP, written in Java. There’s also compatible host software for several FPGA development boards, we found even more ports floating around the web.
SUMP has a SourceForge page, but it doesn’t look very active. Jack Gassett’s ButterFly Platform has a SUMP compile for Windows that doesn’t require you to install the complete Java framework. You’ll also need the rxtx Java library for your platform.
Do you know of any other clients or SUMP resources?
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 two PCBs for the 24FJ64GA002-based v1 #twatch development board, PCBs by Seeed Studio. We used this board to develop our new ethernet LCD backpack without the limited programming cycles of the 18F67J60-based v2 #twatch.
Ask for one of the PCBs in the comments. Be sure to use a real e-mail in the address field so we can contact you for shipping info.
You might still be able to buy an assembled #twatch at Seeed Studio.
We’ve gotten a few questions about tracking packages from Seeed Studio, like the Bus Pirate and #twatch preorders.
Seeed uses Hongkong Post by default, in our experience these packages usually take 4-7 days to arrive. When your order ships, Seeed sends a status update with a tracking number like EE123456789HK.
Use the Hongkong Post tracking site to see when the package leaves China. HongKong Post only tracks to the Chinese boarder, but they provide links to local mail services that provide further information in some countries.
Artwork by Aaron, Creative Commons Attribution 3.0.
BiOzZ posted an Instructable that shows how to setup the open source Realterm serial terminal to work with the Bus Pirate.
The #twatch ethernet LCD backpack preorder is over, shipments will start around October 10, 2009. Our first project was a big success. Thank you for participating with comments and preorders!
If you missed out on the preorder, Seeed is making a few extra units you can buy for $45, worldwide shipping included. We don’t plan to make more, so these could be the last #twatches ever. We’ll post manufacturing progress updates as we get them.
Have you used the Bus Pirate to interface an interesting chip? Send us a copy of the session output, if we use it on the site we’ll send you a free PCB.
Is there a part you’d like to see demonstrated with the Bus Pirate? Please make a request in the comments, if we use your chip suggestion we’ll send you a free PCB.
There’s a complete list of existing chip demonstrations in the Bus Pirate manual.
audiohacked has started a python library for the Bus Pirate. So far, it’s been tested as an EEPROM dumper:
I have started writing a python library for the bus pirate. It’s ugly and messy, but I was able to use it to dump the firmware from an SPI chip… You can contact me if you need more information.
The source code is available here.
**UPDATE*** Seeed is listing the #twatch again. They located additional PIC chips. The #twatch preorder has an estimated October 10 ship date.
#twatch production is limited by the number of PIC 18F67J60 ethernet microcontrollers Seeed can find for immediate delivery. Here’s some of the options at this point:
We didn’t make it in time for International Talk Like a Pirate Day, but Bus Pirate firmware v2.2 for all hardware versions is now available for download from the project Google Code page.
This release includes a few bug fixes for all hardware versions, updated Spanish translation, and a few new features like a transparent UART bridge.
Bus Pirate v3 is nearly ready, sign up for preorder notification here. More about this firmware release after the break.
We’ve been cross posting our original creations here and at Instructables. Instructables is an awesome site where anyone can demonstrate how to do anything.
This is a WordPress blog, it uses HTML layout formatting. Instructables uses a kind of wiki-like markup. We whipped up a converter that replaces HTML elements with the Instructables equivalent. There’s a lot of formatting (tables) that doesn’t have an equivalent, that stuff gets stripped out. This is totally browser & JavaScript based, just save the web page and it should run from your computer.
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 two Bus Pirate v2a PCBs, PCB by Seeed Studio. The Bus Pirate v2a was really handy for developing the Bus Pirate v2 series, but the Bus Pirate v2go is really the final revision of the v2 design. The nicest feature of v2a is the power switch, which allows developers to reset the Bus Pirate without messing with the USB cable.
We’re giving away two PCBs this week, just ask for one in the comments. Be sure to use a real e-mail in the address field so we can contact you for shipping info. Some rules after the break.
The #twatch backlight is controlled through a TCP server on port 1337. We use Herculese as our TCP client.
Connect to the #twatch TCP server at the IP address shown on the LCD screen. Send the command 0xFE 0x42 0x00 to turn on the backlight. Send the command 0xFE 0x46 to turn it off. Programs like LCD Smartie and LCDProc send these commands automatically when they start and exit.
We’re really excited about the #twatch preorder. Yesterday was a great day for the #twatch, Seeed Studio added a few extra to their store. Thank you for your support!
If things heat up, there’s a potential shortage of the PIC 18F67J60 chip we used. We built another #twatch using the slightly smaller PIC 18F66J65 chip as a backup. Even though the 66J65 is smaller, the #twatch firmware still only uses 50% of the program space. Seeed will update the order page to reflect this change if later orders ship with the new chip.
The most recent documentation is now on the wiki.
Character LCD screens that scroll information are a popular case mod. They’re usually controlled through a parallel port, serial port backpack, or USB backpack (more). This article demonstrates our open source ethernet network LCD backpack.
LCD control programs like LCD Smartie (Windows) and LCDproc (Linux, OSX?) can use the ethernet LCD backpack just like the serial and USB type, but over a network. It’s useful for monitoring any system from anywhere on a network: put LCDs where you can’t put a computer, or monitor a computer that’s difficult to reach.
We use it to scroll system info, RSS feeds, playlists, new email, Folding@Home stats, etc. away from the PC.
In this article we show you how to redirect LCD Smartie output from a serial port to the LCD backpack. This is part 2 of the network LCD backpack project, read part 1 here.
Seeed Studio has a few assembled ethernet LCD packpacks for $45, including worldwide shipping. Get them while they last because we won’t make more soon. If you missed this project, sign up here to be notified of future preorders.
Bus Pirate v2go
Firmware v2.2-nightly
DEVID:0x0447 REVID:0x3043 (B5)
Hack a Day’s preorder 2 Bus Pirates are starting to arrive worldwide. Remember to upgrade the firmware when it arrives.
We’ve had one report that the latest preorder was assembled with revision B5 PIC 24FJ64GA002 chips. Press ‘i’ in the Bus Pirate terminal to see your PIC version. What revision did you get?
BiOzZ shared this breadboard cable for the Bus Pirate. What kind of cable do you use?
We posted brief instructions on how we put a #twatch into a picture frame. This was how we originally intended to launch the #twatch, but we forgot because we were so excited about our first full-length article.
You can buy an assembled #twatch, with or without an LCD, starting at $30, including shipping.
Last week we released the #twatch v2, an ethernet backpack for 20×4 character LCDs. This wasn’t the only version of the #twatch that we designed. V2 is based on the slick, inexpensive, single-chip ethernet microcontroller, the PIC 18F67J60. The biggest downside to the 18f67J60 is that it can only be programmed an average of 100 times. The limited program cycles make it really difficult to develop the firmware unless you’re a programming genie.
#twatch v1 is a development board for the #twatch firmware. It uses a PIC 24FJ64GA002 microcontoller with a million potential programing cycles, and an ENC28J60 for ethernet access. The design isn’t as advanced as v2, but it’s key to developing the #twatch firmware. We also use the v1 #twatch to diagnose new bugs, like the recent change in Twitter JSON.
You can buy an assembled #twatch v2 PCB for $30, including worldwide shipping. Keep reading for more about the v1 design.
Continue reading “Confessions of a prototyper: #twatch v1/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.
This week we’re giving away PCBs for our new ethernet LCD backpack, the #twatch, PCBs by Seeed Studio. We’re giving away 1 PCB for the PIC 18F67J65-based #twatch v2. We’re also giving away 1 PCB for the 24FJ64GA002-based v1a #twatch development board.
Ask for one of the PCBs in the comments, if you’re the first you can choose v1a or v2. Be sure to use a real e-mail in the address field so we can contact you for shipping info. Some rules after the break.
You can also buy an assembled #twatch, with or without an LCD, starting at $30, shipped.
